2009 « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

More of Rondeau Rocks

[Not a valid template] This immature male Baltimore Oriole was photographed with the Canon 500mmm f/4L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3. Fill flash with Better Beamer at -1 stop.

This image was created at a feeder set-up (see below). […]

Pelee the Pits; Rondeau Rocks!

Well, my poor warbler luck continued at Pelee this year. While there were a very few warblers most were up high. The beach on the west side of the tip that used to be great on some afternoons is totally gone, eroded away by storms. When there was a bird down low there were often […]

Wanted

It is a little known fact that many international BIRDS AS ART IPTs, Photo-Cruises, and Photo-Safaris fill without ever being announced to the public. They are sold out by advance word of mouth and from our BAA Friends List.

The Galapagos 2009 Photo-Cruise had been sold out for more than a year and in […]

Exciting Day in Leamington, Ontario...

Late on Friday afternoon I got on the ground to photograph some Canada Goose goslings asleep on a dock. As I raised up I felt a sharp spasm in my lower back on the left side. This has happened before so I did not think much of it. It did not hurt me at all […]

The New Store, The Sale, BAA Bulletin 289, Arrived at Pelee

[Not a valid template] This male Yellow Warbler was photographed this afternoon at Pt. Pelee National Park, in Leamington, Ontario, Canada. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops set manually: 1/320 sec. at f/9. Fill flash with Better Beamer at […]

Painted Bunting Heaven Part II

[Not a valid template] Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/640 sec. at f/8. Fill flash at -2 stops with the Better Beamer.

My last morning at the Cozad Ranch was fantastic. I was joined by my good friend Rex […]

Painted Bunting Heaven Part I

I first visited Johnny Cozad’s ranch in Linn, TX about four years ago and enjoyed some fine raptor photography: Harris’s Hawk and Crested Caracara. Not sure of the month but it was more winter than summer. Johhny and Jane Cozad are out of town so I stayed in a Super 8 in Edingburg, TX and […]

Green Jay Heaven Part III

Chris and I have had 2 1/2 great days at the Cozad Ranch here in Linn, TX. I am dropping Chris off at the McAllen, TX Airport oh-dark hundred tomorrow and then heading back to the Cozad’s place to try for Caracaras. I wanted to share a few more images from Roel Ramirez’s great place […]

Green Jay Heaven Part II

Chris and I drove to Edinburg, Texas yesterday. We are photographing together on the Cozad Ranch in Linn, TX on Wednesday (today) and on Thursday. I drop Chris off at the McAllen Airport early on Friday morning. My plans after that are indefinite other than knowing that I have three very long driving days ahead […]

Green Jay Heaven Part I

[Not a valid template] This displaying Green Jay was photographed with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f//5.6. One of the nice things about visiting in April and May is seeing the amazing courtship displays of this species. They bob up […]

Driving Miss Artie

[Not a valid template] That's me hard at work in my back seat office. Image with the Canon G-10 courtesy of and copyright Chris Dodds.

Chris Dodds and I have been getting along famously now for nearly two weeks. We keep things fun with lots of humor. When we started out Chris could not […]

Jim Heupel Gallery Show: Fredericksburg, TX

[Not a valid template] That would be Mr. Heupel on your left and yours truly on the right. Image courtesy of and copyright Chris Dodds.

After we left Hill Country, Chris Dodds (www.chrisdoddsphoto.com) and I made a small detour to Fredericksburg, TX on our way down to Roma, TX. We stopped by the Photography […]

Los Madrones

[Not a valid template] This Golden-cheeked Warbler was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, a 25mm extension tube (to allow for closer focus), and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/300 sec. at f/9. Fill flash at -2 2/3 stops with the Better […]

Farewell to Dauphin Island

[Not a valid template] This adult male Indigo Bunting was photographed on a perch that I found along the roadside and set up at a feeder. The image was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, a 25mm extension tube, and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative […]

More Dauphin Island plus some Photoshop Tips

I should have mentioned that when we arrived we were greeted by chants of “You should have been here yesterday.” As it turns out, Thursday–the afternoon of the day that we should have been on Dauphin Island, was a big wave day with a large fallout of neo-tropical migrants. And we soon learned that the […]

Arrived In Dauphin Island...

[Not a valid template] The Red-eyed Vireo was photographed with the Canon 800mmm f/5.6 L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and a 25mm extension tube. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. a f.8. Fill flash with the Better Beamer at -1 13/ stops.

After the great SUV repair-job adventure, Chris Dodds […]

Challenging Start to Warbler/Songbird SUV Trip

Well, Chris and I were supposed to be on Dauphin Island on Thursday afternoon but slept in the Brandon, FL motel that night. I brought my Toyota Sequoia in for the 90,000 mile service even though I had only 80,000 miles on the vehicle. I figured that it would be a good idea bring it […]

Do As I Say.... A weather story

Despite a somewhat scary weather forecast, I photographed this morning at Fort DeSoto Park south of St. Petersburg, FL with Chris Dodds (www.chrisdoddsphoto.com) and Linda Robbins, the Hummingbird Queen. It was cloudy and dark so we were all using high ISOs and fill flash. By about 9am a huge black cloud was creeping up on […]

Should Diagonals Enter the Image from the Corner?

There is often much debate as to whether or not diagonal elements of a composition should enter the frame from one of the corners. As the images below show, I strongly believe that they should. Your compositions will be more interesting and more powerful.

[Not a valid template] This image of a Great Blue […]

More DeSoto Images As Promised & Some Head Angle Fine Points

As mentioned in the last post, the wind and weather on the morning of the 3rd made it one very tough morning. With the wind quite strong from the west, there were fewer birds on the exposed beach, and most of the birds were taking advantage of the small bit of shelter offered by the […]