Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

Back at home, back in the office. It is 4:30pm and I am gonna get into the pool now. If you are seriously interested in a four-figure late registration discount on the puffin IPT please shoot me an e-mail.

Mongoose M3.6 Heads in Stock

For the first time in months, we have Mongoose M3.6 heads in stock. We got our hands on six the other day; three were already accounted for. Best advice: call Jim at 863-692-0906 to order.

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Right now I am offering a $1000 Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 8 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to my terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily.

Used Gear Cautions

Though I am not in a position to post images of gear for sale here or elsewhere, prospective buyers are encouraged to request for photos of the gear that they are interested in purchasing via e-mail. Doing so will help to avoid any misunderstandings as to the condition of the gear. Sellers are advised to photograph their used gear with care against clean backgrounds so that the stuff is represented accurately and in the best light; please pardon the pun :).

Important Note for Sellers on Cashier’s Checks

Do understand that getting a cashier’s check for your gear is no guarantee of anything. You need to get the check to the bank asap. Years ago I “sold” an EOS 1D Mark III for $3,000 to a guy in California. I tried Fed Ex collect. The driver handed the camera to the guy. The guy handed him what appeared to be a Bank of North America teller’s check. When we brought the check to BONA they said, sorry, it’s phony. I followed up with the Lake Wales police. The got in touch with the police in the guy’s home town. They did nothing.

I was out 3,000 bucks. Getting a cashier’s check for your gear is no guarantee of anything.

Used Gear Sales Testimonials

Unsolicited via e-mail from Tom Phillips

Artie, Well, that was awesome for us all. Roger received the 300mm today and is happy, and James bought the 1Dx Mk II and the 400mm within minutes of it being listed on the first Saturday! I know you have a lot of readers and followers but your advice on pricing was right on to sell and also allowed me to get a good price, make the buyers happy, and make you some money too. I want to thank you very much! Tom

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Gerry Keshka

Hi Artie, I wanted to share how much I appreciate your Used Gear “service.” You have posted how you help sellers, but the other side of the equations is how much this service helps buyers. I have purchased three lenses (Canon 200-400, 500 f4 II, and 70-200 F2.8) all lovely experiences and I saved almost $5K over retail. Each of the sellers was delightful, willing to help me assess if the purchase was right for me by sharing their experience with the lens. Each lens was in the condition advertised (or better), and typically included several “add-ons” that would have cost several hundred dollars.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Gerry Keshka

Hi Artie, I wanted to share how much I appreciate your Used Gear “service.” You have posted how you help sellers, but the other side of the equations is how much this service helps buyers. I have purchased three lenses (Canon 200-400, 500 f4 II, and 70-200 F2.8) all lovely experiences and I saved almost $5K over retail. Each of the sellers was delightful, willing to help me assess if the purchase was right for me by sharing their experience with the lens. Each lens was in the condition advertised (or better), and typically included several “add-ons” that would have cost several hundred dollars.

Thanks for all you do for the photographic community Artie. Gerry

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Teresa Mabry Reed

Artie, Thanks for a positive experience in selling my used equipment. Best, Teresa

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from top BAA Used Gear seller Jim Keener

The BAA Used Gear Page is the best place I’ve found for selling my used cameras and lenses.

I used eBay and Craigslist until I began checking in at BIRDS AS ART. I saw the gear listed for sale at BAA and it struck me that the people who visit the site are like me in some important ways. We own high quality, often expensive gear. It’s important to us, and we likely take care of it. In other words, a good market exists. And I noticed how Artie marketed each item. Informative, without too big a push. That’s why I decided to try BAA.

The process was easy. I clearly accepted the terms of sale, fully and fairly described what I was selling and the good and bad. I listed he stuff to be included with in the sale. Then Artie came back with what he thought was a fair price, leaving it to me to determine the balance between urgency of the sale and receiving a high price. I’ve followed his lead.

The responses I’ve received from potential buyers have been reassuring. Each has been well informed and courteous. They have not expected perfection, but have fully expected fairness and clarity. I’ve found that providing many photographs of what I’m selling is very helpful in the completing the various transactions.

I’m writing this because of how glad I am to find a place where there is a good market for what I want to sell and what I want to buy — I just tried to buy a 300mm f/2.8 II, but it has sold. The buyers and sellers are informed and fair-minded. And artie offers friendly and experienced advice. I’ve enjoyed the process. The BAA Used Gear page is the best experience I’ve had buying and selling gear.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Owen Peller

I sold my 400 f/4 IS DO lens for the asking price. Thank you. Your service is truly better than any of the alternatives.

Artie, Thanks so much. I sent your check via my online banking. I never expected the 400 DO II and the 1DX II to sell within minutes of your posting the ad! I know that the 300 f/2.8 II is still up, but still, the results have been amazing. Another plus is that James McGrew is a professional artist and photographer and he was really looking and wanting that combo and is appreciative and excited to be able to find a great deal. Tom.

Newest Listings

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Body & Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is offering a used Canon EOS 5D Mark III body (with only 8,212 actuations) in near-mint condition but for a few very fine scratches on the LCD screens and a Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens in excellent condition for the very low price of $1499. The sale includes the original product box, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the CDs, one battery and the charger, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex, and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. The 28-135 was the predecessor of the 24-105 and the 24-105 II. With Brent’s deal you are practically getting it for free. I used mine to create many saleable images. Brent has always taken fastidiously good care of his gear. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Body

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Canon EOS 7D Mark II body in very good plus condition (with a small scratch on the top LCD) for the record-low BAA price of $839. The sale includes the original product box, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the CDs, and one battery and the charger. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. It is surely the greatest value ever in a digital camera body … artie

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens with Extras!

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the old 1-4) in excellent condition along with the RRS B2-FABN 38mm Screw knob clamp with strap bosses and the RRS LCF-54 foot for only $599. The sale also includes the original product box, a LensCoat, a LensCoat Hoodie, the instruction manual, a warranty card, the tough, zippered carrying case, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

The old 100-400 was and is a superb lens. I made hundreds of sale-able images with mine including the one used on the front cover of Scott Weidensaul’s “Return to Wild America”. Contrary to reports by the internet idiots the lens is -– in competent hands -– sharp at all focal lengths and it is sharp wide open as well. It is extremely versatile and would make a great starter lens for those interested in bird, wildlife, and general nature photography. artie

Canon EF Extender 1.4X III

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329. The sale includes the original product box, the soft pouch carrying case, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

As regular readers know, I consider both Series III TCs so important to my work that I travel with three 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs. artie

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens for Canon EF

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF in near-mint condition for only $1199. The sale also includes the original product box, a LensCoat, the instruction manual, the lens strap & hood, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

Lots of folks on recent IPTs have been using this relatively new Sigma lens with excellent results. artie

Sigma TC-1401 1.4x Teleconverter for Canon EF

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Sigma Sigma TC-1401 1.4x teleconverter for Canon EF in near-mint condition for a ridiculously low $129. The sale includes the original product box, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

Induro CT 304

Multiple IPT veteran Brent Bridges is also offering a used Induro CT 304 carbon fiber tripod in mint condition for only $199. The sale includes the original product box, the zippered protective cover, and insured ground shipping by major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brent by e-mail or by phone at 770-565-5012 (Eastern time).

I used the Induro CT 304 carbon fiber tripod for more than a year before it was replaced by the GIT 304L that I use and love now. artie

This image was created on the morning of Friday June 16 on the beach at Carpinteria, CA with the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. Three AF points to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed (should have been one of two AF points to the right of the center AF point; more on that tomorrow). American Crow foraging

The Question …

In the American Crow Original Revealed blog post here, I wrote, “To create the American Crow image immediately above, I sat on the wet sand and used the knee-pod technique. Aside from getting wetter, would I have been better off getting flat on the ground? Why or why not?”

Three folks responded … Continue reading to learn something really important.

Image #1: seated behind the lowered tripod

The Dark Strip Behind the Bird

Note that while seated behind my tripod, my line of sight put the dark strip right behind the bird. I did not notice that while photographing. Now, imagine yourself splaying the legs of your tripod and getting down flat. Study the diagram above; would the dark strip get higher in the frame or lower? Remember that the dark strip is actually flat on the ground. I angled it slightly when creating the diagram to add a bit or realism.

Image #2: working flat on the ground … Please note that I have exaggerated the angle of inclination to the subject here to better make my point. But don’t let that fool you! If you get lower the dark strip will also get lower.

A Huge But Pretty Consistent Perspective Mis-understanding …

Here are the three responses:

#1: Going lower would have raised the dark band of water behind the crow to the point where it might have intersected the head. To me that would have lessened the impact of the image by partially blending the head into the water.

#2: (If you got lower) the dark strip in the background would probably be higher in the frame.

#3: Getting lower would have changed it in that; the clear reflection of the legs (which I like) would have been lost, the dark blue band would be cutting through the bird’s head which would not be ideal (because it would be more distracting).

When I asked Jim at the office the “higher or lower” question, he responded immediately, “If you get lower the dark strip will rise.”

But the fact is that if you get lower the strip will get lower as well. He did not believe it so we set up two objects on the back of the sofa. When he stood he noted that the strip in the background went through the bird. When he bent his knees and got lower, he saw that the strip also got lower. He did not believe it at first 🙂

Understanding how distracting background elements move in relation to the subject when you change your perspective is of huge importance when you are in the field. If you too are confused by this situation you can practice in the field by changing your perspective and seeing what happens. Or you can set up some objects in your house and do the same thing.

The Conclusion

My answer is that had I been willing to lie down on the wet sand I would have created a much better image because the dark strip would have been moved down and would have been less obtrusive.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

I finished this blog post at the gate at LAX for my flights home today. I learned a huge and valuable life lesson during my four days in Carpinteria, CA, and for that I am thankful. My plan is to get a lot of work done on the Current Workflow e-guide … I hope to have both that and the LensAlign/FocusTune e-Guide/Tutorial finished before I head to the UK for the Puffins and Gannets IPT on Sunday, July 2. If you are seriously interested in a four-figure late regisrtation discount on the puffin IPT please shoot me an e-mail.

I was glad to learn yesterday that the sale of Stuart Hahn’s Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens is pending.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Price reduced $101

IPT veteran Stuart Hahn is offering a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in very good plus condition: was $1300, now, $1199, the latter a record-low BAA price. The body is in perfect mechanical condition but does show signs of use: some scratches on the finish. The LCD screens have been covered with protectors since day one so they are without scratches. Photos are available upon request. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Stuart via e-mail or by phone at 916-485-1630 (Pacific time).

Two dependable, rugged 1D Mark IVs served as my workhorse professional bodies for several years; I really enjoyed their 1.3X crop factors, the fast frame rate, and the excellent image quality. artie

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 6 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

My Choices

In yesterday’s Chew on This For a While … blog post here, I liked both the Snowy Egret images equally well. The egret for the sharpness, the perfect EXP,and the water droplets, the crow for the open bill and the amazing detail in the black feathers.

This is the DPP 4 Screen Capture for yesterday’s featured American Crow image

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

As you can see in the DPP 4 screen capture above, and as suggested in yesterday’s blog post, the bird was much too far forward in the frame because I did a poor job of selecting the correct AF point. Note the active AF point illuminated in red. In addition, note the plethora of specular highlights on and around the base of the bill. Continue reading to learn how I moved the bird well back in the frame and did the image clean-up.

This image was also created on the morning of Friday June 16 on the beach at Carpinteria, CA with the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. Three AF points to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed (should have been one of two AF points to the right of the center AF point; more on that tomorrow). Image #2: American Crow foraging

Image Design/Perspective Question

To create the American Crow image immediately above, I sat on the wet sand and used the knee-pod technique. Aside from getting wetter, would I have been better off getting flat on the ground? Why or why not?

The Image Optimization and Clean-up

After entering my 5D Mark IV/ISO 400 recipe, the only thing that I did of consequence during the RAW conversion in DPP 4 was to move the Shadow slider to +1. Once the image converted TIFF file was in Photoshop I had lots of work to do. First I moved the bird back in the frame using techniques from APTATS II. Then, working large, I did lots of image clean-up work on the beach using my usual cadre of tools, the Spot Healing Brush, the Patch Tool, Content Aware Fill, the Clone Stamp Tool, and a small Quick Mask or two. Next note the load of specular highlights on the base I the bill — they were a result of a slightly wet bill and the perfect head angle. I eliminated all but a few those small specular highlights, again by working large and using all of the tools and techniques noted above. Cleaning up the disturbed mud, especially where I added canvas on the right, was the most difficult task. All in all I spent about 30 minutes on this image. But, good images of American or Fish Crows are very difficult to obtain despite the fact that crows are among the most abundant and widespread birds on the continent.

Most everything above plus tons more is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete (former PC) digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs and Dodge and Burn, a variety of making selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.

The Curves on a Layer Color Balancing technique will be included for the first time in the all-new Current Workflow e-guide that better reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. It will include a section on ACR conversions, DPP 4 BASICS, and a simplified method of applying Neat Image noise reduction. Along with all of the Photoshop stuff from Digital Basics that I still use. Learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

I enjoyed a relaxing Friday in Southern California.

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 4 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only): Save $200 And get a free grip/Expires Saturday 6/17

Father’s Day Special: Nikon D500 on Sale

Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only): Save $200 And get a free grip/Expires Saturday 6/17

Lots of folks on recent IPTs have been using and loving this crop factor body, often with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens. To learn more about the camera body or to purchase, click here.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created on the morning of Friday June 16 on the beach at Carpinteria, CA with the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. One row down and three AF points to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo/shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the top part of the reflection of the rear leg; don’t ask me why but the image is razor sharp on the eye. Willet capturing sand crab

Sand Flat Willet

I took a walk down the beach at Carpinteria hand holding the 500 II with the 1.4X III TC. The tide was about half way in (or half way out) exposing some sandbars separated from the shore by some foot-deep channels. There were lots of Willets feeding. Most were in an inch or two of water. But some made their way onto the sand flat where the backgrounds were much cleaner. The shorebirds were nowhere near as tame as those at Fort Desoto but over time, as I approached them, they became more accepting of me and continued feeding rather than moving off a few yards. I had a very few chances with the birds on the wet sand and was surprised when today’s featured image popped up on the retina screen of my MacBook Pro

Note: Without having my tripod for support, I was extremely careful when crossing the channels to the bar.

Image Critique

Feel free to critique this image. Let us know what you like and what you don’t like. Suggestions for improving it either in the field or during post processing are welcome as well. DO know that sitting down was not an option 🙂

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

Wednesday, June 14 was getaway day, the last day of the 2017 Palouse IPT. As pretty much the entire trip had been, it was a huge success. We left the hotel in the morning well later than we had been at 4:45am. We mopped up on several spots that we had missed. The clouds cleared quickly and we were back in the hotel before 9am. Packing ensued. I shipped two large boxes of photo stuff back to Indian Lake Estates and then took a short nap. Next was another great lunch at Paradise Creek Brewery. Then it was back to the hotel where I packed my two checked bags.

We headed north in increasingly overcast conditions, just what I had hoped for, and just what we needed. We re-visited the crooked school house, this time in perfect light provided by a giant softbox of a sky. We photographed it from up close and then again from the top of a nearby hill. Next we made a short stop to photograph the Bicentennial Barn and then to one of my very favorite new spots: two derelict barns in the woods. All of our afternoon stops were pretty much dependent on soft light; our blessings continued right up till the very end of the IPT.

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today’s blog post makes 2 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

Used Photo Gear Kudos

From Tom Phillips via e-mail

Artie, Well, that was awesome for us all. Roger received the 300mm f/2.8L IS II today and is happy, and James bought the 1DX Mk II and the 400mm DO II within minutes of their being listed on that first Saturday! I know that you have a lot of readers and followers but your advice on pricing was right on. The items sold quickly while allowing me to get a good price, making the buyers happy, and helping you make some money too. I want to thank you very much artie! Thanks again Tom

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This in-camera Art Vivid image was created on the morning of Monday, 12 June on the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +3 stops (Auto Dynamic Range) yielded a base exposure of 1/30 sec. at f/11 in Av mode. K4000. With all of my in-camera JPEGs I use my still flower technique: 2-second time with Live View for mirror lock-up. I used rear focus and release with the Flexi-Zone single box on the big rust spot. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Important note: I use rear button focus for all of my landscape and Urbex photography. Flaking paint on old white truck

What Do You See?

What do you see in the patterns caused by the flaking paint? Do you see the upside down ladybug? The long-tailed horse? The smiling lips? You are invited to leave a comment and let us know what you see. Please also let us know the approximate position of your find or finds in the frame.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

We have continued to be blessed with almost perfect sky conditions for each photo session. On our single clear blue sky morning we worked indoors in one of my very favorite barns and worked the shaded side of some old trucks and farm vehicles.

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today –with this blog post being published just under the wire late on Monday, June 20 — makes 21 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This in-camera Art Vivid image was created on the morning of Monday, 12 June on the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop (+/- 1 stop) yielded a base exposure of 1/320 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. K4500. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. With all of my in-camera JPEGs I use my still flower technique: 2-second time with Live View for mirror lock-up. I used rear focus and release with the Flexi-Zone single box on the middle of the three windows. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Important note: I use rear button focus for all of my landscape and Urbex photography. Old Gray Barn in canola field

Killer Find …

On the long drive to Palouse Falls State Park on Sunday evening, we noted some nice canola fields along WA 26. We headed that way again the next day after a successful early morning session. After passing by a few fields we hit bingo with a beautiful gray barn just beyond a large field of canola in bloom.I used all of my focal length capabilities from 8mm to 1000mm. The boys and girls had a ton of fun. Though I made lots of very good images, today’s featured image was my favorite.

K4500 Trick

As noted here many times previously, for best results when creating in-camera Art Vivid JPEGs in most conditions, setting the WB to K4500 will tone down the YELLOWs. This helps to create natural looking YELLOWs and natural-looking GREENs as well. The YELLOWs in today’s blog post look perfectly natural to me while the roof is much more richly colored than in the individual RAW files.

Image Design Question …

Why didn’t I point the lens down a lot more so as to include more of the yellow canola field? Additional comments on the image, on the color, or on the image design are of course welcome.

More Thoughts on In-camera HDR Image Quality

We spent some serious time during our Monday Photoshop session comparing the image quality of a single in-camera Art Vivid HDR JPEG with the image quality of a RAW file from the same sequence. Even though I used Live View for mirror lock with the 2-second timer we noted some image issues from gear shake, especially with the leading edge of the corrugated, galvanized steel roof where we noted some improper alignment. That said, I had Auto Align disabled. With Auto Align enabled, the image will be be cropped about 3-4% automatically. I will continue to explore these issues by enabling Auto Align and simply framing a bit wider … And then I will report back here.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

We canceled our after-lunch Photoshop sessionon Friday because sky conditions were perfect. We headed out at 2:30 and made hay with the clouds and the soft light with occasional sunshine. We visited several of the iconic locations and discovered some neat new vantage points and locations as well. After waking again at 2:00am and being on the road by three, sunrise from atop Steptoe Butte fizzled, but we still created some nice images. Then, while it was still cloudy we were off to the races. We found a killer new decrepit barn with a black cloud behind it. And then we worked one of my favorite old red barns up toward Rosalia. So far we have been blessed with skies full of clouds and with soft light. It looks, however, as if blue skies are coming 🙁

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 19 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Scroll down here for additional details and the travel plans.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

AF-S Nikon 80-400 1:4.5-5.6G ED Lens

Price Reduced $200! June 10, 2017.

Sue Jarrett is offering a AF-S Nikon 80-400 1:4.5-5.6G ED lens (the newer version) in excellent condition for the record-low BAA price of $1449.95 (was $1649.95.) The sale includes front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, a padded lens bag with strap, and insured ground shipping to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Sue via e-mail or by phone at 1-843-252-2082 (afternoons Eastern time).

This, the newer version of the very versatile Nikon 80-400mm VR lens is supposed to be a lot sharper than the original model. artie

This in-camera Art Vivid JPEG image was created on the second morning of the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 200m) with my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops (Auto Dynamic Range) around a base exposure of 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. WB: 7500. Center flexi-zone rear focus AF as framed. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #1: Eastern predawn sky with lenticular clouds at 4:50am, 5 minutes before the time of sunrise

Happy White Balance Accident

When we got up to Steptoe Butte early on Friday morning, 4:05am was early enough for most, I was set up for in-camera HDRs. I assumed the K4500 White Balance was left over from the previous session so I just started photographing the distant clouds. The color looked stunning. When I checked the WB I was surprised to note that it was set at K7500. I let the group know and we all had a ball as the fog came and went and fortunately, had dissipated right before sunrise. Do understand two things:

• 1-the color with HDR Art Vivid will always be funked up even when you are working in good light even with the WB set cool in the vicinity of K4500.
• 2-the image quality with in-camera JPEGs will always be lower than with images created from converted RAW files that are then assembled as HDRs in Photomatix or NIK or Photoshop, or images created grunge-style from a single converted RAW file.

So why am I addicted to in-camera HDR Art Vivid JPEGs?

• 1-Because the convenience is unbeatable.
• 2-I do not make many large prints. And all of the in-camera HDR images that I have printed as large as 16X24 inches as gifts for the various property owners have looked superb. When considering what capture medium you are going to use and when considering the purchase of new gear, one should always ask themselves, “What will I be using these images for?” For me it comes down to using the images for the blog and possibly for submission to Getty. So in the long run, since I will rarely if ever be creating 40 X 60 inch or larger prints, the image quality with in-camera HDR JPEGS (be sure to save the process files as TIFFs) is plenty good enough.
• 3-The time spent optimizing the in-camera JPEGs is minimal as there is no need to convert a RAW image. A bit of color work is needed with some images along with NeatImage noise reduction, almost always on the entire image.

This in-camera Art Vivid JPEG image was created on the first morning of the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop (Auto Dynamic Range) around a base exposure of 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. WB: K4500. Flexi-zone rear focus AF on the letter “G.” Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #2: Eastern per-dawn sky at 4:51am, 4 minutes before the time of sunrise

Your Choice?

Which of today’s two featured images is your favorite? Be sure to let us know why you liked the one you did. If you do not like either image, please let us know why not. As always, the more folks that chime in the more everyone learns, including me.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 4).
All who register will be required to join the (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on. See below for details.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on July 2 and arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday July 3 no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of two gorgeous modern country cottages.

There are five days of planned puffin/seabird trips and one morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course. In three years we have yet to miss an entire day because of weather… In addition, we will enjoy several sessions of photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

The Details

We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day.

If you wish to fly home on the morning of Monday July 10 we will get you to the airport. Please, however, consider the following tentative plans: enjoy a second Gannet boat trip on the afternoon of Monday July 10 and book your hotel room in Dunbar. If all goes as planned, those who stay on for the two extra days will make a morning landing at Bass Rock, one of the world’s largest gannetries. We will get everyone to the airport on the morning of Wednesday July 12.

Great News on the UK Puffins and Gannets/Bass Rock Extension

On the morning of Jul 10, 2017, we will sleep late and head up to Dunbar Harbor for lunch and an afternoon Gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. One gannet boat trip is included in the IPT but everyone always wants more.

Then, as a possible mega bonus — we are scheduled to make a Bass Rock landing on the morning of Tuesday July 12, 2017. I am hoping to go two for two! If not, we do another chumming trip for flying gannets.

Included will be two nights lodging at the wonderful Dunsmuir hotel, two fine dining meals there, any additional meals, all boat, guide, and landing fees, and all transportation including the early morning transfer to the Edinburg Airport on the morning of WED July 12.

So far all five sign-ups are maximizing their travel dollars by signing up for the extension in part because I priced it so cheaply at $1499 despite my greatly increased costs.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.

Deposit Info

If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2017. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. 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 shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.

Single Supplement Deposit Info

Single supplement rooms are available on a limited basis. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

My flights were fine. I met up with three of my six clients and we car-pooled down to Pullman. Everyone enjoyed the introductory program. We slept in (Palouse style) and did not leave the hotel until 6:00am! What a luxury. We did old cars and trucks followed by one of my favorite red barns (with yellow streaks). We are headed for lunch soon.

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 17 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar above.

Just so you know …

I very much love everything about the image that I posted in the Wedding Dress — Like it or hate it? Do Not Hesitate! And Auto Tone Magic blog post here. I am fine with the fact that one poster would have deleted it instantly and fine with the fact that most who commented found fault with one thing or another. I even liked the image title 🙂

This image was created recently at Gatorland on a rainy Friday afternoon with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite bird photography camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode (was the left-over exposure from a baby Tricolored Heron and resulted in a significant over-exposure). Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. One row down and one AF point to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF. As originally framed (see the DPP 4 screen capture) the selected AF point was on the bird’s neck. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Snowy Egret — fledged young yawning

Do Not Hesitate Part II

I was working a baby Tricolored Heron. Though it has some white on it, the WHITEs are not nearly as bright as the WHITEs on any Snowy Egret. My young snowy was sitting on a fence post. I saw it yawn, and knowing that the resulting image would be over-exposed I pointed, frame, acquired focus, and fired off two frames. Blinkies city. But as the blinkies were not too extensive I thought that I might have a chance to save the WHITEs during the RAW conversion in DPP 4 and then again in Photoshop. As we saw in the Wedding Dress — Like it or hate it? Do Not Hesitate! And Auto Tone Magic blog post here yesterday, if I had stopped to change the exposure or even if I had tried to move the AF point, I would have missed the yawn and come up empty. Keep reading to learn how I saved the WHITEs.

DPP 4 Screen Capture

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

Notice that the RGB values for the RAW file are 254, 254, 254. And that is with the Brightness slider pulled back to -.50, one-half stop. I moved the Highlight slider to -2 and converted the image. There were still some 254, 254, 254 WHITE RGB values in the converted TIFF so I made a Color Range selection of the brightest WHITEs, put them on its own layer, and applied a 20% Linear Burn. To my taste, the whites in the optimized image at the top of this blog post look just fine.

Most everything above is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete (former PC) digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs and Dodge and Burn, a variety of making selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.

The Curves on a Layer Color Balancing technique will be included for the first time in the all-new Current Workflow e-guide that better reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. It will include a section on ACR conversions, DPP 4 BASICS, and a simplified method of applying Neat Image noise reduction. Along with all of the Photoshop stuff from Digital Basics that I still use. Learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

Monday was spent working on this blog post and starting to pack for my Palouse trip. I fly on WED. I will be visiting California for a bit after the Palouse IPT is over. I hope to get in a swim before lunch on Monday and then head into town that afternoon for some grocery shopping and an Active Release Technique chiropractic treatment on my right shoulder with buddy TJ McKeon:)

The Streak

Just in case you have not been counting, today makes 15 days in a row with a new educational blog post 🙂

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Click here and scroll down for additional details and the travel plans.

Nickerson Beach/Denise Ippolito

Last time that I checked Denise Ippolito had three openings on her Nickerson Beach worksop. It begins on Sunday 10 June. Click here for details. Please mention that BAA sent you.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar above.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Gerry Keshka

Hi Artie, I wanted to share how much I appreciate your Used Gear “service.” You have posted how you help sellers, but the other side of the equations is how much this service helps buyers. I have purchased three lenses (Canon 200-400, 500 f4 II, and 70-200 f/2.8) all lovely experiences and I saved almost $5K over retail. Each of the sellers was delightful, willing to help me assess if the purchase was right for me by sharing their experience with the lens. Each lens was in the condition advertised (or better), and typically included several “add-ons” that would have cost several hundred dollars.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Sandra Calderbank

Hi Artie, I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you. I have sold two camera bodies on your BAA used gear site. Your friendly expertise and knowledgeable, trustworthy buyers have made this an extremely satisfying experience. Selling on BAA Used Gear page is the best transaction experience I have ever encountered. Thank you for all you do for our photography community. Sincerely, Sandra

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Tom Phillips

Artie, Thanks so much. I sent your check via my online banking. I never expected the 400 DO II and the 1DX II to sell within minutes of your posting the ad! I know that the 300 f/2.8 II is still up, but still, the results have been amazing. Another plus is that James McGrew is a professional artist and photographer and he was really looking and wanting that combo and is appreciative and excited to be able to find a great deal. Tom.

Recent Successful Used Gear Sales
The Big Ticket Items Continue to Sell Like Hotcakes on the Used Gear Page in May!

• Brooke Miller sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1399 and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the shock-the-world, BAA record low price of $1398 on the first day of listing.
• John Beasley sold his Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM Zoom lens in excellent condition for $1498 in late May.
• The sale of Philip Laing’s Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $7299 is pending.
• IPT veteran Kerry Morris sold a used Used Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (the old 400 DO) in very good plus condition for the record low BAA price of $2099 in mid-May.
• David Ramirez sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in near-mint condition for $1449 in late-May.
• The sales of multiple IPT veteran Dr. Gil Moe’s Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, his 1.4X III TC, and his Xtrahand vest were all pending as of the first day of listing.
• Hisham A. sold his Wimberley WH-200 Tripod Head in excellent condition for $449 in early May.
• Larry Peavler sold a Canon Extender EF 2X III in like-new condition for $299 within days of posting it in mid-May.
• Tom Phillips sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II (Premium Kit) in near-mint condition for $4499 and his Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II USM lens in like-new condition for $5,798 both within hours of listing them in mid-May.
• Ron Paulk sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM zoom lens in excellent condition for $1100 and the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT & Canon ST-E3-RT Transmitter/package for $425 on May 14, 2017, the day after it was listed.
• Larry Peavler sold a Canon EF 100-400 zoom f/4.5 – 5.6 L IS Telephoto Zoom lens, the old 1-4, in excellent condition for $549 soon after it was listed.
• Ron Paulk sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens in excellent condition for $999and his Canon EF 100mm Macro f/2.8L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $549 the day they were listed.
• Ron Paulk sold a Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body in excellent condition for $2699 and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens in mid-May before they were listed and is kindly sending me a check for the 2 1/2%.

New Listing

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Priced to Sell!

Dwaine Tollefsrud is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in excellent condition for the record-low BAA price of $3999. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the leather front lens cover, the lens strap, the original product box, a LensCoat, 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 Dwaine via e-mail or by phone at 1-605-716-0847 (Mountain time).

The 300 f/2.8 autofocus lenses have long been the first choice for the world’s best hawks in flight photographers with and without a 1.4X TC. When teamed up with either the 1.4X or 2X TC it makes a great hand holdable walk-around lens. Dwaine’s lens will save you an incredible $2,199! I owned and used several versions of the 300 f/2.8 lens for many years until finally replacing my 300 f/2.8 II with the 400 DO II about a year ago. artie

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment and let everyone know which of today’s four featured images is your favorite. Please let us know why you made your choice. And please remember, the more folks who comment the more everyone learns including me.

This image was created on the Sunday morning June 4 Gatorland In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the rugged, blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the dull gray sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. Daylight WB probably should have been AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -6. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF. As originally framed, the selected AF point was on the sky, well above the bird’s head. And though none of the assist points were on the bird either, the system tracked well and the image was sharp on the eye. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #1: Cattle Egret overhead flight

Hand Held Flight Photography Basics

Use center AF point or center point AF Expand. Sometimes using going one row up from the center can work well. Be sure to set the Limit Range switch to not Full. Left hand at least half way out on the lens barrel. Try to pan smoothly while keeping the selected AF point on the bird’s face, neck, or upper breast. Note that though I was trying hard to do just that with today’s four image I failed pretty miserably in each case. None-the-less, the images ranged from acceptably sharp to razor sharp on the eye in all four …

This image was also created on the Sunday morning June 4 Gatorland In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the rugged, blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the very bright overcast sky: 1/5000 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. Daylight WB probably should have been AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -6. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF. As originally framed, the selected AF point was on the sky, well in front of and below the bird’s head. The upper assist point might have caught the tip of the bill and the left assist point might have caught the front of the breast … Amazingly this image was sharp on the eye. Image #2: Cattle Egret landing near nest

Cloudy and Cloudy Bright Exposures …

Notice that I added a bit more light when it was really cloudy and a bit less light when it was brighter. Even though I added from 2 to 2 1/3 stops of light to the readings off the sky, each image was one-half to almost one full stop underexposed.

This image was also created on the Sunday morning June 4 Gatorland In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the rugged, blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the bright overcast sky: 1/4000 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. Daylight WB probably should have been AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -6. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF. As originally framed, the selected AF point was on the leading edge of the far wing directly below the bird’s eye. In spite of that this image too was sharp on the eye. Image #3: Cattle Egret braking for landing

The RAW Conversions

I began each image by adding from .5 to .87 stops using the Brightness slider in DDP 4. With each image I fiddled with both the Color Temperature slider and the Color Fine-Tune box in an effort to eliminate perceived color casts while checking the alignment of the Red, Green, and Blue on the RBB histograms. Learn everything that you need to know about using DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here.

This image was also created on the Sunday morning June 4 Gatorland In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the rugged, blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the dull gray sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Daylight WB probably should have been AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -6. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF. As originally framed, the selected AF point was on the sky, well in front of and below the bird’s head. Though the selected AF point was on the base of the far wing just below the end of the twig this image too was sharp on the eye. Image #4: Cattle Egret landing with twig for nest

The Image Optimizations and Color …

Image #1 was a significant crop and the bird was moved up in the frame using techniques detailed in APTATS I. Images #2 and #3 were significant crops. Image #4 was a very small crop from below and the left.

Despite working hard on the Color Temperature during each RAW conversion I worked hard during the image optimizations to achieve natural looking colors. I tried both Average Blur Color Balancing and Curves on a Layer Color Balancing. Sometimes one or the other worked, sometimes a bit of each worked, and at times I stuck with the original color balance. I also worked on the color casts by reducing the Saturation of a given color or making Selective Color adjustments. Getting the WHITEs perfect or close to it on cloudy days is a big challenge. Eye Doctor work on every image, often using Tim Grey Dodge and Burn.

Most everything above is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete (former PC) digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs and Dodge and Burn, a variety of making selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.

The Curves on a Layer Color Balancing technique will be included for the first time in the all-new Current Workflow e-guide that better reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. It will include a section on ACR conversions, DPP 4 BASICS, and a simplified method of applying Neat Image noise reduction. Along with all of the Photoshop stuff from Digital Basics that I still use. Learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

Stuff

Both morning and afternoon were wonderful on Saturday at Gatorland. There are large Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, and Tricolored Heron chicks everywhere … Pat and Stokes Fishburne made it up just in time to take me to dinner at El Tapatio. They loved it as much as I always do. It will be nice to spend the morning with them at Gatorland.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This in-camera Art Vivid HDR image was created on the 2016 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 110mm) and the Canon EOS 5DS R (now replaced for me by the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.) ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops (+/- 3 stops) resulted in a base exposure of .3 sec at f/11 in Av mode. Color temperature 4500 K. To produce three razor sharp frames along with the sharp Art Vivid JPEG I used my still flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock) with the 2-second timer. I used Flexi-Zone/One Shot (Live View) AF with the square placed right in the center of the frame. Weathered barn door

In-camera Art Vivid HDR Tips

• If you are on a tripod (you should be unless you are using a very fast shutter speed) be sure to disable Auto Image Align. If you do not, you will lose about 3-5% of the image. With Auto Image Align disabled you get what you see when framing the image.
• When you choose Art Vivid, the final JPEG tends to be well under-exposed so you need to add a lot more light to your base exposure than you do when you are using Natural.
• Art Vivid tends to really juice up the colors. To counteract that, I usually set the WB to 4500K. At times, I still might need to reduce the YELLOW saturation. Alternatively, you can create a few different HDRs each with different color temperature.
• I like to set Save source images to All images so that I can either assemble a true HDR or start with a single image. Both will result in slightly higher image quality than you will get with an in-camera HDR.
• So why use in-camera HDR if the IQ is lowered? Creating in-camera HDRs is so, so, so much faster and easier. Great for lazy folks like me and can still produce some pretty cool images.

I am looking forward to getting back to this location as Denise Ippolito and I only found it on our last afternoon; there was a wealth of photo opps there. If you would like to join me, scroll down for details. Be sure to call for Late Registration Discount info.

Palouse 2016 Horizontals Card

Why Different?

Announcing the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour

In what ways will the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour be different from the most other Palouse workshops?

There are so many great locations that a seven-day IPT (as opposed to the typical three- or five-day workshops) will give the group time to visit (and revisit) many of the best spots while allowing you to maximize your air travel dollars. In addition, it will allow us to enjoy a slightly more relaxed pace.

You will be assured of being in the right location for the given weather and sky conditions.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills.

You will learn to design powerful, graphic images.

You will visit all of the iconic locations and a few spectacular ones that are much less frequently visited.

You will learn long lens landscape techniques.

You will learn to master any exposure situation in one minute or less.

You will learn the fine points of Canon in-camera (5D Mark III, 5DS R, and 7D II) HDR techniques.

You will learn to create this look in Photoshop from a single image while winding up with a higher quality image file.

You will be able to share a variety of my exotic Canon lenses including the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens and the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens, aka the “circle lens.”

You will learn to use your longest focal lengths to create rolling field and Urbex abstracts.

You will learn when and how to use a variety of neutral density filters to create pleasing blurs of the Palouse’s gorgeous rolling farmlands.

As always, you will learn to see like a pro. You will learn what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time.

You will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images.

You will learn to use super-wide lenses both for big skies and building interiors.

You will learn when, why, and how to use infrared capture; if you do not own an infrared body, you will get to borrow mine.

You will learn to use both backlight and side-light to create powerful and dramatic landscape images.

You will learn to create the very popular detailed, slightly grungy, slightly over-saturated look in Photoshop.

Palouse 2016 Verticals Card

The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
June 8-14, 2017. Seven full days of photography. Meet and greet at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 7: $2,499. Limit 10/Openings: 4.

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will enjoy spectacular sunrises and at least one nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. I will bring you to more than a few really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join me for this trip. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.

Over the past three years, with the help of my friend Denise Ippolito, we found all the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and vistas. What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, my extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions. As above, there will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before the workshop begins.

To Sign Up

Your non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold your spot. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining this IPT. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange for the payment of your deposit; if by check, please make out to “BIRDS AS ART” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: artie.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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 :).

What’s Up

Worked on several blog posts today and had a great School for the Work Aftercare session with my friend Illa. Took a nice late afternoon swim just before the rains hit. Learned that the sale of Brooke Miller’s 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens is pending on Day 2. It was such a great price that I am surprised that it lasted one full day … I was also glad to learn that John Beasley sold his Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM Zoom lens in excellent condition for $1498 in late May and that the sale of Phillip Laing’s 2X III TC is pending after three days of being listed.

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 5). The (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on is now part of the trip.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here is some great info on the July 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT: I have finalized the cottage and vehicle rental arrangements. We have room for several additional folks, at least for a couple and single. And I am in position, as noted above, to offer a rather substantial late registration discount. Please call us at 863-692-0906 or get in touch via e-mail. Scroll down for additional details and our travel plans.

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.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was the third of a sequence of four created on Saturday afternoon on the last DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/11. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -5. Two rows up and one to the right of the center AF point AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure as is best when hand holding. The selected AF point was on the side of the bird’s neck on a line down from the eye. Image #1 (C): Dunlin in breeding plumage ruffling after bath

Your Editing Help Needed …

In the recent Your Editing Help Needed. Hand Holding the Canon 500 II at 1000mm. Advanced AF Strategy blog post here, I posted four similar images and this:

I cannot recall making four consecutive behavioral images of such high quality as those presented above. Each image is razor sharp on the eye and the exposure is perfect. Yet even when choosing your keepers from a series of static portraits, it is usually fairly easy to pick the single best image.

Though the four images are quite similar, each is distinctly different. Feel free to comment on the what you think are the positives of each image. And the negatives, if any. Please also leave a comment and let us know which of today’s four featured images is your absolute favorite. And do let us know why you like it. I have a clear single favorite and a second best and will share those with you in a blog post here in the not-too-distant-future. Please remember that the blog is designed to be interactive; the more folks who comment the more everyone learns.

Astounded By the Great Comments!

That lots of of folks commented was — as always — greatly appreciated. Taken as a whole, the comments were the finest, most accurate set I have ever seen on the blog. Folks thought things through, noticed lots of the things that I noticed, and clearly stated the reasons that they made their choices. My very favorite was Image #1 above, which was image C in the original blog post. I picked C as my first choice because it showed some action and because the head angle was perfectly in line with the bird’s body that is angled somewhat toward us. I chose C over D because it features a much better look at the stretched near wing and because in D the head is actually turned a bit away from the line of the body … My second favorite was Image #2 below, image A in the original post. I chose A over B because with the wing stretched more, it offered a much cleaner look at the primaries.

Consider the comment like by Jerry Fenwick: A is the best static shot, but I like C the best. It is sharp and shows a little action with the ruffling and spreading of the wings. I wouldn’t be ashamed to take credit for any of these, great work.

Talk about nailing it!

And next consider these:

Michael Gotthelf: I like C because it has a very dynamic feel. Also the head is turned a little more towards the viewer almost engaging the viewer.

Esther Corley: I too tend to like C because the best part of it is in focus, and that part lends a feeling of action (the wing) …

Elinor Osborn: C is my favorite because the spread and blurred wing lets the viewer know exactly what the bird is doing. D has the wing totally blurred so it is not clear what the blur is. All four are great as a sequence but taken singly, C is the only one where the behavior is clear to the viewer. In processing, I might like a little water on the bottom cropped off below the wave, and a bit of background added on top.

Bingo, bingo, and bingo, and see my comments on the image optimization below with regards to the crop from the bottom. Note: multiple IPT veteran Frank Sheets, who –with life-partner Laurie — will be in the Galapagos this August, also commented on the less than ideal image designs when he wrote, Both A and B, the head is too high in the frame, creating an unbalanced (top heavy) image. Again, see my solution below.

This image was the first of a sequence of four created on Saturday afternoon on the last DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up session with the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/11. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -5. Two rows up and one to the right of the center AF point AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure as is best when hand holding. The selected AF point was on the side of the bird’s breast just below the neck and on a line that is just forward of the eye. Image #2 (A): Dunlin in breeding plumage resting after bath

The Image Optimizations

I converted Image #1 first in DPP 4. Then I copied the recipe to Image #2 and converted that one too. Then I brought both TIFF files into Photoshop and — using the simplest tutorial in APTATS II — moved the bird in Image #1 down in the frame. The total time to move the bird down was no more than 15 seconds. Then, I moved the bird in Image #2 down and forward in the frame. The total time to move the bird down and forward was less than 30 seconds.

I painted a Quick Mask on the face and breast of the bird in each image and applied a Contrast Mask: Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0 to add some sharpness (selectively).

In one of the images I carefully selected the bird with the Quick Selection Tool, refined it with the + and – Lasso Tools, and then put the selection on its own layer. Making the selection alone took well more than five minutes. Then I applied my NIK 25/25 Tonal Contrast/Detail Extractor recipe to that layer only. If you can tell which image had the 25/25 recipe applied to the bird only please leave a comment.

Everything above is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete (former PC) digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs and Dodge and Burn, a variety of making selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.

I am working on an all-new Current Workflow e-guide that better reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. It will include a section on ACR conversions, DPP 4 BASICS, and a simplified method of applying Neat Image noise reduction. Along with all of the Photoshop stuff from Digital Basics that I still use. Learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Monday July 3 through Wednesday July 12, 2017: $5999 + $1499: Limit 10 photographers — Openings: 4).
All who register will be required to join the (really cheap) two-day Gannet/Bass Rock Add-on. See below for details.

Please call 863-692-0906 for info on the substantial Late Registration Discount.

Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on July 2 and arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday July 3 no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of two gorgeous modern country cottages.

There are five days of planned puffin/seabird trips and one morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course. In three years we have yet to miss an entire day because of weather… In addition, we will enjoy several sessions of photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

The Details

We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day.

If you wish to fly home on the morning of Monday July 10 we will get you to the airport. Please, however, consider the following tentative plans: enjoy a second Gannet boat trip on the afternoon of Monday July 10 and book your hotel room in Dunbar. If all goes as planned, those who stay on for the two extra days will make a morning landing at Bass Rock, one of the world’s largest gannetries. We will get everyone to the airport on the morning of Wednesday July 12.

Great News on the UK Puffins and Gannets/Bass Rock Extension

On the morning of Jul 10, 2017, we will sleep late and head up to Dunbar Harbor for lunch and an afternoon Gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. One gannet boat trip is included in the IPT but everyone always wants more.

Then, as a possible mega bonus — we are scheduled to make a Bass Rock landing on the morning of Tuesday July 12, 2017. I am hoping to go two for two! If not, we do another chumming trip for flying gannets.

Included will be two nights lodging at the wonderful Dunsmuir hotel, two fine dining meals there, any additional meals, all boat, guide, and landing fees, and all transportation including the early morning transfer to the Edinburg Airport on the morning of WED July 12.

So far all five sign-ups are maximizing their travel dollars by signing up for the extension in part because I priced it so cheaply at $1499 despite my greatly increased costs.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.

Deposit Info

If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2017. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. 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 shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.

Single Supplement Deposit Info

Single supplement rooms are available on a limited basis. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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.

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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 :).