So What is Clemens Van der Werf Doing Now?

BIRDS AS ART on YouTube!

Be sure not to miss anything by subscribing to the BIRDS AS ART YouTube channel by clicking here.

What’s Up?

I spent more than a few hours preparing the 3rd Create BIRDS AS ART at Fort DeSoto in Fall YouTube video. It features all new birds and lots of great info. It is truly amazing at how much can be packed into a nine minute video. Eleven years ago, Clemens Van der Werf came on his first IPT with zero interest in bird photography. Keep reading to see what happened between then and now.

And then consider how joining me on an IPT just might change your life. You can see the current IPT schedule (and future IPTs as well) by clicking here.

Today is Friday 3 September 2021. It was another cool and windy day here on Long Island. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks like me, who spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

This blog post took only about an hour to prepare and makes 246 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

As used gear sales have slowed just a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.

Recent Sales

Wally Barkley sold his Sony a9 II in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2494.00 (was $2694.00) in mid-August 2021.
IPT veteran Sheldon Goldstein sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II camera body in like-new condition originally listed for $2,199.00 and his Canon EF 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens in excellent condition originally listed for $1499.00 to a single buyer for $3500.00 in late August 2021.
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen sold his Canon EF 500m f/4 L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4999.00, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens with the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B (a $149.95 value) in near-mint condition for the very low price of $299.00, a Canon EF 1.4X II teleconverter for a very low $129.00 and a Canon EF 2X III teleconverter for a very low $429.00, all in late August 2021.
Paul Sher sold his Nikon AF-S VR Micro Nikkor 105mm F2.8 G IF-ED in like new condition for $496.95 in mid-August.
BAA friend Ron Horn sold his Canon EOS-1DX II in excellent plus condition for the BAA record low price of $2099.00 (was $2199.00) soon after it was list ing in early august 2021.

Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner

Alice Garland is offering a Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner in like-new condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $899.00. The scanner is still supported by the VueScan and Silverfast scanning software for use with current operating systems. It has many special features including Digital ICE and a special Kodachrome setting. It is likely the best slide scanner ever made. The sale includes the Nikon SA-21 35mm Strip FilmAdapter (for 2-6 frame strips), the Nikon SF 210 that holds up to 50 slides for batch processing, the two instructional books, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Alice via e-mail

I owned this one years ago when I was scanning the best of my tens of thousands of slides. It did a fine job. What better way to spend your free time than bringing your best film images to life as digital files? artie

This image was created on 19 December 2013 at Brown Bluff, Antarctica. Clemens used a hand held Sigma 50-500mm lens with the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/13.AWB at 11:55am on blessedly cloudy day. Adelie Penguins on Ice Blocks Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Clemens Van der Werf Photography

Clemens Van der Werf and BIRDS AS ART

Clemens Van der Werf attended the 2010 Southwest Florida IPT. He had no interest in nature, wildlife, or bird photography. He wanted to master the basics of photography so that he learn could make better images of sailboats and his beloved Golden Retrievers.

All in all he attended 13 BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours:

2010 Southwest Florida IPT
2010 Nickerson Beach IPT
2010 Bosque del Apache NWR IPT
2011 San Diego IPT
2011 Homer Bald Eagle IPT
2011 Bear Boat IPT
2011 Bosque del Apache NWR IPT
2012 Southwest Florida IPT
2012 Homer Bald Eagle IPT
2012 Gatorland IPT
2012 Bear Boat IPT
2014 San Diego IPT

Along the way, some of his images have been honored in several impressive international photography competitions:

2019 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Ocean Views category
2017 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Polar Passion category
2016 Finalist – 2nd Annual Yellowstone Forever Photo Contest
2015 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Polar Passion category
2014 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Animal Antics category (two images)
2013 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Birds category
2013 3rd place – 2nd International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition – Small in the frame category
2013 Grand Prize – 2nd International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition
2012 Winner Blur category – 1st International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition
2012 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Animal Antics category
2012 Out Of The Box Image of the Year – BirdPhotograhers.Net

Today, we are good friends. We photograph together a lot, often aboard Clemens’ flats boat. We have enjoyed many fine pool deck dinners at my home at ILE. Along with some fine wine.

This image was created on 19 December 2013 at Brown Bluff, Antarctica. Clemens used a hand held Sigma 50-500mm lens with the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/13.AWB at 11:55am on blessedly cloudy day. Clemens’ new print gellery Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Clemens Van der Werf Photography

So What is Clemens Doing Now?

Mazel tov to Clemens who very recently announced the opening of his online virtual print gallery at Shop.clemensvanderwerf.com.

The Story Behind the Photo

Adélie Penguin is one of the four penguin species in Antarctica. Adélie is the most exposed to a changing climate and the warming of the oceans. Their numbers are in steady decline due to a changing food source. Their ability to adapt quickly is far less than the Gentoo Penguin whose numbers are actually increasing.

During one of my expeditions to the frozen continent, we visited the volcanic coastline at Brown Bluff on the northern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. In the shadow of the crater wall, Gentoo and Adélie Penguins build their nests on the beach to raise a new generation. Oftentimes, high winds blow icebergs and smaller chunks of sea ice onto the beach making it difficult for the birds to reach the water for daily fishing trips. When I saw this group of Adélie penguins carefully hopping over the ice cubes, I wanted to show how they struggle to reach the ocean and positioned myself at the water’s edge to photograph them in their daily routine. Life as a penguin is tough in the harsh Antarctic environment.

Shop.clemensvanderwerf.com is the new home for his photography print work. There, you’ll find all of his available prints on a variety of media types including paper, canvas, and metal.

His new website has a Wall Preview Tool that allows folks to visualize the images hanging in a sample room. You can select the room type and even choose your paint color to get a better feel for how large a given piece should be and how it will look on your wall. Click here to try it out.

He is very excited to take a next step with his photography business, thanks to the support of his many followers. To celebrate, he is giving away a 25″ x 17″ Luster Photo Paper Print of “Adélie Penguins on Ice Cubes” (a $110.00 value).

Click here to enter. When the giveaway ends on September 10th, Clemens will offer all who’ve entered a one-time, 25% off discount on any print in the shop.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.