Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

I am currently leading the 2015 Bears Catching Salmon/Bear Boat IPT. Enjoy.

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.

The last two months as a B&H affiliate have been quite rewarding. Thanks a stack to the many who used our B&H links for purchases large and small. Right now I am working closely with my B&H rep to have four 400 DO and two 100-400 II BAA Affiliate orders expedited. It has been nearly impossible to come by a 400 DO II. I am hoping that my efforts pay dividends fairly soon…. 100-400IIs are now in stock at B&H. The 400 DO II lenses continue to be in very short supply. The sooner you order, the sooner you will get yours; I am working closely with my contact at B&H to have the current orders expedited when a shipment does actually arrive.

To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H Is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially Gitzo tripods, Wimberley tripod heads, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and visiting the BAA Online store as well.

Selling Your Used Photo 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 weeks we have sold nearly 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 the complete listings here.

Pickerelweed City…

In early spring pickerelweed is in bloom along the lakeshore at Indian Lake Estates where Sandhill Cranes nest and Great Egrets feed. Note in each image how the flowers dramatically add to the success of each image.

Image Design Questions…

What are some of the image design principles that make both of today’s images work? There are at least three major ones….

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s two images is your favorite? Why?

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet and introductory slide program after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on SAT NOV 21.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 3 morning and 3 afternoon photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/21, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 4-DAY IPT: (three full and two 1/2 DAYS) NOV 28-DEC 2, 2015. $1499. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet at 3pm on SAT NOV 28 followed by an afternoon photo session at the crane pools and the introductory slide program after dinner on your own.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/28through 12/1), 4 morning (11/29 to 12/2) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/28, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail after July 29.

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Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

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 :).

More 100-400II Versatility: Fish as Art?

The more that I use the 100-400II, the more I am amazed by its versatility. On our Gilbert Bay hike I was able to create head portraits of Coastal Brown Bear, a race of grizzly, photograph large wildflowers, and make some Salmon as Art images as well. I think that the artistic success of today’s featured image is due in part to the soft light, the sweet green and brown tones, and the relatively slow shutter speed. Note that the Singh-Ray LB Warming Circular Polarizer set to dark allowed me to better see the fish below the surface by eliminating the bothersome surface reflections to some degree. A polarizer will not, however, completely eliminate bright specular highlights.

The Left Knee

On our first weather-delayed day we walked about a mile to the falls near the Mendenhall Glacier. After the treatment by Dr. Dan Holland a few days before, the knee had felt great, better than it had in months. That evening, despite the even terrain, my left knee ached plenty. I am not sure if it was the Rx Pain Relief Bracelet that I put in place or something else, but despite lots of gnarly up and down climbs over roots and rocks at Gilbert Bay, the problematic knee has felt great ever since. Go figure.

The RAW Conversion

The RAW conversion in DPP 4 was straightforward. DPP 4 is amazingly simple to use, especially after your create and save a recipe file for each ISO for each camera body. Arash’s recommended Luminance and Chrominance settings and the correct Sharpness setting are entered and saved in each recipe. After applying the recipe, the only thing that I need do with 98% of my images is to adjust the Highlight and Shadow sliders on the Perform basic image adjustment tab. Fast, simple, and easy with great color and the highest image quality available…. Learn more about DPP 4 in the DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

Please let me know if creating recipe files is detailed in the DPP 4 guide; if not, I will do a free tutorial here on the blog.

The Image Optimization

The big problem with this image were the specular highlights (reflections) on the surface of the water, especially those in the upper left corner. I used my usual cadre of clean-up tools, the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool, my beloved Patch Tool, and a series of Quick Masks that were refined by Regular Layer Masks. I even tried Content Aware Fill on one problematic area and it worked like a charm. I applied a layer of my NIK Color Efex Pro 50-50 recipe and reduced the opacity to about 33%. Total time in Photoshop: about 30 minutes.

Everything that I did to optimize today’s 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, Contrast Masks, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Tim Grey Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, the Surface Blur (background noise reduction) settings as taught to me by Denise Ippolito, 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 only. Please call Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-221-2372 to take advantage of this special offer. I am pretty sure that we have extended that offer to the BAA Online Store as well… No time to check right now. 🙂

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

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

The 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.

Singh-Ray Filters

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. As always, I will have my 77mm Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer in my vest in case of rainbows. And I now travel (as above) with various Singh-Ray ND filters so that I can create pleasing blurs even with clear skies and bright sun. See here for a great example.

No other filter manufacturer comes close to matching the quality of Singh-Ray’s optical glass, comparable to that used by NASA. And they continue to pioneer the most innovative products on the market like their ColorCombo polarizer, Vari-ND variable and Mor-Slo 15-stop neutral density filters. When you use their filters, you’ll create better, more dramatic images and, unlike other filters, with absolutely no sacrifice in image quality. All Singh-Ray filters are handcrafted in the USA.

Best News: 10% Discount/Code at checkout: artie10

To shop for a Singh-Ray 77mm LB (Lighter, Brighter) Warming Circular Polarizer (for example), click on the logo link above, click on “Polarizers/Color Enhancing,” then click LB Warming Polarizer, choose the size and model, add to cart, and then checkout. At checkout, type artie10 into the “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code” box, and a healthy 10% discount will be applied to your total. In addition to enjoying the world’s best filter at 10% off you will be supporting my efforts here on the blog. Aside from seeing underwater, this filter is great for enhancing rainbows.

Facebook

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Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

I fly from Ketchikan, AK to Kodiak tomorrow via the “milk “run” that visits several small towns on the way to Juneau, AK. Then to Anchorage and then on to Kodiak. Wish me luck. Good luck also to Denise. She has the flu and has wisely decided to get well in Ketchikan for a few more days before flying on to Portland for her Swan Island Dahlia Workshop. Get well soon Lady D.

Selling Your Used Photo 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 weeks we have sold nearly 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 of the current listings here.

Brand New Listing

Used AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II

Mike Ederegger is offering a used AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F/4 G ED VR II in excellent condition for $4,995.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, and the case that holds the lens w/camera attached, the Really Right Stuff LCF-14 foot, and insured shipping via FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Mike by e-mail or by phone at 262-443-6052 Central Time.

The version II of this versatile lens is supposed to be a huge improvement from the original model. artie

Thanks to Jean Luc’s Girlfriend…

Jean-Luc Vaillant has probably been on more than 10 IPTs with me, the world over. Near the end of last year’s San Diego IPT his beautiful girlfriend joined the group for a morning of photography. As a beginning bird photographer, she was using Jean-luc’s old 100-400. It was well after 10am and most of us were standing around chatting about the morning’s successes. I had that sort of “The light is too harsh/there are no good pictures to be made attitude….”

Then I noticed the beginner pointing her lens at a backlit pelican. Just as I was thinking, “Jeez, that looks pretty sweet.” I pointed the situation out to those around me and moved to get into position. Her pelican did a spectacular head throw. And then another. Click, click, click. Click, click, click. She got off two good sequences.

I managed to get a few lovely backlit scratching images. If you have an open mind, everyone–beginners included–can teach you a thing or two.

Lana

Lana taught the more experienced photographers a thing or two that day….

2016 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) JAN 8 thru the morning of JAN 12, 2016: $1899 (Limit: 10)

Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the day before the IPT begins
Two great leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito

Join us in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants in breeding plumage with their amazing crests; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heerman’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions likely; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the two IPT cards there are some nice landscape opportunities as well.

Did I mention that there are wealth of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter?

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, five lunches, after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions, and a thank you dinner. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility.

A $499 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 11/1//2015. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

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Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

It is now 5:45am on Monday, August 24, 2015. I have been up for a few hours. We will be departing to the south about 1 1/2 days late for our Inside Passage adventure in a very few minutes.

This blog post is scheduled to be published from the Cloud at 6:00am on Friday, August 28, 2015.

The 2017 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Galapagos Photo Cruise

I would assume that after viewing the variety and quality of the images in recent and past blog posts that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the second and third weeks of August, 2017. If that includes you, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Galapagos August 2017 Photo-Cruise” cut and pasted into the Subject Line. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.

No Flies!

We usually do very well with the sea lions on the afternoon landings at Gardiner Bay on Hood Island but this year every Galapagos Sea Lion was covered with flies, even those that had just come out of the bay. Two days later on our morning landing at Sante Fe the group made up for the lost opportunity in spades; the weather was on the cool side with some nice cloud cover and the virtual absence of flies. The pinnipeds were practically smiling.

100-400II Versatility

I continue to be amazed by the incredible versatility of the relatively new Canon 100-400mm II IS L lens with its remarkable .98 meter minimum focusing distance. Here I was able to get close, zoom out to 255mm (yes, the actual focal length at close range was actually a bit less but who cares?), and create a lovely portrait. I varied my framing and wound up with about ten keepers in the series. Another favorite showed whiskers only.

Less Wind Can Be a Good Thing

On our second visit to Hood Island and the Waved Albatross colony there was barely any wind at all in the early morning. These rare and benign conditions found the albatrosses flying due east along the coast into the gentle breeze and towards us and the light. But best of all they were flying much lower than they usually do. I grabbed my favorite new flight lens, the 400 DO II, and went to work hand held.

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We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

It is 5:26am on Monday, August 24, 2015. I have been up for a few hours. The boat’s generator just came on and we will be departing to the south about 1 1/2 days late for our Inside Passage adventure.

This blog post is scheduled to be published from the Cloud at 6:00am on Wednesday, August 26, 2015.

Bill Lloyd Save Your Butt Tip…

In the blog post here, where I mentioned the posterior pain that came with 20 hours of travel and much too much sitting, Bill Lloyd who had so much fun on the UK Puffins Trip that he immediately signed up for our Namibia IPT, was kind to leave this potentially pain relieving solution:

I mentioned this briefly on the UK Puffin IPT to Denise: the ThermaRest Travel Cushion really has made a huge difference in my travel comfort. So much so, that I use it while driving long distances as well. It weighs only a couple ounces and is self-inflating; the key is that after it fills you need to let out the air until it is only about 1/3 full> It rolls up nicely and will easily slip into the top of the great Think Tank Urban Disguise bags that you both use. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know how great it is.

You’ve got my sympathy, keepin’ the nether regions happy is a top priority for me when I travel! Bill

Following Up With Bill

Not being one to part so quickly with 30 bucks I had a few more questions for Bill. I sent him the Amazon link and asked if I had the correct item. He responded:

Yep that’s it. It’s self inflating. Open the valve and in a minute or two it’s fluffy. Close the valve and sit on it, then slowly open valve to let air out. You want it something like only a third full, your butt almost contacting the seat. If you’re perched, rolling around on the thing, that’s too much air. Bill

Then I wrote back as follows: Am I correct in thinking that it gets down to almost nothing when you squeeze all the air out?

He answered:

Pretty close. I open the valve and roll up as tight as I can from the opposite end. Close the valve and it stays rolled up. I’ve got an Urban Disguise like you guys, it can go in the top center compartment rolled, or I used to pull it out flat (deflated) and stash it under the large side flap – B.

I am having Jen order one for me today. You can order yours by clicking on the logo link above. Many thanks Bill!

Why Bill Signed Up for the Nambia IPT

It was great to see you again.

As you know, I haven’t been on an IPT in some years. I came away from the 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT surprised at how much my photography improved with the “refresher” course. Nothing beats making images on an all day week-long intensive experience like that – I’d truly forgotten. Those of us to your right hadn’t even noticed the Razorbill pair copulating until you called out to us: we were still getting puffins in flight.

So, it was a no-brainer signing up for Namibia! When I saw the price, I had my deposit in the mail even before the itinerary was up – and I think waiting for years to go to Africa is going to pay off with this trip. Really looking forward to traveling with you and Denise, getting wildlife and landscape images together doesn’t seem to be the rule with most tours I’ve looked at in the past – it’s usually one or the other. Be seein’ ya!

Bill

Join Us In Namibia

Learn how by clicking here. So far we have assembled a cast of international participants: one from the US, two from South Africa, one from Hong Kong, and one from Australia. More than a few are world class photographic talent….

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Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

I am sitting on the boat just after breakfast again looking at a second day of high winds and rain. That’s why they call it nature photography….

This blog post should be published automatically from the Cloud at 6:00am on Monday, August 24, 2015. Enjoy.

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! It’s been a great summer!

The last ten weeks as a B&H affiliate have been quite rewarding. Thanks a stack to the many who used our B&H links for purchases large and small. Right now I am working closely with my B&H rep to have four 400 DO and two 100-400 II BAA Affiliate orders expedited. It has been nearly impossible to come by a 400 DO II. I am hoping that my efforts pay dividends fairly soon…. 100-400IIs are now in stock at B&H. The 400 DO II lenses continue to be in very short supply. The sooner you order, the sooner you will get yours; I am working closely with my contact at B&H to have the current orders expedited when a shipment does actually arrive.

To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H Is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially Gitzo tripods, Wimberley tripod heads, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and visiting the BAA Online store as well.

Selling Your Used Photo 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 weeks we have sold nearly 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 of the current listings here.

The Benefit of Gale Force Winds…

Our inside passage cruise departure was delayed for at least a day on Saturday by a big storm with gale force winds. We lucked out that afternoon as the rain let up for a few hours and we visited a beautiful glacier. The storm clouds turned out to be a big plus. I went back and forth on bringing the tripod and both tripod heads, the Mongoose and a small ballhead, and once we arrived at the location I was sorry that I had opted to leave them on the boat. How many times do we have to learn lessons like that before we quit being lazy? (Note: the folks who supplied us with the Giotto’s tiny ballhead that I have used for years have gone belly-up; I am hoping to get my hands on a viable alternative soon.)

The Wide View

I sat on the ground using my elbows-on-knees tripod technique to ensure adequate sharpness. And since I was creating originals for potential HDRs I turned off Auto Align. As things worked out, I went with a single image. I did the sky with NIK Viveza using three large control points and the foreground after selecting it with the Quick Selection Tool with my NIK Color Efex Pro 50-50 recipe reduced to 25%. Fast and easy.

The Tight View

I switched the 24-105 for the 100-400 to get fairly tight on the glacier. Again I went with a single image. I like the colors and patterns.

Your Fave?

Which of today’s two images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why.

The 5D III

The 5D III is always my first choice for scenics, flowers, and urbex photography. I love the relatively large images files and the 5D III’s excellent control of noise (provided that you expose to the right).

Canon’s Two 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies

At some point soon I will surely get my hands on a Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR as a potential replacement for the 5D III that has provided yeoman service for so many years. Learn more https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2015/02/21/canons-two-new-50-megapixel-camera-bodies-you-must-read-this-before-you-buy/ and here to see if this camera or the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR might be best for you.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet and introductory slide program after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on SAT NOV 21. This trip is a near sell out.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 3 morning and 3 afternoon photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/21, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 4-DAY IPT: (three full and two 1/2 DAYS) NOV 28-DEC 2, 2015. $1499. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet at 3pm on SAT NOV 28 followed by an afternoon photo session at the crane pools and the introductory slide program after dinner on your own.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/28through 12/1), 4 morning (11/29 to 12/2) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/28, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Facebook

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Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

It is 4:38am Alaska time as I start this short blog post, 8:38 Eastern time.

We safely made it from JFK to Juneau yesterday.

This blog post was published at about 9:45am Eastern time from my motel room in southeastern Alaska.

Eyes Burning, Butt in Severe Pain….

I left my Mom’s at 5:55am and denise headed to the airport from her home on the Jersey shore. We both arrived way early for our JFK flight to Salt Lake City. At 5+ hours, it was long flight. The seats were more uncomfortable than comfortable. We shared and worked on images, denise’s from Iceland, mine from the Galapagos and the Nickerson Beach IPT. We had a two hour layover in SLC for our next flight to Seattle. By this time, we were both very tired.

It was a beautiful new plane but again the seats were uncomfortable. And they did not recline. Neither of us slept a wink. Last, after another two-hour layover, was our two hour flight to Juneau. An old plane but the seats were a bit roomier. We both slept for the first 1 1/2 hours until the “we are now descending” announcement. For me, that last half hour was brutal and painful, the longest 30 minutes of my life. Oh, did I mention that we were an hour late out of Seattle due to a late-arriving aircraft?

They kept warning of our impending landing but the plane seemed to keep on flying forever. After more than 20 hours of travel my eyes were burning fiercely and my butt ached. Finally we landed at our destination. Though there is a gale warning for today and Sunday, we are hoping to enjoy some good photography over the next seven days. Without anyone getting seasick.

Two Brand New Listings

Used Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

Brian Miller is offering a used Canon 1Ds Mark III in excellent condition for $1,399. The sale includes the manual, an extra battery, the battery
charger, and insured shipping via FED-EX Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Brian by e-mail or by phone at 225-936-6730 (Central time zone).

The 1Ds Mark III produces superb 21.1 mp files and AF is superb as well. The 1Ds III suffered none of the AF system problems that some encountered with the EOS-1D Mark III. I owned and use one for about three years. artie

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

Joseph Higbee is offering a used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS ll USM lens in excellent condition for $4750. The sale includes all the items in original box: lens trunk, lens hood, fabric front cover, rear lens cap, wide lens strap, strap for lens case, CD and instruction papers. Also included is a very worn Black LensCoat and a Kirk Enterprises LP 59 lens foot. And insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Joe by e-mail e-mail or by phone at (253) 846-1254 or (253) 318-8280 (Pacific time zone).

The 300 II is a superbly sharp and versatile lens that kills with both TCs. In addition, it is a great flight lens. Joe’s price matches the lowest-ever BAA price…. Act now. artie

The Southern Ocean

South Georgia Expedition Voyage

I’ve been blessed. I’ve now made four trips to the Southern Ocean, three expeditions that visited the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula, and one to the Falklands and South Georgia. Each was a truly amazing experience. South Georgia has been the star of the show each time: rugged snow covered peaks, tame and abundant wildlife including Southern Elephant Seal and Southern Fur Seal, and penguins: more King Penguins than you could ever have dreamed of. Gentoos. And my favorite, the golden-yellow spaghetti-topped Macaronis. With four trips to South Georgi under my belt, I have a pretty good idea about how to make great images at each of the iconic landings. In addition, we should have some pretty good flight photography sessions from the stern of the ship. I would love the chance to share my knowledge with you.

Going Light

On my recent trip, I found myself going with shorter lenses and lighter gear than on any previous Southern Ocean Expedition. In part that was due to the crop factor of the 7D Mark II, in part because going light makes life (and landings!) much easier. I made many landings with just the 7D II and the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. I refined the way that I got my gear safely from ship to shore. Lots more on that here soon.

Cheesemans’ Well Deserved Kudos

I know from personal experience that if you are a photographer who is going to invest in Southern Ocean voyage, you will want to put your money on Cheesemans’. No other tour company goes as far out of their way to ensure making every possible safe landing. And no other tour company will have you spending more time on land. Michael Viljeon from South Africa was aboard the Ortelius on a Southern Oceans voyage that preceded the Cheesemans’ trip that we were both on. As we headed back to Ushuaia, he said, “The folks that ran that first trip were pathetic. Too rough. No landing today. Surf too high today. No landing. Wind wrong direction. No landing. Cheesemans’ routinely and safely gets folks on land in conditions where the leaders of other tour companies do not even bother getting out of their bunks.”

Here, from the” Way to Go CES! (Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris)” blog post here, is one of my favorite Cheesemans’ stories:

The landing at Bailey Head, Antarctica, was especially rewarding to me as I had been sitting in a zodiac 100 yards off shore on my 2007 trip when the zodiac in front of mine swamped and the captain of the ship called off the landing…. Early that day it looked as if my weather Karma might not be working. Ted’s “Good morning shipmates” was followed by the news that we would not be able to land at Bailey Head that morning as the swell was too big. The beach there is sloped tremendously and the sea strives to pull the zodiacs back into the ocean before folks have gotten off with their gear. Tom Murphy had said to me several days before, “We will get you on the beach at Bailey Head.” Ted concluded his morning greetings by saying, “We are sending out a scout team to see if landing is possible.”

After breakfast I was thrilled to hear Ted’s voice again on the PA, “We will be landing at 8am.” Afterwards folks noted that it was the calmest landing ever at this amazingly beautiful spot. My good weather Karma (courtesy of late-wife Elaine) had come through one last time. Along with St. Andrews Bay, it was one of my two favorite super-great once-in-a-lifetime days of the trip. And we even got to enjoy three additional hours at Hannah Point, Antarctica before calling it a wrap and heading for the feared Drake Passage. All thanks to Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris.

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. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an official leader on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. I will make pre-trip gear recommendations. I will hold informal pre-landing briefings. In the same vein, everyone will receive a free copy of our Antarctica Site Guide once they are paid in full (July 2, 2015). I will be available on the ship to review your images,, answer 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 ship-board birds in flight and marine mammal photography opportunities.

Do join us. To learn how to be part of the BAA group please e-mail me with the words Antarctica/Extended Expedition BAA Info Please cut and pasted into the Subject line. Learn a bit more by scrolling down here.

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.

The Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris South Georgia Expedition Voyage

An in-depth Adventure aboard the Ortelius: October 29 to November 17, 2015

From the CES website:

We are very excited to be able to bring this special in-depth expedition to you. This is a product of years of experience leading voyages to South Georgia and a passion for everything found here. Our itinerary is specifically designed to take advantage of the vibrant early season on South Georgia when snow blankets the mountains and early summer brings special wildlife treats seldom experienced. We will explore vast colonies of King Penguins, elephant seals in their peak of breeding activity, and colonies of Wandering, Gray-headed, Light-mantled, and Black-browed albatross. This cruise allows us many days to explore this truly unique island, the crown jewel of the Antarctic. The landscape filled with expanses of glaciers pouring into the sea provides rare beauty and photogenic impressiveness that words cannot convey. We will enjoy about nine days in the midst of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich island on the planet! Exceptional leadership expertise will enrich your experience throughout the voyage. Our priority on this special expedition is to give you the maximum time possible in the field so you can explore at your own pace during a special time on South Georgia. Come explore South Georgia with us!

I can personally attest to the accuracy of everything above. 🙂

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack!

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

I felt like a shipping clerk yesterday, sending large boxes with lenses here and there and signing for various large boxes. I still need to get to more boxes today, one with the 10-stop and 15-stop 77mm Singh-Ray Mor-Slo Filters and one from home for the 500 II. was in bed early and slept till 5am. Tomorrow is getaway day. That makes today packing day. Almost all the laundry is done.

It was good talking to Denise Ippolito yesterday after she returned home from an exploratory trip to Iceland. You can check out her images here. Be sure to click and enlarge the opening image….

This seemingly easy-to-assemble, mostly cut-and-pasted blog post took me about 3 hours to prepare. It was published from my Mom’s house in Holbrook, NY at 6:10am on Thursday, August 20, 2015.

Please Remember to shop the BAA Online Store, and to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. 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.

Alaska Trips Gear Bag

I am taking a busman’s holiday cruise along the inside passage with Denise Ippolito, from Juneau to Ketchikan. After that it I am off to Kodiak for the Bears Catching Salmon IPT. And then home.

My big decision for these two trips again dealt with which super-telephoto lens to bring. (Yeah, I know: life is tough….) I decided early-on that with the bears often at relatively close range that I would ship the 600 II back to Florida before heading to JFK for our flights to Juneau on Friday. That narrowed my choices down to three lenses: the 200-400 II with Internal Extender that I used so successfully on the last bear boat trip (with a 1.4X TC in my pocket to get to 784mm full frame if need be), the new 400 DO II alone or with either TC, or the 500 II, again alone or with either TC.

In another very close call–all three combinations would have been excellent for the two trips, I decided to go with the 500II for reach with the 2X II TC over the other two and because it is lighter than the 200-400 by almost a pound (though not quite as versatile).

I previously made one Bear Boat trip with the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and was pleased with its relatively light weight and the reach with either the 1.4X or 2X TC. As each day passes weight becomes a more important factor when choosing what gear I will travel with. That said my shoulder did fine at Nickerson with the 600 II and my Wheeleeze. I will be carrying the 500 II in the Think Tank Glass Limo on hikes and landings. And I can hand hold it from the skiff if need be for short periods.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I will again be using this lens as my on-the-shoulder intermediate telephoto zoom lens with either the 5D III or the 7D II via a Black Rapid RS-7 strap. The 100-400 focal length fits nicely with the 500II. I will be using it a lot on both trips for bears and for just about everything else. Again it was a fairly easy decision to leave the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens at home for the two Alaska trips. I might miss it here and there in low light and for scenics when I need to be on a tripod….

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens. This all-purpose B-roll lens will be at hand for two weeks. On landings it will be in my Vested Interest Xtrahand vest where it can be grabbed when needed.

I am bringing the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens primarily for the inside passage cruise. We are hoping that we run into some nice scenic opportunities.

I will have the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens with the optional Canon Tripod Mount Ring D for IS 100mm f/2.8L Macro Lens in hopes of running into some late season wildflowers. There should be room in my ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 for the three short lenses.

Camera Bodies

EOS-1D X. I will use my rugged pro body both with the 500 II and with the 100-400 II, the latter in low light situations. The more powerful 1D X battery makes it better choice when I am working at 1000mm.

5D Mark III. Depending on the situation, I can use either the 5D III (in low light) or the 7D II (on brighter days) on the 100-400 II. On gloomy days I when I need the 1D X on the 100-400 II I will go with the 5D III on the 500 II.

EOS-7D Mark II. In addition to part time pairing with the 100-400 II on bright days I will go to the 7D II/500II combo (with or without either TC) whenever I need extra reach.

The 5D II that was converted to IR by Kolari Vision will travel in one of my checked bags. Learn more about Kolari Vision and IR here or here.

TCs

I will, as usual, be making this trip with three Canon 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs, Why so many TCs? With my style of bird photography–tight, clean, and graphic–I cannot afford to be without both TCs in the event of an accident or malfunction. Most common in the latter category would be that the locking pin sticks occasionally. When that happens, there is a risk of having your camera body hit the ground….

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 Alaska? And why?

Do Not Forget List!

Whenever I choose to leave one of my Singh-Ray filters at home on a big trip I always come to regret it. Quickly. So I recently added the following items to my “Do Not Forget Items to Bring on all Trips” packing list:

Singh-Ray 77mm Warming Circular Polarizer
Singh-Ray 77mm Mor-Slo 5-stop Glass ND filter
Singh-Ray 77mm Mor-Slo 3-stop Resin ND filter
Singh-Ray 5-stop glass 52mm filter to fit the Canon drop-in Filter Holder

I absolutely love the Singh-Ray 3-stop Resin and 5-stop Glass Neutral Density Filters. I use the 77mm versions of these filters on my 24-105, my 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS, and my new and beloved 100-400mm IS II lens so that I can create blurs on sunny days without having to stop down to f/too-many dust spots…. With a 5-stop glass ND in place I can easily get down to shutter speeds of 1/2 second and slower on clear, bright sunny days.

Important Corrected Ordering Info for Singh-Ray 52mm Drop-In ND Filters

BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure worked with Singh-Ray to produce both a 3-stop Resin Neutral Density filter ($124) and a 5-stop Glass ND filter ($275) to fit the filter drawers of Canon Super-telephoto lenses. If you will be heading to Bosque this season, you will want at least one of the 52mm ND filters in your Xtrahand vest. To order one of the 52mm Mor-Slo filters for Canon, you will need to call Singh-Ray at 1-800-486-5501 (toll free) or 1-863-993-4100 (eastern time zone). Tell them that you want either the 52mm 3-stop Resin Mor-Slo ND or the 52mm 5-stop Glass ND (or both), give them the code artie10, and then arrange to send them your filter holder. Why? Singh-Ray needs to confirm a perfect fit for each order and in addition, they will install and clean the filter. That’s why you need an extra filter holder or two:) See below for info on those.

Folks who use other brand lenses will need to follow the procedure above, specify their lens brand and filter size, and mention the artie10 code. Those folks are invited to contact me via e-mail if they would like me to create a logo link for their brand-specific filter holder….

Please remember that you will not get your 10% discount without mentioning the artie10 code. And I would not receive my affiliate commission. Thanks as always for remembering to use our discount/affiliate code with your Singh-Ray phone and web orders.

Singh-Ray Filters

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. As always, I will have my 77mm Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer in my vest in case of rainbows. And I now travel (as above) with various Singh-Ray ND filters so that I can create pleasing blurs even with clear skies and bright sun. See here for a great example.

No other filter manufacturer comes close to matching the quality of Singh-Ray’s optical glass that is comparable to that used by NASA. And they continue to pioneer the most innovative products on the market like their ColorCombo polarizer, Vari-ND variable and Mor-Slo 15-stop neutral density filters. When you use their filters, you’ll create better, more dramatic images and, unlike other filters, with absolutely no sacrifice in image quality. All Singh-Ray filters are handcrafted in the USA.

Best News: 10% Discount/Code at checkout: artie10

To shop for Singh-Ray’s most popular solid ND filter, the 10-Stop Mor-Slo Glass Filter liter (for example), click on the logo link above, click on “Neutral and color Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass), then click on “Mor-Slo™ 5, 10, 15 and 20-Stop Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass),” choose the size and model, add to cart, and then checkout. At checkout, type artie10 into the “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code” box, and a healthy 10% discount will be applied to your total. In addition to enjoying the world’s best filter at 10% off you will be supporting my efforts here on the blog.

The 10- and 15-stop Mor Slo filters are great for landscapes with water and moving clouds. With the 10-stop, 1/125th becomes 8 seconds and with the 15-stop, 4 minutes. I need to get at least one of those soon….

52mm Filter Holder Insanity

It would be complete insanity to have to screw out the glass filter and then screw in a 52mm ND filter each time that you need it. The only option is to purchase a spare filter holder or two, screw the filter in, and keep that setup intact and ready to use. Singh-Ray includes a really neat soft leather filter holder with each purchase. I store all of the filters that I travel with in one of the small upper zippered pockets of my Xtrahand vest. I have two extra filter holders and will be bringing both the 3-Stop 52mm Resin ND and the 5-Stop 52mm Glass ND to Bosque.

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….

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Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

After taking a nap on the way from Nickerson to my Mom’s house in Holbrook on Sunday, I took another nap. And relaxed. On Monday I relaxed some more. And prepared a broiled flounder dinner for my Mom, my sister Arna, my younger daughter Alissa, and the older of two sons, Ilyas. Her husband and younger son are in Uzbekistan for two weeks of visiting family and friends. After dinner it was early to bed for me. All in the Nickerson IPT group were up by 4am every day…. I am looking forward to resting the next few days while getting ready for my two-week Alaska trip.

I took me more than 2 1/2 hours to prepare this blog post at my Mom’s. If I did everything right, it should be published automatically at about 5:30am on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. Please remember to use our affiliate links especially for your major gear purchases. As always, that thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

Why Neutral Density Filters (with Super-Telephoto Lenses)?

Here is a question asked by Dan in a comment on the Nickerson Gear Bag blog post here:

In what situations would you require a 3 or 5-stop ND in your super telephoto lenses? Would it be purely when doing panning work and wanting to keep the aperture open wide to avoid distractions?

My (expanded) reply:

Hi Dan, Not at all. I use the Singh-Ray 3-stop resin or 5-stop glass Neutral Density filters (both the 52mm drop-in NDs to fit the filter holders of the Canon super-telephotos) and the 77mm circular NDs) for three main reasons:

1-Like many top professionals I choose and use Singh-Ray filters because they are the highest quality filters available.

2-I use the 3-stop and 5-stop NDs as noted above to achieve really slow shutter speeds in situations where doing so would be impossible even at the lowest available ISO. You simply cannot get down to 1/2 second on a clear sunny day without using an ND filter.

3-I use the 3-stop and 5-stop NDs as above to achieve really slow shutter speeds in situations where doing so would result in tiny apertures such as f/22, f/32, f/45, and f/64 (the latter two show up often when you are using TCs with telephoto lenses). When using really small apertures like those mentioned above (and even somewhat wider apertures like f/16 and even f/11) you will wind up having to spend lots of time cleaning dust spots from your images because even microscopic dust shows up when you are using small apertures. With wider apertures like f/4, f/5.6, and sometimes f/8, dust spots are minimized; only substantially sized dust bunnies will show up.

In today’s featured image I only had to deal with three dust spots. Had I been working without the 5-stop ND drop-in filter in place I would have been at f/36 and would have had to deal with many dozens of dust bunnies. Even if I had reduced the ISO to 50 working at f/13 would have yielded more than a dozen dust bunnies. And remember that with the 7D II you can only get down to ISO 100.

Many or even most potentially distracting background features will not be a problem when you are doing pan blurs at slow shutter speeds such as 1/8 sec., 1/4 sec., and 1/2 sec.

Aside from being used to create pan blurs, ND filters are commonly used to achieve the slow shutters speeds needed when photographing moving water such as with waterfalls or breaking surf. At times many creative photographers use telephoto lenses to photograph moving water….

artie

Horizontal Pan Blur Tip

First level the tripod base by centering the bubble in the leveling circle by adjusting the legs and/or by pushing them into the mud as I did before creating today’s featured image. Then determine the pitch, how high or low you will be aiming your lens. Next lock the vertical panning knob on your tripod head. Leave the horizontal panning knob loose. Now make some images while panning. Using this technique will ensure a perfectly level pan. As always when trying to create a really pleasing blur, make lots of images. One will surely stand out as best.

For vertical pan blurs do the opposite with the locking knobs. Note: hand holding when creating pan blurs can add some interesting twists to the images….

Do Not Forget List!

Whenever I choose to leave one of my Singh-Ray filters at home on a big trip I always come to regret it. Quickly. So I recently added the following items to my “Do Not Forget Items to Bring on all Trips” packing list:

Singh-Ray 77mm Warming Circular Polarizer
Singh-Ray 77mm Mor-Slo 5-stop Glass ND filter
Singh-Ray 77mm Mor-Slo 3-stop Resin ND filter
Singh-Ray 5-stop glass 52mm filter to fit the Canon drop-in Filter Holder

I absolutely love the Singh-Ray 3-stop Resin and 5-stop Glass Neutral Density Filters. I use the 77mm versions of these filters on my 24-105, my 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS, and my new and beloved 100-400mm IS II lens so that I can create blurs on sunny days without having to stop down to f/too-many dust spots…. With a 5-stop glass ND in place I can easily get down to shutter speeds of 1/2 second and slower on clear, bright sunny days.

Important Corrected Ordering Info for Singh-Ray 52mm Drop-In ND Filters

BIRDS AS ART ad A Creative Adventure worked with Singh-Ray to produce both a 3-stop Resin Neutral Density filter ($124) and a 5-stop Glass ND filter ($275) to fit the filter drawers of Canon Super-telephoto lenses. If you will be heading to Bosque this season, you will want at least one of the 52mm ND filters in your Xtrahand vest. To order one of the 52mm Mor-Slo filters for Canon, you will need to call Singh-Ray at 1-800-486-5501 (toll free) or 1-863-993-4100 (eastern time zone). Tell them that you want either the 52mm 3-stop Resin Mor-Slo ND or the 52mm 5-stop Glass ND (or both), give them the code artie10, and then arrange to send them your filter holder. Why? Singh-Ray needs to confirm a perfect fit for each order and in addition, they will install and clean the filter. That’s why you need an extra filter holder or two:) See below for info on those.

Folks who use other brand lenses will need to follow the procedure above, specify their lens brand and filter size, and mention the artie10 code. Those folks are invited to contact me via e-mail if they would like me to create a logo link for their brand-specific filter holder….

Please remember that you will not get your 10% discount without mentioning the artie10 code. And I would not receive my affiliate commission. Thanks as always for remembering to use our discount/affiliate code with your Singh-Ray phone and web orders.

Singh-Ray Filters

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. As always, I will have my 77mm Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer in my vest in case of rainbows. And I now travel (as above) with various Singh-Ray ND filters so that I can create pleasing blurs even with clear skies and bright sun. See here for a great example.

No other filter manufacturer comes close to matching the quality of Singh-Ray’s optical glass that is comparable to that used by NASA. And they continue to pioneer the most innovative products on the market like their ColorCombo polarizer, Vari-ND variable and Mor-Slo 15-stop neutral density filters. When you use their filters, you’ll create better, more dramatic images and, unlike other filters, with absolutely no sacrifice in image quality. All Singh-Ray filters are handcrafted in the USA.

Best News: 10% Discount/Code at checkout: artie10

To shop for a Singh-Ray’s most popular solid ND filter, the 10-Stop Mor-Slo Glass Filter liter (for example), click on the logo link above, click on “Neutral and color Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass), then click on “Mor-Slo™ 5, 10, 15 and 20-Stop Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass),” choose the size and model, add to cart, and then checkout. At checkout, type artie10 into the “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code” box, and a healthy 10% discount will be applied to your total. In addition to enjoying the world’s best filter at 10% off you will be supporting my efforts here on the blog.

The 10- and 15stop Mor Slo filters are great for landscapes with water and moving clouds. With the 10-stop, 1/125th becomes 8 seconds and with the 15-stop, 4 minutes. I need to get at least one of those soon….

52mm Filter Holder Insanity

It would be complete insanity to have to screw out the glass filter and then screw in a 52mm ND filter each time that you need it. The only option is to purchase a spare filter holder or two, screw the filter in, and keep that setup intact and ready to use. Singh-Ray includes a really neat soft leather filter holder with each purchase. I store all of the filters that I travel with in one of the small upper zippered pockets of my Xtrahand vest. I have two extra filter holders and will be bringing both the 3-Stop 52mm Resin ND and the 5-Stop 52mm Glass ND to Bosque.

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

If you would like to learn the fine points of creating pleasing pan-blurs and in addition, would like to learn the many other techniques that Denise and I use to create our popular pleasingly blurred images, but can’t make an IPT, get yourself a copy of A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

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Amazon.com

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

As predicted Friday afternoon was superb. On Saturday we enjoyed some great pre-dawn blur action followed by a glorious sunrise. Then it was more SW winds and more clear skies….

This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and, if I did everything right, it should be published automatically at 6am on Sunday, August 16, 2015.

Namibia IPT

If you missed the info on this great trip, please click here. So far we have assembled a cast of international participants: one from the US, two from South Africa, one from Hong Kong, and one from Australia. More than a few are world class photographic talent….

Should I Smash My 2X III TC With a Baseball Bat?

A few years back, my friend Andy Rouse had this to say about 2X teleconverters:

…. take the 2x converter, place it gently on the ground so that it is bathed in lovely soft, evening light. Then paint your teeth red and smash it violently to pieces with a large baseball bat, cackling maniacally all the time at passers by. Go on do it, it will feel so good. Now before you think I have an issue against Canon 2x converters, I don’t! I hate ALL 2x teleconverters equally!!! I consider them a complete waste of space and money; it is always better to use a 1.4x teleconverter and crop. Of course that is just my view!

Me and My 2X III TC

Andy is a widely traveled highly respected wildlife photographer with more than a few BBC honored images under his belt. Like me he is highly opinionated and like me, he enjoys making waves on occasion. In this case as regular readers might surmise, I disagree with him. To my eye, the images of this bird that I made with the 2X III TC looked sharper than the images that I made with the 600 II alone…. Do see the 100% crop below.

Image Question

Are there any subtle or obvious signs of background image clean-up or any signs of major Photoshop hanky panky? If yes, state your case and offer your proof.

What Do You Think?

What do you think of the image sharpness, the image quality, and the fine feather detail?

The 100% Crop

To my eye, this image is professionally sharp and exhibits satisfactory fine feather detail. Of course that is just my view!

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We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

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 :).