Simplicity at f/2.8... On Diagonal Compositions. And a What You See is What You Get Depth-of-Field Reminder

What’s Up?

After some early Friday morning work on even more blog posts–I have about 40 stock-piled as I type–and an early swim and core exercise session, Jim and I headed to Fort DeSoto on Friday afternoon to do some scouting for the upcoming IPT. I had planned on heading farther south to visit the new spoonbill pool but it has dried up quite a bit. If there is a storm at that location, we will head down there at some point in hope of getting in on the action on Sunday morning.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

The Streak: 316!

Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 316 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases. For best results use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.

Selling Your Used 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.

September Used Gear Sales Continue to be Flaming Hot!

• Yours truly, Arthur Morris, sold one of his two Canon EOS 5DS R bodies in excellent condition but for a very small, very fine sort of x-shaped crack in the upper-right corner of the top LCD screen, for $2549 in late September.
• Doug Rogers sold his Vortex Razor 85mm Ultra High Definition Scope in like-new condition for $795.00 in mid-September.
• Ed Hutchinson sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, the “old 1-4,” in like-new condition for $649 and his EOS 5D Mark III in like-new condition for $1499 within days of listing them in mid-September.
• Hisham Atallah sold his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens in excellent condition for $9499 in mid-September within days of listing it.
• Good friend and BAA Japan IPT co-leader–the oft-honored BBC and Nature’s Best photographer Paul McKenzie–sold his Canon EOS 1DX in excellent condition with an extra Canon battery for $2299 in mid September two days after it was listed.
• Eric Karl sold his Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for the full asking price, a very low $8,099 in mid-September.
• Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in mint condition for $1599 with an off-brand battery grip in mid-September.
• IPT veteran Ken Siegel sold his Canon EOS-1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899 in early September.
• Roger Doughty sold his Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749 and his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049 both within hours of listing them in early September.
• Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
• Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
• IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
• Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
• Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.

New Listings and More…

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens

Joe Alexander is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, in excellent plus condition for $599. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes. The lens comes in the original box with all original stuff: the tripod Collar, the E-77 II 77mm lens cap, the rear Lens Dust Cap E, the ET-83C lens hood, and the LZ1324 Lens Case with Strap. The cost of insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is also included. Paypal is preferred and the seller will pay Paypal fee. If paying by check, your item will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Joe via e-mail or phone at 301-639-0783 or 301-371-9607 (Eastern time).

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with the old 1-4. Joe’s 100-400 is priced to sell quickly. And from what I can tell, this lens is closer to like-new than it is to excellent plus. artie

Canon EF 1.4x III and EF 2x III Extenders

Sold in one hour!

Joe Alexander is also offering one of each of these: Canon EF 1.4x III and Canon EF 2x III Extender. Each is in excellent plus condition. The price of each TC is $249. Buy the pair for $498. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes on either TC. The extenders come in the original box with the lens pouch LP811 included. The cost of insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is included. Paypal is preferred and seller will pay the Paypal fee. If paying by check, Your item will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Joe via e-mail or phone at 301-639-0783 or 301-371-9607 (Eastern time).

As everyone here knows, both TCs are vital to my work and my style. I routinely travel with three 1.4X TCs and two 2X TCs. These two, the latest versions, sell new for $429 so you can save a bundle by grabbing the pair asap. And from what I can tell they are closer to like-new than they are to excellent plus. artie

Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens

Gerold Hanck is offering a Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 telephoto zoom lens, the “old 1-4,” in excellent condition for $549. The sale includes the original lens case and strap, the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the removable tripod collar, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only.

Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Gerold via e-mail or by phone at 773-263-6730 (Central time).

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with the old 1-4. Gerold’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

Price Reduced $200 on SEPT 22, 2016.

Ron Ozuna is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for $2775 (was $2975). The sale includes the original lens front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original Canon product box, and insured Ground Shipping via FedEx Ground to US addresses only. This lens was recently cleaned and checked at the Canon Service Center in Costa Mesa, CA. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Ron via e-mail or by phone at 1-626-799-7616 (Pacific time).

The older version of the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS is a super sharp lens that is great for hand held flight and action photography and great with both teleconverters. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. artie

Canon EOS-5DS R with Extras!

Dear friend and multiple IPT veteran Patrick Sparkman is selling his Canon EOS 5DS R with the Canon battery grip in like-new condition for $2899. Includes the original box and everything that came in it, an extra battery for a total of two, and insured ground shipping via FedEx.

Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

I waited a bit too long to get my first 5DS R but once I did, I quickly added a second. I used each of them more for birds than I did my EOS-1DX Mark II. Go figure. I fell in love with the amazing sharpness and fine feather detail of the 5DS R image files and the AF system was great as well. It is the premier landscape body in the Canon system. artie

This image was created on the 2014 DeSoto Fall IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens with the greatest ever buy in a digital camera body, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/2.8. Cloudy WB. 65-point Automatic selection AF point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The system activated and array of 4 AF points in the center of the frame. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Sea Oats in low light

Simplicity at f/2.8…

I created this image with the sea oat frond positioned pretty much horizontally in the frame knowing that I would want to optimize it with the frond oriented diagonally. To do that, I created a duplicate layer and used the Transform command to tilt and position the frond so that it entered the frame from the bottom right. As there was a slight gradient to the sky I needed to use the Clone Stamp Tool to even things out after the crop.

Remember That What You See is What You Get…

If you are curious as to why I did not stop down more for this photo, remember that if everything looks sharp through the viewfinder, then everything will be sharp in the final image; there is no need to stop down. In addition, when working with a 1.6X crop factor camera body the increased distance to the subject will yield additional depth of field. Lastly, I positioned myself so that I was parallel to the plane of the subject.

On Diagonal Compostions…

I have long believed and taught that diagonals are usually most powerful when they enter the frame precisely from a corner (as in today’s featured image). Others are equally adamant in feeling that diagonals should never enter the frame precisely from a corner. Please leave a comment and let us know which camp you are in.

Notice…

Notice here another fine image created with the EOS 7D Mark II.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99

Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.

Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 5. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.

Late Registration Discount: please call 863-692-0906 for discount info

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher likely. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.

On this and all other IPTs you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.

As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.

Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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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 🙂