Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

The 2nd Palouse group is great. I woke early; we head out to the vintage gas station at 6am. We let them sleep late since today, Friday June 10, is DAY 1 and many had long travel days yesterday.

Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera

After hearing so much about the great image quality, improved dynamic range, and high ISO noise performance, I borrowed a Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera and the T Smart Adapter Mark IV for Canon EF or Canon EF-S Mount Lens to Sony E-Mount cameras. With the Metabones adapter, I can use all of my Canon lenses with functioning AF and no vignetting, even on the wide angles. Pretty amazing.

Adobe Camera RAW Updating Help Needed…

Here is the problem: when I try to convert a Sony ARW file–perhaps they misspelled RAW :), Photoshop opens and the dialogue box says Photoshop cannot open this file. When I followed the link in the dialogue box I wound up in no-mans-land. With help from Patrick Sparkman and Denise Ippolito, I updated Adobe Creative Cloud and was surprised that when I attempted to convert a Sony RAW file that I got the same message. Apparently Adobe Camera RAW does not update when you update Creative Cloud… I searched the internet and found lots of promising links but no solution to the problem as all led nowhere…

I am on a Mac. If anyone can provide clear and simple instructions along with a link so that I can download the latest version of Adobe Camera RAW asap it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and later and love, artie

Update I: It Gets Even Worse…

I surfed my way here and clicked on the download for
this: DNGConverter_9_6.dmg. I successfully downloaded and installed it. When I attempt to convert a Sony ARW file, I still get em>Photoshop cannot open this file.

Did I download the wrong file? Or is it in the wrong place. Help!

Update II

It seems that even though I downloaded and “installed” DNGConverter_9_6.dmg and I see it in Finder, it did not wind up in the correct folder as when I click on Photoshop > About Plugin > Camera RAW it shows Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw v8.6.0.254.

So I guess the question is how do I get DNGConverter_9_6.dmg into the correct folder so that it replaces or over-writes Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw v8.6.0.254? I think…

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Typos

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What’s Up?

After some very early Thursday morning in-the-field frustration–story to follow at some point–it is a howler, I kissed the last few IPT folks goodbye and then slept and rested for a good part of the day. Gary McDavid, a kindly eager to learn gent who signed up for both IPTs, is heading north with us this afternoon to a spot that we have only visited once. Though it is thunder-storming we are leaving at three. Many of the best images are made in bad weather.

We meet the second Palouse IPT group on Thursday evening.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks a totally ridiculous 214 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 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, the original 400mm IS DO lens, and most recently, the 200-400 with Internal Extender, have been dropping steadily. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the left side of the lower menu bar above.

Recent Sales

• The sale of Les Greenberg’s Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition for $4499 is pending.
• National Geographic photographer Tim Laman sold his Canon EOS-1DC in good-plus condition for $2100 in early June.
• Moody McCall sold his Canon 100-400L IS USA lens in excellent condition for $599 in early June and the sale of his 300mm f/2.8L IS II is pending.

New Listing

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Jim Keener is offering his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in very good plus condition for a BAA record low price of $3699. The sale includes a long Arca-Swiss compatible plate, the rear cap, a second-party soft front lens cover, the original leather front lens cover, the lens trunk, and insured ground shipping to US addresses only. The lens shows a bit of wear in spots but is otherwise excellent; the glass is mint and the lens functions perfectly. The lens was cleaned and checked by Canon in March 2016. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (Mountain time, 9-9).

I owned and used this very sharp lens for well more than a decade before upgrading to the 500 II. I used it often with both the 1.4X and the 2X TCs. Lenses of this versatile focal length have long been the world’s most popular super-telephoto lenses for birds and for wildlife. artie

This image was created in mid-July at Nickerson Beach with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the rugged Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AWB. Automatic selection/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The AF system selected a single point at the spot where the near wing attaches to the body–right on the same plane as the bird’s face and eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Common Tern displaying in early morning light

Lots of Lessons, Lots of Questions

Why +1 1/3 stops with the sun out?

I state here and on IPTs often: When the sun is out at full strength, the meter is pretty smart–you rarely need more than 1/3 stop of over- or under-exposure. When it is cloudy or you are working in the shade and the tonality of the image averages to a light tone, the meter is stupid; you need to add lots of light.

Question #1: Considering that the sun was shining, why was it necessary to add 1 1/3 stops of light for today’s featured image?

Why not lie on the ground for this image?

Question #2: Why would getting flat down on the ground have spoiled this image?

Lesson 1

If you wish to include the bird’s shadow as part of the image design and the bird is facing to your right, position yourself with the sun coming over your left shoulder so that the shadow is in front of the bird.

The Image Clean-up

After converting the image in DPP 4 I brought the image into Photoshop and did my clean-up work on a separate layer. I used the Spot Healing Brush and the Patch Tool, the former for small annoying spots and the latter for larger blemishes. I did not use the Clone Stamp Tool even once. Learn all of my clean-up techniques, the basics of Quick Masking and Layer Masking, all of my keyboard shortcuts, my complete digital workflow, and tons of other great Photoshop tips in Digital Basics.

Question #3: Would you have eliminated the blade of grass that crosses the bird’s neck in the center of the frame?

Question #4: Would you have taken the blue out of the shadow (using the techniques detailed in the blog post here)?

Question #5: What did I eliminate in the final version that is present in the optimized version? (I only noticed it when I looked closely at the the optimized version in the animated GIF.)

From upper left clockwise to center: Black Skimmer head portrait, American Oystercatcher dining on surf clam flesh, Common Tern at sunset, Common Tern adult swallowing flatfish, Black Skimmer in flight, newborn Common Tern chick, American Oystercatcher with chick, fresh juvenile Common Tern (with fill flash), and Common Terns copulating.

Nickerson Beach Terns/Skimmers/Oystercatchers Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): July 18-22, 2016. 4 1/2 DAYS: $1899. Limit 10/Openings 7.

Meet and greet at 3pm on the afternoon of Monday, July 18. Limit 10.

The primary subject species of this IPT will be the nesting Common Terns. The trip is timed so that we will get to photograph tiny chicks as well as fledglings. There will be lots of flight photography including adults flying with baitfish. Creating great images of the chicks being fed is a huge challenge. In addition to the terns we will get to photograph lots of Black Skimmers courting, setting up their nesting territories, and in flight (both singles and large pre-dawn flocks blasting off). Midair battles are guaranteed on sunny afternoons. And with luck, we might even see a few tiny chicks toward the end of the trip. We will also get to photograph the life cycle of American Oystercatcher. This will likely include nests with eggs and tiny chicks, young being fed, and possibly a few fledglings.

Nesting Piping Plover is also possibly. There will be lots of gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe even Red Knot.

From upper left clockwise to center: Black Skimmers with tiny chick, Common Tern landing with baitfish for young, fledged Common Tern chick in dunes, American Oystercatchers/display flight, adult Common Tern with pipefish for chick, Common Tern fledgling in soft light, American Oystercatcher on nest with eggs, American Oystercatcher 3-egg clutch, battling Black Skimmers.

The IPT Logistics

The tour will begin with a meet and greet on the afternoon of Monday, July 18, 2016. That will be followed by our first shooting session at the beach. From Tuesday through and including all of Friday we will have two photography sessions daily. Our morning sessions will start very early so that we are on the beach well before sunrise. We usually photograph for about four hours. Then we will enjoy a group brunch. We will always have a midday break that will include a nap for me. That followed by our daily afternoon classroom sessions that will include image review, workflow and Photoshop, and a review/critique of five of your trip images. Folks are always invited to bring their laptops to brunch for image sharing. I always have mine with me but heck, I am a big show-off. Afternoon in-the-field sessions generally run from 5pm through sunset.

Breakfasts are grab what you can. Four brunches are included. Dinners (if at all) will be on your own as we will often get back to the hotel at about 9pm. There is a fridge in every room and a supermarket within walking distance of the hotel so nobody should starve. You will learn a ton during the nine shooting sessions, the four in-classroom sessions, and even at lunch. Early morning and late afternoon parking is free. If we want to head back to the beach early we will need to arrange tight carpools and share the $30/vehicle parking fee. Non-photographer spouses, friends, or companions are welcome for $100/day, $450 for the whole IPT.

Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 and arranging to leave your deposit of $599–credit cards are accepted for deposits only. Your balance will be due on April 18, 2016. I hope that you can join me for what will be an exciting and educational IPT.

Please Remember to use our 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 we are 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 we, 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.

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?

On Day 4 of the first Palouse IPT we had a great morning exploring a variety of situations. Images soon.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks a totally ridiculous 214 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 appreciate your business.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was also created on Wednesday afternoon south of Spokane, WA with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 388mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-3 stops around a base exposure of +1 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/13. WB = K4000. Live View with 2-second timer. Image #1: Old farmhouse door with blue color cast

A Funny Story about the Horrific, Abominable Blue Door…

In the “A Contrast in Styles” blog post here, many folks commented about the blue color cast on the featured image. As a side note, many folks, out of habit I guess, picked a favorite even though the question of the day was “Which image is closer to your vision?” More folks liked Denise’s infrared image than liked my blue door image. I was and am fine with that.

Here are some of the comments on my horrific image:

Art, your image does nothing for me and is too blue for my tastes.

Unfortunately, the closeup just looks “wrong” to me and I find myself wanting to move on quickly.

Your image is striking, for me, it’s oversaturated in blue. There’s even a ton of blue in the grass.

Do understand that any object photographed in shade will naturally have a blue color cast…

Here is the funny story: when I processed the tight image of the doorway, I created a blue version and a gray version and shared them both with Denise Ippolito. She said, The image has a heavy cyan cast, but it has a fun look and if you are going for something creative, it’s fine, but you should reduce the blue a bit.” I did; the resulting image is the one that was posted in the original blog post and above.

In short, I liked it as originally posted.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was also created on Wednesday afternoon south of Spokane, WA with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 388mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-3 stops around a base exposure of +1 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/13. WB = K4000. Live View with 2-second timer. Image #2: Old farmhouse door, gray version. Image copyright 2016: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Photoshop Lesson: Getting the Gray Out

To remove the blue color cast I first created a duplicate layer. Then I hit Control + U to open Hue-Saturation adjustment on a layer. Then I selected the blue channel from the drop-down menu, moved the Saturation slider to the left to -80 (or to your taste), and moved the Lightness slider to the right to +10 (or to your taste). But the image still looked off. What to do? Select the cyan slider from the dropdown menu and repeat as above to your taste.

Then I added a Regular Layer mask and painted the color back in on the small sign.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was also created on Wednesday afternoon south of Spokane, WA with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 200mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-3 stops around a base exposure of +2 stops: 1/50 sec. at f/11. WB = K4000. Live View with 2-second timer. Image #3: Wider view of the front of the old farmhouse

An Alternate Image Design–the gray version by popular demand..

The 200-400 with Internal Extender has probably been my most used lens through 3 1/3 days of the first Palouse IPT. It is superb for creating images of Steptoe Butte’s rolling farmlands and of close-up details of relatively distant farmhouses and barns. I can go from 200mm to 784mm in a matter of seconds simply by engaging the internal TC and adding an external one.

Let’s Try This…

Please leave a comment and let us know which of the three images here is your favorite, and why.

Please Remember to use our 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 we are 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 we, 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.

Facebook

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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 🙂

What’s Up?

I worked on this blog post after the DAY 2 image review/photo session of the first Palouse IPT.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 212 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 appreciate your business.

This an in-camera Natural HDR image. It was created on the first morning of the 1st Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 506mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-2 stops around a base exposure of +2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/7.1. WB = Shade. Live View with 2-second timer. Rolling fields from atop Steptoe Butte.

Lots of Moaning and Groaning… Followed by Smiles

“Be in the lobby when?” “At 3:30am. We need to be in place early if good sunrise colors materialize. After that we can have lots of time doing the rolling fields sidelit by rich early morning light.”

And that is just what happened. We were back to the hotel early, conducted a great image review/Photoshop session, and had a great lunch at the South Fork Cafe; that followed by INT–Instructor Nap Time.

Image Processing

In post I upped the Vibrance and then finished this image off with Topaz Bus Sim. No worries if you hate it; I love it.

Topaz Simplify

I’ve been thrilled with the results whenever I’ve used Topaz Simplify. You can help support my efforts here on the BAA Blog by clicking on the logo link above if you would like to join in the fun. After you click, be sure to watch the great instructional video. You can see my favorite Buz Sim pelican here.

Topaz Simplify: Turn your photos into works of art. Create paintings, sketches, watercolors, cartoons, and more. Make your art uniquely personal instead of using cookie-cutter filters. Get better results faster with specialized digital art technology

Subject and focal lengths clockwise from upper left around to center. Palouse Falls: 11mm; homemade kiddie race car: 105mm; barn siding pan blur: 798mm; Rolling fields diorama: 110mm; Crayola drums: 343 mm; Hay barn interior: 19mm; vintage gas station: 40mm; Dilapidated farm building: 13mm; Denise’s tree Infrared: 20mm. Images and card design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

The 2nd Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 10-14, 2016/5 Full Days.

Images and card design by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure.

The 2nd Palouse IPT

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will likely enjoy spectacular sunrises and possibly a nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. We will take you to some 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 us for this trip. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. 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.

After 6 days of back-breaking scouting work in early June 2014 we found all of the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and views. On three additional scouting days in 2015 we discovered several more truly amazing locations. We will teach you what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time.

What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, our newfound but very extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible. There will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before each workshop begins.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills. You will learn to get the right exposure every time. You will learn to develop your creative eye. You will learn the basics of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. You will learn a variety of in-camera creative techniques. Most importantly you will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images. Do see both of our blogs for lots more on that in the coming weeks. You will learn how the quality and direction of light combine to determine the success of your images. And–please don’t gasp–we will be working quite a bit with sidelight when creating landscapes. Lastly, we will be doing some infrared photography.

To Sign Up

Your payment in full is due now. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining us. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange payment; 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 us via e-mail: artie or denise.

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 our 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 we are 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 we, 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.

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?

Denise Ippolito and I enjoyed a fine cloudy morning of scouting in the Palouse Region of Eastern Washington state. We came up with two great finds. It is just after 1:30pm on Thursday June 2 and I am looking forward to a nice nap. We meet the first Palouse IPT group tonight at 7:30pm.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 210 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 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, the original 400mm IS DO lens, and most recently, the 200-400 with Internal Extender, have been dropping steadily. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the left side of the lower menu bar above.

• Janet Horton sold her Canon EF 100-400 L IS lens in excellent condition for $549 in late-May 2016.
• KW McCulloch sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in very good plus condition for $800 in late May 2016.
• Arthur Morris sold his 1D X in excellent condition for $2199 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $749 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 5D Mark III in very good condition for $1299 on May 30.
• Joe Subolefsky sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM lens and a 1.4X TC II, both in excellent condition, for $3,899 in late May.
• Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for $999 in early May.
• IPT veteran Carolyn Peterson sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1,549 in early May.
• KW McCulloch sold his used Canon 5D Mark III for $1499 in mid-May before it was even listed.
• Paul Roscoe sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens in mint condition for $9450 in mid-May.
• Les Greenberg sold his Canon 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for $1649 in mid-May.

New Listing

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a used Canon EOS 5D Mark III (with the BG-E11 vertical battery grip) both in excellent condition for $1599. The body which just underwent a clean and check at Canon is in perfect working condition. The sale includes the front body cap, the original product box(es) with all the stuff that came in them, the battery charger, an extra battery, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears or other arrangements are made.

Please contact Monte via e-mail or by phone at 1-765-744-1421

I have 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 with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). artie

This image was created on Wednesday afternoon south of Spokane, WA with the hand held Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 24mm) with the Kolari-vision converted EOS 5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/10. Image #1: Old farmhouse. Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Denise Ippolito Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

A Contrast in Styles…

A dusty gravel road. An old farmhouse. Two photographers, each with their own vision. One goes wide with infrared, the other goes tight with an in-camera Art Vivid HDR… Could the results, two images of the same farmhouse, be any more different?

Which is closer to your vision?

Kolari Vision Infrared Camera Conversions

If you are ready to join the fun and have a camera converted to Infrared, use the Kolari Vision logo-link above to order your conversion and we will gladly send you our simple guide to properly setting a Custom White Balance for infrared photography at 720nm. Simply e-mail me your receipt and I will be glad to shoot you the PDF once your order appears in our affiliate account.

Kolari Vision prides themselves on their fast turnaround times and excellent customer service; they are getting better and faster as they employ several full time technicians to service everything as quickly as possible. The filters they use have been specifically designed for each camera and filter combination to be the optimal thickness for best autofocus performance between lenses, and the best corner sharpness. The filters also fit directly into the frame making the conversion non-damaging and reversible if needed. Others uses a few standard-sized thick filters that they calibrate the camera around. Doing this reaches accurate autofocus with their test lens. But when a filter is too thick for what the optics were designed for, the sharpness can suffer, particularly in the corners, and other lenses will not consistently focus accurately. Some other IR converters glue their filters directly to the sensor; that makes it almost impossible to revert back or to change the filter.

Kolari offers a comprehensive shop for infrared bodies; customers can order converted cameras directly from KV. Their focus on optical quality built from the ground up has allowed them to recently offer a service that improves the performance of Sony A7 series cameras to the level of the Leica M240 cameras. Content-wise, Kolari has a very comprehensive article list and an exhaustive lens performance database chock full of technical details. Soon, KV will feature an interactive gallery that will showcase different camera/filter picture combinations to get rid of some of the mystery of picking a camera to convert.

Learn more about infrared and infrared conversions here and here or try a search for “Kolari” or “infrared” in the little white box on the top right of each blog post.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was also created on Wednesday afternoon south of Spokane, WA with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 388mm) and the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-3 stops around a base exposure of +1 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/13. WB = K4000. Live View with 2-second timer. Image #2: door of the same old, farmhouse. Image copyright 2016: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

In-Camera HDR Art Vivid Trick

As noted here previously I set my White Balance to 4000K when doing in-camera Art Vivid HDRs to tame the GREENs a bit.

Subject and focal lengths clockwise from upper left around to center. Palouse Falls: 11mm; homemade kiddie race car: 105mm; barn siding pan blur: 798mm; Rolling fields diorama: 110mm; Crayola drums: 343 mm; Hay barn interior: 19mm; vintage gas station: 40mm; Dilapidated farm building: 13mm; Denise’s tree Infrared: 20mm. Images and card design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

The 2nd Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 10-14, 2016/5 Full Days.

Images and card design by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure.

The 2nd Palouse IPT

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will likely enjoy spectacular sunrises and possibly a nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. We will take you to some 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 us for this trip. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. 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.

After 6 days of back-breaking scouting work in early June 2014 we found all of the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and views. On three additional scouting days in 2015 we discovered several more truly amazing locations. We will teach you what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time.

What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, our newfound but very extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible. There will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before each workshop begins.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills. You will learn to get the right exposure every time. You will learn to develop your creative eye. You will learn the basics of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. You will learn a variety of in-camera creative techniques. Most importantly you will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images. Do see both of our blogs for lots more on that in the coming weeks. You will learn how the quality and direction of light combine to determine the success of your images. And–please don’t gasp–we will be working quite a bit with sidelight when creating landscapes. Lastly, we will be doing some infrared photography.

To Sign Up

Your payment in full is due now. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining us. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange payment; 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 us via e-mail: artie or denise.

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 our Affiliate Links 🙂

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 BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Induro tripods and ballheads, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 we are 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 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

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 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

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?

As noted below, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 was a travel day, MCO to GEG. And then on to Pullman, WA.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 209 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 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, the original 400mm IS DO lens, and most recently, the 200-400 with Internal Extender, have been dropping steadily. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the left side of the lower menu bar above.

• Janet Horton sold her Canon EF 100-400 L IS lens in excellent condition for $549 in late-May 2016.
• KW McCulloch sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in very good plus condition for $800 in late May 2016.
• Arthur Morris sold his 1D X in excellent condition for $2199 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $749 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 5D Mark III in very good condition for $1299 on May 30.
• Joe Subolefsky sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM lens and a 1.4X TC II, both in excellent condition, for $3,899 in late May.
• Robert Doster sold his used Canon EOS 7D body in excellent condition for $419 in early April.
• Sandra Calderbank sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR camera body in mint condition for $1599 in mid-April in one day.
• Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for $999 in early May.
• IPT veteran Bill Wingfield sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1498 in late April.
• IPT veteran Carolyn Peterson sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1,549 in early May.
• KW McCulloch sold his used Canon 5D Mark III for $1499 in mid-May before it was even listed.
• Paul Roscoe sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens in mint condition for $9450 in mid-May.
• The sale of Les Greenberg’s Canon EOS Canon 5D Mark III is pending.

New Listing

Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body

KW McCulloch is offering a used Canon EOS-1D X in excellent condition for $2459. It comes in original box with the strap, the battery, the charger, the front cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Shutter count < 54K. Please contact KW by e-mail or by phone at 361/727-2652 (Central time).

I used, depended on, and loved two 1DX bodies since their release several years ago. artie

My Palouse Gear Bag: With Some Surprise Omissions…

I am typing online in the car early on Wednesday morning. And no, I am not driving. I am on the way–thanks to right-hand man Jim Litzenberg–to Orlando Airport en route to the the fabulous Palouse region of Eastern Washington state: tapestries of rolling farm fields dotted with both derelict and restored farmhouses and barns. I am meeting co-leader Denise Ippolito in Denver. From there we fly to Spokane, WA and then drive to Pullman.

What’s in the bag?

My #1 Canon EOS 5DS R will be my primary camera body while another will serve as a back-up. The 5DS R offers huge, high quality image files with mind-boggling fine detail and its full frame sensor offers complete wide and super wide angle coverage.

Both of these bodies have a Wimberley P-5 Camera Body Plate attached so that I can mount the camera body onto one of my Induro ballheads. (Note that both of the lightweight efficient Induro ballheads are still on sale for pennies. Or, if you like, you can get one of the much-too-heavy Really Wrong Stuff ballheads, the ones with so many large knobs so close together that they are difficult at best to work with. Oh, and did I mention that they RWS heads cost at least 4 times as much as the far superior Induro ballheads?) The gnarly rubber on the top of the P-5 plate allows for convenient single screw fastening with absolutely no slippage.

I am also taking my 5D Mark II that I had converted to infrared by Kolari Vision.

I was thrilled and somewhat surprised to learn that the Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip for the 5D Mark III also fits the 5D and the 5DS R. Except when I want to go really light, I love and use the vertical battery grips on my pro-sumer camera bodies; they give the camera a pro body feel and the vertical shutter button and controls are a nice plus when you turn your camera on the side.

After borrowing this amazing super wide angle lens for several big trips I finally broke down and purchased my very own Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens. It is killer for interior shots made inside the old houses and barns and it really rocks big skies. I have a few really good images from the Namibia trip that I made with this lens that I need to post here.

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender. I love long glass for landscapes both for their reach and their ability to compress compositional elements. The lens alone gets me to 560mm with the internal TC engaged and to 784mm with an external 1.4X III TC in place. Having the ability to zoom in and out effectively from 200-784mm makes the 2-4 that much more valuable on a Palouse trip. I would not be atop Steptoe Butte without it.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. My well worn copy of this extremely versatile lens will almost surely be my most used and valuable lens on this trip. Be sure to remember to take the tripod collar with a Wimberley P-20 plate in place for low light and perfectly aligned HDRs. The P-20 plate is perfect for most intermediate telephoto lenses and works perfectly with all Arca-Swiss compatible tripod heads (and clamps).

As there are some nice flowers in bloom in eastern Washington and I am leaving the 100-400 II at home, I decided to take the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens along. Ah, I almost forgot that I used this lens a lot last year for close-ups of the old cars and trucks.

The Canon Tripod Mount Ring D for IS 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens is not included as standard with the 100 macro IS, it requires a separate purchase. Bummer on that. Even worse when you buy one and lose it and have to replace it…

I have two Canon Extenders EF 1.4X III and a single Canon Extender EF 2X III in my Think Tank rolling bag. The former will be used with either the 70-200 or the 200-400 while the latter might be used in a pinch with the 70-200mm (when I am too lazy to lug the 200-400 around).

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. A while back I sold my 24-105 and purchased the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens but recently I got myself a new copy of the amazingly versatile 24-105 for several reasons:

1-it is image stabilized.
2-the 77mm filter size is much more convenient for me.
3-it is a perfect fit with the 11-24 and a pretty good fit with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II lens. Note how perfectly the 70-200 meshes with the 200-400.

I have my beloved Mongoose M3.6 tripod head along for use with both the 70-200 II and the 200-400, the latter with the CRX-5 Low Foot mounted so that the lens is centered right over the tripod. This prevents the lens torquing in the wind or when the tripod is set up slightly off kilter.

My Induro GIT 304L tripod is packed in one of my two checked bags. Jim did a fine job cleaning it up after I used it in saltwater on my last DeSoto outing. Those who are finally realizing that the Induro tripods are far superior to the more expensive Gitzo tripods are invited to contact me via e-mail; let me know how tall you are and I will let you know the perfect Induro tripod for you.

The Surprise Omissions

#1: Why take the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II along on a landscape and urbex trip when you own two 5DS R bodies? Ain’t no birds, ain’t no action, and ain’t no reason to take it.

#2: My much loved Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is completely counterfeited by the 200-400 with the internal TC. The latter gives me a stop more light and 784mm of full frame reach with an external TC added. That as compared to 560mm with the 1-4II and the 1.4X III TC. So that I will not miss the amazing close-focusing capabilities of the 1-4II I am taking the 100 f/2.8L IS macro lens along for flowers and close-ups of the vintage cars and trucks.

#3: Though the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens is a great, all purpose wide angle zoom lens that–with IS–is easily hand held, I have all of its focal lengths covered with the 11-24 and the 24-105. For those who do not own the 11-24 this would be my preferred wide angle zoom lens.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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 we are 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 we, 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.

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?

Monday was another of those rare-for-me lazy days of mostly rest and relaxation. And yet another relaxing swim. I am all ready for the Warriors OKC game tonight…

A Note On Selling Your Used Gear

Many folks write asking for help selling their gear while at the same time mentioning pie in the sky prices, “I’d like to get…” I am often tempted to say, “There are lots of things that I’d really like to get…” But I don’t. After folks agree to the terms, I suggest a range of prices. Almost everyone winds up going with the highest price despite my reminder that the 5% is due on the original asking price. Then they wind up coming down anyway.

As noted in yesterday’s short blog post, I price my stuff to sell immediately. All three of the camera bodies sold within 3 1/2 hours on Monday afternoon. What’s the best way to sell this or that fast? Price it to sell! Like I do. Always. Now I will have $4242 in the bank instead of three camera bodies that I never use sitting on a shelf. 1DX prices? Going down? 7D II prices? Going down. 5D III prices–holding steady–mine was only in very good condition while those going for $1499 have been in either excellent or near mint condition.

1DX Mark II AF Guide

At this point I doubt that I will do a 1DX Mark II AF Guide. Why? My AF set-up–including my personal custom case for bird photography–is exactly the same as with the original 1D X. I might change my mind on a 1DX II guide at some point as I am learning a bit more about the various 1D Mark II AF Area Selection modes (which for the most part are the same as on the 1D X). Those wishing to learn my AF set-up for both of these cameras are pointed toward the 1D X AF Guide. If you used my B&H link to purchase your 1DX II, please forward your B&H receipt to me via e-mail and request a complimentary copy of the 1DX AF Guide.

Galapagos 2017

If you would like to join me on the August 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime, please scroll down and see the details below. Please e-mail for couples or repeat customer discount information. Three new folks are interested so I do not have far to go. And a couple signed up on Monday evening 🙂

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 207 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 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, the original 400mm IS DO lens, and most recently, the 200-400 with Internal Extender, have been dropping steadily. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the left side of the lower menu bar above.

• Arthur Morris sold his 1D X in excellent condition for $2199 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $749 on May 30.
• Arthur Morris sold his 5D Mark III in very good condition for $1299 on May 30.
• Joe Subolefsky sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM lens and a 1.4X TC II, both in excellent condition, for $3,899 in late May.
• Robert Doster sold his used Canon EOS 7D body in excellent condition for $419 in early April.
• Sandra Calderbank sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR camera body in mint condition for $1599 in mid-April in one day.
• Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens in mint condition for $999 in early May.
• IPT veteran Bill Wingfield sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1498 in late April.
• IPT veteran Carolyn Peterson sold her Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for $1,549 in early May.
• KW McCulloch sold his used Canon 5D Mark III for $1499 in mid-May before it was even listed.
• Paul Roscoe sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens in mint condition for $9450 in mid-May.
• The sale of Les Greenberg’s Canon EOS Canon 5D Mark III is pending.

Prices Reduced!

Canon EOS-1DX Professional Digital Camera Body

Price Reduced $300 on May 31, 2016.

IPT veteran Billy Wingfield is offering a Canon EOS-1DX in excellent plus condition but for a 3/4″ scratch on the rear LCD; was $2799/now $2499. The sale includes two LP-E4N batteries, the battery charger, the front cap, the Canon strap, the original box, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Interested folks may contact Billy by phone at 843-729-6670 or via e-mail.

I used, depended on, and loved my two 1DX bodies since their release several years ago. artie

Canon EF 100-400 USM IS USM Lens (the old 1-4)

Yet Another Lowest-ever BAA Price!
Price Reduced $80 on May 30, 2016.

Janet Horton is offering her used Canon EF 100-400 USM IS USA lens in excellent condition; was $629–now $549! The lens hood shows small signs of use, but otherwise the lens is unmarked and in perfect working order. The sale includes the Canon LZ1324 Lens case with strap, the Canon ET-83C Lens Hood, the rear cap, and insured ground shipping via major carrier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Janet by e-mail or by phone at 425-313-3060 (Pacific time).

I owned and used the original 100-400 with great success for close to a decade and made many memorable and sale-able images with it. artie

This image was created on my Friday afternoon Fort DeSoto pre-private day scouting trip with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with a 64GB Card and Reader ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero as framed: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. One AF point down from the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand Shutter Button AF as originally framed. The selected sensor was on the rear part of the pelican’s open bill pouch and was of course active at the moment of exposure. AF Micro-adjustment via LensAlign/Focus Tune: +4. Tutorial coming soon. Brown Pelican with a mouthful of tiny baitfish

The Situation

Both Friday and Saturday afternoons offered superb diving pelican and tern action. On Friday, the birds were a ways down the beach and a bit farther offshore than on Saturday so I did most of my photography with the 600 II and either teleconverter. I did try the Arash rig on Friday, the 400 DO II with the 2X III TC and the 1DX II. I had some success. The skill, strength, and hand-eye coordination levels needed for flight photography with this combo is much higher than is needed with the 400 DO II/1.4X II/1DX II rig… See how I did with the latter combo in yesterday’s blog post here.

This is a crop of today’s featured image.

Can a Dozen Fish Equal a Small Mouthful?

Well, not exactly a bill full of fish, but impressive none-the-less. This image answers lots of questions and raises a big one. It is easy to imagine how the tiny baitfish escape when a pelican is draining water from its bill, thus providing lots of fodder for the Laughing Gulls that land on them and the terns that dive and strike the water right next to their heads. My question: can those tiny fish possibly provide an energy return that is large enough to cover what must be the huge energy expenditure that goes into the scouting for fish flights and the dives themselves?

The five-frame sequence; click to enlarge.

The Five-frame Sequence

As I said to private client Joel Eade on several times on Saturday past, “Don’t fire at anything that moves. But when you have a good situation and you have locked focus, hold the shutter button down.” My strategy was to watch a pelican hit the water somewhere down sun angle, acquire focus, and as soon as a gull enters the frame, blast away while making sure to maintain focus. That is just what I did here; the result? Five perfectly sharp frames.

Image Question

After enlarging the five-frame sequence, leave a comment and let us know which of the fives images features the very best Laughing Gull wing position. And do let us know why you made your choice.

The 1D X II

If what you read today on the blog or what you have been seeing for the past month inspires you to purchase a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader please use the active link or click on the logo-link above. Doing so will be greatly appreciated. Many who used our link right off the bat already have their 1DX Mark IIs.

Tame birds and wildlife. Incredible diversity. You only live once…

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. August 8-22, 2017 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit: 13 photographers plus the leader: yours truly. Openings: 4.

Same great trip; no price increase!
This trip needs nine to run; in the unlikely event that it does not, all payments to BAA will be refunded in full.

My two-week Galapagos Photo-Cruises are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and two great leaders with ten Galapagos cruises under their belts. Pre-trip and pre-landing location-specific gear advice. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea!

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour for nesting Blue-footed Boobies in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus tons more. And there will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny mid-days for those like me who wish to partake.

It is extremely likely that we will visit the incredible Darwin Bay and the equally incredible Hood Island, world home of Waved Albatross twice on our voyage. The National Park Service takes its sweet time in approving such schedule changes.

We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5-6 hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with a mega-pod of dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me. Note: some of the walks are a bit difficult but can be made by anyone if half way decent shape. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400. I sometimes bring a longer lens ashore depending on the landing. In 2017 I will be bring the Canon 400mm IS DO II lens. In the past I have brought either the 300mm f/2.8L IS II or the 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender.

Do consider joining me for this once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos archipelago. There simply is no finer Galapagos photography trip. Learn why above.

An Amazing Value…

Do know that there are one week Galapagos trips for $8500! Thus, our trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations?

The Logistics

August 6, 2017: We arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat in case of a travel delay.

August 7, 2017: There will be an introductory Galapagos Photography session and a hands on exposure session at our hotel.

August 8, 2017: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2015 trip some people made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!

August 22, 2017: We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of July 23 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the 22nd).

$12,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $4,000 is not due until 11/1/16. The final payment of $3449 per person will be due on 2/1/17. A $200 discount will be applied to each of the balances for couples or friends who register at the same time.

Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.

Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and a $600/person cash tip for the crew and the guide—this works out to roughly $40/day to be shared by the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.

Please e-mail for the tentative itinerary or with questions. Please cut and paste “Galapagos 2017 Tentative Itinerary Please” into the Subject line.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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 we are 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 we, 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.

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

Private client Joel Eade and I had a superb afternnon on Saturday. Much to our delight, the diving terns and pelicans cooperated fantastically. Joel’s wife Debby made it out to the beach to enjoy the terrific weather. After we wrapped things up, we drove the short distance to Good Times Continental Restaurant, probably Tierra Verde’s best kept dining secret: 1130 Pinellas Bayway S, St Petersburg, FL. Telephone (727) 867-0774. (Continental Cuisine. Imported beers. Fine wines. More than 50 types of hand crafted soups and desserts.) Mom and Pop, originally from the Czech Republic, have been at this location coming up on 40 years–they do not accept credit cards but the food is so good that nobody complains. Debby enjoyed their legendary duck, I went for the wiener schnitzel, and Joel had the wiener schnitzel in brown sauce special. All scrumptious.

Don’t believe me? Check out the Yelp reviews here.

Galapagos 2017

If you would like to join me on the August 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime, please scroll down and see the details below. Please e-mail for couples or repeat customer discount information.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 206 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 appreciate your business.

This image was created on the afternoon of Saturday, May 28, 2016 with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the rugged high speed Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit/64GB Card and Reader. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. Daylight WB. AF Micro-adjustment via LensAlign/Focus Tune: -2. Tutorial coming soon. Image #1: Going down: Brown Pelican adult wheeling in flight

The Situation

While I was thrilled on Friday afternoon to learn that the pelican/tern feeding spree action at the new location at Fort DeSoto continued, I was hoping against hope that the birds would be there on Saturday afternoon so as not to disappoint my private client, Joel Eade. Not only were they there, but the action was more frantic than ever. And the birds were feeding closer to the shore, and even better, there was lots of action on the beach right in front of the parking lot; the 1/4 mile trek through soft sand was not necessary. Boy, did we have fun.

Sitting Down on the Job

I found it best to sit, especially for the pelicans, so that I had more room above the horizon… That strategy worked quite well on this 117 keeper afternoon.

This image was also created on the afternoon of Saturday, May 28, 2016 with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the rugged high speed Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit/64GB Card and Reader. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3. Daylight WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. AF Micro-adjustment via LensAlign/Focus Tune: -2. Tutorial coming soon. Image #2: Where’s the fish? Sandwich Tern kiting before dive

Flight Photography With a Deadly Weapon…

As I have said here often, the Wheeleeze, with its huge wheels, has prolonged my beach photography career by a decade or two. At DeSoto, I can easily manage the 600 II, the 400 DO II, the 100-400 II, three camera bodies (if need be), the 24-105, the Induro GIT 304 tripod topped by a Mongoose M3.6, and a bottle or two or water. (For information on Wheeleeze, click on the Beach Stuff tab on the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog page.

I started with the tripod mounted 600II/1.4X III/1dX II combination but many of the pelicans were too close and getting on the terns was quite difficult. So I set up the 400 DO II/1.4X III/1DX II combination, took a seat on the warm sand, and went to work. This combination is just light enough for me to hand hold for an extended shooting session. And getting on the birds is–as always with birds that are constantly zigging and sagging and changing direction–a lot easier when hand holding than when working with a bigger lens on a tripod. The speed of initial AF acquisition with this combo is lightening fast provided that you raise your lens and get the bird in the frame on your first try, and once the 1DX II gets on a subject and begins tracking sharpness is not an issue…

Like the first two images in today’s blog post, this image was created on the afternoon of Saturday, May 28, 2016 with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the rugged high speed Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit/64GB Card and Reader. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3. Daylight WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. AF Micro-adjustment via LensAlign/Focus Tune: -2. Tutorial coming soon. Image #3: Balletic–Sandwich Tern power dive

Exposure/Processing Fine Point

For most of the last hour, I worked with ISO 800. With the light being pretty darned constant, I went with 1/2500 sec. for the terns, and 1/2000 sec. for the pelicans as the WHITEs are not quite as white as the WHITEs on the pelicans. With image #3, I did not remember to make the switch to the tern exposure… Thus, the WHITEs showed RGB values in the low 250s, much too bright for me. Though I pulled down the Brightness slider and moved the Highlight slider to -2 for the RAW conversion in DPP 4, I still needed to run a layer of my NIK 50/50 recipe on the WHITEs and then paint in about a 20% Linear Burn on the brightest WHITEs after that.

Your Favorite?

Which of the three images presented here today do you like best? Be sure to let us know why. All comments are welcome.

You can order your copy of “The Photographers’ Guide to Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.0” (aka the DPP 4 Raw Conversion eGuide) by Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris by clicking here.

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. The DPP IV Guide is the ideal companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide, a runaway best seller.

The 1D X II

If what you read today on the blog or what you have been seeing for the past month inspires you to purchase a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader please use the active link or click on the logo-link above. Doing so will be greatly appreciated. Many who used our link right off the bat already have their 1DX Mark IIs.

Tame birds and wildlife. Incredible diversity. You only live once…

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. August 8-22, 2017 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit: 13 photographers plus the leader: yours truly. Openings: 4.

Same great trip; no price increase!
This trip needs nine to run; in the unlikely event that it does not, all payments to BAA will be refunded in full.

My two-week Galapagos Photo-Cruises are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and two great leaders with ten Galapagos cruises under their belts. Pre-trip and pre-landing location-specific gear advice. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea!

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour for nesting Blue-footed Boobies in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus tons more. And there will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny mid-days for those like me who wish to partake.

It is extremely likely that we will visit the incredible Darwin Bay and the equally incredible Hood Island, world home of Waved Albatross twice on our voyage. The National Park Service takes its sweet time in approving such schedule changes.

We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5-6 hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with a mega-pod of dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me. Note: some of the walks are a bit difficult but can be made by anyone if half way decent shape. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400. I sometimes bring a longer lens ashore depending on the landing. In 2017 I will be bring the Canon 400mm IS DO II lens. In the past I have brought either the 300mm f/2.8L IS II or the 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender.

Do consider joining me for this once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos archipelago. There simply is no finer Galapagos photography trip. Learn why above.

An Amazing Value…

Do know that there are one week Galapagos trips for $8500! Thus, our trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations?

The Logistics

August 6, 2017: We arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat in case of a travel delay.

August 7, 2017: There will be an introductory Galapagos Photography session and a hands on exposure session at our hotel.

August 8, 2017: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2015 trip some people made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!

August 22, 2017: We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of July 23 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the 22nd).

$12,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $4,000 is not due until 11/1/16. The final payment of $3449 per person will be due on 2/1/17. A $200 discount will be applied to each of the balances for couples or friends who register at the same time.

Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.

Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and a $600/person cash tip for the crew and the guide—this works out to roughly $40/day to be shared by the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.

Please e-mail for the tentative itinerary or with questions. Please cut and paste “Galapagos 2017 Tentative Itinerary Please” into the Subject line.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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 we are 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 we, 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.

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

It is way early on Friday morning, May 27. I am working on Saturday’s blog post as I head over to St. Pete today to meet private client and blog regular Joel Eade for a full day on Saturday. That will give me busman’s holiday sessions on Friday afternoon and Sunday morning.

This just in: much to my surprise, the fabulous diving pelican and tern show at DeSoto continues. If you own the Fort DeSoto Site Guide–or if you purchase it on Monday–and send me an e-mail that includes a cut and paste of the first page of the guide, I will be glad to let you know the details of the currently hot location.

Galapagos 2017

If you would like to join me on the August 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime, please scroll down and see the details below. Please e-mail for couples or repeat customer discount information.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 204 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 appreciate your business.

This image was created on the next-to-last afternoon of the Fort DeSoto IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/2500 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. One AF point below the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected point just caught the back of the gull’s hood. Click on the image to see a larger version. AF Micro-adjustment: +4 Image #1: Laughing Gull kiting above a pelican that was at the bottom of the original frame.

Individual Birds in Flight at 1200mm? Not Possible! Or is it with the 1DX Mark II?

In the original Astounded By 1200mm Flight and Action Images… here, I mentioned that I was easily able to get on single birds in flight at 1200mm thanks to the amazing AF system of the new Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. Here, I present two of my favorites from that remarkable afternoon. I have so many good keepers from that session that it is absolutely silly. Soon I will be sharing some of my diving pelican images from that next-to-last IPT afternoon.

This image was also created on the next-to-last afternoon of the Fort DeSoto IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 3200. Evaluative metering + 2 stops off the light sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. Center AF point/Expand Shutter Button/AI Servo AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was well above the bird’s head; two of the assist points fell on the tern’s right wing. Click on the image to see a larger version. AF Micro-adjustment: +4 Image #2: Sandwich Tern after emerging from the water after a dive

Why Individual Bird Flight Photography Action Success at 1200mm?

Three reasons:

#1: 1DX Mark II AF is far faster (in terms of initial focusing acquisition) and surer and more accurate by far than with any previous Canon camera body.

#2: At +4 micro-adjustemt, this combination–the 600 II, 2X III TC, & 1DX Mark II–has been perfectly LensAligned/FocusTuned.

#3: I used an advanced pro technique that involves the Lens Drive When AF impossible setting. This technique is covered in detail in all recent Camera User’s Guides including the 1DX AF Guide, the 5D Mark III User’s Guide, and the 7D Mark II User’s Guide. With all of the action at relatively consistent distances from the lens, this trick really helped. Note that the info on this feature in the Canon camera manuals and the info that is available on the camera itself is 100% confusing. Doubt me? Try to figure it out yourself.

Lens Drive When AF Impossible Guide Offer

If you are one of those rare photographers who shoots Canon and does not own one of the Camera User’s Guides mentioned above and would like to learn this very specialized technique, you can send us a Paypal for $10 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words Lens Drive When AF Impossible Guide cut and pasted into the Subject Line and I promise to get you the info by Tuesday. Folks who do not use Paypal are invited to call Jim at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to order. For the phone orders, please note that this coming Monday is a holiday.

The 1D X II

If what you read today on the blog inspires you to purchase a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader please use the active link or click on the logo-link above. Doing so will be greatly appreciated. Many who used our link right off the bat already have their 1DX Mark IIs.

Tame birds and wildlife. Incredible diversity. You only live once…

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. August 8-22, 2017 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit: 13 photographers plus the leader: yours truly. Openings: 4.

Same great trip; no price increase!
This trip needs nine to run; in the unlikely event that it does not, all payments to BAA will be refunded in full.

My two-week Galapagos Photo-Cruises are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and two great leaders with ten Galapagos cruises under their belts. Pre-trip and pre-landing location-specific gear advice. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea!

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour for nesting Blue-footed Boobies in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus tons more. And there will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny mid-days for those like me who wish to partake.

It is extremely likely that we will visit the incredible Darwin Bay and the equally incredible Hood Island, world home of Waved Albatross twice on our voyage. The National Park Service takes its sweet time in approving such schedule changes.

We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5-6 hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with a mega-pod of dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me. Note: some of the walks are a bit difficult but can be made by anyone if half way decent shape. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400. I sometimes bring a longer lens ashore depending on the landing. In 2017 I will be bring the Canon 400mm IS DO II lens. In the past I have brought either the 300mm f/2.8L IS II or the 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender.

Do consider joining me for this once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos archipelago. There simply is no finer Galapagos photography trip. Learn why above.

An Amazing Value…

Do know that there are one week Galapagos trips for $8500! Thus, our trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations?

The Logistics

August 6, 2017: We arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat in case of a travel delay.

August 7, 2017: There will be an introductory Galapagos Photography session and a hands on exposure session at our hotel.

August 8, 2017: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2015 trip some people made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!

August 22, 2017: We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of July 23 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the 22nd).

$12,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $4,000 is not due until 11/1/16. The final payment of $3449 per person will be due on 2/1/17. A $200 discount will be applied to each of the balances for couples or friends who register at the same time.

Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.

Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and a $600/person cash tip for the crew and the guide—this works out to roughly $40/day to be shared by the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.

Please e-mail for the tentative itinerary or with questions. Please cut and paste “Galapagos 2017 Tentative Itinerary Please” into the Subject line.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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 we are 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 we, 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.

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

I am thisclose to finishing my 2015 taxes. I will have them on the way to Chip Jackson tomorrow for sure. I enjoyed another wonderful 30 lap swim (22 laps is a half mile). My ice bath was very chilly. Not sure why but I have lost a solid five pounds in the last ten days. I tried to gain some weight today 🙂

If you are interested in the 2017 Japan in Winter trip see yesterday’s blog post; and please e-mail for couples or repeat customer discount information.

The Streak

Today’s blog post marks an insane 202 days in a row with a new educational (and fun) blog post. And I still have dozens of new topics to cover; there should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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. Please remember 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 appreciate your business.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 600mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 2500: 1/1600 at f/6.3. Image #1: American Oystercatcher double overhead wingstretch Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Jim Robellard and His Sigma 150-600mm Sports Lens…

I like to do a critiquing session on Day 2 of most IPTs with folks sharing some of their images from the trip. This helps me to learn if someone needs extra help in the field. When I saw Jim’s images I was most impressed and quite a bit curious: “Just what is that lens that you have been hand holding?”

Turns out that it was the Sport version of the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM for Canon EF. The images were quite sharp. Jim loved having a relatively light zoom lens that could offer him 600mm of reach. And with the amazing high ISO performance of the 1DX II the lenses relatively slow maximum aperture of f/6.3 is not much of a hindrance.

Thanks a stack to Jim for allowing me to share this collection with you. It is quite an impressive group of images by any standard.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 450mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/1600 at f/6.3. Image #2: Black Skimmer skimming Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Black Skimmer skimming

I do not quite remember where I was when this skimmer flew at us but I was on a tripod with the 600 II and a TC so I had no chance to get on the bird. As I say here often, when you are hand holding a shorter focal length lens you will be able to get on unexpected flight and action much more easily than if you were working with a big lens on a tripod.

Better News?

After seeing Jim’s images I learned that the Sigma 150-600 is not only available as a Nikon-mount version (the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens for Nikon F) but that they make a lighter inexpensive version in each mount for folks on a budget ( the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Canon EF and the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Nikon F.) And the lighter weight Contemporary versions are just as sharp as the Sport versions. What times these are: you can get a sharp, lightweight hand holdable zoom lens that gives you 600mm of reach for under $1000. Amazing.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 600mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 2500: 1/1600 at f/8. Image #3: Dunlin feeding Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Way to Go Jim!

Jim Robellard is a quiet man. But he is always paying attention. All the exposures for today’s featured images were spot-on and with the Dunlin image, he got down low. Being so close to the subject, he knew to go for a bit of extra depth-of-field. Getting the bird with an invertebrate tidbit in its bill was a nice bonus for doing everything right.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 400: 1/1250 at f/9. Image #4: Squabbling White Ibises Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Stand Up!

One afternoon I had the whole group having a ball photographing a cooperative White Ibis catching fiddler crabs right in front of us. In addition, there were some nice shorebirds around including a few Dunlin, a Willet, and some Short-billed Dowitchers. When the ibis took flight, nobody was distraught as we had been photographing it for quite some time. I looked across the tidal pool that we were working and learned why the ibis had flown: it was involved in a knock-down drag-out battle with another White Ibis. Everyone started photographing. “No” I screamed, “stand up!” Everyone stood up and kept firing and quickly realized that by standing we had eliminated the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from our photos. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful bridge, but not one that I want as a background for a battling ibises image…

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 600mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 800: 1/4000 at f/8. Image #5: Sandwich Tern with baitfish in bill Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

A Big Crop

This was a big crop from the original but Jim sent it along to show the neat behavior; Machine-gun Mike Hankes alerted the whole group to the fact that it was possible to create images of the terns emerging from the water after they had dived by focusing on the splash. It was easier said than done but here Jim pulled off somewhat of a miracle by making a nice image of the tern with not one but two baitfish in its beak.

I ran some extra NeatImage to clean up the noise caused by the large crop. Noise is increased with a big crop at the same time as image quality is degraded a bit; here you can note some posterization of the background (upper right) along with a few funky color shifts.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 600mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 800: 1/1250 at f/7.1. Image #6: Marbled Godwit Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Marbled Godwit

Here Jim used his new gear to create a stunning portrait of one of my all-time favorite shorebirds. Note throughout the collection that Jim did not hesitate to go to the higher 1DX Mark II ISOs when he needed them, especially with his beautiful oystercatcher image.

The 1D X Mark II

If what you read or today or what you have read on the blog over the past few weeks inspires you to purchase a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR Camera Premium Kit with 64GB Card and Reader please use the active link or click on the logo-link above. Doing so will be greatly appreciated. Many who used our link right off the bat already have their 1DX Mark IIs.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard with the hand held Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lens for Canon EF (at 600mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the Premium Kit: 64GB Card and Reader. ISO 400: 1/1000 at f/8. Image #6: White morph Reddish Egret wing-raised feeding strategy Image courtesy of and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard

Silhouette Education

I spent lots of time on the IPT showing folks how to create some nice silhouettes both at sunrise and sunset. I think that I was asleep at the switch when Jim made this lovely image.

Image Questions

#1: Why does a Reddish Egret raise its wings and hold them over its head?

#2: Which of Jim’s wonderful images do you think is the strongest? Please let us know why you made your choice.

#3: In which image is the subject to sensor plane (the back of the camera) slightly less than ideal?

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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 🙂