A Simple Question
Do you consider Image #1B to be photography? Why or why not?
What’s Up?
Despite the forecast of “cloudy till 9am,” Saturday dawned clear and still. I spent a solid hour at the vulture trees. I promised myself to concentrate on flight, but the birds were not flying much and the gentle breeze was from the southwest …. I was back down at the lake in the evening and there was some gorgeous color in the western sky. A singing Ba-tailed Grackle on The Perch provided some fine images despite the west wind.
Today is Sunday 26 December. The forecast is for dead-clear and warmer with the breeze from the northwest increasing throughout the day. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare. Most of that time was spent on the complex image optimization: A + B = C. This post makes 46 consecutive days with a new one.
Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) 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 who, like me, 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.
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.
Your Pick In-the-Field Sessions
The beauty of the Your Pick In-the-Field Sessions plans below are that I am free most days from now till mid-January. We can schedule sessions to coincide with the perfect weather forecast. They are ideal for central Florida locals or folks visiting the region for whatever reason. Interested? Get in touch via e-mail or better yet, try my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up. Inquire for couples and group rates.
I was glad to learn that Joe Casey, visiting from Texas, has committed to an afternoon/dinner/overnight/morning combo In-the-Field session here at ILE right after X-mas.
Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Sessions
Two hours of intensive instruction: $300.00. Add a working brunch with image review: $100.00. Sunset shoot: $100.00. Guest room lodging available. Mix and match.
Sunny mornings with east winds are best. Likely subjects include ridiculously tame Sandhill Cranes along with Black and Turkey Vultures, Crested Caracara, Limpkin, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, and more. Bald Eagle possible; chicks coming soon.
Lakeland or Circle B Bar Preserve
Two hours of intensive instruction: $325.00. Add a working brunch with image review: $100.00. Mix and match.
Sunny mornings with east winds are best at Lakeland. Likely subjects include point-blank American White Pelican, Anhinga, Limpkin, Common Moorhen, White Ibis, a variety of wintering ducks including Ring-necked and Wood Ducks, and lots more.
Cloudy mornings or afternoons (shooting session only) are best at Circle B Bar Preserve. Likely subjects include Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Common Moorhen, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Alligator, Wild Boar, and more. If you wish to mix and match, loving at ILE is available.
Sony Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords/free card offer!
Steve Elkins of Bedfords let me know late yesterday that he had several Sony a1 bodies in stock. If one of them has your name on it, please click here and be sure to enter the BIRDSASART coupon code check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. Right now, in lieu of the 3% credit refunded to the card you used for your purchase, you will receive a Sony 160GB CFexpress Type A TOUGH Memory Card, a $399.99 value!
Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
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. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 25 December 2021 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available GIT305XXL Grand Series 5 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/11 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:41:01am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C Bird Face/Eye detection performed perfectly by acquiring the eye of the lower vulture (just as I wanted). Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version. Image #1: Turkey Vultures sunning/the original |
The Problems …
All of the problems were in the lower right corner. The first was with the framing; I wanted to include some room below the spot where the lower of the two perch branches met the main trunk. But I did not have any room above the bird on the top. Then there were the two extra vulture wings, one just peeking its way onto the main trunk, and the other behind the aforementioned lower perch. Both were mega-distracting to me. What to do? I could eliminate the two extra vulture wings but that would not provide the desired room below. What to do?
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This image was created on 25 December 2021 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available GIT305XXL Grand Series 5 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/11 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:47:34am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C Bird Face/Eye detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger higher-res version. Image #1A: The Source Material |
The Source Material
Without moving the tripod or changing the settings, I waited until the vultures at the top of the tree flew off. I point the lens down a bit so that I could have the extra room that I wanted bottom right. Fortunately, the light had not changed much at all so the sky in the original image matched up pretty nicely with the sky in the source material image.
The Lesson
Thinking ahead and creating extra images to provide source material can save you a ton of time in Photoshop …
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This image was created on 25 December 2021 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available GIT305XXL Grand Series 5 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/11 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:41:01am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C Bird Face/Eye detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger higher-res version. Image #1B: Turkey Vultures sunning/the optimized version |
The Optimized Version
First, I went with Content-Aware Crop, but when I created the JPEG of the final version, I saw that I had created a mess with lots of posterization. So I started over and used about 25 Quick Masks refined by Regular Layer Masks to get the job done correctly.
It was the first time I had ever had a chance to photograph two sunning vultures that were very close to being on the same plane. I did got to f/11 in an effort to render the head of the upper bird fairy sharp. That worked well.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II. |
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If… A wife fakes an orgasm, is it real? Not to her, but maybe seems real to her partner, unless he’s real astute and knows her all too well. He may just think he’s a hunk of burning love but really has no clue. Real is always better & less manipulation is always best in my books. Apples to Oranges but you get the drift.
For all those wondering whether the photograph is real, in the 1950s I used to make images derived from black and white photographs I printed and then dodged and burned, adjusted exposure, and so on–stuff that can be done quicker and faster but not necessarily better in Photoshop now. It is rare for me to keep a digital image these days that I haven’t done anything to after it came out of the camera, things like trim; adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, color; and so on; and that’s after the camera applied some algorithms to the digital image. Are these images real? I don’t combine two images to make one, although I used to do that in the 1950s with my b&w images, but that’s just my rule (and sometimes a rule of photo contests). To my knowledge, except when trying to challenge us, Artie has never hidden what he’s done and how he’s done it. And that last makes it just fine by me.
Is it photography? That’s sure to stir the pot. In an introductory photography class my instructor had the nerve to suggest that the Shroud of Turin was a photographic negative. He pointed out it was an image on a cloth medium that was created by some still unknown process. He had a point. So is Artie’s image photography? It’s not a chemical emulsion on film. It’s not transferred to paper. So depending on your reference frame, it’s not photography.
What about double exposure pictures? Are they? Or stacked HDR images? Or multiple stacked images of a flower that is tack sharp from the outer petals to the bits of pollen in the center?
With greater digital powers in software for manipulating images, the line is being blurred between what is real and what we can create.
For me it is photography. Now if he’d asked if was real . . . well that’s a different subject to discuss.
I like the photograph, but it might get you disqualified in some photographic competitions.
1B is a digital photograph which was comprised of at least two images. Were the images created by Jerry Uelsmann photographs?
Taking those extra wings out helps a lot. With adding the new trunk, now the black hole LR catches my eye. So I think I would have taken a photo of the bare tree without changing camera angle so the bare tree photo would be exactly the same as the original. Then place enough of that photo to cover the extra wings. Of course though, I would never have thought of doing the vulture less tree photo.
I want to see a Ba-tailed Grackle!
I like the image of the tu TuVus.
Great photo of two Turkey Vultures on tree branches!!
Artie
Good morning while it is a photo it is a combination of photos and computer skills and not a one off. Heck one could take birds from one and put them wherever they want to create a picture with the perfect BG but is it real NO. Astro photography and landscape is mostly a combination of many photos or the moon if it is in perfect focus and the landscape in perfect focus and such is more of combination and again not true to a photo. All that said i am not a fan of using combinations of photos and blending them into making one photo.
Always with love b
Thanks, Bob.
Is Image #1B real? Are the two vultures real?
with love, artie
ps to Bob,
re:
Heck one could take birds from one and put them wherever they want to create a picture with the perfect BG …
First off, it ain’t that easy at all. I have never been able to do that. Secondly, did you ever here of JIJO? Junk In equals Junk Out 🙂
with love, artie
Artie
Can’t say i ever herd of JIJO, I am not saying that 1b isn’t real it is not a one off it is a combination worked together to make it one! I suppose one could say if you alter the color or add canvas or delete this or that the photo isn’t real or a one off. I not a fan of blending other photos. The vultures are real yes the tree is real yes just not on the same negative without adding or blending some of this or that to make it appear to be one off.
always with love b