Upper-right Thirds Penguin Poo-scape Questions

Important Note

My sam and mayas att e-mail account was suspended on 18 DEC. Those who tried to reach me by e-mail between then and yesterday had their mails bounced back. If you tried to reach me during that period please re-send any important e-mails.

What’s Up?

I am still clearing the frogs from my throat about three times per minute but am otherwise feeling fine. There has been a firestorm of positive acclaim for the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series. Thanks to the many who left positive comments on the blog yesterday; they are greatly appreciated. Click here for a link and the details if you missed yesterday’s blog post. I still have many more exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded Southern Oceans trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Today’s blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to create and was published at 6:48am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL.

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it with both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back at about normal with nearly 3,500 page views/day.

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This image was created in cloudy conditions at 11:52am on January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens (at 35mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode was about 1/2 stop underexposed–it was cloudier than I thought. I lightened the image using the Brightness slider in DPP 4. Cloudy WB. Central sensor/single point/Manual selection/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the penguin’s face and re-composed (while striving to remain stock still after setting the focus). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Upper-right Thirds Penguin Poo-scape

I am not sure that I ever created a poo-scape image before (penguin or otherwise). It was of course, the diagonal sprays of whitewash emanating from the nest that caught my eye and pretty much captivated all who saw the image. Using a full frame camera body with a wide angle lens to photograph a single bird is not something that you get to do every day but here the 16-35 IS was the best tool for the job. Hand holding allows for tremendous flexibility in framing and allows one to be freer and more creative than when being tied to a tripod.

Cropped and Greyer/Bluer

This is the first optimized version that I created. I balanced to color here using the average blur technique to eliminate what I originally perceived as a RED cast. I executed a small crop from above and the right to place the subject more strongly in the upper right thirds position. A 50% layer of my NIK Color EFEX PRO 50-50 pre-set finished things off.

This, the very same image was of course created in cloudy conditions at 11:52am on January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens (at 35mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode was about 1/2 stop underexposed–it was cloudier than I thought. I lightened the image using the Brightness slider in DPP 4. Cloudy WB. Central sensor/single point/Manual selection/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the penguin’s face and re-composed (while striving to remain stock still after setting the focus). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Un-cropped and Redder

This is the second optimized version that I created. I re-did the image early this morning–I woke with my cough just before 4am–after I came up with the idea for this blog post while dreaming. At least that’s how I think it happened… The only color work that I did was to add ten points of CYAN to the BLACKs in Selective Color so that the gentoo would appear more naturally black. I decided to leave the image un-cropped. As above, a 50% layer of my NIK Color EFEX PRO 50-50 pre-set finished things off.

Your Preferences?

Which do you like better, the cropped version that opened this post or the un-cropped version immediately above?

Which do you like better, the more neutral version that opened this post or the redder version immediately above?

Please note: krill, a staple of Gentoo Penguin diet, is pink.

Digital Basics

Everything that I did to optimize today’s image is covered in detail in my Digital Basics File–written in my easy-to-follow, easy-to-understand style. Are you tired of making your images look worse in Photoshop? Digital Basics File is an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips (including the Surface Blur settings as taught to me by Denise Ippolito), details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, Contrast Masks, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Tim Grey Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.

IPT Updates and more…

Lots of folks registered for a variety of trips during my absence. I (or we) look forward to meeting and working with all who are signed up for either 2015 or 2016 trips. Learn more about IPTS and view the complete detailed schedule by clicking here. Please do e-mail with any and all IPT (or gear bag) questions.

Morro Bay IPT

As I planned a party and nobody came (go figure…) the originally scheduled 5-DAY IPT has been canceled. I may decide to offer a 3-DAY trip around the same dates instead. Details coming soon.

2015 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): FEB 1 thru the morning of FEB 5, 2015: $1799 (Limit: 8/Sold Out)

San Diego Natural History Museum Program & The Birds of the World Exhibit

On Saturday morning, February 7, 2015 I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” at the San Diego Natural History Museum to kick off the Birds of the World photographic exhibit that will feature the images of about a dozen of the world’s top avian photographers. This program,which is being generously sponsored by the Canon Explorers of Light program, will be free and open to the public. I am proud to say that both Denise Ippolito and I will have images hanging in the show. The exhibit opening is scheduled for later that same day, February 7, 2015. (Times TBA).

San Diego Friday Morning In-the-field Photo Session: February 6, 2015: $299.
Open to all.

This workshop includes 3 hours of in-the-field pelican photography instruction and brunch with image review and Photoshop instruction.

Fort DeSoto in Spring/Breeding Plumage IPT: April 24-26, 2015. 3 FULL DAYs: $1099. Limit 8/Openings: 5.

Meet and Greet at 8pm on Thursday, April 23.

Palouse #1. The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. May 29-June 2, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Limit 12 photographers/Sold Out with wait list.

The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 5-9, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Limit 12 photographers/Openings 3.

The 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: June 29 through July 5, 2015: $5499: Limit 10 photographers/Sold out with a Wait List. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 4. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 14-28, 2015 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit 14 including the leader:/Openings: 2.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tours (IPTs). Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance. We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Many of them are downright cheap. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. With us you will have two full time pros there for you every minute we are in the field. Together they have more than 28 seasons of experience at the refuge. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time every day, do join us.

Japan In Winter IPT. February 9-24, 2016: $13,999/double occupancy.Four great leaders. Limit 7: Openings: 2.

This trip is a go. All lodging including Tokyo hotel on 9 FEB, all breakfasts & dinners, ground transport and transfers including bus to the monkey park hotel, and all entrance fees and in-country flights are included. Not included: international flights, all lunches–most are on the run, and alcoholic beverages.

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Typos

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