Stuff
Amy went running when we got to Helsinki and found that Barnacle Geese were easy to photograph at the Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden. We headed there and did well on Saturday afternoon. Anita went on Sunday morning and had several families with goslings of various ages. Amy and I returned midday on Sunday to get our fill of chicks. Photos and the rest of the story soon. We fly from Helsinki to Edinburgh, Scotland tonight for 3 more days of R&R and LFB (looking for birds in the city!)
I was glad to learn on Sunday that top BAA used gear seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1349.00 the first day it was listed in late June.
PHOTOEXPO 2018
If you missed the PHOTOEXPO 2018 announcement and live anywhere within driving or flying distance of Memphis, TN, click here. I am still looking for a ride to Beale Street!
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Recent Sales
Top BAA used gear seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1349.00 the first day it was listed in late June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $999.00 (was $1149.00) in mid-June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1099.00 in Early June.
Steve Traudt sold an Xtrahand Vest, the Khumbu model, size XL, in very good condition for the BAA record-low price of $179.
Jim Brennan sold a used Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens in good condition for $249.00 in late May.
Larry Padgett sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for $1160 soon after it was listed in late May.
Charlie Curry sold his Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low price of $750.00 on the first day of listing in late May, 2018.
One Nikon D850 Available Right Now!
Contact Steve below to get yours tomorrow.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on May 7, 2017 from a blind in Oulu, Finland. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/6.3. AWB at 3:50pm on a cloudy afternoon. One AF point up from the center AF point AI Servo (Continuous in Nikon)/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the bird’s neck band just slightly behind and on the same plane as the bird’s eye. Blue Tit on perch near feeder. |
Finnished
As we wrapped up the Nordic portion of my near-6-week adventure, I began going over files from the past 18 months to look for new images to be added to the “A Bird Photographer’s Story” program that I will be presenting at PHOTOEXPO 2018 in Memphis this August. If you would like more info on that gig, please click here When I got to the Finland 2017 To Transfer folder, I found these two and processed them in short order. I was amazed that I had not gotten to them a lot sooner …
Shooting Through Glass
For the Blue Tit image we were in a home shooting through “special photographic glass.” If you were at an angle to the window, it was 100% impossible to make a sharp image. If you were perfectly square to the glass, you had a chance. You can see the best image that I made “through the glass” in the Ah, the Elusive Woodpecker! And the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Wreaks Havoc on Finland IPT Photographers/Part II blog post here. That post includes the story of how I broke Anita North’s toe with my 5D IV — I was struggling to get perfectly square to the window …
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This image was created on May 5, 2017 from a blind in Kuusamo, Finland. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/10. AWB at 10:13am on a cloudy morning. Three AF points to the left and two rows up from the center AF point/AI Servo (Continuous in Nikon)/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the bird’s neck right below the base of the bill, pretty close to the plane of the bird’s eye. Bullfinch, male on perch near feeder. |
Why f/10 for the Bullfinch?
Why did I take the time to stop down one and 1/3 stops (of aperture) for the Bullfinch image (as compared to the Blue Tit image)?
Your Favorite?
Which of these two images do you like best? Aside from the afore-mentioned glass, which do you think was the more difficult image to capture? Why?
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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 :).
Hi Artie, in reply to “stuff” – so glad you all have been enjoying Bempton. I love the platform at the south end of the reserve when the birds get busy and walking along to it and beyond it can give some great sudden appearances as the gannets come up view at head level. It can be really atmospheric in heavy cloud with gannets cruising in and out of view in the low viz. I expect you had fun with your 600 and Tcs for tight and graphic. Did the jackdaws eat your lunch for you at the cafe? I’m on the boat to the Farnes tomorrow and Sunday weather looks a good mix. Best wishes to you all for the rest of your trip.
Clive
Hey Arthur, The bullfinch is my favorite, it looks like a tank compared to the blue tit. The background is excellent and the pose is very nice. You had to stop down for the bull finch because it was closer to you and bigger than the blue tit.
I like the second Image. Assuming the image posted was not cropped, I suspect that the Subject is very close and hence you choose f/10.
Thank you for the post.
I guess that you wanted extra DOF, but for the body size of the bird causing the head to be further from the camera than the main body of the bird.
Hi Steve, No guessing needed when you are smart 🙂
with love, artie
I will take a wild guess. You needed more DOF for the Bullfinch due to the head angle.
Nope.
a
Artie, when I saw the Blue Tit image, I gasped. In contrast, I didn’t have the same reaction to the Bullfinch image which is perfect in every possible way: exposure, composition, pose, background. But perfection doesn’t necessarily mean better from an artistic perspective. The Blue Tit feels more like art to me. The gentle curve of the branch, the brown patch on the wood, even the short stub of the broken branch add to the natural feel of the image. The dark areas on both sides bring my eyes back to the center and towards the head of the bird and I like how the bird is more “lit” than the rest of the frame. The green background, the yellow and blue on the bird, the brown on the branch – all the colors work harmoniously as complimentary. The out of focus tail doesn’t bother me a bit and in fact, adds to the artistic feel of the picture. I would hang the Blue Tit on my wall but not the Bullfinch. I hope that answers which image I like better and why 🙂
P.S. If my calculations are correct, the Bullfinch is two full stops down. f/6.3 to f/10 = 1 1/3, and then 1/200 to 1/320 = another 2/3 stop.
Hi Artie, by about a million miles I prefer the male bullfinch, the colour looks beautiful and the pose is very pleasing. The plumage detail is spot on in the dark and the lighter areas. Male bullfinches do vary in colour some are more intense red but some are almost salmon pink like this one. I think this one is pretty darned good.
The blue tit doesn’t do it for me , I get the impression there is a blue cast on the white feathers in the cheek area and in the black plumage also. I think there is insufficient DOF, at least f8 at that magnification I would guess. Perhaps a little more detail could be available in the dark plumage – the dynamic range on the 5D IV is very good, I don’t think it has been fully exploited in this image.