Stuff
I fly from Ketchikan, AK to Kodiak tomorrow via the “milk “run” that visits several small towns on the way to Juneau, AK. Then to Anchorage and then on to Kodiak. Wish me luck. Good luck also to Denise. She has the flu and has wisely decided to get well in Ketchikan for a few more days before flying on to Portland for her Swan Island Dahlia Workshop. Get well soon Lady D.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few weeks we have sold nearly everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily.
You can see all of the current listings here.
Brand New Listing
Used AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II
Mike Ederegger is offering a used AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II in excellent condition for $4,995.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, and the case that holds the lens w/camera attached, the Really Right Stuff LCF-14 foot, and insured shipping via FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Mike by e-mail or by phone at 262-443-6052 Central Time.
The version II of this versatile lens is supposed to be a huge improvement from the original model. artie
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This image was created on the 2015 San Diego IPT with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. AWB. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Brown Pelican scratching |
Thanks to Jean Luc’s Girlfriend…
Jean-Luc Vaillant has probably been on more than 10 IPTs with me, the world over. Near the end of last year’s San Diego IPT his beautiful girlfriend joined the group for a morning of photography. As a beginning bird photographer, she was using Jean-luc’s old 100-400. It was well after 10am and most of us were standing around chatting about the morning’s successes. I had that sort of “The light is too harsh/there are no good pictures to be made attitude….”
Then I noticed the beginner pointing her lens at a backlit pelican. Just as I was thinking, “Jeez, that looks pretty sweet.” I pointed the situation out to those around me and moved to get into position. Her pelican did a spectacular head throw. And then another. Click, click, click. Click, click, click. She got off two good sequences.
I managed to get a few lovely backlit scratching images. If you have an open mind, everyone–beginners included–can teach you a thing or two.
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This image of Lana was also 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 400mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1 in Av mode. AWB. On AF point above the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Lana at work… |
Lana
Lana taught the more experienced photographers a thing or two that day….
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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 day 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 :).
It’s an interesting picture. The close crop is initially too much but moving my head back from the screen allows me to appreciate it more. Until you notice the foot it looks like it could be striking for a fish. For me the best part is the contrasting bright colours, I wonder if any element were removed it may not work so well as it does.
Sometimes the different images are those with the longer lasting appeal.
Hi Artie.
I am always interested in your purpose when you post an unusual image like today’s pelican scratching.
As I don’t know Pelicans it’s only really the image title that tells us what’s happening unless of course one is familiar with a pellican’s habits.
This is the sort of image that if it were mine, I would likely pull a face hit delete, and tell myself to try harder next time.
So here’s my question regarding Image selection in post.
What do you keep and why?
What is it about the image that causes you to keep it and to share it here.?
Is it the image design, composition , colour , exposure or lighting? Is it to illustrate a point such as the ability and quality of the lens used?
I’m asking myself if I have been discarding good images because I don’t recognise their qualities.
I’m sure there is a significant portion of your consciousness that is dedicated to blog alerts. I bet it never really switches off .
Maybe this could be the subject of a future discussion.
Kind regards
And safe travels.
DP
Hi David, I am on the plane on the ground at Juneau, AK as I type. I love lots of things about the image, especially the backlight and the high key look with the specular highlights in the BKGR. And it was fun bringing up the color and detail of the shaded side.
Gotta run. a
Actually I just figured out what I’m looking at in this image, it’s a pellican’s scratching Duh! LOL.
I didn’t recognise the foot and claw, thought it was his wing. Silly me.