Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

Wow: what a finish!

When we arrived at the cliffs there were no pelicans. And there were none in sight. And then they came, and came, and came, and landed right in front of us. We had some great flight chances. Some of the participants concentrated on head throws and I joined them for a while. But since one bird was more beautiful than the next, and they were all just sitting there set against gorgeous blue water Pacific Ocean backgrounds, I soon succumbed, grabbed my 500 II with the 2X III TC and the EOS 5DS R, and went to work doing what I love to do best: make clean, tight, and graphic images.

Participants began leaving to head home as early as 9:30am and trickled away for the next hour. There were lots of thanks and hugs all around. It really was a wonderful group. As usual, we had about 60% recidivists. I always take that as a good sign; if folks return for another IPT it is a indication that you are doing things right. Many thanks to co-leader Denise Ippolito who did her usual stellar job; it is amazing how perfectly our teaching skills mesh. And huge thanks to all who joined us.

By 10:30am there was just one pelican left. And only one photographer. And you can guess who that was…

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris

At TheNat–the San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, California

Learn more here. Learn about the opening NATtalk, Choosing and Using Lenses for Bird and Nature Photography, here.

The Streak

In spite of having been buried by travel, teaching, and several major writing projects for the last two months, today’s blog post marks 70 days in a row with a new educational blog post. Please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases.

Important Note

Please understand that if you are up in the air about selling any old gear that the price of your item is dropping every day….

Used Gear Apologies

Apologies to those who have written recently asking about selling their used gear through BAA. I will get back to y’all no later than next Monday (if not before) as I have been swamped with the IPT, the exhibit, and the Saturday morning program 🙂

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Things have been heating up on the Used Gear page lately.

• With three offers on the day his lens was listed the sale of Mike Quigley’s Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens (the old five) sold in early January.
• Bill Ellison sold his 100-400 for $650 in early January, 2016.
• Alice Garland sold her Canon 500mm f/4L IS Lens for $3999 in late December 2015.
• Doug Rogers sold his Canon 100–400mm L IS zoom lens (the old 1-4) for $649 in late December 2015.
• Troy Duong sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens for $7500.00 in late December 2015.
• Walt Anderson sold his used Canon 1D X for $3000 in late December to a BAA friend before it was even listed!
• Larry Master sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $1399 in mid-December 2015.
• Melissa Hahn sold her Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition now for $8299 in early December, 2015.
• Monte Brown sold his 300mm f/2.8L II lens in near-mint condition for $4499 two days after it was listed in mid-December, 2015.
• Stephen Zarate sold his used Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom lens very quickly in early December for $650, the original asking price.

New Listings

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Lens

Andres Leon is offering a used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in Very Good Plus condition for the very low price of $7899. The lens has clean glass and is in perfect working order but has a few scratches on the finish. Feel free to request photos of the lens. The sale includes the lens trunk and keys, a LensCoat, the front leather cover, the rear cap, a Wimberley P-40 lens plate, and insured ground shipping via FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Andres via e-mail or by phone at 1-954-621-6678 (eastern time).

I used this lens, often with a 1.4X TC, as my main super-telephoto lens for close to five years. It is a superb lens that offers lots of reach for those working with birds that are skittish. It is great from the car. I was astounded that about 15 of the 67 images in the exhibit were created with my 800. I often miss it terribly. As the lens sells new at B&H for $12,999, Andres’s lens is a superb buy; grab it now and save more than $5K! artie

Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM Lens

Roberta Olenick is offering a used Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for $2950 USD. The sale includes the original lens trunk with keys, the leather front lens cover, the rear lens cap, and insured ground shipping via UPS Ground to either the US or Canada. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Roberta by e-mail (preferred) or by phone at 604-224-0724 (Pacific time).

I met Jake Levin on a recent IPT about a year ago. He just completed his second IPT here in San Diego. He was and is obsessed with image sharpness. He purchased an old 300mm f/2.8 from the Used Gear listings and is now thrilled with his images. This makes a great workhorse telephoto lens when used either naked or with either TC and a 7D Mark II. Roberta’s is priced to sell. artie

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Roberta Olenick is also offering a used Canon EOS-1D Mark IV camera body in excellent condition for $1279 USD. The sale includes the Really Right Stuff camera plate B1DMKIII, three batteries (the original and two spares), the original charger, the stereo AV cable, the cable protector with attaching screw, gridded focusing screen Ec-D and the original focusing screen (these two are interchangeable), the never-used original lens strap still in the package, the front cap, printed manuals in English and French, original box, and insured ground shipping via UPS within US or Canada. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Roberta by e-mail (preferred) or by phone at 604-224-0724 (Pacific time).

As regular readers know, two 1D IVs served as my workhorse professional camera bodies for about four years. They are fast, rugged, and dependable and produce high quality image files when in the hands of a competent photographer. artie

This image was created at La Jolla, CA on the last morning of the hugely successful 2016 San Diego IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400: 1/640 sec. at f/11. AWB. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. This is a very, very, small crop from the left and the top. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see the incredible fine feather detail in a larger version. Brown Pelican bill pouch detail

Eye-opening Image!

This breeding plumage Pacific race Brown Pelican was in peak condition and as clean and as bright as any I have ever seen. I was fixated on his red bill pouch so I went to 1000mm. The problem was that as the bird preened its neck it refused to open its eye. He did once for one second and I was thrilled to come up with a sharp, dramatic image with a perfect head angle; you could say that I was one for one.

The San Diego Site Guide

Whether you are visiting San Diego for photography for the first time or live in the area and have done the pelicans many dozens of times, you will learn a ton by studying the San Diego Site Guide. Why spend days stumbling around when you can know exactly where and when to be depending on the wind direction and sky conditions? In addition to the pelican primer, there is great info on the best beaches for the gorgeous gulls, on Marbled Godwit, on the lower cliffs, Lesser Scaup, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks as well.

Learn more or purchase your copy here.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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?

It was cloudy with a light mist on the morning of Day 3 of the San Diego IPT. We did well at the cliffs with lots of nice pelicans and more chances on the pair of Brown Boobies. We had a great lunch at The Crab Catcher in La Jolla. As reported the Wood Ducks at Santee were nowhere near up to par but we did have lots of drake and hen Ring-necked Ducks along with a (finally) cooperative male Ruddy Duck in winter plumage.

Like yesterday’s peregrine image, this image was created at La Jolla, CA on Day 2 of the 2016 San Diego IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 400: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. AWB. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. This is a very small crop from the left and the bottom. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see the incredible fine feather detail in a larger version. Brown Pelican face detail

Dealing With My New 1000mm Lens and the Canon 5DS R…

Going back to the 7D II and long effective focal lengths, I had the gut feeling that lens shake was more of a factor than with previous camera bodies and assumed that what I was sensing was because of the higher mega-pixel counts. Most folks disagreed but I was still sure that with a 7D II, and more recently with the 5DS R, that one had better keep the lens perfectly still in order to create sharp images.

As it turns out, it looks as if I was both wrong and right. Right about my gut feeling that lens shake was more of a factor with both the 7D II and the 5DS R than with previous camera bodies, and wrong about the reason. Below are selected quotes from an e-mail from good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Alan Lillich.

First a definition. Pixel pitch the distance from the center of one pixel to the center of the next pixel measured in microns, millionths of a millimeter.

Here is my take, derived from basic principles. Remember that pixel pitch is just the spacing of the pixels. All of my body-to-body comparisons assume the same lens–side by side, the same aperture and shutter speed, at the same subject distance. The visibility of shake is measured by viewing at 100%, looking at the sharpness of the finest subject details.

With a given camera body, lens, tripod,tripod head, wind, shutter speed, and level of operator skill there will be a certain amount of shake during the exposure. Physically this shake means the image moves across the sensor during the exposure. How much it moves is a just a distance. How visible it is depends on the pixel spacing. (And probably on the AA filter, Bharat’s comment in the previous post on this subject is interesting.) I have no idea what the actual shake amount is in any situation, nor exactly how much the AA filter (on all the bodies but the 5DS R) smears things. We do know the pixel spacing for specific bodies, but for this discussion all that matters is the ratio of shake to pixel spacing.

If the shake is less than the distance between pixels then it will be invisible. The more pixels it covers, the more visible it is. It is hard to compare given the span of time and changes like the improvements in IS with the Series II super-telephotos. With each new camera the same sensor size with more pixels means tighter pixel spacing (smaller pixel pitch); the same shake will cover more pixels and be more visible.

Let’s compare the 7D II to the 1D IV. The 7D II has a pixel pitch of 4.1 microns, the 1D IV has a pixel pitch of 5.7 microns. So a 12 micron shake would cover about 3 pixels on a 7D II and about 2 pixels on the 1D IV. In other words, the shake should be 50% more visible on the 7D II than on the 1D IV. You have to be that much more careful with the 7D II than with the 1D IV.

The 5DS and the 5DS R have a pixel pitch of 4.14 microns. I’m getting these numbers from quick web searches. So I’m confident they are accurate, but don’t know how precise. The 7D II number I saw was just 4.1, with no hundredths digit. Let’s just say the 7D II and 5DS have the same pixel pitch. So the 12 micron shake mentioned above would also cover 3 pixels on the 5DS and the shake has the same effect as on the 7D II. So you need to use the same care with the 7DF II and the 5DS.

Again, this is with same lens, side by side, same subject. Another way to look at this, especially relevant to 100% examination, is the effect on subject detail. The projected image on the sensor has a size determined by the lens and subject distance. A bird’s eye or feather details will be a certain physical size on the sensor. So a certain amount of shake will affect a certain fraction of the most detailed features. How visible those features are depends on the pixel size.

Now let’s consider the anti-aliasing (AA) filter on all cameras but the 5DS R. As Bharat’s comment pointed out, it blurs things so will hide some degree of shake.

What this means is that you need more care with a 5DS R than with a 5DS or 7D II.

Bottom line, better technique will get you better photos in general. The smaller the pixels and the tighter the pixel pitch, the better technique you need. Pixel count alone is not relevant. All of this of course in a theoretical same lens side by side situation. Suppose you and I are sitting side by side on the lower shelf at the Cave Store cliffs shooting tight portraits of pelicans. We have the same lens, but you have a 5DS and I have a 7D II. You can’t get closer without scaring the birds, I can’t move back because of the cliff. So we can’t get the same framing but do get the same pixel coverage of subject features. So we need equal technique for equal sharpness as seen at 100%. With you owning and using the 5DS R, you actually need to take a bit more care as there is no AA filter to blur the effects of lens shake.

Though you many not previously have understood all the technical stuff above, I think you have grasped all of it inherently given the magic you do with super-telephoto lenses used with either teleconverter at slow shutter speeds…

So Yeah…

So yeah, when working with the 5DS R at long effective focal lengths, I do need to take extra care in order to create super sharp images. With today’s featured image, a fast shutter speed did the trick. With yesterday’s peregrine image made at a much slower shutter speed, I made sure that the tripod legs were firmly planted in the soft hillside earth, made sure to press my face against the back of the camera, made sure to tighten both the horizontal and vertical panning knobs on the Mongoose M3.6, and made sure to steady the lens with my left hand. Most of the time I support the lens barrel from below with my left hand while my forearm rests near the tripod platform; at other times I place my left hand atop the lens barrel. Which I do depends on the situation and is not anything that I could put into words. It is more of that gut feeling stuff.

The San Diego Site Guide

Whether you are visiting San Diego for photography for the first time or live in the area and have done the pelicans many dozens of times, you will learn a ton by studying the San Diego Site Guide. Why spend days stumbling around when you can know exactly where and when to be depending on the wind direction and sky conditions? In addition to the pelican primer, there is great info on the best beaches for the gorgeous gulls, on Marbled Godwit, on the lower cliffs, Lesser Scaup, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks as well.

Learn more or purchase your copy here.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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?

The 2016 San Diego IPT got off to a great start on the morning of Friday, January 8. The pelicans returned to their usual haunts and posed for the group in sweet, early morning light. The group enjoyed pre-dawn, early morning light, and full sun exposure lessons. When some of the birds left at about 9am as they usually do, it became easier to isolate single birds and easier to figure out which bird was going to do the next head throw. Everyone enjoyed the challenge. We spent our afternoon at one of my favorite beaches and got to photograph a variety of gorgeous gulls both in flight and in blue water, the latter thanks to a new creek. A lovely orange/pink sunset fizzled much too soon because of thickening clouds on the western horizon.

I used only 100-400 II for the entire day (at times with the 1.4X II TC) while co-leader Denise Ippolito did the same with her 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with either teleconverter.

This image was created at La Jolla with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops over the reading for the light gray sky: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. Cloudy WB. On-camera fill flash (High Speed Synch) at -1 stop with the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was right on the pelican’s face just behind and below the bird’s eye. See the DPP 4 screen capture below. Click on the image to see a larger version. Pacific race Brown Pelican in flight: angled dorsal view

Sometimes When It’s Supposed to Suck… Part II

On Thursday morning, the weather forecast was “80% chance of torrential rains.” I met Patrick Sparkman at the cliffs in La Jolla as the rain first increased and then let up; we had one of our best-ever mornings at the cliffs. (You can read the whole story in yesterday’s blog post here.) I opened my eyes, saw what the birds were doing in the crazy west wind, and suggested that we move about 100 yards. We did. We had dozens of pelicans flying by at close range below eye level. Some were so close that we felt as if we could have reached out and touched them. I quickly traded my 500 II for my 100-400 II. Bingo.

Canon EOS 5DS R for Flight

The 5RS R does just fine for flight photography. Here, with its relatively slow frame rate, it allowed time for the flash to recycle. And as you can see in today’s featured image, the AF tracking is just fine. Was every frame razor sharp on the eye? Of course not; that is never the case with flight photography even with the vaunted 1D X. In addition, it was so windy that it was hard for us to get a good stable stance. BTW, this is the full frame image.

100-400 II Versatility

Note the focal length for today’s image: 200mm. Being able to zoom out while doing flight photography is a huge plus. As noted here previously I use the estimated zoom out in advance technique. Note the direction and speed of flight as a bird is approaching you, zoom out to your best estimated focal length, acquire focus as you pan, and make an image or two. At times it is possible to fine-tune your framing by zooming in or out a bit as needed.

The San Diego Site Guide

Whether you are visiting San Diego for photography for the first time or live in the area and have done the pelicans many dozens of times, you will learn a ton by studying the San Diego Site Guide. Why spend days stumbling around when you can know exactly where and when to be depending on the wind direction and sky conditions? In addition to the pelican primer, there is great info on the best beaches for the gorgeous gulls, on Marbled Godwit, on the lower cliffs, Lesser Scaup, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks as well.

Learn more or purchase your copy here.

This is the DPP 4 Screen Capture

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

There are two things to note above:

• The AF point–illuminated in red–is, as noted above, right where it should be, on the pelican’s face.
• The exposure is pushed far, far to the right. In spite of that, I still had to brighten the bird’s face a bit during the image optimization process.

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)

The RAW file for today’s image was of course converted in DPP 4. 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 DPP 4 eGuide (PDF) Updated for 1D Mark IV and the original 7D

The DPP 4 eGuide was recently updated to include the luminance and chrominance noise reduction values for both the 1D Mark IV and the original 7D. If you purchased your copy from BAA please e-mail Jim and request the DPP 4 1d IV/7D update. Please be sure to cut and paste page 1 into your e-mail as proof of purchase.

DPP 4 Kudos

From Richard Gollard via e-mail:

I have been doing tons of studying the books and PDFs that I have purchased from BIRDS AS ART. And I have to say that after reading the DPP 4 conversion guide that you did with Arash Hazeghi I tried DPP 4 and was blown away with the difference from the conversions that I made with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Thanks for the consistently great information.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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?

Despite my way early start–I was up at 3:40am eastern time on Tuesday, my flights and my travel day were fine. In a word, the weather in San Diego this afternoon was nasty: torrential rains, high winds, and tornado warnings. I will, however, make it out to La Jolla in the morning to scout, rain or shine.

Big Tech News

Learn about the big CES show in Las Vegas here. And check out the great B&H CES-related stuff here.

My San Diego Gear Bag: Entering a Whole New (Lighter) World!

My main decisions for this trip was whether to ship the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens or bring the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens on the plane in my Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Bag.

It did not take me long to decide to take the 500 II on the plane and leave the 600 II at home. For starters, it is lighter and far less bulky than the 600 II, and thus much easier to travel with. As for reach, it offers plenty albeit in a smaller, lighter package. I love working super-tight on the pelicans and I can get pretty darned close physically without disturbing the birds.

I had previously owned a 500 II and loved it. But then I sold it. So last week I purchased a new one from B&H. Jim outfitted it with a nice LensCoat and added the CRX-5 Low Foot so that the center of gravity of the lens is centered over my Induro GIT 304L tripod with a Mongoose M3.6 on it. The LensCoat is in Realtree Hardwood Snow, my favorite pattern. We carry a huge assortment of LensCoat stuff here.

As each day goes by weight becomes a more important factor when choosing what gear I will travel with. If I were traveling to a place where the birds are even tamer than San Diego like the Southern Ocean or the Galapagos or Namibia, and where traveling light was of huge importance, the 500 II would be replaced by the Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens. Don’t forget that with any of the aforementioned f/4 super-telephotos anyone should be able to create sharp images with the 1.4X III TC and folks with good to excellent long lens sharpness techniques should routinely be able to create professionally sharp images with the 2X III TC down to 1/60 sec.

Next up is the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. This lens absolutely kills on the pelicans in La Jolla and makes a great flight lens for the gulls that we will photograph at Coronado. It is so good that I did not even think of taking the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender that I had used with great success on the cliffs on my last two visits. The times they are a-changin’.

My original plan was to save a bit more weight by leaving the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens but I have been receiving all sorts of Armageddon-like weather forecasts for Southern California including San Diego: rain, wind, cold, heavy rain, and more rain. We shall see. In any case, there was plenty of room in my Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Bag so in it went. The speed of this fast (f/2.8) lens might just come in handy on dark, cloudy, or even rainy days at the cliffs. And I can use it at f/4 with the 1.4X III TC. In addition it is great for scenics and bird-scapes. As I am taking the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens the 70-200 will give me 30mm of additional focal length coverage (from 70-100) as I opted to leave my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at home. Co-leader Denise Ippolito will probably be aghast when she hears that as she is the world’s best with the amazingly versatile 24-105.

I have a few images in mind for the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens, two specific ones at the main pelican spot in La Jolla, the others at La Jolla Shores Beach.

Camera Bodies

EOS-1D X. I will use my rugged pro body mainly with the 100-400 II and possibly a bit in low light with the 500 II as the more powerful 1D X battery makes it better choice when I am working at 1000mm.

I will be using the mega-high megapixel Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR mainly on the 500 II alone and with the 1.4X III TC.

EOS-7D Mark II. I will use the 7D II with both the 500 II and the 1-4 II mainly when it is clear and sunny.

I took the 5D II that was converted to IR by Kolari Vision in one of my checked bags. I am thinking of bright sun and pelican with big white clouds… Learn more about Kolari Vision and IR here or here. (Note: I am working on getting a new discount code for 2016.)

TCs

I am making this trip with just two Canon 1.4X III TCs and one 2X III TCs.

Questions Welcome

If you have a question about any of my gear choices here please feel free to leave a comment. Do you disagree with any of my choices? What would you be brining to San Diego. And why?

Think Tank Rolling Bags

I will be using the larger of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. I will use the slightly smaller of the two, the Airport International™ LE Classic for my Southern Ocean trip. Except for the Singh-Ray polarizer, I everything above fit easily into my Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag on Thursday afternoon. It tipped the scales at 44 1/4 pounds; the legal limit for US flights is 40 pounds. Nearly all countries in the world give you slack as far as the 40 pounds goes on the way back to the US. As far as the extra 4 1/4 pounds, I have only been hassled for weight once in more than three decades of flying around the world…. I hope that I do not give myself a kine-ahora.

Think Tank Urban Disguise Laptop Shoulder Bag

Both denise and I use and love this amazing bag as it has tons of room and enables us to bring tons of extra stuff.

Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here to earn a free gift when you purchase a Think Tank Rolling Bag.

Delkin Flash Cards

As always, I will have a 64gb Delkin e-Film Pro Flash Card in each camera body so that I never have to change cards in the field thus reducing the risk of losing a card…. Please note the new lower prices here. I do have a few extra 32 and 64gb cards in a Delkin CF Memory Card Tote, mostly to protect against operator errors….

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 early Tuesday evening: I am at the Courtyard Marriott Orlando Airport for my early morning flights to San Diego tomorrow. Tuesday was packing day and Jim dropped me off at about 4:30pm. I have not mentioned it lately but I have been feeling pretty darned good lately but for what seems like a developing case of laryngitis 🙂 Not a sore throat, but if I talk for more than a sentence or two I start to lose my voice. Perfect for the IPT and my exhibit-opening program at the Nat on January 16th.

Strange that I still have something going on in terms of congestion. I have been to the doctor. Heck, it is only been ten weeks now.

400 DO Price War!

The prices on use 400 DO lenses have been dropping steadily. Tom Blackman would like to sell his now.

Used Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens

Yet Another Lowest-ever BAA Price!
Price Reduced an insane $825 on January 5, 2015.

IPT veteran Tom Blackman offering a used Used Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO lens in excellent condition for $2250. There is some paint wear near the lens hood. The sale includes the lens trunk, the front cover, the rear lens cap, a worn LensCoat, and insured shipping via Fed ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. This lens was just cleaned and checked by Canon’s Irvine, CA Repair Center; documentation can be provided upon request.

Please contact Tom by e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 (Pacific time).

I used this lens for several years with great success, especially for birds in flight and while working from various type of water craft. In addition, it would make a great prime super-telephoto lens for folks with a 7D II. Gannets in Love was created with the 400 DO. You can see that one and 13 other killer images that I made with my old 400 DO here. The title of that blog post is “The Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens: Fourteen Images that Prove that the Internet Experts are Idiots.” Tom’s lens is priced to sell. artie

And to think that I could’a been a jockey…

I found this B&W print on my dresser the other day and had older daughter Jennifer scan it. I imagine that I was about seven years old, maybe eight. My very vague memory is that this was somewhere out on the Sunrise Highway where it breaks off from the Belt Parkway. I am not sure of the camera or the exposure data.

I sent the image to my sister Arna to show to my Mom to see if she remembered the pony occasion. Her reaction? “That’s not Arthur.” You gotta love it. She is 93 and her mind is sharp.

This Just In

Click here for a link to slew of new Nikon stuff.

Nikon announces two new flagship bodies; you can pre-order now. If you do, please use one of the two product specific links below to support my efforts here on the BAA Blog. If you know the difference between the two bodies, please educate us 🙂

Canon EOS-1D X II

As for me, I can’t wait for the 1D X II to be announced…

New Nikon Bodies

Yesterday evening Nikon introduced two flagship camera bodies, the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Dual CompactFlash) and the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Dual XQD). You can read some of the seemingly amazing hype for the Dual Compact Flash version below, or follow the links to compare the two bodies.

Right now I am at a loss as to what differentiates the two bodies. If you know, please feel free to leave a comment.

If you are a Nikon-shooter who enjoys getting the latest, greatest camera body, I would appreciate your using one of my affiliate links above to order. Remember: the sooner you order the sooner you will have your dream camera body in your hands.

Overview of the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Dual CompactFlash) Body

Qualifying itself as the flagship model in Nikon’s DSLR lineup, the D5 is positioned as a truly fast, highly precise machine for professional photographers. Revolving around a full-frame, FX-format 20.8MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED 5 image processor, this workhorse touts an impressive 12 fps continuous shooting rate with full-time AF and AE, an expandable sensitivity range that goes up to ISO 3280000, and 4K UHD video recording at 30 fps. Matching the imaging versatility, the D5 is also characterized by its redeveloped Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, which incorporates 99 cross-type sensors for refined precision when tracking moving subjects or working in difficult lighting conditions. This model features dual CompactFlash memory card slots, to provide versatility in file handling during shooting, and a range of selectable raw file sizes can also be used depending on output needs. Designed to keep up with the fastest subjects and handle the most difficult working conditions, the D5 is an advanced DSLR well-suited to the most extreme multimedia workflows.

Echoing the robust set of imaging capabilities, the D5 is of course equally refined in its handling and physical design attributes. A rear 3.2″ 2.36m-dot touchscreen LCD monitor afford clean, clear playback and live view shooting, along with an intuitive means for navigating the menu system. The camera chassis is constructed from magnesium alloy and is both dust- and weather-sealed to enable working in the harshest of environments. And lending an air of familiarity to the design, a slew of configurable Function buttons are available across the body, and an integrated vertical grip supports working in both horizontal and vertical shooting orientations.

20.8MP FX-Format CMOS Sensor and EXPEED 5 Image Processor

The FX-format 20.8MP CMOS sensor teams with the EXPEED 5 image processor to offer an esteemed mixture of high sensitivity, nuanced image quality, and fast overall performance. At native values, a sensitivity range from ISO 100-102400 permits working in a broad array of lighting conditions, an can be further expanded to ISO 50-3280000 (Lo 1 to Hi 5) to handle the most challenging of situations. The mixture of resolution and sensor size also contributes to clean image quality and smooth color transitions with reduced noise throughout the sensitivity range.

In addition to benefitting image quality, the EXPEED 5 processor also affords a wealth of speed throughout the camera system, including a top continuous shooting rate or 14 fps with the mirror up, or 12 fps with full-time autofocus and auto-exposure control. When shooting at 12 fps, up to 200 frames can be recorded in a single burst, even when shooting 14-bit lossless compressed NEF files. Benefitting this speed, redeveloped sequencer and mirror driving mechanisms also ensure consistent, accurate exposure results as well as a more stable viewfinder image.

153-Point Multi-CAM 20K Autofocus System

Matching the speed and imaging capabilities is the apt Multi-CAM 20K AF system, which features 153 total phase-detection points, including 99 cross-type sensors for improved subject recognition, and 55 of the points are selectable for greater compositional freedom. Benefitting the use of super telephoto lenses and teleconverters, 15 of the points, including 9 selectable points, are compatible with an effective aperture of f/8 and all 153 points support working with effective apertures of f/5.6 or brighter.

Complementing the abundance of focusing points is a dedicated AF engine, which offers quick response times to benefit tracking fast and randomly moving subjects, even at the top 12 fps shooting rate. The AF engine also contributes to enhanced focusing sensitivity, with all points capable of focusing -3 EV and the center point capable of reading at -4 EV for working in very dark, low-contrast situations.

Furthering the versatility of the focusing system, seven different AF-area modes can be selected to support varying types of subject matter:

Single-Point AF: The camera uses a single point to find focus.
Dynamic-Area AF: Available with 25, 72, or 153-point selections, this mode uses a primary single focus point to lock onto focus, and then makes use of the surrounding points for maintaining focus while tracking erratically-moving subjects.
Group-Area AF: This mode treats smaller groups of AF points as a single point for a wider field of recognition, and is well-suited to tracking faces or other detailed subjects.
3D-Tracking: Using a subject’s color information, this mode utilizes all 153 points to maintain focus on a moving subject while half-pressing the shutter button.
Auto-Area AF: This mode makes use of all 153 points to quickly identify the main subject, and then prioritizes recognized faces as portrait subjects in any AF servo mode.

In addition to the range of AF-area modes, an AF lock-on function can also be used to improve subject tracking performance, and can be adjusted by two parameters–quick or delayed blocked shot AF response and erratic or steady subject movement. By configuring these settings, the AF performance can be optimized to handle a wide variety of subject movement types.

Lastly, a unique auto AF fine-tune function can be employed to ensure the best possible focus for each mounted lens. Rather than relying on photographing distance charts, this function lets you achieve precise focus manually in live view, and then have the AF system calibrate itself to the fine-tuned focus position in order to alleviate front- and back-focusing issues.

Scene Recognition System and Exposure Metering

The intelligent Scene Recognition System with 3D Color Matrix Metering III utilizes a 180,000-pixel RGB sensor to evaluate and analyze all aspects within a scene, including brightness, contrast, subject distance, and the scene colors, to quickly determine an accurate exposure and white balance setting to best render the scene at hand. The information gathered is also checked against onboard reference images to ensure consistency from image to image in regard to exposure, white balance, i-TTL flash settings, and subject-tracking AF performance.

Other Camera Features

Three different sizes of raw files can be used depending on your output needs; raw size medium and small are 12-bit lossless compressed NEF files while the large file size is a 14-bit lossless uncompressed or compressed NEF file.
Spot White Balance control for live view shooting makes setting the white balance as easy as pointing to the area in the frame that should be white. Additionally, 1-6 preset white balance settings can be stored for easier switching between different light sources.

When reviewing continuous shooting sequences, you can configure to have the playback begin with the first or last image from the burst.

The D5 is compatible with the radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting system, which permits working with the optional WR-R10 Controller and WR-A10 Receiver, along with the SB-5000, for intuitive, controllable wireless flash shooting.

The built-in wired LAN function of 1000 Base-T (Gigabit) standard enables high-speed, seamless transferring of still imagery and movie files for expediting an entire post-production workflow.
For wireless file transferring, the D5 is compatible with the optional WT-6A Wireless Transmitter.
Picture Control modes allow you to set predefined looks to imagery in-camera and include Landscape, Monochrome, Neutral, Portrait, Standard, Vivid, Flat, and user-customizable settings.

Overview of the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Dual XQD) Body

To read the Overview for the Dual XQD version and possibly compare it to the Dual CompactFlash version, click here and scroll down to Overview.

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 finished up all of the work on my end for the upcoming San Diego exhibition. I sent off the Canon panel, the sponsor’s logos for the Thank You panel, and everything needed for the Introductory Panel.

And yikes! I just about forgot to mention the best news: the overnight parcel arrived at Arcube, the master CD read fine on both a Mac and a PC, I received and approved the cover art proof, and it looks like clear sailing from here. The exhibit companion e-book has to be placed in the what a miracle category…

There is not a whole lot of room left on the OCT/NOV 2016 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition, their last ever. If you would like to make your 2016 special by joining the BIRDS AS ART group for this trip, please scroll down for complete information.

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris

At TheNat, San Diego, California

Learn more here. Learn about the opening NATtalk, Choosing and Using Lenses for Bird and Nature Photography, here.

The Streak

In spite of having been buried by travel, teaching, and several major writing projects for the last two months, today’s blog post marks 60 days in a row with a new educational blog post. Please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases.

Important Note

Please understand that if you are up in the air about selling any old gear that the price of your item is dropping every day….

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Things have been heating up on the Used Gear page lately.

• With three offers on the day his lens was listed the sale of Mike Quigley’s Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens (the old five) is pending.
• Bill Ellison sold his 100-400 for $650 in early January, 2016.
• Alice Garland sold her Canon 500mm f/4L IS Lens for $3999 in late December 2015.
• Doug Rogers sold his Canon 100–400mm L IS zoom lens (the old 1-4) for $649 in late December 2015.
• Troy Duong sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens for $7500.00 in late December 2015.
• Walt Anderson sold his used Canon 1D X for $3000 in late December to a BAA friend before it was even listed!
• Larry Master sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $1399 in mid-December 2015.
• Melissa Hahn sold her Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition now for $8299 in early December, 2015.
• Monte Brown sold his 300mm f/2.8L II lens in near-mint condition for $4499 two days after it was listed in mid-December, 2015.
• Stephen Zarate sold his used Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom lens very quickly in early December for $650, the original asking price.
• Kenton Rowe sold his Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in early December for $9799.
• Brent Bridges sold his Canon 600 II for the full asking price, $9799,in early December 2015.

Featured Items

The two items below are severely under-priced and surely represent the two best-ever buys in the history of Used Photo Gear Sales!

Mint Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

The Already Record Low BAA Price was Reduced $150 MORE on January 5,2015.

Walt Thomas is offering a used Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens in mint condition for $749. The sale includes all original packaging, the lens case, the lens hood, and insured UPS ground shipping. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Walt by e-mail or call him at (520)-495-5612 (Mountain time).

The 100 macro IS is Denise Ippolito’s very favorite flower lens and I love mine too. It is incredibly light and sharp and easy to hand hold. I would, however, strongly advise adding the Canon Tripod Mount Ring D for IS 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens. artie

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens

The Already Record Low BAA Price was Reduced $200 MORE on DEC 27, 2015.

Stephen Zarate is offering a used Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (the old 400 DO) in very good plus condition for a new record-low BAA price, an insanely low of $2499.00. The lens is covered by a well-worn “digital camo” LensCoat and the tripod ring shows minor signs of wear. The sale includes the lens trunk, the front and rear lens caps, the leather front lens cover, the aforementioned LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via UPS ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Stephen by e-mail or by phone at 949-697-8194 (Pacific time).

I used this lens for several years with great success, especially for birds in flight and while working from various type of water craft. In addition, it would make a great prime super-telephoto lens for folks with a 7D II. Gannets in Love was created with the 400 DO. You can see that one and 13 other killer images that I made with my old 400 DO here. The title of that blog post is “The Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens: Fourteen Images that Prove that the Internet Experts are Idiots.” Stephen’s lens is priced to sell. artie

This image was also created at Godthul on the Cheesemans’ 2015 South Georgia Expedition with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB. AI Servo/Rear Focus Zone AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). It did a great job by selecting three AF points on the pup’s neck above and to the left of the center AF point, right on the same plane as the eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Young Antarctic Fur Seal on tussock mound

Antarctic Fur Seal

Though on most South Georgia landings it seems that there is a young fur seal on every tussock mound, I must admit that I do not spend much time photographing them. And the same goes for the adults. We were headed back to the zodiacs when I saw this cute little one so I decided to make a few images while experimenting with Zone AF. As far as the fur seals go, it is best to stay away from the big males on the beaches. There is a fairly substantial section in the Southern Ocean Photography Guide that lets folks know just how not to get bitten by a fur seal…

100-400II Versatility

The image above succeeds because of the endearing pose and the perfect framing. Zoom lenses are great for nature photographers as they allow us to adjust our framing without having to move our position. Here are two tips for hand holding an intermediate telephoto zoom lens:

• Hold the lens with your left hand below the lens and your palm pointed to the sky–it’s amazing how many folks have their left hand on top of the lens with their palm pointed down. When I see folks on an IPT doing holding their lens incorrectly, I ask them, If you were trying to hold a small log up would you grab it from the top?
• Hold the lens with your left hand far enough out on the lens barrel that your hand rests close to the center of the zoom ring. Though it seems quite obvious that in this manner, zooming in and out would be easier, but many folks hold the lens with their left hand too far back on the lens barrel, close to the camera body. That always prompts another log question from me: “If you were holding a log would it make more sense to hold it in the center or at the end?”

Image Cleanup

There was nothing that I could do in the field about the ugly strand of tussock grass intersecting with the seal’s flipper and hind quarters, but in Photoshop, eliminating it was fairly simple. I used my Divide and Conquer techniques: Clone Stamp to break the untoward strand of grass into manageable segments and then the Patch Tool to make them disappear. Then Protect and Defend cloning on layer to get rid of the grass where it merged with both the flipper and the rear of the pup’s body followed by a series of small Quick Masks each transformed and warped and then refined with a Regular Layer Mask to smooth over the areas of intersection. Then some regular Patch Tool and Spot Healing Brush work to get rid of some of the blemishes in the fur.

Next I carefully selected the whole seal with the Quick Selection Tool, put that on its own layer, and applied my NIK 50-50 recipe, 50% Tonal Contrast and 50% Detail Extractor. That layer was refined by a Regular Layer Mask. Then I selected only the face with the Quick Selection Tool and put that on its own layer and applied a Contrast Mask: Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0 and then pulled up the Curve to lighten it. Total time: 8 minutes after converting the RAW file in DPP 4.

Digital Basics

Everything that I did to optimize today’s featured image is covered in detail in my Digital Basics File–written in my easy-to-follow, easy-to-understand style. Are you tired of making your images look worse in Photoshop? Digital Basics File is an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, the Surface Blur settings that I use to smooth background noise, Divide and Conquer, protective cloning on a layer, and tons more.

APTATS I & II

Learn the details of advanced Quick Masking techniques in APTATS I. Learn Advanced Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS I. Mention this blog post and apply a $5 discount to either with phone orders only. Buy both APTATS I and APTATS II and we will be glad to apply at $15 discount with phone orders. Please call Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-221-2372 to take advantage of this special offer. You can find the same deal in the BAA Online Store here.

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)

The RAW file for today’s image was of course converted in DPP 4. 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 DPP 4 eGuide (PDF) Updated for 1D Mark IV and the original 7D

The DPP 4 eGuide was recently updated to include the luminance and chrominance noise reduction values for both the 1D Mark IV and the original 7D. If you purchased your copy from BAA please e-mail Jim and request the DPP 4 1d IV/7D update. Please be sure to cut and paste page 1 into your e-mail as proof of purchase.

DPP 4 Kudos

From Richard Gollard via e-mail:

I have been doing tons of studying the books and PDFs that I have purchased from BIRDS AS ART. And I have to say that after reading the DPP 4 conversion guide that you did with Arash Hazeghi I tried DPP 4 and was blown away with the difference from the conversions that I made with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Thanks for the consistently great information.

All images on the card were created on the 2015 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: King Penguin resting on Snow, Fortuna Bay; Macaroni Penguin in snow, Cooper Island; Grey-headed Albatross, Elsehul; King Penguin neck abstract, Godthul; Northern Giant Petrel, Undine Harbor; adult Wandering Albatross, Prion Island; Elephant Seal, Undine Harbor; South Georgia Pipit fledgling/thanks Joe Kaplan! Fortuna Bay; high key King Penguins in snow, Fortuna Bay. Card design and all images copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition

If reading the blog post here put a thought in your mind about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line with any questions or if you wish to receive additional inspiration. This will surely be my last ship-based trip to the Southern Ocean as well.

All of the images on this card were created in the Falklands on the 2014 Cheesemans’ Southern Oceans Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: Black-browed Albatross tending chick, Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross courting pair, New Island; the Black-browed Albatross colony at Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross landing, New Island; King Cormorant head portrait, New Island; hull detail/derelict minesweeper, New Island; Rockhopper Penguin head portrait in bright sun, New Island; Striated Caracara, Steeple Jason Island; Magellanic Snipe chick, Sea Lion Island.

An Expedition Overview

Experience the vibrant spring of South Georgia, a true Antarctic wildlife paradise. Observe and photograph wildlife behaviors seldom seen beneath the towering, snow-blanketed mountains that dominate the island’s landscape. Southern Elephant Seal bulls fight for breeding rights while females nurse young, overlook vast colonies of loafing King Penguins, watch Macaroni Penguins cavort in the snow, photograph handsome Gray-headed Albatrosses in flight or attending to their cliffside nests and awkward Wandering Albatrosses attempting first flight. The itinerary includes six landing days on South Georgia and three landing days in the Falklands to observe too cute Rockhopper Penguins, Magellanic Penguins standing watch at their nesting burrows, and more Black-browed Albatrosses than you could ever imagine. To commemorate Shackleton’s famous self-rescue crossing South Georgia, CES also offers an optional trek retracing his steps. With Cheesemans’ twenty years of experience in the Antarctic region, they commit to an in-depth exploration of one of the densest wildlife spectacles found anywhere in the world, and with only 100 passengers, they routinely give you the opportunity to completely immerse yourself on each landing.

Two of the scheduled Falklands’ landings, New Island and especially Steeple Jason Island, rival the best locations on South Georgia. Those will likely include Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Elsehul, Fortuna Bay, and either Cooper Island or Hercules Bay (for Macaroni Penguins).

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. There will likely never be another trip like this as the best outfit in the Southern Oceans business will not be returning after 2016…. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an expedition staff member on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. And I will be doing an introductory photography program for the entire ship on our crossing to South Georgia. All who sign up via BAA will receive a free copy the new Southern Ocean Photography Guide (a $100 value) that I am currently working on. It will include pre-trip gear and clothing recommendations and a ton of info that you will find to be invaluable.

I will hold informal pre-landing briefings aboard ship so that when you land you know exactly what to expect and where to go. I will be available on the ship to review your images, answer your questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the shipboard birds in flight and marine mammal photographic sessions.

Again, if you would like to join me on what will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to a wondrous place, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line.

You can learn more about the trip here. If you sign up on your own be sure to mention that you would like to be part of the BAA Group. I’d be glad to answer any and all questions via e-mail or by phone at 863-692-0906.

Important Notes

#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one extra penny.

For additional details on the trip and the ship, see the blog post here.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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?

Well, I got the master CD and the cover art for the birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100 exhibit-companion e-book project to UPS on Saturday morning. It is going Next Day Air for delivery to the manufacturing company in Richardson, TX on Monday morning. But it was not easy.

First, I had a ton of trouble burning the CD because the external CD reader for my Apple 15.4″ MacBook Pro Notebook Computer with Retina Display & Force Touch Trackpad (Mid 2015) kept crapping out. When I did burn the CD on one of our office computers, it came up as “Corrupt File.” So I tried Jim’s computer and the file burned correctly. But I still had to make sure that the master CD could be read by a Mac. Miraculously, the external CD reader came back to life just long enough for me to view the PDF on my laptop.

Next, I called the UPS dispatcher. She was very nice and was willing to send a driver to my home for the pickup, but when she confessed to being “geographically challenged” and told me that there were “only four substitute drivers working” I decided to drive the 25 miles into town to hand-deliver my package to the UPS station. Piece of cake, right? Not exactly. I tried in vain to find the address for more than 15 minutes and then called the dispatcher. I told her that I was in the Sunoco station on SR 27. I must have sounded desperate as she offered to drive to the gas station to get my my overnight parcel. And so she did.

Now I can only hope that everything goes smoothly with the manufacturing process so that I have CDs to sell at the exhibit opening. 🙂

As for the free excerpt below from the Southern Oceans Guide (in progress), all that I can say is that if Godthul is basically a backup landing site, imagine the images that you could make at one of the world class South Georgia wildlife landing locations. Scroll down to join me and the BAA group on next year’s Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition.

Thanks a Stack!

Thanks a stack to the many who helped proofread the Canon Panel either via comment or e-mail. The irrepressible BugBob Allen volunteered to help without being asked and came up with a few great catches that everyone else missed. I will send the final version to Alan Lillich today so that he can go over it with his fine-toothed comb.

This image was created at Godthul on the Cheesemans’ 2015 South Georgia Expedition with the with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 176mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. AWB. AI Servo Expand/Zone AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The system selected 4 AF points below and to the left of the center AF point, just where it should have. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Gentoo Penguin colony on hillside with photographers (one kneeling, one seated)

Free Excerpt with Images

The text below was adapted from the Southern Oceans Site Guide that I have been working on in my free time. 🙂

Godthul

This is another spot that would not be on the top of anyone’s list of favorite landings. I have, however, made a few landings here and wound up making some good images. Godthul is in a very protected location; if you are blown out of a landing at St. Andrews Bay, for example, you might very well get to spend a few hours on Godthul. As above, there is a Gentoo colony up the hill. Before you make the hike be sure to check out the sun angle; if it looks as if you will not be able to point your shadow at the birds, it might be best to skip the hike.

100-400 II Versatility

Consider the variety of subject matter and the framing in today’s featured images and throw in the fact that I was able to make a pretty neat image of a single seal eyeball with the 1-4/1.4X TC combo and it gives you a pretty good idea of just how versatile this new lens is.

This image was also created at Godthul on the Cheesemans’ 2015 South Georgia Expedition with the with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 450mm)and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at about -2 stops was considerably underexposed at 1/800 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point fell on the penguin’s right eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Gentoo Penguin swimming in stream

Godthul Excerpt Continued

The beach at Godthul is small and narrow. If it is clear and the sun is on your right when you get out of the zodiac the best strategy is to cross the small stream about 75 yards to your right so that you can work properly on sun angle. On some visits when there are lots of penguins by the stream, the leaders may forbid you from approaching them and crossing the stream. When that happened on my last visit I asked if a zodiac could drop off a few folks on the other side of the stream. “No problem.”

This image was also created at Godthul on the Cheesemans’ 2015 South Georgia Expedition with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was placed just forward of and below the eye, just touching the gape–right on the plane of the bird’s eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Gentoo Penguin calling

Godthul Excerpt Continued

You will usually find some King and Gentoo Penguins on the beach along with some fur seals. And there will be lots of fur seals up in the tussock grass. The penguins often congregate near or bathe in the stream; this can—as above—provide lots of good opportunities. By moving slowly and getting low, it is easy to get close to the penguins.

Exposure Question

What two factors led to my applying negative exposure compensation for each of today’s featured images?

Your Favorite?

Artistically, for me, one of today’s three images stands head and shoulders above the other two. Please leave a comment and let us know which is your favorite and why you like it.

All images on the card were created on the 2015 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: King Penguin resting on Snow, Fortuna Bay; Macaroni Penguin in snow, Cooper Island; Grey-headed Albatross, Elsehul; King Penguin neck abstract, Godthul; Northern Giant Petrel, Undine Harbor; adult Wandering Albatross, Prion Island; Elephant Seal, Undine Harbor; South Georgia Pipit fledgling/thanks Joe Kaplan! Fortuna Bay; high key King Penguins in snow, Fortuna Bay. Card design and all images copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition

If reading the blog post here put a thought in your mind about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line with any questions or if you wish to receive additional inspiration. This will surely be my last ship-based trip to the Southern Ocean as well.

All of the images on this card were created in the Falklands on the 2014 Cheesemans’ Southern Oceans Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: Black-browed Albatross tending chick, Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross courting pair, New Island; the Black-browed Albatross colony at Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross landing, New Island; King Cormorant head portrait, New Island; hull detail/derelict minesweeper, New Island; Rockhopper Penguin head portrait in bright sun, New Island; Striated Caracara, Steeple Jason Island; Magellanic Snipe chick, Sea Lion Island.

An Expedition Overview

Experience the vibrant spring of South Georgia, a true Antarctic wildlife paradise. Observe and photograph wildlife behaviors seldom seen beneath the towering, snow-blanketed mountains that dominate the island’s landscape. Southern Elephant Seal bulls fight for breeding rights while females nurse young, overlook vast colonies of loafing King Penguins, watch Macaroni Penguins cavort in the snow, photograph handsome Gray-headed Albatrosses in flight or attending to their cliffside nests and awkward Wandering Albatrosses attempting first flight. The itinerary includes six landing days on South Georgia and three landing days in the Falklands to observe too cute Rockhopper Penguins, Magellanic Penguins standing watch at their nesting burrows, and more Black-browed Albatrosses than you could ever imagine. To commemorate Shackleton’s famous self-rescue crossing South Georgia, CES also offers an optional trek retracing his steps. With Cheesemans’ twenty years of experience in the Antarctic region, they commit to an in-depth exploration of one of the densest wildlife spectacles found anywhere in the world, and with only 100 passengers, they routinely give you the opportunity to completely immerse yourself on each landing.

Two of the scheduled Falklands’ landings, New Island and especially Steeple Jason Island, rival the best locations on South Georgia. Those will likely include Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Elsehul, Fortuna Bay, and either Cooper Island or Hercules Bay (for Macaroni Penguins).

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. There will likely never be another trip like this as the best outfit in the Southern Oceans business will not be returning after 2016…. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an expedition staff member on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. And I will be doing a introductory photography program for the entire ship on our crossing to South Georgia. All who sign up via BAA will receive a free copy the new Southern Ocean Photography Guide (a $100 value) that I am currently working on. It will include pre-trip gear and clothing recommendations and a ton of info that you will find to be invaluable.

I will hold informal pre-landing briefings aboard ship so that when you land you know exactly what to expect and where to go. I will be available on the ship to review your images, answer your questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the shipboard birds in flight and marine mammal photographic sessions.

Again, if you would like to join me on what will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to a wondrous place, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line.

You can learn more about the trip here. If you sign up on your own be sure to mention that you would like to be part of the BAA Group. I’d be glad to answer any and all question via e-mail or by phone at 863-692-0906.

Important Notes

#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one penny.

For additional details on the trip and the ship, see the blog post here.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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?

I spent virtually all of my waking hours yesterday working with Alan Lillich and BugBob Allen on the final edits of the birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100 exhibit-companion e-book. This morning I need to incorporate the changes suggested by folks who called and ordered an advance review copy yesterday and fine-tune the document cover art and cover text. I hope to be burning the master CD today right after lunch. Luckily, I was able to arrange for a UPS pickup at my home-office for Saturday morning.

There is not a whole lot of room left on the OCT/NOV 2016 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition, their last ever. If you would like to make your 2016 special by joining the BIRDS AS ART group for this trip, please scroll down for complete information.

This image was created from the ship at about 3:45am as it was anchored off the spectacular King Penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia on the 2015 Cheesemans’ Expedition. What can I say? I like getting up early. I used the hand held Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens and the rugged Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative meterting +1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the top of the large mountain on the left and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Pre-dawn lenticular clouds

Have a Great 2016!

Older daughter Jennifer, right-hand man Jim Litzenberg, and I hope that all of you have a great 2016 filled with wonder (as above), good health, happiness, prosperity, success, and lots of great new images. Whether you will be traveling to many of the world’s top photo destinations or will be making images in your own backyard, remember that the big secret to becoming a better nature photographer is to pay attention to small details.

Important Note

Please understand that if you are up in the air about selling any old gear that the price of your item is dropping every day….

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Things have been heating up on the Used Gear page lately.

• Alice Garland sold her Canon 500mm f/4L IS Lens for $3999 in late December 2015.
• Doug Rogers sold his Canon 100–400mm L IS zoom lens (the old 1-4) for $649 in late December 2015.
• Troy Duong sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens for $7500.00 in late December 2015.
• Walt Anderson sold his used Canon 1D X for $3000 in late December to a BAA friend before it was even listed!
• Larry Master sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $1399 in mid-December 2015.
• Melissa Hahn sold her Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition now for $8299 in early December, 2015.
• Monte Brown sold his 300mm f/2.8L II lens in near-mint condition for $4499 two days after it was listed in mid-December, 2015.
• Stephen Zarate sold his used Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom lens very quickly in early December for $650, the original asking price.
• Kenton Rowe sold his Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in early December for $9799.
• Brent Bridges sold his Canon 600 II for the full asking price, $9799,in early December 2015.

New Listings

Canon 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS Zoom Lens

Doug Bolt is offering a used Canon 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS zoom lens (the old 1-4) in excellent condition for the record-low BAA price of $629. The sale includes front and rear lens caps, the ET-83C hood, the tripod ring, the tough fabric LZ1324 lens carrying case, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Doug via e-mail or by phone at 301-937-3112 (Eastern time).

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

Canon 400mm f/5.6L Lens

Douglas Bolt is also offering a used Canon 400mm f/5.6L lens in excellent condition for $699. The sale includes all the original stuff, a LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Doug via e-mail or by phone at 301-937-3112 (Eastern time).

I put my beloved Toy Lens” on the map before the turn of the millennium when I began using it with film and the Canon A2 camera body to photograph birds in flight. Today it remains a great flight lens and in addition, makes a great bird photography starter lens. I couples quite well with the 7D Mark II and will autofocus with a 1.4X TC with that camera and most of the newer Canon bodies as well. artie

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Zoom Lens for Canon

Douglas Bolt is also offering a used Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD Zoom lens for Canon in like-new condition for $699. The lens sells new at B&H for $1069. The sale includes all the original stuff and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Doug via e-mail or by phone at 301-937-3112 (Eastern time).

All images on the card were created on the 2015 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: King Penguin resting on Snow, Fortuna Bay; Macaroni Penguin in snow, Cooper Island; Grey-headed Albatross, Elsehul; King Penguin neck abstract, Godthul; Northern Giant Petrel, Undine Harbor; adult Wandering Albatross, Prion Island; Elephant Seal, Undine Harbor; South Georgia Pipit fledgling/thanks Joe Kaplan! Fortuna Bay; high key King Penguins in snow, Fortuna Bay. Card design and all images copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition

If reading last Saturday’s blog post here put a thought in your mind about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the Cheesemans’ 2016 OCT/NOV South Georgia/Falklands Expedition, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line with any questions or if you wish to receive additional inspiration. This will surely be my last ship-based trip to the Southern Ocean as well.

All of the images on this card were created in the Falklands on the 2014 Cheesemans’ Southern Oceans Expedition. From top left clockwise to center: Black-browed Albatross tending chick, Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross courting pair, New Island; the Black-browed Albatross colony at Steeple Jason Island; Black-browed Albatross landing, New Island; King Cormorant head portrait, New Island; hull detail/derelict minesweeper, New Island; Rockhopper Penguin head portrait in bright sun, New Island; Striated Caracara, Steeple Jason Island; Magellanic Snipe chick, Sea Lion Island.

An Expedition Overview

Experience the vibrant spring of South Georgia, a true Antarctic wildlife paradise. Observe and photograph wildlife behaviors seldom seen beneath the towering, snow-blanketed mountains that dominate the island’s landscape. Southern Elephant Seal bulls fight for breeding rights while females nurse young, overlook vast colonies of loafing King Penguins, watch Macaroni Penguins cavort in the snow, photograph handsome Gray-headed Albatrosses in flight or attending to their cliffside nests and awkward Wandering Albatrosses attempting first flight. The itinerary includes six landing days on South Georgia and three landing days in the Falklands to observe too cute Rockhopper Penguins, Magellanic Penguins standing watch at their nesting burrows, and more Black-browed Albatrosses than you could ever imagine. To commemorate Shackleton’s famous self-rescue crossing South Georgia, CES also offers an optional trek retracing his steps. With Cheesemans’ twenty years of experience in the Antarctic region, they commit to an in-depth exploration of one of the densest wildlife spectacles found anywhere in the world, and with only 100 passengers, they routinely give you the opportunity to completely immerse yourself on each landing.

Two of the scheduled Falklands’ landings, New Island and especially Steeple Jason Island, rival the best locations on South Georgia. Those will likely include Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Elsehul, Fortuna Bay, and either Cooper Island or Hercules Bay (for Macaroni Penguins).

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. There will likely never be another trip like this as the best outfit in the Southern Oceans business will not be returning after 2016…. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an expedition staff member on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. And I will be doing a introductory photography program for the entire ship on our crossing to South Georgia. All who sign up via BAA will receive a free copy the new Southern Ocean Photography Guide (a $100 value) that I am currently working on. It will include pre-trip gear and clothing recommendations and a ton of info that you will find to be invaluable.

I will hold informal pre-landing briefings aboard ship so that when you land you know exactly what to expect and where to go. I will be available on the ship to review your images, answer your questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the shipboard birds in flight and marine mammal photographic sessions.

Again, if you would like to join me on what will truly be a once in a lifetime opportunity to a wondrous place, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Cheesemans’ Last Southern Ocean Expedition” cut and pasted into the Subject Line.

You can learn more about the trip here. If you sign up on your own be sure to mention that you would like to be part of the BAA Group. I’d be glad to answer any and all question via e-mail or by phone at 863-692-0906.

Important Notes

#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one penny.

For additional details on the trip and the ship, see Saturday’s blog post here.

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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 🙂

Images and card copyright Arthur Morris/BEARS AS ART 🙂

The Really Big News

We have been in contact with an overseas operator who wishes to fill all sixteen slots for the two bear boat cub IPTs below right now!. But both co-leader Denise Ippolito and I wish to give our regular clients first crack at these two great trips; we are presently negotiating as to a cut-off date. As below, we have had these reservations for nearly three years; they are the prime dates for chances at photographing small spring Coastal Brown Bear cubs (coastal grizzlies). Please let us know if you be sending your deposit or e-mail if you have any questions. I will be e-mailing those who have previously expressed interest in these two trips.

2017 Bear Boat Coastal Brown Bear Cubs IPTs: July 12-18 and July 18-24, 2017 from Kodiak, AK/each IPT is 5 FULL & 2 Half DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8 plus the two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

Double your opportunities and maximize your travel dollars by signing up for both trips and we will be glad to apply a $500 discount to your balance.

Join us in spectacular Katmai National Park, AK for six (or twelve!) days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears. Mid-July is prime time for making images of small, football-sized cubs. The cubs, and these dates, are so popular that we had to reserve them three years in advance to secure them. There are lots of bears each year in June, but the mothers only rarely risk bringing their tiny cubs out in the open for fear of predation by rival bears. In addition to making portraits of both adults and cubs, we hope to photograph frolicking and squabbling youngsters and tender nursing scenes. At this time of year the bears are either grazing in luxuriant grass or clamming. There will also be some two- and three-year old cubs to add to the fun. And we will get to photograph it all.

We live on our tour operator’s luxurious new boat. At 78 feet long its 24 foot beam makes it quite spacious as well. And the food is great. We will likely spend most of our time at famed Geographic Harbor as that is where the bears are generally concentrated in summer. On the odd chance that we do need to relocate to another location we can do so quickly and easily without having to venture into any potentially rough seas. We land via a 25 foot skiff that has lots of room for as much gear as you can carry.

Aside from the bears we will get to photograph Horned and Tufted Puffin and should get nice stuff on Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Harbor Seal, and Steller’s Sea Lion as well. A variety of tundra-nesting shorebirds including Western Sandpiper and both yellowlegs are also possible. Halibut fishing (license required/not included) is optional.

For folks on the first trip, July 12-18, 2017, it is mandatory that they be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of July 11 to avoid missing the float planes to our boat on the morning of July 12. With air travel in Alaska being what it is–with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on July 10 is a much better plan. That said in my dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once and that was for only part of a day, but since I was a day early there was no harm, no foul.

For folks on the second trip–July 18, 24, 2017–it is mandatory that they be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of July 17 to avoid missing the float planes to our boat on the morning of July 18. Again, with air travel in Alaska subject to possible delays, being on Kodiak on July 16 is a much better plan.

On both trips we should get to photograph bears on our first afternoon and then again every day for the next five days after that, all weather permitting of course. On our last mornings on the boat, July 18 and July 24 respectively, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will have the opportunity to do so. The group will return to Kodiak via float plane from late morning through midday. Most folks will then fly to Anchorage and to continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.

What’s included? 7 DAYS/6 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. National Park and guide fees. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of two top professionals; we will constantly let you know what we are thinking, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and informal Photoshop instruction on the boat.

What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). Your lodging and meals on Kodiak. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat and then back to Kodiak as above. The cost of a round trip last year was $550. The suggested crew tip of $200.

Have you ever walked with the bears?

Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 5 full and two half days, a wealth of great subjects, and the fact that you will be walking with the bears just yards away (or less….), it will be one of the great natural history experiences of your life. Most folks who take part in a Bear Boat IPT wind up coming back for more.

A $2,000 per person non-refundable deposit by check only made out to “BIRDS AS ART” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policies. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us by mail to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855.

Your deposit is due when you sign up. That leaves a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on September 15, 2016. The final payment of $2000 is due on February 15, 2017. We hope that you can join us for what will be a wondrously exciting trip.

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 will be scrambling this week trying to get the files for the companion CD book to the CD publishing company by Monday, January 4, 2016 so that we will have product available for the exhibit opening on January 16. I did a lot of scrambling yesterday. Thanks to the many who responded to my pleas for editing help. Four folks — Alan Lillich, Andrae Acerra, Bob Smith, and John Armitage were quite helpful but old friend “Bug” Bob Allen rose well above the call of duty first by sending his powerful yet gentle edits of the documents and then being available to answer my e-mails and phone calls till late into the night. Thanks all.

Important Note

Please understand that if you are up in the air about selling some of your old gear that the price of your item is dropping every day….

Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Things have been heating up on the Used Gear page lately.

• Troy Duong sold his Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens for $7500.00 in late December 2015.
• Walt Anderson sold a used Canon 1D X for $3000 in late December to a BAA friend before it was even listed!
• Larry Master sold a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $1399 in mid-December 2015.
• Melissa Hahn sold her Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition now for $8299 in early December, 2015.
• Monte Brown sold his 300mm 2.8 II lens in near-mint condition for $4499 two days after it was listed in mid-December, 2015.
• Stephen Zarate sold his used Canon 100-400mm L IS zoom lens very quickly in early December for $650, the original asking price.
• Kenton Rowe sold his Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in early December for $9799.
• Brent Bridges sold his Canon 600 II for the full asking price, $9799,in early December 2015.
• Mike Ederegger sold his AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II in excellent condition for $ 5199 right after it was listed.

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens

The Already Record Low BAA Price was Reduced $200 MORE on DEC 27, 2015.

Stephen Zarate is offering a used Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (the old 400 DO) in very good plus condition for a new record-low BAA price, an insanely low of $2499.00. The lens is covered by a well-worn “digital camo” LensCoat and the tripod ring shows minor signs of wear. The sale includes the lens trunk, the front and rear lens caps, the leather front lens cover, the aforementioned LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via UPS ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Stephen by e-mail or by phone at 949-697-8194 (Pacific time).

I used this lens for several years with great success, especially for birds in flight and while working from various type of water craft. In addition, it would make a great prime super-telephoto lens for folks with a 7D II. Gannets in Love was created with the 400 DO. You can see that one and 13 other killer images that I made with my old 400 DO here. The title of that blog post is “The Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens: Fourteen Images that Prove that the Internet Experts are Idiots.” Stephen’s lens is priced to sell. artie

This image was created on the second 2015 Bosque IPT with the Induro GIT 304L tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III,, and the incredible Canon EOS 5DS R. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Color temperature 8000K. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the neck of the crane on our right and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Sandhill Crane sunset silhouette

A Dime a Dozen

If you do not know when and where and how to create images like this you either need to join me on next January’s IPT or at the very least, get yourself a copy of the Bosque Site Guide.

The Facts

Next season, I am offering a 4 1/2-DAY Bosque IPT in mid-January. And yes, there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Many of them are downright cheap. There are strict requirements for becoming a workshop leader these days: you must own a camera…. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. With me you will have an instructor with more days of teaching and more in-the-field photography experience at Bosque than anyone living or dead: 21 seasons worth. And two BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year-honored images from Bosque. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time every day, do join me.

Bosque del Apache 2017 BIRDS AS ART/Instructional Photo-Tour. January 13 (afternoon session) through January 17, 2017. 4 1/2 DAYS: $1899. Limit 12/Openings 10.

One half day followed by four full days. Includes four lunches, a comprehensive introductory program on the evening of January 13, and unequaled in-classroom and in-the-field instruction. Breakfasts are on-the-run/grab what you can or motel lobby or get-up-early-and-get to McDonalds (right next door). Four early morning sessions. Five afternoon sessions. The last afternoon will be spent at the Albuquerque Zoo photographing Wood Ducks. This will allow folks to stay in ABQ that evening and grab an early morning flight home (if that works for them).

You can find the complete details by clicking here.

The Big Question

Lana Hays asked on Facebook, “Does this mean that you are not going to be at Bosque during your traditional Thanksgiving time slot next year?

Others were concerned that there might not be any birds….

Why?

#1: I have two big Southern Ocean trips–two land-based trips to the Falklands plus the great Cheesemans’ South Georgia/Falklands Expedition. With three weeks and one day between the end of the first trip and the start of the second, I am strongly considering staying in South America for the whole nine weeks instead of having to fly up and back twice…. And even if I do fly home in between the trips, the dates for the Festival of the Cranes and the timing of Thanksgiving would conspire against me.

#2: Over the years, many folks have written stating that they would love to come to Bosque but that they could never get away any time near Turkey Day because of family obligations and the difficulty of traveling by air at that season. This IPT should work well for those folks.

#3: I have been to the refuge in late February, and yes, things were different. We had lots of geese posing in clear blue water right next to the tour loop road and I got to see hundreds of Sandhill Cranes circling up to ride the thermals as they began their northward migration. And I was there once in January. We had lots of birds and lots of action. Along with some great sunrise and sunset colors.

Light Geese Numbers

I decided to see what I could dig up as far as goose numbers over the year…. I found this 5-year summary on the Friends of the Bosque website. I added the red vertical line to approximate the start date of the January 2016 IPT. It looks as if are on average about 30,000 white geese (Snows and Ross’s) in mid-January, well more than that if you discount the 2009/10 numbers.

Crane Numbers

Next I decided to check out the Sandhill Crane numbers and again found what I was looking for on the Friends’ website. And again I added the red vertical line to approximate the start date of the January 2016 IPT. Here it looks as if there are at least about 1,000 more cranes on average in mid-January than in the third week of November.

What’s It All Mean?

While there are never any guarantees in nature photography, it looks as if a mid-January IPT will enjoy good numbers of both light geese and Sandhill Cranes.

More Recent Data?

If anyone can find some more recent annual or monthly Bosque bird counts, I would appreciate their leaving a link or two in a comment. I am especially interested in seeing if the seemingly diminishing corn crops in recent years have reduced numbers across the board….

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, Gitzo tripods, 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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.

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Typos

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