Stuff
Took a day off from audit stuff on Friday; Jennifer did not. 🙂 I sent Jim home early for service above and beyond the call of duty. As usual.
After somewhat of a lull, several more items on the Used Gear Page sold in the past few days. See the complete listings here.
This blog post is scheduled to be published at 6:00am on Saturday, September 16, 2015. Please remember to use my B&H affiliate links for your major gear purchases; online orders only; no phone orders. Won’t cost you a penny! And helps me out tremendously. Many thanks for considering this important request.
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This image was created on the 2015 San Diego IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 241mm) and the rugged professional camera body, the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/6.3. The AF point two up from the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Brown Pelican head and shoulders/staring down the lens barrel |
Still More 100-400 II Versatility
The 100-400 II kills on the cliffs at LaJolla. While hand holding it I am able to quickly get into position in a variety of situations where it would be impossible to do so with the tripod-mounted Canon 200-400 with Internal 1.4X Extender. The close focus and zoom range also make it extremely valuable with San Diego’s gorgeous pelicans. And as you have seen in other San Diego blog posts, it does quite well with the 1.4X TC though you are limited to the center AF point by necessity. It is entirely conceivable that you could do all of your pelican photography with only the new 1-4….
Being able to get really low allowed me to use the gray sky as background and to achieve the high key look that I wanted.
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This image was created on the 2015 San Diego IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 241mm) and the rugged professional camera body, the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/6.3. The AF point two up from the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Brown Pelican head and shoulders/standard pose |
White Sky Pelican Pose Choices: What You Lookin’ At? vs Standard…
Which pose do you think is more powerful? Why?
How is the head angle in the standard pose?
San Diego
It ain’t just pelicans!
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San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects. With annual visits spanning more than three decades I have lot of experience there…. |
2016 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) JAN 8 thru the morning of JAN 12, 2016: $1899 (Limit: 10)
Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins
Two great leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito
Join us in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants in breeding plumage with their amazing crests; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heerman’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions likely; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the two IPT cards there are some nice landscape opportunities as well.
Did I mention that there are wealth of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter?
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Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. |
The San Diego Details
This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, five lunches, after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions, and a thank you dinner. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility.
A $499 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 11/1//2015. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
Hi Artie,
#1 is the powerful one. Head angle is pretty nice on the second.
So a second vote for these along with Ted and David.
And Gary, you know that a Pelican will go to great lengths for a fish just like a photographer will for a great headshot
Different topic but just read Denise’s blog on her inside passage trip.
Looks and sounds like a fun adventure with lots to do, (if the weather is ok) lovely boat and great staff.
One more to put on my list of things to do.
Regards
DP
How did you get the pelican into the studio?
Lured him through the door with a big fish! 🙂
a
Head angle image #2 is right on. Image #1, to me, is the most powerful with the Pelican looking straight into the viewer’s eyes, or straight down the barrel of the lens.Looking at #1 you find yourself fixated on the eyes, [hard to pull away]
I agree with David, the “Staring down the lens barrel” is more powerful and engages the viewer immediately. You miss some of the detail in the second image but it’s a worthwhile sacrifice.
Hi, Artie. The “what you lookin’ at?” pose is much more pwoerful. The viewer is really engaged with the bird and the slight squint–maybe only apparent–is quite fascinating. It’s also much more unusual than the “standard” pose. The head angle in the standard pose seems fine to me, slightly toward the viewer. Nothing for the Chief of Head Angle Police here. 🙂
Typo: “….other San Diego blog posts, it does quit well with the 1.4X TC…” Should be “quite.”
Thanks and fixed. a