December 2nd, 2009
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| I had fun in the snow on the early morning of Sunday, November 30. Photo copyright and courtesy of Robert O'Toole. |
It is 6:50 am on Wednesday, December 2 and I am sitting in the Albuquerque Airport headed for Denver/Orlando. I will be home for four whole days before heading to Long Island for the NWPLI program on December 8th and three weeks of winter photography and visits with my Mom and my two wonderful daughters and their families.
It snowed fiercely on Sunday morning past and I struggled to find some geese in the predawn. I added two stops of light to my exposure to push the histogram to the right. Here is what the image looked like on the camera’s LCD:
Many folks would simply delete the image, especially if they were not aware of the amazing potential of digital image files. Below is the optimized image. As always, click on the image to view a larger, sharper one.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/50 sec. at f/6.3 in Tv Mode. |
Simple Levels, Curves, and Hue-Saturation adjustments after an ACR conversion (as detailed in our Digital Basics File: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32) transformed the image as I knew that it would. I wish that the wind had been from the east/northeast rather than from the northwest as I would have preferred the birds flying towards me rather than away.
Gotta go! We are taking off now. I actually had an internet connection while sitting on the plane! I made some corrections and updated the post in the Denver airport.
November 29th, 2009
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| This Sandhill Crane was photographed in early morning light with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the yellow grasses: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Overall, photographic conditions at Bosque del Apache NWR during the second half of November, 2009 were poorer than I have ever experienced in my 15 consecutive visits at this season. That said, the two crane pools (Ed Cranepool to the south, and Harry’s Crane Pool to the north), have consistently offered excellent photographic oppourtunities virtually every morning and on some late afternoons as well. And those who worked hard and put their brains in gear were able to make some good images away from the crane pools. The huge problem is that there is no corn by the Farm Loop Road. Various explanations are about: a farmer quit; a farmer was sick; root grubs ruined the entire crop and spraying to control them was not feasible. With more than 20,000 geese present, there have been some decent morning fly-outs but those massive, loud, and thrilling mid-morning blast-offs from the corn fields have been missed by all. And that includes birders, photographers, and the folks attending the Festival of the Cranes.
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| Though we had some great pre-dawn color, the birds were still sleeping. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6. |
I remember the good old Phil Norton days when every festival was attended by huge flocks of geese roosting and feeding close to the tour loop road. This year mid-morning and afternoon trips around the refuge often resulted in very few geese (if any) seen at all and those from great distance. The present management has stated that there will be lots of corn planted near the road next year.
There were some issues last year when a woman photographer walking absent-mindedly on the railroad tracks west of the North Railroad Pond was almost struck by a maintainence vehicle. Understandably the railroad had a cow. The solution was to leave the usually productive pond dry. Last year the main impoundment was, for the first time in probably 14 years, plowed. The large expanses of blue water were a photographer’s dream. In just a year the main impoundment became totally overgrown and worse yet, the spent sunflower stalks along the western shore of the impoundment south of the Flight Deck were not cut as they had been last year. This impeded views of the pre-dawn fly-ins and fly-outs and caused over-crowding on the Flight Deck.
And for whatever reason–possibly the cold weather–the geese took flight quite late each morning. We had some very nice sunrises (and one spectacular one) but the color always faded before the birds took to the air en masse. My IPT group was great, and understanding. And we had some great chances with the ducks at various off-refuge locations. See BAA Bulletin #307 coming soon for the complete IPT report and news of the Bosque Site Guide update.
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| This drake Wood Duck was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-7D. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/7.1. Fill flash at -2 stops with Better Beamer. |
November 24th, 2009 Bulletin #306
BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #306 is on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/11/20/birds-as-art-bulletin-306 with lots of great images from my San Diego/Del Mar trip.
7D First Impressions
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| 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the Canon EOS-7D. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. |
I finally got a chance to try the relatively new Canon EOS-7D and I gotta say that I was most impressed, especially with the all new AF system. Focus on any subject with the central sensor and recompose and the system switches sensors to stay with the originally selected subject. You can actually see the active sensor or sensors change as you track the subject. AF is fast and sure; I never once lost focus on the cranes in flight. And best of all, the resulting images are tack sharp. In the image above I started with the central sensor and the bird in the middle of the frame. Even though I moved the bird back in the frame and several other birds flew by, the AF system was not fooled into losing the original subject.
This image was created at ISO 1000. There was a bit of noise that was easily controlled with Photoshop CS3’s noise reduction. As always, the best way to combat noise with any camera is to push the exposure to the right as far as possible without getting any blinkies.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 set manually. |
AI Servo AF tracking is fast and accurate even with birds flying right at you. The noise at ISO 400 is not a problem at all. And with 18 million pixels and the 7D’s superb image quality even substantial crops will yield superb optimized files.
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| This is the original capture for the image above. |
To remove the two cranes in the background, I used the protect and defend cloning techniques. To level the image quickly, I used my personal Keyboard Shortcuts (as taught to me by Robert O’Toole). To smooth out the background bushes, I used the Patch Tool. To sharpen the eyes and face I used the Eye Doctor techniques along with a contrast mask. All of the above techniques are described in the recently revised, re-organized, and updated Digital Basics Flie: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
You can learn more about the 7D here: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=314&modelid=19356
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/30 sec. at f/16. |
Not to beat a dead horse, but the all new 7D AF system is superb.
Overall conditions at Bosque are fair at best but the crane pools have been superb in both mornings and evenings. If you will be visiting Bosque this season, you will surely want a copy of your Bosque Site Guide: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=19. I will be sending a free update no later than very early December detailing the current conditions and hotspots.
Here is a comment from Scott Bourne on the capabilities of the 7D: “Canon is light years ahead of Nikon in the VIDEO department; the 7D produces video files as good as those from great costing many tens of thousands of dollars. I will try to post either some of Scott’s Bosque video or a link to same here soon.
November 17th, 2009
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| This Willet was photographed at LaJolla, CA with the handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens and the EOS 50D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 set manually. |
Aside from working on the eyes of most of my avian subjects, I often spend considerable time cleaning a bird’s bill. I work large, often at 500 to 800%. Tip: hit “Z” for the Zoom Tool and then click-draw a box around the area that you wish to work on. To eliminate sand, dirt, birts of food (if I opt to do so), specular highlights (I hate bill shine!), and or small areas of discoloration or damage, I usually use the Patch Tool and the Clone Stamp Tool (that often in cases where I wish to divide a larger problem area into two sections before using the Patch Tool. A times I use a Quick Mask or two and more rarely, the Spot Healing Brush. Detailed instructions on using these tools can be found in Digital Basics: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
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| This tight crop shows extensive areas with specular highlights. |
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| Ten minutes work most with the Patch Tool yields a nice clean bill. |
(As always, you can click on any image to see a larger version. I’ll be back soon!
November 16th, 2009
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-50D. ISO 250. Evaluative Metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger version. |
Wow, I was beyond swamped last week getting ready for my trip to San Diego and getting things in order at the home office or–to put it more accurately, the office home. I will be adding two rooms on the western end of the house: an exercise room and a 3rd bedroom that will serve as a storage area for prints and product. We have slowly outgrown the house so there is no choice but to enlarge it. I apologize for having been away for so long.
I did a program and a live demo on Saturday and on Sunday at Photo Expo West in Del Mar, my appearance sponsored generously by Canon USA/Explorers of Light. All of the programs were well received. I did get out each morning and created the image above on Saturday in LaJolla.
Three Marbled Godwits flew in and landed in front of me while I was photographing a Western Gull at close range with the 800 and the 1.4X II TC, head portraits actually. The godwits were feeding on a limestone shelf about three feet high. There was a narrow gap between that shelf and another almost adjacent one. My hiking boots, the ones that I will be using at Bosque in the afternoon, were protected from the salt water with my NEOS so I simply walked into the narrow gap to get right on sun angle. Then I either kneeled or sat if there was a convenient rock available to get right down to the bird’s level. A big wave splashed over the top of the NEOS on my left foot and another soaked my butt while I was sitting. If I had had only the 800 lens with me I would have had to move way back and up the sloping beach; even if I had kneeled behind my lowered tripod I would have still been well above the birds and the resulting images would not have been anywhere as pleasing or intimate as this one. The background is the Pacific Ocean.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 1.4X II TC and the EOS 1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/14 set manually. |
This gull was sitting peacefully on a rock. While standing behind my tripod the background was a mix of yellowish sandstone and breaking waves. To attain the Pacific-blue background that I wanted, I lowered the tripod so that the lens was about 2 feet off the ground. I was hoping that the bird would yawn but that was to no avail.
As you can see, the tripod-mounted 800 f/56. and the handheld 400 DO complement each other beautifully.
Yikes; I should have mentioned that BAA Bulletin #305 can be found online by following this link: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/11/13/birds-as-art-bulletin-305.
Bulletin #305
Here are the featured items:
- COMMON SENSE PHOTOGRAPHIC ETHICS
- ON-THE-ROAD AGAIN
- TRIPOD HEAD HELP AND INFO
- PHOTO EXPO WEST APPEARANCE/NOV 15/16
- ALBUQUERQUE APPEARANCE/DEC 1
- LONG ISLAND APPEARANCE/DEC 8
- ROBERT O’TOOLE’S APTATS II/Pre-Publication Discount Offer
- CANON 600 IS FOR SALE
- SAN DIEGO ITP
- POSSE NEWS/ROBERT AMORUSO
- IPT UPDATES
Item 1 is particularly interesting.
I will be back soon. And I head to Bosque on Thursday November 19th.
October 21st, 2009 Two days ago, Canon released information on their next professinal digital camera body. I was fortunate to have one to test about two weeks ago. You can read my initital impressions on this BPN post:
http://birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=365077&posted=1#post365077
The short story is that I ordered two of them immediately <smile>
Bulletin #301 & #302
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #301 can be viewed on line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/10/12/birds-as-art-bulletin-301
These are two of the featured items:
- ALAN MURPHY’S “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography” ($10 pre-publication discount)
- “DON’T BE TRAPPED BY A MIND-SET…”
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| If you have ever pointed a lens at a bird coming to a feeder you will find Aan's guide an amazing resource. |
You can pre-order one here and save $10: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=275.
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #302 can be viewed on line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/10/19/birds-as-art-bulletin-302.
These are the most important featured items:
- DAYTON, OH PROGRAM/SEMINAR: NOV 6/7, 2009
- TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE, GALAPAGOS 2010 (looking for one lady….)
- THANKSGIVING AT BOSQUE
- “THE CLEAN LOWER EDGE,”
- THE 2009 BOSQUE OPEN WINDOWS VOLUNTEER PROJECT
A Tale of Two Nelsons, TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE
If you have already read “TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE” in BAA Bulletin #302 (immediately below), be sure to read on to see Nelson’s follow-up e-mail and to learn of the second Nelson, Nelson Serrano.
I received this e-mail this morning at 9:45am. It put a huge smile in my heart and more than a few tears in my eyes.
Hello Mr. Morris, My name is Nelson Gonzalez. I don’t know if you remember me, but you were my sixth grade teacher at P.S. 106 (Class 6-306) in the late 70’s. I’m the one who played the rich guy in the Happy Days play that we did (Cynthia, please come along, the cocktail guests are waiting at the club.”) I was browsing the net and came across BIRDS AS ART. As I looked at the pictures, I was caught by surprise when I came across a picture of you. I’m happy you followed your dream after teaching for so many years. Now I know why you always took our class on trips to Gateway National Park and to natural history museums. I just wanted to take the time to let you know that you had a big impact on my life. From all the grades, I have fond memories of being a student in your class. I remember you taking students to your home and your wife serving us spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t know how many other students have told you that you were a great teacher, but I felt the need to tell you. Although we came from a poor and rough neighborhood, you gave your students hope by teaching us that we could accomplish anything if we put our minds to work.
I wanted to tell you that I came out okay. I joined the Navy after high school and served 6 years. After the Navy, I attended Long Island University, and I now work as a relationship manager at a bank. I have been married for 21 years and have 2 daughters and a son. My oldest daughter Melissa is a junior in college. Denise is a senior in high school and Nelson Jr. is a junior. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Mr. Morris, thank you for being my giant. Take care and I hope to hear from you. Nelson Gonzalez, U.S. Bank Corporate Trust Services
NELSON’S FOLLOW-UP E-MAIL
After responding to Nelson’s original e-mail, I received this from him yesterday:
Mr. Morris, I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Belsky. My brother loved being in her class because she had such a gift to teach. My mom was also very fond of her. It’s funny, when my mother spoke about our time at 106, she always reminded us that Mr. Morris, Mrs. Belsky and Mr. Alexandro were the best teachers her children ever had. I think she was right. As for talking to anyone from 106, I used to talk to Jorge, who was in our six grade class (do you remember him?), but lost touch with him. Jorge also served in the Navy. After the Navy, Jorge was working as a para- professional at Bushwick High School while attending college to be a teacher. I also spoke to Pablo about 8 years ago. Pablo was also in your class at the same time I was. I don’t know if you remember him. Sadly, Pablo dropped out of school and was into drugs. It’s sad that most of the kids I grew up with ended up serving time in jail, getting into drugs, or are dead now. I remember growing up, most of these kids made fun of my brothers and me because we had a curfew. My parents were very strict and watched over us like hawks. I thank my parents all the time. I now live on Staten Island. I bought a two family home and took my parents with me. I appreciate them so much for how they managed to bring us up well despite the environment that I wanted them to live their last days in a peaceful environment. Well take care and God Bless.
P.S. I will try and send you some pictures of my kids soon.
NELSON SERRANO
Nelson Serrano was a tall Spanish kid with red hair and freckles. He was a gifted student by any standards, another member of Class 6-306 some time in the early 1980s. He was one of the most brilliant group of kids that I ever had. On the city-wide tests, he scored in the 99th percentile in both reading and math. And he always had a neat smile on his face.
Nearly a decade later I was approached by a short Spanish man while standing in the hallway outside of the office at PS 106. “Hi,” he said, “I am Nelson Serrano’s uncle. I am not sure if you have heard that Nelson has been in prison for several years now after killing two drug dealers in a deal gone bad when he was 16 years old. Would you be willing to write a positive letter on Nelson’s behalf? He thinks that you and his sister are the only two who might be able to help him; we are trying to get his sentence communted.”
I wrote the letter and a year later I received a letter from Nelson, from prision. He said something like this: “Mr. Morris, Thanks for writing the letter for me. My appeal was turned down. I would like to apologize to you. You warned us of the dangers of drugs and I did not listen to you. I am sorry. Nelson Serrano”.
It was amazing to me how some kids could be dragged under by the conditions in Bushwick while others were able to rise above it. Please feel free to share this with any of the youngsters in your life and ask them which Nelson they would like to be….
I hope to be back soon with some M IV images to post; right now Canon has requested that I do not post any of the images that I created with my pre-production Mark IV bodies just yet.
October 13th, 2009
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| This classic BAA image was created at a shutter speed of 1/30 sec. If you think that your equipment is the cause of your usharp images, please keep reading. Not sure who said this but I do agree: "Most lenses are sharper than most photographers." This print will be offered as a limited editon canvas print in several months. See the Bulletins or the BAA store here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=31 for details on this print series. |
BASIC SHARPNESS TESTING
I receive several e-mails each week from folks who state that this or that camera does not focus properly or that this or that lens is not sharp. In 99% of these cases I am sure that operator error rather than equipment malfunction is the cause. That said, on rare occasion, folks using quality equipment from Canon or Nikon do experience real problems with focusing accuracy. If you are handholding, please do not complain about unsharp images. ( Handholding telephoto lenses can be done successfully only be a very few highly skilled folks.) I was walking around in Sabine Woods late yesterday afternoon. It was cloudy dark. I was working at ISO 800 with shutter speeds of about 1/60th second and even slower at times. There were two folks walking around handholding 500 f/4 lenses; they might as well have gone fishing as there was no way that they could create a sharp image without a tripod in those conditions. For most folks it is best to work on a tripod at all times when using your longest lens (unless you are handholding for flight or for action). Another factor to consider is that most of the folks who write complaining of unsharp image are using cameras with 1.6X or 1.5X multiplier effects. They need to realize that these cameras multiply vibrations and movement caused by operator error by the square of the equivalent focal length! So using a 500 lens with say an EOS-50D you are really working at an effective focal lenght of 800mm, not 500mm.
If you are using a tripod you need to check and note the shutter speeds of your unsharp images. I had one guy on an IPT complaining that none of his images were sharp. I checked his set-up and saw that he was working in near darkness at ISO 100 with shutter speeds in the 1/8 to 1/15 second range. Making sharp images with a long lens at such slow shutter speeds is simply not possible 99.99% of the time. When working at long effective focal lengths I am confident that I can make sharp images down to 1/60 second as long as I have time to lock the tripod head and provided that the bird does not move during the exposure. With the prime lenses alone, I can usually get down to 1/30 second. With the relatively new Canon 800mm lens and its new 4-stop IS system, I have made some sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1/6 sec. Here are two simple tests to determine if you have faulty equipment.
- Tape a sheet of newspaper to a sunlit outdoor wall on a relatively still day. Make sure that it is as taped down as flat as possible. (A magazine cover with fine print or a plastic or cardboard test chart are of course better options.) Mount your telephoto rig on a tripod. Lock down the tripod and the lens collar. Make sure that you are beyond the minimum focusing distance of your lens and that the distance range switch (if your lens has one) is set to full. Make a few images at the wide open aperture using both One-Shot and AI Servo AF with Canon gear or Single (S) or Continuous (C) AF with Nikon. Then do the same thing at f/8. As long as the wall is sunlit you will have more than enough shutter speed to know that your focusing issues are not caused by too-slow shutter speeds.
Now download your images and check them for accurate focus. If all of the images are sharp, then you can be sure that your unsharp images were being caused by operator error.
- Stand well off a somewhat busy road with the sun angled so that the approaching vehicles are coming right down sun angle. Use the wide open aperture and choose an ISO that results in shutter speeds greater than 1/2000 sec. Choose AI Servo (Canon) or Continuous (Nikon) and select the center AF sensor. As the cars approach, place the central sensor on the license plate. Once focus is acquired, hold the shutter button down. and make a series of images. Even this simple task requires some practice so be sure to take lots of images. Download the images and sort them into two groups: sharp on the license plate and unsharp on the license plate. Now using an application that allows you to see the position of the active focusing sensor, in this case the central sensor, note the position of the sensor in the unsharp images. If the sensor is consistently on the license plate and the images are unsharp, then you likely have equipment problems. At this point you will need to send both camera and lens to the manufacturer along with a CD of the images.
You can repeat this test with various camera bodies and various lenses in an effort to determine the cause of your problem. Again, when and if you are pretty sure that you have an equipment problem it is best to send the gear to the manufacturer along with a CD of the test images. In the great majority of cases, folks will learn that their equipment is perfectly fine but that poor sharpness or panning techniques, slow shutter speeds, or incorrect AF settings are the cause of the unsharp images. Do also realize the importance of subject movement. While working at the Cozad Ranch probably well more than half of my images were unsharp. This was due in most cases to subject movement. In other cases, the unsharp images were a result of the AF system being unable to maintain sharp focus on the tiny songbirds as they leaped off of their perches. It is important to understand and to realize the limitations of our equipment.
October 1st, 2009 I flew to Long Island on Monday past to visit my Mom who is recuperating from hip replacement replacement surgery. Her original new hip lasted 16 years. The surgeon found a big mess and three hours turned into six and a half. After a few days in the hospital and two months in a rehab nursing home, she is back home and doing great. Photography locally has been pretty poor both at Jones Beach and at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/10. |
This juvenile pectoral was one of a very few birds at the north end of the East Pond on Tuesday afternoon. A visit to the south end on Thursday morning was also challenging.
Bulletin #300
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #300 is now on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn300.htm
The first featured item (which had pretty much nothing at all to do with photography), generated more interest than anything I have ever posted. I feel that it is so important that I am posting it here as well.
YOUR HEALTH: NONE OF MY BUSINESS
Over the past decade or so, the nature photography community has lost several stellar contributors to easily preventable diseases and conditions. All of these deaths have been needless. If you are grossly overweight or enjoy a pack or two of smokes a day and are totally happy with your life, please skip down to item 2 below. After all, your health is none of my business and I can respect that. But heck, there is a good chance that your doctor is telling you that you are in great shape anyway…. Sad but true. If you have been thinking for years that you need to make some serious changes in your lifestyle, keep reading.
First, I would like to make a preliminary comment on change. Everyone says, “Change is so hard.” That is true only if you believe your own story (Byron Katie: www.thework.com). I used to drink a 32 ounce soda with lunch and dinner. Every day. I used to eat a box of Oreos a day, that for more than 35 years. Every day. One whole box. Three rows of 12 cookies. Now I have had a total of about 7 cans of soda and zero Oreo cookies in the past 14 years. Very recently I have tightened up my diet significantly, consuming only protein and about a dozen grams of carbohydrates from some veggies and a salad each at each meal. No cookies, ice cream, cake, candy, pasta, bread, wheat, rye, rice, potatoes, potato chips, or cashew nuts. And no processed foods. Oil and vinegar on the salads. In spite of what you might think, these changes were actually very easy to make once I made up my mind.
At age 18, I weighed 264 pounds. At 40, I weighed 240. I had had high blood pressure since I was 13. Twenty years ago I was told that I had advanced coronary artery disease. I had 3-9 bouts annually of a severely irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. I was on a ton of heart meds. 14 years ago I was diagnosed with non-insulin dependent, adult-onset diabetes and had a bleeding ulcer. Today I take no heart meds, my ulcer is a thing of the past, I am off all of heart medications, my blood pressure is 120 over 70, and I have not had an a-fib in several years. My last blood work was perfect report but for the blood sugar which continues to be difficult to control as eating 666,666 Oreo cookies and about 547 Entenmanns’s French-filled Chocolate Crumb cakes over the course of 35 years took its toll on my pancreas but I am working on that too.
What gives? I met a wonderful doctor/chiropractor/nutritionist named Cliff Oliver and followed his advice. I underwent Nutri-Spec testing which enabled Cliff to prescribe supplements designed to balance three of my body’s systems. I gave up soda and milk and began to eat protein at every meal. I began exercising as much as possible. Some of the changes were rapid, some were slow in coming, but all were dramatic.
Though many of you might scoff at all chiropractors (I did at one time in my life), I would trust Cliff Oliver with my life over any ten traditional Western doctors that I know–sorry Doc… He is concerned with how your entire body functions and understands how the various organs and systems inter-react, while modern Western medicine is most often only concerned with one organ or system–drug em and cut em is the usual cure, the former usually with suppressive medicines that are harmful to us. (Suppressive medicines prevent our organs and systems from doing what they are supposed to do, supplements help them do what they are supposed to do…)
Here is the latest on my battle with diabetes. After going off the wagon for several months about two years ago (with Brach’s chocolate-covered peanut clusters), I have been attempting to normalize my blood sugars to no avail. About six weeks ago I came home from the doctor’s office with a supply of injectable insulin. I made one last call to Cliff to discuss this new course of treatment when he stated that he had spoken to a Doctor Richard K. Bernstein about my case. Dr. Bernstein suggested that I try eating only protein for three days. I did, and my blood sugars dropped about 50 points. I immediately ordered Dr. B’s book here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316167169/ref=ox_ya_oh_product and have been following his program totally and completely. The changes have been amazing. The insulin is still in the refrigerator, unopened. I have scheduled 13 hours of appointments with Dr. B in mid-December. You can learn more about Dr. Bernstein here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Bernstein or visit his home page here: http://www.diabetes-book.com/
If you think that learning more about the changes that I have made in my life might inspire you to do the same, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net with the words Health Basics File in the subject line. This file includes contact information for Dr. Cliff Oliver. Either way, I wish you the best.
September 24th, 2009
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| This is the original capture: "Before" |
When the mother bear placed her head above the cub, I knew that the moment would not last more than a second or two. My urge was to move to my left to separate the gull from the bear, but if I did that, I was pretty positive that I would miss the shot. Seeing that the gull did not merge with the bear, I created the image almost immediately knowing that it would be easy to move the gull with a Quick Mask. (See same below.)
The improved color and contrast in version 2 were a reslut of the standard levels and contrast adjustments that are part of my regular workflow as described in detail in our Digital Basics File: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=30.
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| This is the optimized image: "After". Note: as always, you can click on any image to see the larger version. |
In the optimized image immediately above, I created a Quick Mask of the gull, moved it well to our left, and then used another Quick Mask to seamlessly cover the gull in its original position. Note also that I used a series of QMs to eliminate the two rather ugly salmon heads that were lying on the shoreline. I used a variety of the Quick Masking Techniques that are described in Robert O’Toole’s APTATS CD (Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques). You can learn more about or order APTATS here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=54.
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| This is the original capture |
The many gulls in the background are quite distracting so I created the two different versions that can be seen below, again using a series of QMs.
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| This is the original capture |
To create version 1 above, I used a series of QMs to cover the small, out-of-focus white blobs but left the larger gulls in flight and the perched bird behind the bear.
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| Version 2 |
In version 2, immediately above, I decided to eliminate the larger gull from behind the bird and to move the single flying gull that I left to our left for better compositional balancce. Though this is my favorite version, I do appreciate the fact that some photo editors would prefer version 1 as it gives the viewer a better idea of the setting. Note the small crop in version 2.
September 21st, 2009
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| Handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the EOS-1D MIII. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/4 set manually. |
With its light silver nuchal collar (ruff) we nicknamed this baby Katmai bear “Lion Cub.”
I just got back from a nice extended weekend at the Midwest Birding Symposium. Not much photography but lots of great speakers and lots of nice folks. And I sold pretty much everything that I brought <smile> Twenty copies of the soft cover “The Art of Bird Photography,” 40 copies of “The Art of Bird Photography II” (on CD only), and 36 copies of my Shorebirds; Beautiful Beachcombers. You can learn more or purchase these here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32.
I should have let you know well before this that BAA Bulletin 297 is on-line here: http://birdsasart.com/bn297.htm, BAA Bulletin 298 is on-line here: http://birdsasart.com/bn298.htm, and the BAA Notes of September 15 can be found here: http://birdsasart.com/notes9.15.09.htm.
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| Tripod-mounted Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3. Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod with the latest model Mongoose M3.5. |
This is the same bear as in the first image. The adults often give a good part of their catch to the young ones. When the light was decent, I used the 400 DO lens handheld (as with the first image). As light levels decreased, I put the lens back on the tripod to ensure getting sharp images. The 400 DO (diffractive optical elements) lens weighs less than 4 pounds with the tripod collar removed. Be sure to remove the tripod collar when hand-holding; this makes handling the lens easier both because of the lighter weight and the fact that the tripod collar and lens plate do not interfere with your grip.
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| Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII handheld at 124mm. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6. |
I manually selected a lower left AF sensor that I placed on participant George Brunt; this yielded a pleasing composition with the sharpest focus on the photographer. See the image of George with an adult bear sniffing his tripod and the resulting firestrom here: http://birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=45384 . (You can see the image in the September 10th blog post below.) And see more negative comments on this image in “Too Close to the Bear?” here: http://birdsasart.com/notes9.15.09.htm.
I’ll be back soon with some Katmai Quick Mask magic.
September 10th, 2009
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| Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens handheld at 70mm with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/160 sec. at f/4. |
George Brunt (above, with a coastal Brown Bear), who was with us on the June trip, Ken Canning (who attended the Portland, ME seminar), and newcomer George Hasty joined Linda Robbins and I on the SEPT 4-10 bear boat trip. As you can see, we had some close encounters. We enjoyed great bear photography for most of the trip but in the end, the rain got to us so we had more than enough time for image editing, shared image optimization, and Photoshop tips and techniques.
In addition, we caught lots of halibut and enjoyed lots of great food.
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| Canon 24-105mm IS L zoom lens handheld at 35mm. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/40 sec. at f/5.6. |
In addition to Hummingbird Queen, Linda earned a new “H” title on this trip, Halibut Queen. In addition to the 105 pounder above she managed halibut of 65, 50, and 40 pounds, all larger than anything caught by the rest of us!
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| Canon 400 mm f/4 IS DO lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIII on the Gitzo 3530 LS tripod and the Mongoose M3.5. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. |
At Geographic Harbor, we had lots of chances to make images of the bears catching salmon. I brought the 500mm f/4 IS L and the 400mm DO as my long glass. After the first day, I rarely used the 500 opting instead for the lighter 400mm DO using that at times (as above) with the 1.4X TC. Most of the time, 400mm was a perfect focal length for the bears. Next year I will bring the 400 DO and the 800 f/5.6 as I can make much sharper images witht the 800 and a 1.4 TC than with the 500 and the 2X TC and much sharper images with the 800/5.6 alone than with the 500 f/4 and the 1.4x TC. (And I will always have the 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens along).
If you are interested in joining me on the bears catching salmon bear boat trip next September, please shoot me an e-mail at birdsasart@att.net.
I will be back soon to share some images of spring and yearling cubs.
August 30th, 2009
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8. |
As most of you know I flew from Panama to Orlando and continued on to NY’s JFK that same day (17 AUG). The next morning at 5:55am I met the three IPT participants. As it turned out, the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was on the disappointing side but the Common Tern/Black Skimmer colony at Nickerson Beach just east of Point Lookout, NY was quite excellent. After the IPT I visited my Mom who lives in Holbrook, Long Island. On Monday 24 AUG I headed back to the JFK Days Inn for my early morning flight back to Orlando on Tuesday. I left my Mom’s early and headed to Nickerson Beach for one last chance at the terns and skimmers. There was a nice sunrise but the wind was from the north with just a bit of west in it. A northeast wind in the early morning would have been great but with some hard work and good thinking I was able to create many fine images. In fact, with the less than ideal conditions I was sort of amazed at how many good images I created that morning. So far I have optimized 17 from that single morning. The first of those was created at 6:15 am (see above) and the last at 8:12 am. I will share a bunch of those with you below so that you can get an idea of how productive a top pro can be in less than two hours (he said modestly…)
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| Handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5. |
I knew exactly the image that I wanted to make, a skimmer in flight just to the right of the swath of the rising sun but I did not think that I had much chance of creating it as the camera was having trouble holding focus when it saw the sun’s bright swath. To try for the composition that I wanted I manually chose the focusing sensor just to the right of center (while working in AI Servo AF as I always do with moving subjects). I did not look at the images in the field but when I saw them on the computer I was thrilled with this one as it was sharp, it was exactly as I had pre-visualized it, and as a bonus, the bird was barking! (Skimmers sound a bit like dogs when they call.)
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/5.6. |
The young terns stand by themselves on the beach begging to every adult tern that flies by whether they have a fish in their bill or not.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/8. |
This juvenile skimmer is exhibiting begging posture. I would never have made this image with film as there was another bird in the lower right part of the frame. With digital I knew that as long as the two birds did not merge that I would be able to cover the remaining parts of the offending bird with some Quick Masks after cropping.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/8. |
I was much too close to this bird to fit it into the frame so I made a few photographs of the front end of the bird and then, allowing about a 20% overlap, photographed the back end of the bird. The two images were converted and then stitched together using Image/Automate/Photomerge in CS-3.
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| Handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering + 2 stops off the sky: 1/800 sec. at f/5. |
I sat on the beach to prevent having the horizon line cut through the landing birds. Check out my BPN post of a similar image of a skimmer with a fish: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=333594#post333594. It was also created on the morning of 24 AUG and features some good thinking on my part as well as some good Photoshop work.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop" 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3. |
Each morning the Great Black-backed Gulls would kill a skimmer fledgling or two for breakfast. For more in this series check out the BPN thread here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=44544
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. |
This bird was a bit tight in the frame but I chose to capture the image without attempting to back up knowing that I could add canvas above and right as described in Digital Basics: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=44544.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/13 set manually. |
This young American Oystercatcher was oblivious to my presence as I approached carefully while crawling behind my flattened tripod.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/9. |
Though I took several hundred images of the predation that morning, I kept only 19. This was the last keeper.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6/3. |
I created this image just before 8:15 am. Notice that the light is relatively harsh and that the sun is fairly high in the sky. After I created this one I headed back to the motel to begin packing. See y’all soon.
August 27th, 2009 You can view BAA Bulletin #296 on line now here: http://birdsasart.com/bn296.htm. Bulletins are free and contain a wealth of information, photography and Photoshop tips, and lots of great images with our legendary educational captions. And they are 100% free. You can subscribe via a click-able link on the home page at www.birdsasart.com.
Featuring:
- BIRDS AS ART ON-LINE STORE BACK IN BUSINESS/IMPORTANT INFORMATION/FREE SHIPPING INFO
- THE PANAMA TRIP REPORT
- THE BIRDS AS ART BLOG PANAMA POSTS
- BIRDS AS ART FINE ART CANVAS PRINT EDITION
- GANNETS IN LOVE/GREAT NEWS
- IPT UPDATES
Right now, the BAA On-line store is offering free shipping to all contintental US addresses until the close-of-business on Friday, September 4, 2009. See item 1 in the Bulletin for the no-strings-attached details.
Here is a link to the store: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/
I’ll be back soon with “A Morning at the Beach.”
August 26th, 2009 On the recent Panama trip that I co-led with Linda Robbins, the Hummingbird Queen, some of the participants created well more than 4,000 images on a single day. Many of the best of those images featured either the feeder that we used to attract the birds, another hummingbird, or, as in the image below, both.
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| This image of a Long-tailed Hermit was created with the Canon 400mm f/4L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Eight flash set-up. 1/250 sec. at f/22. |
As detailed in Digital Basics, I first expanded the canvas and then used the Clone Stamp, the Patch Tool, and a series of Quick Masks to create the optimized image below. Many folks would consider this cheating; I consider it using the latest technology to create pleasing and saleable images. (I would never enter such images in a contest in which such practices were forbidden by the rules.)
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| I was quite pleased with the results of my Photoshop handiwork. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger version. |
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan is a tree-top loving species that is rarely photographed in the wild. Getting a somewhat clear view of the bird was somewhat miraculous but the background in the original image (see same immediately below) was just too, too busy for me with many of the branches and seed pods merging with the bird’s head and bill. I worked on the image for about an hour using the tools mentioned above and in addition employed both the “Divide and Conquer” and the “Protect and Defend” techniques that are also detailed in the latest update of Digital Basics.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/7.1. Fill flash with Better Beamer at -2 stops. |
I look back with a wry smile on my face remembering that the words “digital” and “Photoshop” filled me with fear and trepidation just seven years ago. It is quite satisfying to have mastered so many techniques that allow me to create images that put a smile on my face.
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| Again, I was quite happy with the final optimized image. |
Be sure to check out the interesting BPN thread on this image here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=44267
You can learn more about Digital Basics, APTATS (Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques), and Linda Robbin’s Guide to High Speed Flash Hummingbird Photography by visiting the BAA On-Line Store via the link on the home page or checking out our product pages. I’ll be back soon.
August 23rd, 2009
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| This perched female Blue-chested Hummingbird was photographed near Canopy Tower with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, a 25mm Extension tube for close focusing, and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evauative metering +2/3 stop: 1/50 sec. at f/6.3. Fill flash at -3 stops. |
The Basics
When working in horizontal format with small-in-the-frame subjects , be sure–as I did above–to place the subject well back in the frame with the subject looking into the open area of the image.
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| This male Green Honeycreeper was photographed near Canopy Tower with the Canon 800mm f/5.6 L lens, a 25 mm Extension tube for close focus, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash at -1 stop. |
When working in horizontal format with large-in-the-frame subjects, be sure–as I did above–to leave at least twice as much room in front of the bird as behind it.
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| This free and wild Leaf Frog was photographed near Canopy Tower with the Canon 180mm Macro lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/30 sec. at f/6.3. Fill flash at -2 stops with the Canon Macro Twin Light. |
When working in horizontal format with large-in-the-frame subjects like the Leaf Frog above that are looking (or with birds, flying) right at at you, placing them dead center is the way to go.
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| This fledgling Black-breasted-Puffbird was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/50 sec. at f/8. Fill flash at -2 stops. |
When working in vertical format with relatively large-in-the-frame forward-facing subjects it is fine to place them in the middle of the frame as I did with the young puffbird above. (With small-in-the-frame subjects you will need to place them in one of the corners….)
To learn the basics of image composition, be sure to see the chapter on composition in the original “The Art of Bird Photography” (soft cover). To learn about Advanced Composition and Image Design, see the chapter of the same name in “The Art of Bird Photography II” (916 pages on CD only). You can learn more about both books by following this link: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
Buy both and receive a $10 discount.
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| This Broad-billed Motmot was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/40 sec. at f/5.6. FIll flash at -3 stops. |
And More
As in the image above, when you are working in vertical format with relatively large-in-the-frame subjects that are looking to one side or the other, place them back in frame so that they have a bit more room to see into their world.
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| This captive Lemur Frog was photographed at Canopy Lodge with the Canon 180mm Macro lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/4 sec. at f/11. |
In the image above I chose to move the frog right of center so that the green bark of the eucaluyptus tree on our left could balance the strip of green background on our right. The principles that I teach are only guidelines; feel free to break them whenever you have a good reason to do so.
Final Notes
Bt studying the technical details above you can see that slow shutter speeds are the rule in the rain forest. While the improved 4-stop Image Stabilization of the Canon 800mm lens was a huge help, using my very best sharpness techniques (as described in ABP II) was equally important. When working with the macro lens and static subjects I used mirror lock-up and the 2-second self timer to ensure sharp images. With the macro lens I find that focusing manually is the best way to go. (I do however rely on the focus confirmation beep.)
I hope that everyone will benefit from this post. See y’all soon.
August 19th, 2009
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| This Keel-billed Toucan was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 with the Gitzo 3530 LS tripod. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/8 set manually. |
After a great Panama trip I flew on Monday, August 17th from Panama City to Orlando and continued on the New York’s JFK without even going home. We had internet access at both Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge in Panama but my laptop was down, apparently from the humidity, so I have been out of touch till now. Hummingbird photography was outstanding near Canopy Tower and Linda Robbins and our assistant Rich Garrett did a phenomenal job with the set-ups. And we had some great chances with a variety of tropical birds as well. At Canopy Tower, the songbirds did not come to the feeders as they had in December so we spent lots of time photographing a variety of frogs, snakes, and bugs; most were captive animals.
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| This Lemur Frog was photographed with the Canon 180 macro lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/10 sec. at f.3.5. |
Participant Patti Corapi kindly posed this frog on her hand which was braced against a eucalyptus tree. Thanks Patti!
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| This Violet-bellied Hummingbird was photographed at an 8-flash set-up with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and a 25mm Extension tube. ISO 400: 1/250 sec. at f/20. |
I am in New York now photographing with a small IPT group at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR and at Nickerson Beach. I will try to post something ever day.
August 9th, 2009 Howdy all. I am off to Panama for the COMBO IPT; There will be ten of us doing perched, colorful, tropical birds and also high speed flash hummingbirds with Linda Robbins. It is 4:23 am as I type this and five of us leave for the airport in less than 30 minutes. Such is the life of a traveling nature photographer!
Be sure to check out my latest Resolve/Live Books post. It is entitled “Always give the guy without an umbrella your cab — you never know where your next job will come from” You can find it here: http://blog.livebooks.com/2009/08/always-give-the-guy-without-an-umbrella-your-cab-you-never-know-where-your-next-job-will-come-from/. Miki Johnson chose some great images to go along with the post.
Be safe, have fun, and I will see you when I get back.
August 3rd, 2009
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| This male frigatebird was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/50 sec. at f/9. |
Folks often ask me, “With the birds in the Galapagos being so tame, why do you bring a long telephoto lens?” The answer is the same as it is for the Antarctica version of the same question: sometimes a long lens is the best tool. In Antarctica, you are required to give the birds some space. And in the Galapagos, you must stay on the path. If you examine this image closely, or take a look at the larger version (click on the photo), you will notice that the bird is sidelit. I generally do not like strong sidelight for birds; in this image the light, though directional, is quite soft. The result: I like it.
I am almost finished reading William Beebe’s great book on the Galapagos, “Galapagos; World’s End,” published in 1924. One of the coolest things that I learned is that male frigatebirds (man-o-wars in the old days) sit on their nests with their red sacs inflated only before any eggs are laid. With eggs or chicks in the nest, the sac is deflated as in this image. There is lots more great stuff in the book–especially the language–and I am enjoying it tremendously.
You can read and enjoy more great Galapagos images and information in BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #294 here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn294.htm. There is a follow-up piece on editing your work and lots more on the Galapagos trip. And a great photoship background tip. On a related note, Galapagos 2010 is sold out with a waiting list. We are taking names (but no prisoners) for the 2011 trip.
The July 30, 2009 BIRDS AS ART Notes is also online for your convenience. You can access it here: http://www.birdsasart.com/notes073009.htm Most of you will enjoy and learn from “Photoshop Clean-up Basics.”
I am leaving for the Panama COMBO IPT (being co-led by Linda Robbins) this coming Saturday and then continuing on to New York City on the 17th to lead the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge/Nickerson Beach IPT (AUG 17-20). If you would like to learn about this trip and the late registration discount, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net ASAP. After the JBWR IPT I will be visiting my 88 year old Mom on Long Island. She is recovering nicely from some serious surgery on her old new hip. I will be back in the office on 25 AUG but will have lots of time to post here between now and then.
July 28th, 2009
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| This frigatebird image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens (handheld at 200mm) with the Canon EOS-50D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6. |
Deciding to keep the image above was a no-brainer. The bird was perfectly juxtaposed to the imaging sensor. It is diagonally oriented in the in the frame. And the sand had acted as a huge reflector, lighting the undersides of this female frigatebird perfectly. This is just another image that shows that you can make great images in bright sun on blue sky days even during the midday hours. It was photographed at 1:33 pm. (Click on each image to see a larger version.)
The Basics
Having created almost a thousand images on each of several landings, and possibly as many as 10,000 images on the trip, editing my work (selecting the keepers) is an important task. In fact, I never allow myself to fall behind more than a single day, and that only when I am too exhauasted to stay awake at the laptop. Whether you are photographing in your backyard or on a great international trip, if you do not edit your work on a daily basis you will exacerbate your storage problems and face a huge task when you do get around to it.
For years I have been known to be the fastest gun in the west when it comes to editing a day’s take. On the Galapagos trip, I pared 987 images down to 87 in less than ten minutes. How do I do it? #1 of course is experience. I have been picking and keeping my best images for almost 26 years now. #2 is that I use Breezebrowser to do my editing. Nothing is faster. Breezebrowser is one of the few programs that lets you view the JPEGs that are created along with the RAW files at the instant of capture (even when you think that you are using RAW capture only). While going through the images in slideshow mode, I can view each almost instantly when I press the right arrow key to advance (or the left arrow key to go back). I press the up arrow key when I want to keep an image; this places a blue check mark next to the file name. If I wish to remove the checkmark, I simply hit the down arrow key to deselect. Breezebrowser allows me to view each image as sharpened; this gives me an accurate idea of how the image will look when it is eventually sharpened. (This sharpening is only temporary and does not affect the RAW file at all, but is sure is convenient.) If you would like to learn more about Breezebrowser the product (along with Downloader Pro), click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/breezebrowser.htm. Complete details on how I use Breezebrowser for editing are covered in our Digital Basics File here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=30. Digital Basics also covers the complete BIRDS AS ART digital workflow and contains dozens of great Photoshop tips and techniques.
When doing my first edit and deciding whether or not to keep a given image, I simply ask, “Is this a good image?” If the answer is yes, I keep it. (See “And More” below for exceptions.) At some point I do a second edit, choosing the best one or two images from several or many. And before I transfer the folder to the home computer, I do a final ruthless edit keeping only the very best images. My rule for doing the initial edit is “If in doubt, keep it.” For the final edit the rule is, “If in doubt, delete it.” For the entire Galapagos trip I kept only 454 images. This represented a keeper rate of about 5%. (My standards, however, are very high; many folks would dearly love to have a good percentage of my rejects in their files <smile>)
And More…
It has taken me more than five years to learn to think digitally while editing. I now keep some terrible images. Why? So that I have them to serve as source material for similar images that need to be repaired. You can scavenge wing-tips, tops of heads, lizard toes, areas of rock and sand and sections of all sorts of backgrounds to be Quick Masked into images that have family jewel potential. Two of my very favorite images from the trip needed to borrow parts of another image in the series in order to succeed. Had I deleted the inferior images without realizing their value, I would have been plumb out of luck.
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| This image (with the end of the adult's bill cut off by the frame edge) was created with the handheld Canon 400mmm f/4 IS DO lens and the EOS-50D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3. |
Above is the optimized image. Below is the original capture. Had I not saved another image in the series with a lot less merit than the one above, the image with the yawning chick would have wound up in the trash bin….
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| This is the original capture. |
To complete this learning experience, click here to read the great BPN thread on this image: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41869.
And for a similar tale involving the toes of a Marine Iguana, click here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41993.
July 24th, 2009
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| This Blue-footed Booby image was created from a panga with the handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3. |
When working from any type of water craft, IS and VR lenses are extremely useful; they can help you produce sharp images even when the engine is running. The same goes for fast shutter speeds. Though I wound up with 3/4 frame vertical portraits of this bird, I prefer the wider view here with the booby background look.
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| American Oystercatcher; same gear as above. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/4 in Tv mode. |
If your camera offers an auto ISO feature you can use it to get great results when working from a boat in low light. Activate your camera’s ISO saftey shift or auto ISO feature and then set your camera to Tv (shutter priority) mode. Next set the shutter speed to 1/500 sec. This will usually yield sharp images with lenses of 400mm or less. Dial in the correct exposure compensation; you may have to point the camera at the light sky and depress the shutter button to do this…. Now you are ready for action. The camera will automatically set the ISO high enough to yield the 1/500 sec. shutter speed. This will allow you to work quickly while producing sharp images without having to think too much. (When using this technique I usually set my ISO to 400.)
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| This Brown Noddy was photographed with the same gear as above. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/4. |
When you are working in Av mode, setting the widest aperture will always yield the fastest possible shutter speed for a given ISO. At times, the panga drivers get us so close to the birds that we cannot focus….
As always, you can click on each image to see the larger version. See y’all again very soon.
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