Two Takes on the 1-1-11 Sunrise: Photographic and Philosophic.

Being a lover of what is (Byron Katie: www.theWORK.com), I strive to enjoy each breath and not to worry too much about the past or the future. Holidays and birthdays and anniversaries do not hold much meaning for me. I am excited about every new day, excited by the now, and by the next breath. The reality is that that is all that each of us ever has, the next breath.

So the New Years holiday does not excite me much. That said, I was eager to get out to the beach to photograph the first sunrise of 2011 so that I could share the images with those of you who place more emphasis on the coming of 2011 than I do but who were not in a hurry to get out of bed this morning 🙂 I almost did not make it as the Sunrise Highway was closed because of a big propane leak in Shirley. I made it up to the LIE and was five minutes early for sunrise.

That said I do hope that 2011 is a happy, healthy, productive year for each of you and that it is filled with wondrous travels whether around the world or to your local patch. And I do hope of course that your year is filled with lots of wonderful new images.

Photographically, the images could not be more different: big fixed focal length tripod mounted lens vs. short, hand held telephoto zoom. The wide, environmental look vs. the tight view, the latter of course more typical of my style. I love how the wings up gull in each image adds so much, especially in the wide image where it balances the composition perfectly even though it is tiny in the frame.

Interesting enough, the 800 with the 2X would not focus with my Live View/Live Mode focusing trick. (See same in our 7D and Mark IV Camera User’s Guides.) Thus the manual focus. When photographing the rising sun with a big lens and one or more teleconverters, you begin by adding light when the sun is well muted, then you progress to a pretty good degree of underexposure. Pro tip for photographing the muted sun: always use the RGB histogram so that you can control the over-exposure of the RED channel. Once you are getting over-exposure at -3 stops at lowest ISO and your smallest aperture, it is best to pack your tent to avoid damaging your eyes. To learn how to continue safely on a clear day see “Photographing the Bright Sun” on page 534 of The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only).

I created 72 images of the huge sun, most with the 2X TC and a few with stacked TCs. (The sun just fits in the frame with the 800, stacked TCs, and the Mark IV.) As things turned out, the image with the gull in the best spot in the frame and with the best wing position was a bit hot in the upper part of the sun. I Quick Masked the bird into a properly exposed image but no matter what I did to the layer with the bird on it I could not match the yellow sun background color so I simply added a Layer Mask to the Layer, worked large, and painted away the offending light circle of yellow.

Thanks for all of the excellent comments on the two Dunlin images (Sleeping Bird Horizontal Composition). I will be sharing my thoughts with you on those soon.

Shopper’s Guide

Here is a list of the gear that I used to create the images above. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens A versatile intermediate zoom that I have been in love with since I first picked it up 6 months ago.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body And this is the very best professional digital camera body that I have even used.
Canon 1.4X II teleconverter This is my most used accessory; I would be lost without it.
Canon 2X II teleconverter I love this combined with my 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens; Canon’s lighter version of the Nikon 200-400!

And from the BAA On-line Store:

Gitzo 3530 LS Tripod This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Delkin 32gb e-Film Pro Compact Flash Card Fast and dependable.
NEOS Navigator 5 Insulated Overshoes My brand new pair of NEOS Navigators kept me warm and dry and provided safe footing and a good grip on the slippery jetty rocks.

If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure to check out our complete Shopper’s Guide.<

Mystery Photographer & Experience Level Revealed!

I first met Clemens van der Werf on the 2010 Southwest Florida Presidents Week IPT. Clemens had had an interest in black and white photography as a teenager, bought his first serious camera, an Olympus OM 2, and began photographing on local bicycle trips. In addition he photographed sailboat regattas when he was not racing himself. He even sold a few prints to the sailors to finance his hobby. When he entered college he developed other interests and shelved photography. In 2006 he was in Newport, Rhode Island for work when he came across a beautiful gallery that featured the work of a Dutch photographer, Onne Van der Wal.

Onne got him to sell all of his Nikon gear and switch to Canon. In 2007 Clemens bought an EOS-5D, the 70-200/2.8 IS, the 300/2.8 IS, and the 24-105/4 IS. From 2007 through 2009 Clemens casually photographed his family and some more sailboat races. For the sailboats he used the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens. Early in 2008 he bought an EOS-1Ds MkIII and in April 2009 added the 500/4 IS. Soon thereafter he drove to the St Augustine Alligator Farm with his daughter for a day trip; it was the first time he used the 500/4. He remembers that he photographed during the middle of a bright sunny day! All hand held as that is how he and Onne did it when photographing boats from the water. Clemens thought that tripods were for dummies. He was not happy with the crappy results. Coincidentally Onne had attended a program that I did in Newport, RI in the fall of 2008. I gave him an ABP II CD and in early 2009 Onne passed it along to Clemens who gleaned it for the technical information. Clemens had no interest in birds at all. Still in search of good technical info, he googled “Arthur Morris” and subscribed to and devoured our free Bulletins. Still he rarely got out to photograph.

In late 2009 Clemens thought it would be a good idea to do a workshop with me. He figured that he could learn a lot. The workshop that caught his eye was scheduled for February 2010 close to his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He did not care at all for the subjects that we would be photographing: birds. His only only goal was to learn about the technical side of photography. His knowledge of birds was pretty close to zero at that time, as was his interest in them.

When all the workshop participants got together on the first evening he seriously wondered if he had made a mistake and thought that he might not make it through the week . The average age of the participants was well above retirement age and they all were avid birders; there seemed to be no connection at all.

I will let Clemens continue the story:

How deceiving my first impression of the workshop had been! It turned out to be a fun week during which I started to appreciate birds and their behaviors. The information exchange during the week was close to overload as I had to deal with lots new things such as manual mode, flash, Photoshop, Artie’s rules, etc. But the bottom line was that I was hooked on bird photography and wanted more. During March/April of 2010 I went out on Tampa Bay twice with James Shadle for Roseate Spoonbills and visited Sanibel Island with my family. In August I joined Artie again at Nickerson Beach, NY. In November I joined him again at his beloved Bosque del Apache. I will be attending the San Diego IPT this coming January as well as one of the Homer Bald Eagle IPTs this March.

After the Florida IPT this year I bought an EOS-1D Mark IV; that was just before I went out with James Shadle. I borrowed the new 800 lens for the Florida IPT and Nickerson and bought my own just before the Bosque IPT.

My challenge is to combine my creative eye and the techniques of digital photography to create pleasing image captures. Creating technically perfect images is by no means equal to capturing images worthy of being hung on your wall or ones that leave you with the constant urge to look at it again and again. Once you have created an image that gets and keeps your attention, you know that you have met the challenge and hit the jackpot. Now there are two subjects that have my special attention: birds and boats. Both have their own technical challenges.

I currently run a shipping company that specializes in transporting luxury yachts. We have four semi-submersible vessels that load yachts using float-on/float-off loading technology. The vessel basically sinks and becomes a floating dry-dock. The yachts sail onto the vessel; once they are above the submersed deck divers put supports underneath them while the vessel rises out of the water. Once the yachts are dry on deck we secure them for the ocean crossing and sail them to their new cruising destination. We move yachts from between 30 and 200 feet long all over the world. The great majority of them are transported between Florida or the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. You might have seen the process on TV as a couple episodes of Discovery and National Geographic shows about the company have aired. The most recent one was a “Monster Moves” episode. There is more detailed information available here.

(Note; you gotta check this out; it is simply amazing. There are slide programs and videos on the web site.)

The Answer

Clemens was quite flattered that so many folks thought that his images were mine. And I am proud of Clemens’ success. Yes, he has emulated my style, but in many cases he has outdone me while standing right next to me with the same gear. At present, Clemens has been photographing birds for less than one year. You can see more of his work here.

I enjoyed and totally agree with Keith Reeder’s comment: “These are great images to be sure, but nothing which any reasonably hard-working, capable photographer of far fewer than 27 years’ standing shouldn’t easily be able to achieve.”

The facts are that Clemens has worked hard and studied hard, and spent as much time as possible with quality instructors….

Once again it was Joerg Rockenberger who pretty much hit the nail on the head when he wrote: “I’d say less than 1 year. And the reasons the images are so superb are that the photographer is not only very talented and can afford top shelf equipment but most importantly devoured Birds as Art I & II, studied the Digital Basics file multiple times over, attended at least a Bosque and Florida IPT and is a regular at BPN.” JR

(Note: though Clemens is a BPN member, work and family obligations do not leave him much time to participate.)

Shopper’s Guide

Here is a list of the gear that Clemens used to create the images above. (The links are to the newer models in cases where the gear that Clemens used is no longer in production. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens
Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens
Canon 1.4x extender (version II)
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body
Canon 580 EX II Speedlite

And from the BAA On-line Store:

Gitzo 3530 LS Tripod
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head
Mongoose Integrated Flash Arm
Better Beamer flash extender
Promaster Flash Extension Cord

If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure to check out our complete Shopper’s Guide.

Amazing Orangutan Adventure; Like Bugs?

Regular readers should be familiar with the name Paul Mckenzie. Even before I met Paul on Midway I knew that he was a skilled, gifted, and hard working young photographer. Paul currently lives in Asia–Hong Kong, I think–with his wife Paveena. (Though they worked in the same office building, they met on a dive boat in the Galapagos.) Paul is having a go at being a full time professional nature photographer and travels the world extensively. He fell in love with East Africa after his first visit there in 1997 and returns often. Recently he made his second trip to a remote area in Indonesia reached only by somewhat arduous travel by boat. In his usual style, Paul produced an incredible collection of images in just four days. In very difficult conditions. One of the things that I most respect and admire about Paul (aside from his killer images) is that he is quite competent with lenses of all focal lengths. He is even good underwater.

To see more great images and to read the complete story of the trip–hordes of mosquitoes and all, check out Paul’s blog here. After you are impressed there, be sure to check out Paul and Paveena’s galleries on their Wild Encounters web site here.

I am looking forward to seeing Paul again on Midway this April, and then again on the October 2012 South Georgia/Falklands Expedition; so far 24 BIRDS AS ART folks will be joining me on that one. If you missed the announcement and would like to learn more, click here.

When I saw this my only thought was, “You gotta be kidding me.”

The painterly qualities of this image are superb.

The range of human-like expressions on the faces of the orangutans that Paul captured on his recent trip leave little doubt as to our family tree.

Photographer Experience Quiz

The six superb images presented here were all created by the same photographer. They might be my images. They might belong to a relative beginner. They might have been made by an experienced nature photographer with a dozen years under their belt. I love each of the images both for their technical excellence and their artistic design.

Important note: the images are protected by copyright law. I will add a copyright notice here once I reveal the name of the photographer. I will do that in a few days at most.

The quiz is multiple choice. Here is the question:

How many years of bird photography experience does the photographer who created these images have?

a) Less than one month
b) Less than six months
c) Less than one year
d) Less than two years
e) Less than four years
f) Less than eight years
g) more than eight years
h) about 27 years, 4 months 🙂

In your comment please use the actual words rather than the letter code. Or both. And please give a brief reason for your choice. If by chance you know for sure whose images these are, or think that you know, please refrain from playing. Thanks.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Note: All of the images in this post are copyright Clemens van der Werf who began photographing birds in February 2010. Learn more about Clemens here.

Shopper’s Guide

Here is a list of the gear that somebody used to create the images above. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens
Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens
Canon 1.4X II teleconverter
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body
Canon 580 EX II Speedlite

And from the BAA On-line Store:

Gitzo 3530 LS Tripod
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head
Mongoose Integrated Flash Arm
Better Beamer flash extender
Promaster Flash Extension Cord
Panning Ground Pod

If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure to check out our complete Shopper’s Guide.

Assorted Comments

Wow. Please don’t take this personally–and I do appreciate all the folks who took the time to comment, and I am a lover of what is, but many of the comments smack of the boys and girls taking potshots at Mr. Famous Bird Photographer. I am not saying that this is a contest winning image, but it is a decent and salable photograph. Let’s consider a few snippets.

“Bad head angle.” As the person who coined term with as it applies to bird photography, the head angle here is perfect. I would not change it 1/2 degree in either direction.

“Foreground distracts because it is brighter and seems to be (sic) sharper.” The brilliant white bird is obviously brighter than the brown and yellow grasses. And the sharpest thing in the image is the bird’s eye.

“There is a metal band on the bird’s left leg.” There was no band on either leg. The whitewash on the bird’s left leg was dealt with during image optimization with a series of small Quick Masks.

Regarding “I think I would have …. opened up to F 2.8 or F4 and used an ND filter to cut the light yielding better feather detail overall and defocusing both the background and foreground. Singh-Ray has that neat vari-ND filter. This would be the perfect shot to try it out.” #1: With the 800 and the 1.4X II TC f/8 is wide open so it is not possible to open up to f/2.8 or f/4. #2: The Singh-Rau vari-ND filter comes in a variety of sizes but the 800 lens takes 52mm drop-in filters. The vari-ND is not an option. #3: As the image was perfectly exposed with the histogram well to the right, using an ND filter would not have yielded better feather detail at all.

“poor egret looks like it’s in a shadow box – no room to breathe – claustrofobic…” For images of that include the whole bird, we teach folks (including Danny Deen :)), not to go larger than 75% of either frame dimension. Thus, I am fine with the framing here.

“the lighting angle was too high…” I am not sure what that means but the image was created about 75 minutes after sunrise in rather sweet light.

“Problem with the cattle egret looks to me like obvious flash causing shadows and over exposure causing loss of detail in feathers. Flash is too strong, maybe my computer screen is doing this for me.” Yes. As previously advised, calibrating your monitor would be a good plan. No flash was used on this image. Heck, it was not even mounted. As previously noted, no part of the image was over-exposed. And as you can see in the optimized image, there is loads of detail in the WHITEs.

“too centered…” The bird is well back in the frame with twice as much room in front of the bird as behind….

By popular demand, I did an additional Linear Burn on the WHITEs and added some BLACK to the WHITEs in Selective Color.

Both IPT veteran Monte Brown and Thomas Chamberlin came close to identifying the major problem with the image (as seen through my eyes anyway): the rather tall, out-of-focus piece of grass on the lower frame edge directly below the bill was the biggest problem here. We teach, “Anything out-of-focus between you and the subject will always be a major distraction.” Such is the case here. As Fabrizio figured, that was dealt with during image optimization (with a Quick Mask).

I also eliminated the blade of grass that Monte mentioned, eliminated many of the brighter, whiter blades of grass, and cleaned the bill (using the Clone Stamp and the Patch Tool. As I knew from the start, the optimized image looks pretty darned good.

As for a lower angle, I was using the BLUBB in my vehicle with the window rolled all the way down so I could not get any lower. Had I gotten out of my SUV the flock would have flown the coop. The image could use a teench more room below. As for the bird having “no feet” I am not gonna stop photographing birds standing in the grass….

As for the shadow, I would have preferred that it were not there but moving in either direction would have increased its size. I tried lightening but it looked really yucky.

As for the crane image, it was obviously (“No need to comment on the major problem with this one; I think that it might be fairly evident”) intended to be humorous (though several missed that :)) I posted it to show how frustrating bird photography can be at times as I missed a spectacular opportunity.

It’s a good thing that I do not take things personally.

With regards to “Flames,” the image featured in the December 16th post, I prefer the first image, the softer one with the more muted colors (but only by a small margin). Something in between might be best.

To give you a better idea of what I did with the image clean-up of the Cattle Egret image I created the animated GIF below.

To learn how I used the Clone Stamp, the Patch Tool, and Quick Masks check out our Digital Basics File.

Flames & BAA Bulletin #352

With the recent cold snaps, the single deciduous tree in my driveway had some nice fall color just a few days ago. (Most of the leaves are on the ground now…) On Saturday morning last, I wanted to go down to the lake to try for some birds but it was 100% foggy. By 10am it had brightened just a bit so I popped a flash card into the my camera, grabbed the 70-200 f/4L IS lens, and made the short trip down my driveway.

I made about 60 images and kept one. Creating pleasing blurs is like playing the lottery. For this one I did a diagonal pan blur with a bit of jiggle on the way down. To learn this technique and dozens more, check out A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

Do you like the softer subdued look of the first image or the bolder more contrasty look immediately above?

You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings.

BAA Bulletin #352

BAA Bulletin #352 is on-line and can be accessed here.

If you have been searching for the world’s best lens cleaning fluid, be sure to check out “Introducing Lens Clens.” The feature includes tips on how I clean my gear (even though I don’t do it as much as I should…)

FEATURES

• BIRDS AS ART GIFT CARDS
• INTRODUCING LENS CLENS
• ADDITIONAL GIFT IDEAS
• “WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY; STORIES FROM THE FIELD” by GEORGE LEPP & KATHRYN VINCENT LEPP
• SOME OF MY CANON LENSES FOR SALE
• SOUTH GEORGIA/FALKLANDS EXPEDITION UPDATE
• IPT UPDATES

Shopper’s Guide

Here is the gear that I used to create “Flames.”

Canon 70-200mm f/4 l IS lens
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body
Delkin 32gb e-Film Pro Compact Flash Card

If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure to check out our complete Shopper’s Guide.

Cloud Lens

I borrowed the 14mm f/2.8 lens from CPS (Canon Professional Services) for my Bosque trip just because. I broke it out whenever we had some cool cloud formations in that big New Mexico sky.

This image was processed as a single frame HDR in NIK HDR Efex pro. Tony Sweet graciously spent 20 minutes on the phone with me on his way to a jazz gig giving me NIK HDR lessons. He is a drummer. He played professionally for 20 years in his first life.

As I learn more about NIK HDR Efex Pro I will be sharing what I learn with you here and in the Bulletins. Tony suggested that I start each HDR with the default (all the sliders at zero), hit reset to flatten the curve, set the Black and White Points, adjust the Warmth slider, adjust the Tone Compression slider, and then tweak as needed. And that is what I did with “Evening Cloud.”

The NIK program is the first HDR program that does what it is supposed to do: take the details from the highlight areas and blend them with the revealed detail in the shadow areas. With Photomatix, every image that comes out of Tone Mapping has blown highlight and underexposed darks…. That has not happened to me once with NIK HDR EFEX Pro and I love the natural look that I can get if I want it.

You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. I have been using and learning and loving COLOR EFEX and SILVER EFEX also.

Shopper’s Guide

Here is a list of the gear that I used to create the images above.

Canon 14mm f/2.8 II USM lens
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body

If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure to check out our complete Shopper’s Guide.

The Skinny on a Killer South Georgia/Falklands Cruise: October, 2012

I just got the heads up on a killer South Georgia/Falklands Expedition that will run October 18 to November 11, 2012. It seems a long way off but if you want a seat on this ride you will need to act soon. So far eight BIRDS AS ART folks (including two couples, my pal George Brunt (eggs-ZACT-lee), and Paul Mckenzie, an extremely skilled globe-trotting young photographer are already on board with an equal number threatening to join us very soon. Paul’s web site and his blog are both amazing. Check out his two latest blog posts and you will agree 100%: the guy is talented!

After I returned from my Falklands/South Georgia/Antarctica trip a few years back I knew that I had to return to the Southern Oceans, but not with Zegrahm’s who had most generously had me along; we just had too little time ashore…. Here’s what I wrote in the Antarctica Site Guide soon afterwards:

“By signing up with one of the few photography-only cruises, you will get a lot more bang for you buck. My understanding is that there are two companies that run trips that allow for far more photography time ashore.” I am currently working with the one of those two groups; they offer as much or more time onshore than any other tour company that regularly travels to the Southern Oceans. And they are very well respected.

I am already registered for the trip: October 18 to November 11, 2012 (including the travel days). Many folks who have been to the continent quickly realize that when it comes to wildlife photography, South Georgia is the crown jewel of the Southern Ocean. This trip offer 10-11 days of photography at various South Georgia locations and three additional and equally spectacular days in the Falklands on the way home. On my Zegrahm’s trip we had but a single day on the Falklands; the photography there was so amazing that if I had not hitched a ride down the hill from the spectacular cormorant colony in the afternoon with a farmer the ship would have left without me.

I will not be an official leader on this trip but those of you who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. I will be available on the boat to review images and answer questions and all who sign up as a result of reading this note are invited to tag along with me on the landings. In addition my friends Tom Murphy and Rod and Marlene Plank will be along as photography leaders. Rod’s images inspired me early on and Tom and wife Bonnie offered guidance when I was just getting started in the tour business. It is obvious to me that the folks running this trip have an obvious passion for photography, for their business, and for their clients needs; they remind me a great deal of BIRDS AS ART, just on a larger scale.

When I read through the entire itinerary for the first time the excitement for me was palpable; I practically had a cow! If you can read the whole thing and not dream of making this trip you have me beat by miles. One of the great things about this trip is the timing; we will be early enough in the season that the fur seals will not be set up in their rookieries. This will allow us safe access to lots of locations that are inaccessible December through February.

It is a far less expensive trip than the expeditions that travel to the continent, it packs far more photographic punch for your dollar than the longer trips that include time on the Antarctic Peninsula, and the wildlife and photography opps will be beyond mind boggling. I cannot even imagine getting the chance to photograph four different species of albatross on a single trip. Not to mention Rockhoppers and Macaronis and more King Penguins than you could ever imagine. If you are seriously interested in this trip feel free to call me with any questions at 863-692-2806 or email at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net for details. I am good to go. And I hope that you can join me.

later and love, artie

ps: I will be back tomorrow to share my thoughts on Images A & B 🙂