Beyond Breathtaking: Thank God For the 300mm f/2.8L IS

The Streak Continues: 140

I am publishing this blog post at about 2pm Amsterdam time, 8:00am on the east coast. We set out to do the tulip fields this morning but the blustery weather prompted us to go back to Keukenhof Gardens where we enjoyed the pretty much people-free grounds in the early morning and finished up doing the spectacular orchids in the Beatrix Pavilion. We are headed out to do the fields at 3pm. Not much time for a nap….

This post marks 140 straight days with a new educational blog post. With so many folks getting in the habit of using our B&H links and our Amazon logo-links why quit now? To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we do ask that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially Gitzo tripods, Wimberley tripod heads, and the like. We sell only what I used, tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

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This blog post took 2 hours to put together. Enjoy!

This image was created yesterday morning, April 17, on a scouting trip with our early-arriving clients in the tulip fields near the famed Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Holland (The Netherlands) with the Gitzo GT1542T Tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/320 sec. at f/11 in Tv Mode. Color temperature: AWB. Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround Rear Focus AF on the first row of flowers and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Straight-Up

Beyond Breathtaking

Last year, with the coldest winter and early spring in Europe in 100 years, there were few flower fields. We really had to scrounge around. With more normal weather this year the flower fields are breathtaking.

Thank God For the 300mm f/2.8L IS

Both of today’s images were created with the 300 II and the 2X III TC. I am very glad that I brought the 300 rather than the 200-400. With the 300/2X combo I get 600mm at f/5.6. To get beyond 560mm with the 200-400 in need to add an external 1.4X TC and doing that leaves me at f/8. And the 300 saves me considerable weight as compared to the 200-400. Best of all the 300/2X combo gave me the reach that I needed.

This image was created yesterday morning, April 17, on a scouting trip with our early-arriving clients in the tulip fields near the famed Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Holland (The Netherlands) with the Gitzo GT1542T Tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/4 sec. at f/32 in Tv Mode. Color temperature: AWB. Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround Rear Focus AF about 1/3 of the way into the frame, re-compose, and pan. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Tripod-mounted Horizontal Pan Blur

Creating Pleasing Blurs

There is a lot more than meets the eye when creating images like the one above with long glass. First, I center the bubble in the scribed circle on the Mongoose to level the tripod platform. Then I use the electronic level in the 5D III to square the camera by rotating the lens in the tripod collar. Then of course you need to tighten the tripod collar. Next, I carefully determine the framing at the top by pointing the lens higher or lower. Once I am happy with that framing I lock the vertical panning knob but leave the horizontal panning knob loose.

I at ISO 50 in Tv mode at 1/4 second, add some light, and do a histogram check to make sure that I have a good exposure. Then it is simply matter of panning smoothly as you depress the shutter button. The faster you pan, the more ground you will cover and the smoother your blur will be. As always with blurs, vary your panning rate and be sure to take lots of images.

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

If you would like to learn more about creating pleasing blurs, check out “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. Illustrated with 144 different, exciting, inspiring, and artistic images the guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create the pleasingly blurred, out-of-the box images that do so well in major photographic compositions.

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which image you like best, and why. I have a very strong preference….

Fort DeSoto in spring is rich with tame birds. With many in breeding plumage it is a photographer’s paradise. I hope that you can join me there in mid-May.

Short Notice Fort DeSoto IPT/In-the-Field Workshops: May 9, 10, & 11, 2014

IPT–3 FULL DAYs: $1099
In-the-Field Workshops: $399/day

Fort DeSoto in spring is so good that I needed to create two cards in order to give folks an idea of what is possible. Even then I have barely scratched the surface. If you are coming from out of town you will surely want to do all 3 days, the entire IPT. Local folks may wish to join me for one or more full days.

There will Lots of tame birds including breeding plumage Laughing Gull and Royal and Sandwich Terns courting and copulating. American Oystercatcher plus lots of sandpipers and plovers, some in breeding plumage. Red Knot in breeding plumage likely. Lots of wading birds including Great and Snowy Egrets, both color morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue, Tricolored and Little Blue Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Roseate Spoonbill and WOod Stork between possible and likely…. Lots of flight photography with the gulls and terns and with Brown Pelican.

You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you are scared of it).

At lunch we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one. If you opt to bring your laptop, we will take a look at five of your best images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.

This is the IPT hotel: Comfort Inn St. Petersburg, FL. 2260 54th Ave N., St. Petersburg, FL 33714. tel: 1-727-362-0075. The best airport is Tampa (TPA).

Payment in full via credit card is due upon registering. Please call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 to register.

Fort DeSoto in spring is rich with tame birds. With many in breeding plumage it is a photographer’s paradise. I hope that you can join me there in mid-May.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make it in mid-May? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Shorebirds/Beautiful Beachcombers

If the shorebirds in the ID quiz gave you pause, get yourself a copy of my Shorebirds/Beautiful Beachcombers. Includes ID tips, shorebird biology, migration, and tons more. All in my simple-to-read easy-to-read style.

Canon Gear for Sale

Doug Bolt is offering a used Canon 400mm f/4L IS DO lens in very good to excellent condition for $4599. The sale includes the lens trunk and lens cover; the seller will pay shipping to US addresses only. This one should sell in minutes to someone looking for a lightweight super-telephoto. The item will ship only when the check clears.

Please contact Doug for additional info and/or a link to photos via e-mail or try him by phone at home: at 301-937-3112 or on his cell at 301-537-8073.

Doug is also offering a used EOS-5D Mark II in very good to excellent condition for $1199. There is a shallow scratch on the body and a faint smudge on the top LCD. The sale includes a RRS L-plate, a vertical grip, and the original box and all the stuff that came in it. The seller will pay shipping to US addresses only. This one is a great body for flowers and landscapes. Mine saved me on a Southern Oceans cruise when I trashed two EOS-1D Mark IV bodies in a rainstorm; it was a great back-up camera body. The item will ship only when the check clears.

Again, please contact Doug for additional info and/or a link to photos via e-mail or try him by phone at home: at 301-937-3112 or on his cell at 301-537-8073.

Join me at Gatorland for a ton of learning. If you want to learn to use your flash, you will not want to miss this one. Click on the composite image to enjoy a larger version. Click on the composite to enjoy the larger size.

Another Gatorland Short Notice Saturday Full-Day In-the-Field Workshop

Saturday May 3, 2014. 7:15am till 10:15am & 4:00pm till dusk. Lunch, image review, and Photoshop session included. Limit 6. A very small group is again likely: $399.

The cost of your Gatorland Photographer’s Pass is not included.

Chicks in nests likely. Breeding plumage Cattle and Snowy Egrets. And tons more. You will learn to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. A big part of the above is that you will learn how and why you must work in Manual mode 90% of the time at Gatorland.

At lunch we will review my images, take a look at five of your best images from the morning session (for those who opt to bring their laptops), and process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time. Last Saturday all 3 folks had a great time and learned a ton. And the weather for this coming Saturday is looking good.

Payment in full via credit card is due upon registering. Please call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 to register.

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Typos

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