The 600 f/4 L IS II/7D II Advantage, Nice BKGR!, and AF & Blue Goose Exposure Comments

What’s Up?

Got a ton of work done yesterday on the re-do of my 2014 taxes. I streamlined the new techniques that I came up with while preparing for my 2013 audit and the new system works like a charm; it allows me to work much faster and more accurately than before. For the first time ever I am planning on filing my 2015 taxes well before the deadline. And I still had time on Saturday for a swim and an ice bath.

This blog post took about an hour and 30 minutes to prepare and was published at 6:45am on Sunday September 27, 2015.

Good Luck Lady D!

Good luck to Denise Ippolito who is headed to the Adirondack Photography Institute in Inlet, NY today to teach a Creative Patterns in Nature workshop (Sep 28-Oct 2). Does anyone know how the fall color is up there right now?

Lunar Eclipse Note

If you plan on viewing or photographing the super moon eclipse tonight good luck for clear skies. If you wind up with exposure of greater than 1 second when photographing the eclipse in totality be sure to turn IS off. There are some comments on getting the right exposure when photographing the eclipse at yesterday’s blog post here.

Just for the record books for Sunday night, in the east:

Eastern Daylight Time (September 27, 2015)
Partial umbral eclipse begins: 9:07 p.m. EDT on September 27
Total eclipse begins: 10:11 p.m. EDT
Greatest eclipse: 10:47 p.m. EDT
Total eclipse ends: 11:23 p.m. EDT
Partial eclipse ends: 12:27 a.m. EDT on September 28

This image was created last year at Bosque with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 via histogram check in cloudy bright conditions. Center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best with birds in flight). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. See my AF comments below. Click on the image to see a larger version. Blue morph Snow Goose braking to land

Nice Background!

As the geese drop out of the sky at Bosque, photographers need to be aware of potential backgrounds. I usually prefer clean backgrounds of sky or mountain or green alfalfa or yellow cornfield but in this case the white goose background turned out to be lovely. I love the head and neck of the single goose in the upper left of the frame sticking up from the flock. This image did need a small crop from the top to eliminate a row of white geese.

Do understand that the decision to go for the goose background was a conscious one. This is the best of a two-frame sequence of this bird with the background of white geese.

Blue Goose Exposure Comments

At Bosque, Blue Goose is a much-desired subject as this color morph, the very same species as Snow Goose, make up only 3-4% of the wintering goose population in a given year. “Blue Goose at one o’clock” is heard frequently. If I am working in Manual mode at 1/2000 second with the white geese I will generally go one click lighter on the exposure for a Blue Goose by dropping down to 1/1600 second in an effort to get more detail in the darker feathers. For me (and for most of you), that requires one clockwise click of the index finger wheel.

Join denise and me at Bosque to learn to work in Manual mode for flight and get the right exposure in all lighting conditions for the white geese, adult Blue Geese, Sandhill Cranes, juvenile snows, juvenile Blue Geese, and even the occasional Common Raven. And tons more. See the IPT details below.

The 600 f/4 L IS II/7D II Advantage

With the 600 II/1.4X III/1D X TC you are at effective 840mm. The 600 II/7D II (no TC)combo puts you at equivalent 960mm. But the focal length advantage is not the only one: autofocus at f/4 will always be faster (in terms or initial focusing acquisition) and more accurate at f/4 than at f/5.6 (even given the slight AF advantage that the 1D X has over the 7D II).

AF Comments

A year ago I was using rear focus 100% of the time and using AF Surround for flight. This year at Bosque I will be using shutter button AF and either Expand of center AF point (Manual selection) AF. The former change was made as I now believe that it is easier to do one thing (push the shutter button) than it is to do two things (push the rear focus button and the shutter button) when working in pure flight situations. The latter change was made because I came to realize that on average either Expand or single aF point would offer more accurate tracking than Surround.

Another advantage for shutter button over rear focus is that with long flight photography situations fatigue in your right hand especially around the thumb is greatly reduced. If you are using rear focus for flight and loving it and making lots of sharp images please do not switch on my account. The disadvantage of switching back and forth between rear focus AF (for static subjects) and shutter button AF for flight and action is that you are sometimes caught with your pants down; you think you are in one when you are actually in the other… But for me the advantages far outweigh the single possible disadvantage.

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. After a big rush things have slowed down a bit over the past few week. 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.

Patrick, why are you selling your 1D X?

When I asked Patrick why he was selling his 1D X and going totally with the 7D II he mentioned its lighter weight and the no TC AF advantage that I discussed above. Living in San Diego, Patrick does a good deal of his photography in sunny conditions and does not have to worry much about high ISO performance; the 1D X does much better at the higher ISOs you need to deal with lousy light than the 7DII. On the other hand, you gain one stop of ISO by being at f/4 as opposed to f/5.6 (with the 1.4X TC)…. In any case, if you have been thinking of getting yourself a pro body but realize that the price of the rumored 1D XII (or whatever they wind up calling it) will be prohibitive for most folks, do get in touch with Patrick quickly….

Canon EOS-1D X

Multiple IPT and a Creative Adventure Workshop veteran Patrick Sparkman is offering a used Canon 1D X in excellent condition for $3,650. The sale includes the manual, an extra battery, the battery charger, two 32 gb CF Cards, and insured shipping via FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick by e-mail or by phone at 858-740-8455 (Pacific Time Zone).

This rugged professional body has been my everyday workhorse camera for more than 2 1/2 years. It is fast and dependable and has what is surely the world’s greatest AF system. Best of all, Patrick takes very good care of his gear.

ps: Patrick and wife Robin have traveled with denise and me pretty much from one end of the planet to the other. We consider them both the dearest of friends. artie

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.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet and introductory slide program after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on SAT NOV 21.

Just 2 spots left.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 3 morning and 3 afternoon photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/21, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. 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. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. 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.

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. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time, do join us.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 4-DAY IPT: (three full and two 1/2 DAYS) NOV 28-DEC 2, 2015. $1499. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet at 3pm on SAT NOV 28 followed by an afternoon photo session at the crane pools and the introductory slide program after dinner on your own.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/28through 12/1), 4 morning (11/29 to 12/2) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/28, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. 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. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. 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 after July 29.

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