For the Love of Gulls... Ghostly Gull Lens Revelations & 7D II & 100-400 II Flight Image

What’s Up?

Yesterday was a rewarding day for me. We sold nearly 100 copies of the new 7D Mark II Users Guide in half a day. We are off to a good start. If you missed the announcement see same in yesterday’s blog post here. Or skip the hype and purchase yours in the BAA Online Store here right now for $59. 7D II UG orders received after 2:00pm Friday will be e-mailed on Monday morning.

I am getting up very early tomorrow to head for DeSoto and a busman’s holiday morning with the Ring-billed Gulls. See more below.

This blog post, which took about 2 hours to prepare over the course of several days, was published at 2:56am from my home in Indian Lake Estates.

This image was created by long-time friend and client Alan Lillich on the Fort DeSoto Add-on In-the-Field Workshop in cloudy conditions. He used the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 90mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400: 1/2000 sec. at f/4. Click on the image to see a larger version. “Mean artie/Poor Gull.” Created by, named by, and copyright 2015: Alan Lillich. Image question: what is in my left hand?

Ghost Gull Lens

The lens that I used to create the Ghostly Gull image in the blog post here, was the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. The focal length was 59mm. Kudos to Gerald Kelberg who got the lens right and was off by only 11mm on the focal length. Thanks to all who took a shot at it.

Quite Pricey

You can get a loaf of cheap white bread at most supermarkets for 99 cents. I picked one up that morning for $2.19 at 7-11 but was glad to pay the premium. I have been feeding the gulls for several decades to provide action on otherwise slow days. Most times I’d have the 70-200 with me while I am tossing the bread using my professional gull feeding technique. The problem is that with the birds right overhead 70mm is often too long even with a full frame body. I finally got smart and stuck the 24-70 II in my beach cart. I’d hold some bread up in my left hand while trying to operate the camera with my right hand. A third hand would be helpful so that you could zoom, but having only two I had to guess the focal length as the birds would hover at various distances.

This image was created in cloudy bright conditions at 11:04am on February 27, the final session of the Fort DeSoto Add-on In-the-field workshop. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens (at 135mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. AWB. Center AF point (manual selection) SHutter Button/AI Servo Surround AF as originally framed had the active sensor squarely on the bird’s white breast. Click on the image to see a larger version.

My Turn

After my feeding stint participants Cris Hamilton and Pat Lillich kindly relieved me. Cris in particular was beside herself with fun. While they fed the birds I stepped back and went to work with my 100-400 II and the 7D II.

In the original image the gull was centered in the frame. I moved it to our right easily and quickly using techniques from APTATS II. This bird, and many other of the Ring-billed Gulls are in gorgeous breeding plumage at DeSoto right now. So much so that even though I do not have to be in Brandon until late afternoon I am heading over to DeSoto at 4:30am to get my fill of those stark white heads and bright yellow legs and bills. Man, you gotta love what you do. Is there something wrong with me?

APTATS I & II

Learn the details of advanced Quick Masking techniques in APTATS I. Learn Advanced Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS II. Mention this blog post and apply a $5 discount to either with phone orders only. Buy both APTATS I and APTATS II and we will be glad to apply at $15 discount either with phone orders or here in the BAA Online Store. For phone orders, call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 weekdays.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #472

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #472 was published yesterday and can be accessed here.

• 7D Mark II User’s Guide Now Available
• Hooptie Spoonbill Mini-IPT. MAR 7-8: 1 1/2 DAYS
• The Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
• The Blog is the Bomb!
• Jim Neiger Osprey Heaven and Custom Anytime Workshops
• Used Photography Gear for Sale
• BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Info
• South Georgia October 2015

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