A Fine Young Photographer: Paul Pinto Jr.

This image was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 640: 1/640 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. By a wide margin, this was, for me, the very best image made on the trip by anyone. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

A Fine Young Photographer: Paul Pinto Jr.

It was an incredible treat meeting and working with Paul Pinto Jr on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT. Paul Jr. was accompanied by his Dad, Paul Sr. On day 2, I had thought that Paul Jr. was about 16 or 17. He was so mature. And though it was his first time using a long lens–he rented a 500 II from BAA–he handled his gear like a 20-year veteran. And he asked questions, listened, and soaked up the information just as I did 30 years ago. I ran into someone last week who knew me back then. His comment:” God, he never shut up. Artie would ask questions until you begged for mercy.” I always made it a point to try and learn as much as possible from folks that were smarter and more experienced than I. And I continue to do that to this day.

Paul Jr.’s image above, of an adult Great Black-backed Gull capturing a fledgling Common Tern, is simply superb. Note that the baby tern was biting the gull on the neck as he snapped the shutter. And yes, the gull ate the whole thing.

This image of an American Oystercatcher in fresh juvenal plumage was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 400: 1/640 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. As I say here everyday, getting the right exposure with digital is child’s play: simply adjust your histogram until it shows data in the right-most histogram box…. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

From Paul

I am 13 years old and I live in Easton CT with my mom, dad, and 11 year old sister Gianna. I will be starting Chase Collegiate, an independent day school as a freshman in September. My interests outside of photography are salt water aquariums, horseback riding, and sports. I have been photographing for a little over a year and will be studying photography at Chase with Lincoln Turner.

This Common Tern image was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 400: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. I had previously mentioned that 1/2000 f/8 with ISO 400 was a great place to start when photographing white birds in full sun. Paul was right on those numbers here. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

The Much-Maligned Canon EOS-7D

All are invited to visit or re-visit Dan Cadieux’s wonderful guest blog post, “How Dan Cadieux Masters Canon EOS-7D Image Files.”

This Black Skimmer flock blur image was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 200: Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/15 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv Mode. I taught. Paul listened. Paul executed and came up with a lovely image. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of Paul’s four images above is your favorite. And why.

This image of Paul Pinto Jr. at work was created at Nickerson Beach, Long Island NY on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320sec. at f/11 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on Paul’s face and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. You can see that Paul Jr. is serious about his photography. All he needs is a Mongoose M3.6….

Traveling

Please know that I will be traveling to and from Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

Expanding Your Creative Vision Nature Photography Seminar

Sept 30, 2013 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Canton, MA.

Sponsored by Mass Audubon/Museum of American Bird Art

Non-members: $89.00/Members: $79.00

Click here to register

Spend an amazing day with Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito in a full day nature photography seminar. You know me. 🙂 Learn more about Denise on her website; be sure to visit her beautiful image galleries. If you live withing 3 hours of Boston and love photographing nature this experience is not to be missed. Artie will be doing a Tuesday night program for Mass Audubon. Both events will be in conjunction with the opening of a 35-image gallery exhibit of his work at the Museum of American Bird Art on Sunday, September 29, 2013. All details to follow.

Schedule:

9:00 to 10:45am: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ARTStyle – Artie Morris
10:45 to 11:00am: break
11:00 to 12:00 noon: Blooming Ideas – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 to 2:00pm: Refining Your Photographic Vision: Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30: Pro Gear Handling Tips – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45: break
2:45 to 3:45: Creating Pleasing Blur – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito s
3:45 to 5pm: Image Critiquing. Registrants will be asked to submit no more than three 1400 (wide) or 1050 (tall) sharpened JPEGs via e-mail 2-4 weeks before the seminar. At least one image from each participant will be selected for review.

Shooters Gallery Photography Group Program

October 20, 2013. Salem, CT

Click here to register.

Artie Morris & Denise Ippolito
Date: Sunday – October 20, 2013: Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Salem Gardner Lake Firehouse Hall, 429 Old Colchester Road, Salem, CT 06420
Admission Fee: The Artie Morris presentation from 9:00am until 10:45am is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A. The presentation by Artie and Denise from 11:00am until 4:00pm is $40.00 (Lunch & morning coffee included)

9:00 to 10:45 – “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” – Artie Morris (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
10:45 TO 11:00: Break
11:00 to 12:00 – “Blooming Ideas” – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 – “Refining Your Photographic Vision” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30 – “Pro Gear Handling Tips” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:00 – “Creating Pleasing Blurs” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Click here and scroll down to register

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both. The Artie Morris presentation, “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” (9:00 – 10:45am) is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A.

Sandhill Crane composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 8) are included.

For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two. If we get lucky, the big attraction should be gorgeous Purple Herons in flight at a breeding marsh. We would be photographing them from the roadside. And we might be able to find a few Great-crested Grebes at a location near Keukenhof.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

Typos

On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

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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….
Gitzo 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.