Smoke and Sparks Accompanied By the Smell of Burning Plastic...

What’s Up?

I had and easy-peasy flight from MCO to ATL where I met denise. We stopped on the way to Cartersville, GA for lunch at a place named Houston’s off of I-75 not too far north of Atlanta and had fantastic salads for lunch: seared ahi tuna for denise, chicken for me. Both salads were Asian-style with a wonderful lime dressing.

We met denise’s group at the Meet and Greet at 8pm; lots of friends old and new. Friday morning will bring lots of old cars and HDR lessons.

This blog post took about two hours to prepare with lots of help from Alan Lillich. See more on that below.

Artie’s New Tripod/Sincere Apologies

Interest has been huge. We had hoped to be able to share the info on Monday past but due to circumstances beyond our control we are still waiting for the link…. As soon as we get that link we will be e-mailing the info to those who requested it early on to give them first crack at the stock. Three days after that the info will be posted on the blog. Sorry gang but this info will be worth waiting for.

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 months, we have sold just about 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.

After a two-week lull, things have really heated up.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (the “old five”) was sold by Dane Johnson for $4150 in early October 2015.
Sigma Zoom Super Telephoto 300-800mm f/5.6 lens (Canon mount) was sold by Beth Starr for $4,999 in early October 2015.
Canon EOS-1D X in excellent condition was sold by Patrick Sparkman for $3650 in early October, 2014.

And two more lenses sold on Wednesday past:

Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens was sold for $699 by Sean Traynor on October 7, 2015.
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens (the “old five”) was sold by Alan Walther for $3900 in early October, 2015.

You can see all of the current listings here.

Smoke and Sparks Accompanied By the Smell of Burning Plastic…

As y’all know, I travel a lot. I cannot tell you how many times I have plugged in a power strip in a foreign country only to have the thing spark and practically burst into flame. The next step is the trash can. A while back I asked multiple-IPT veteran Alan Lillich to prepare a short article on a variety of electronic gadgets. He did so but I have simply been too busy to work on it and get it posted. With less than two weeks to go before I head down to South America I realized that I had better get myself prepared for the electricity on the Ortelius. So I called Alan.

He recommended the “Yubi Power Universal Power Strip 3 Sockets – 100v to 220v/250v and 2500 Watts Surge Protector – With Circuit Breaker – Us Plug – World Wide Use – Plus 3 Universal Plug Travel Adapters – Type E/f for Eu – Type G for Uk – Type I for Au – 4 Pack Set.” I called him to clarify.

This is what I learned:

1-Do not bring a US power strip with a surge protector and pug it into an outlet with 220 or 240 volts via the correct plug adapter…. This big mistake has been the cause of all of my problems.
2-It is OK to use a power strip with a surge protector provided that the power strip is rated to 240 volts.
3-All you need to do is to bring the power strip as described in 1- above and the proper adapter (or two). For my upcoming trip I need a Type G plug for the Falklands (240 v) and a Type C plug (220v) for the ship. You can see these and more plug types by clicking here. Click on the logo link above to order your overseas power strip and avoid blowing stuff up (as I have done so many times in the past). Be absolutely sure to highlight the box that shows “Power Strip Kit” so that you receive the power strip and the adapters.
4-Only plug a device rated for the local voltage directly into the power strip. Newer computer power bricks and battery chargers should be OK. Check the input rating on the label to be sure.

Please remember that if you are attempting to use an electrical appliance like a hand blender that you will need to add a voltage converter–one that converts the local voltage to the voltage your appliance needs–to the mix to avoid the a bang. Or at least a small bang! You can find several types of voltage converters/transformer adapters here

Personality Plus Hairdos

With their bright red bill pouches, orange eyeskins, and raggedy hairdos, Dalmatian Pelican is one of the world’s most photogenic bird species. Folks including us purchase live fish from the local boatman and have the pelicans come to us. It is rare that one or two Dalmatian Pelican images is not honored in one or more of the major photo contests in a given year. Do consider joining us in Greece for an amazing workshop.

Images copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Dalmatian Pelicans ~ Northern Greece
: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Workshop/denise ippolito & arthur morris
. January 24th – 29th, 2016 ~ 5 Nights/ 4 Full days of photography: $2950. Limit: 8/Openings 2.

This trip is a go.

Photograph beautiful Dalmatian Pelicans in Greece. Our trip will be from January 24-29th, 2016. Our hotel accommodations are located fifteen minutes from Lake Kerkini. This is a huge plus as we will be able to take advantage of great light at a moment’s notice. This location is well known as the best location on the planet to photograph these beautiful, common, and extremely photogenic birds. And we will enjoy tons of flight photography. Though your 70-200 will be your very best friend, you will be able to use almost every lens in your gear bag. Wide angle shots, close portrait work, flight shots, creative blurs- you name it. Our expert guide knows the area like the back of his hand; he guides some of the most world renowned photographers.

There will be in-the-field instructional photography sessions each morning and afternoon from the shore and we will enjoy extended small boat sessions. Image review and post processing sessions will be informal; we will cover a ton of information during both our in-the-field and indoor session. With two great leaders that only thing that will limit your learning is a lack of stamina.

More than 100 pairs of Dalmatian Pelicans nest on specially constructed platforms on the lake. They remain at the lake during the winter. During our time in Greece the Pelicans will be in their brightest and most impressive breeding plumage. The birds hang around the local fisherman and in addition, we purchase live bait to bring the pelicans close. They are silly tame as they have been begging fish from the locals for many decades.

The groups of Dalmatian Pelicans are often accompanied by single Great White Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorants and Great Cormorants.

The price of this IPT IS $2950.00 per person USD, based on double occupancy; The single supplement is $360. The workshop fee includes hotel accommodations, WiFi, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, round trip transfers from Thessaloniki Airport, all ground transportation during trip, boat fees and lots of fish.

Not included: Round trip airfare to Thessaloniki Airport, alcoholic beverages, personal items including but not limited to laundry, phone, or fax services.

This workshop is currently limited to 6 participants. A non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 is required to hold your spot for this workshop. Balances are are due on August 1st, 2015 and are also non-refundable. Payments in full are of course welcome at any time. All payments including the deposit must be made by check made out to “Arthur Morris.” Please be sure to check your calendar carefully. 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. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please note that even though we have secured a top notch guide this is somewhat of a scouting trip (as denise has never been). The price of next year’s trip will be considerably higher. There are only 2 slots open. This is an especially attractive deal for folks from Europe….

Please contact us via e-mail to check on availability or write with questions: artie or denise. All deposits and balances must be paid by personal check or money order made out to “Arthur Morris” and mailed to BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Overseas folks can, however, pay their deposits and balances by wire transfer; the registrant is responsible for the fees on both ends.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise

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