Caption Contest

This image of Northern Giant Petrel chasing a Black-browed Albatross was created in the Scotia Sea from the ship on the way back to the Falklands with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only) w/FREE Bonus Item – $150.33 Value! [expires soon]!. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Flight Photography from the Ship

Once I “Wrecked” my 500 II and my 1D X at Fortuna Bay the 300 II/1.4X III TC/5D Mark III combo was my go-to rig for flight photography from the ship. I love the 5D III’s AF system and its beautiful large files so much that I chose the 5D III over the 1D IV without a second thought. Depending on the direction and quality of the light, the sea conditions, and most importantly, the wind, some mornings or afternoons were great for shooting seabirds from the ship while others were lousy. In this image I am pretty sure that the big ship chopped up some bait as several of the following birds alit briefly on the sea for a quick snack. Thus the chase seen above.

Caption Contest

Write a humorous caption for the image above and win a free copy of King Penguin Clean-up, our first MP4 Screen-capture Photoshop tutorial. I am the judge. The winner will be announced on the evening of Thanksgiving. For more info on the video click here and scroll down.

NIK Color Efex Pro

Note the huge differences in the underwing detail and contrast in the before and after animated GIF above. I painted in the Detail Extractor Layer using a Hide-All Mask and used the Quick Selection Tool for the Tonal Contrast.

NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers here know, NIK Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital workflow. You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

Click Heres

Click here to see BAA Bulletin #423. It includes info on the first MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Video, Bosque IPT late-registration discount info, and NYC Seminar info.

If you missed the South Georgia/Falkland Islands Southern Oceans Trip Report, see BAA Bulletin #422.

Shopper’s Guide

Thanks a stack to all who have used our B&H affiliate links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Shop B&H

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gizo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.