Stuff
Too busy tonight for much stuff other than to say that all is well. The sale of all of Mike Rust’s gear was recently finalized; all that remains is one of the two 2X III TCs:
Canon EF Extender 2X III (teleconverter)
Mike Rust is also offering a Canon Extender EF 2X III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for $349.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the suede pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mike via e-mail or by phone at 1-360-420-1274 (Pacific time).
As regular readers know I use my teleconverters more than any other photographer: on big trips I travel with two 2X TCs. artie
Click on the logo-link above for great holiday savings!
$300 off on the Canon 100-400 II!
$300 off on the Canon 100-400 II!
The Streak
Today makes one hundred fifty-nine days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took well less than an hour to prepare including the time spent optimizing the image. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.
Booking.Com
Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ on my first morning out. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and my favorite silhouette photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv mode. WB: K7500 at 7:23am just after a partly cloudy sunrise. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand rear focus and re-compose. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Black-crowned Night-Heron dawn silhouette |
Painful Phoenix Start …
The pre-dawn color in the eastern sky was intense as we entered the preserve. We found some Canada Geese in the purple water but the arrangement of the birds was less than pleasing. We tried and failed. This night-heron was well off to our right and it seemed impossible to get the bird in front of the now fading color. Bryan Holliday was the first to beat his way through the acacia trees and pull the shot off. I followed Bryan and first got cut on my forehead by the sharp thorns and then stabbed in the left forearm; that one felt like a hypodermic needle. The trick here was not to cut off the end of the branch on the left side of the frame while leaving just enough room behind the subject. David Rosenberg ducked under a big branch and easily got into position without being wounded.
More on Coming Soon
February 2018 Spoonbill Boat IPT (definite!)
Two Fort DeSoto IPTs (April and May, 2018)
Three Gatorland IPTs (March, April, and May, 2018 — including early entry and late stay — tentative)
Three Sandhill Crane chicks and colts Master Classes at Indian Lake Estates (March)
The Master Classes will be small groups — strictly limited to four photographers — with the first folks who register staying at my home and the others staying at a chain motel in Lake Wales. Live, think, and breathe photography from Friday afternoon through lunch on Monday morning; all meals included. We will enjoy three morning photography sessions with the main subjects being tame Sandhill Cranes almost surely with chicks or colts. Also vultures and Cattle Egrets and more. Limpkins possible. There will be three afternoon photo sessions with hopefully glorious sunsets like the ones you have been seeing on the blog recently. I will micro-adjust one of your lenses during a group instructional session and all will be welcome to practice what they have learned during the breaks using my lighting gear. We will sit together around my dining room table and pick everyone’s keepers, enjoy guided Photoshop sessions, and, on Monday before lunch, folks can make a single large print of their favorite image.
Folks who would like advance notice on any of the above are welcome to shoot me an e-mail. Right now there is lots of interest in all of the above offerings. Folks who have already e-mailed me will be receiving the first invites soon, starting with the Spoonbill IPT.
Support the Blog
Please help support my (stupendous) efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have 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 please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
Love the image. Just beautiful! I did also leave reply on image quality and loading times for your gull head close-up.
Hi Neil, Please e-mail me a link to the post that you mention above.
with love, artie
Not sure if you had plans at visiting the Riparian near sunset but if you do, be ready for hundreds of family portrait photographer groups. lol.
Sorry to hear about the thorns, steer clear of the chollas too, they like to come along for the ride.
Another place in our area that I hear that can be good is the Tres Rios Wetlands on the west side of the valley. Not sure if you need a permit to be on the grounds though.