Deadvlei Tree photo illustration courtesy of and copyright 2015: Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure
Denise created this artwork by combining an image of some Colorado mountains with a tree that she created in Photoshop. The rest is simply her creative filter magic. It is a given that denise’s creativity is virtually unlimited and unmatched. Just don’t ask me how she did it….
Namibia
Photos of Namibian dunes, dead trees, birds, and wildlife often grace prestigious natural history calendars and are honored annually in pretty much all of the top flight nature photography contests including and especially the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition and the Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards Contest. Both denise and I have long dreamed of visiting. Our dream is coming true. With four folks signed up before the tour was even announced, this trip is a go. Most traveling from the US will likely want to be on one of the direct flights to Johannesburg, South Africa from New York’s JFK (on April 13, 2015 so as to arrive in Windhoek on the 14th). In addition, we would both be thrilled to meet some of our overseas followers on this trip.
In addition to enjoying several world class nature photography locations, you will learn more than you ever thought possible via in-the-field instruction from two of the best and informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions at the lodge. We hope that you can join us.
The 2016 Namibia BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Safari: April 14-28, 2016 on the ground: $8999. Limit: 10 photographers/openings: 6.
Our truly great itinerary is below. This workshop was planned with the help of two BBC-honored local photographers with an intimate knowledge of the area who will act as our guides for the entire trip. This IPT will be co-led by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. The dates and the price are set in stone: April 14-28, 2016. 15/days/14 nights: $8999 from Windhoek, Namibia (Hosea Kutako International Airport, airport code WDH). Please contact me via e-mail if you would like to register. Then please fill out, print, and sign the Registration and Release forms that are linked to here. Then mail it to us here: PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates FL 33855 along with your $3,000 non-refundable deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris.”
The second payment of $3,000 is due on November 15, 2015 and the final payment of $2,999 is due on February 1, 2015. As with the deposit, checks only.
Single supplements may be available for parts (or all) of the trip. They will be quite expensive. Best not to ask 🙂 Please inquire as to availability. If you or we are unable to line up a same sex roommate for you, you will be charged the single supplement on a pro-rated basis.
Travel Insurance
Please understand that we need the deposits for international trips as arrangements must be paid in full far in advance. If everybody decides to cancel then we are sort left holding a very short straw 🙂 Seriously interested folks are urged to consider getting trip insurance within two weeks of sending their deposit checks. There are lots of options with Travel Services Insurance (TSI). You can explore them here.
The Namibia IPT Itinerary
Day 1: April 14, 2016. Fly into Windhoek (Hosea Kutako International Airport, airport code WDH. Spend the night at River Crossing Lodge. Note: folks traveling from the US and many other destinations will need to depart on redeye flights on April 13th. You need to be sure that you will be in Windhoek on April 14, 2015!
Day 2: Early departure to QuiverTree Forest Lodge on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop. Here we will be able to capture the beauty of the magnificent QuiverTree forest as well as have access to the Giant Playground area for some spectacular landscape photography. The sessions will include afternoon and evening shoots, the latter with stars, milky way, and star trails photography. Night photography instruction will be provided. In addition, we will let you know in advance what lenses and accessories you will need for the night photography.
Day 3: After breakfast we depart for the luxurious Sossusvlei Dune Lodge for 3 nights inside Namib Naukluft National Park. The distance to Sossusvlei is about 550km and the trip should take about 7 hours. Thanks to our experienced guides we will enjoy unparalleled after hours access to dead tree scenics at Dead Vlei. Arrangements have been made to to leave the lodge in the mornings an hour before sunrise to capture the best possible lighting conditions. We will be visiting Dead Vlei and Dune 45. There is a fairly strenuous up-and-down hike to some of the best photo locations that should take really fit folks about 15-20 minutes and as much as 45 minutes for the older fit folks or those with a bad knee. Denise is in the former category, Artie fits in both of the latter categories :). At Sossusvlei two desert systems come together: the beautiful red dunes of the Kalahari desert and the breathtakingly stark Namib desert. The desert experience is a surreal and life-changing one and even the best images do not reflect the amazing beauty of these unique deserts. Deadvlei, with its ancient trees in the now dried up lake, is a feast for photographers who are looking for something stark, different, and dramatic. Along with the spectacular landscapes we should get to photograph some wildlife as well with chances for oryx and springbok among others.
Day 6: From Sossusvlei we head off to Swakopmund to spend some three nights at the Swakopmund Beach Hotel. One morning will head into the dunes to target species such as the Desert Chameleon, Horned Adder, Sand-Diving Lizards, and Palmato Gecko—the world’s cutest gecko. We will spend time photographing the amazing bird life in and around the Walvisbay area. The Salt Mine and bay area is especially productive with a huge selection of waders and other waterfowl along with large numbers of flamingoes. We will enjoy one chartered boat trip to target pelicans in flight. Those and a selections of skua’s and cormorants will keep the most discerning bird photographers happy. Afternoons in the area will be spent driving along the beach to the huge seal colonies and photographing their playful interactions and antics. A tentative schedule is below:
Day 7: Morning (private tour) Desert Experience photographing Palmato Gecko / Sidewinders / Desert Chameleon etc, etc. Afternoon we either shoot Pelican point for seals or Walvisbay for flamingos and more.
Day 8: Morning bay cruise with chartered boat shooting pelicans flying in . We will likely spend the afternoon with the seals at Pelican point.
Day 9: After breakfast we depart for Etosha; arrive that afternoon at Halali and spend 3 nights there. Just when you thought it could not get any better we head further north to the wide-open plains of Etosha. Here the wildlife spectacle is arguably one of the best in Africa. Etosha is home to not only the Big Five, but also a variety of other species such as Cheetah, Honey Badger, Oryx, Springbok, Dik-Dik, Black-Faced Impala, Eland, Ostrich and more. Depending on our route this could take as long as four hours to get to the park entrance and another 2 hours drive to Halali. We will travel about 400km
Day 12:. We wrap-up at Halali and move down to Okaukuejo where we will spend three nights. Okaukuejo Camp is famous for its large floodlit waterhole, the hub of animal activity especially in the early morning and early evening hours. We will see and photograph many species including and especially the endangered Black Rhino. There will be game drives during the say. For the night water hole photography flash is optional but recommended.
Day 15: April 28, 2016. We make the 4-5 hour drive back to Windhoek in time for your international flights.
This price of this tour includes:
All Accommodations.
All breakfasts and dinners.
Logistics make formal lunches impossible. There will, however, be a variety of snacks including nuts and cheeses along with sodas and bottled drinking water in each vehicle.
Bottled water at the lodges and in the vehicles. Also included at the lodges are soft drinks and sodas and local wines and liquors (excluding premium and imported hard drinks).
All transportation from the time you arrive in Windhoek to the time you leave again.
All park entrance fees
One extra-late night in Deadvlei where we will use NWR vehicles for transport.
The chartered boat activities in Walvisbay.
The Private Desert Experience tour in Swakopmund.
The price of this tour does not include:
Your flights to and from Windhoek.
Visa costs: no visa is needed for folks from the US and most other countries.
Namibia 2016 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Safari: April 14-24 on the ground: $8999. Limit: 10 photographers/openings: 6.
Most of Friday was spent on the phone and on Skype setting up the first-ever Namibia IPT. Photos of Namibian dunes, dead trees, and wildlife are honored annually in pretty much all of the prestigious nature photography contests including and especially the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and the Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards Contest. We have set up a truly great itinerary; this workshop was planned with the help of two BBC honored local photographers with an intimate knowledge of the area who will act as our guides for the entire trip. This IPT will be co-led by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. The dates and the price are set in stone: April 14-28, 2016. 15/days/14 nights: $8999 from Windhoek, Namibia (Hosea Kutako International Airport, airport code WDH). Please contact me via e-mail if you would like to register or receive the itinerary. To register, please e-mail first and then send your $3,000 non-refundable deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates FL 33855. We do expect this one to sell out very quickly….
Happy campers only please.
Stuff
I did not get much else accomplished but did catch up a bit on e-mail. I enjoyed an early ice bath, my core exercises, and a late swim. I began this blog post at 3:30 am today. It was published just after 6:15am on Saturday August 1, 2015. All who enjoy the blog, especially those who do not regularly use our B&H affiliate links, are invited to thank us by clicking on the BAA Blog Thanks link here.
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 months 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.
Brand New Listing
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS Lens with Internal Extender
Sale pending: August 2, 2016.
Ron Paulk is offering a lightly used Canon EF 200-400 f/4 IS USM Lens w/Internal 1.4x Extender in excellent condition for $9299. The sale includes the following items that come with the lens: the lens trunk, the E145C Lens Cover, the rear lens cap E, the lens strap, the lens hood, the 52mm drop-in filter holder, and the strap for the hard case. Also included are a Realtree Max4 LensCoat (a $104 value), a RRS LCF-53 Foot (a $110 value), and and insured shipping to US addresses via FED-EX Ground. Your new lens will ship in the original Canon box after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ron by e-mail or by phone at 360-391-2090 PDT.
I have owned and used this great lens pretty much since day one. I have had great success with it in the Southern Ocean, in Africa, in the Galapagos, on the first UK Puffins trip, at Nickerson Beach on Long Island, on the San Diego IPT, and on several Bear Boat trips. When you need reach and the ability to frame perfect from 200 through 560mm (or to 784mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X III TC added), this lens cannot be beat. At $9299 Ron’s lens is priced to sell. It currently sells new at B&H for $10,299. The last one we sold through our used gear listings went for $9799. artie
Center AF point (by necessity) Manual Selection/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected sensor was on the base of the bird’s upper mandible. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Galapagos Penguin head portrait
400 DO/2X III TC/7D II Hand Held Miracle
The zodiac was rocking pretty good and framing any subject at any focal length was difficult at best. In retrospect, I have no idea why I went to the 400 DO II/2X III/7D II combination while working in a panga with six other photographers. The effective focal length of this set-up is 400mm times 2 times the 1.6X crop factor of the 7D II: 1280mm or 25.6X magnification. After making a very few images and seeing on the rear LCD that I had properly framed two decent images I swapped the 2X III for the 1.4X III; I remember that even then I had trouble framing anything as the wind had picked up a bit…. To my mind, the capture of today’s featured image was pretty much of a miracle.
Head Angle Comment
Note the perfect head angle with the bird’s head turned about 1 1/2 degrees towards us. This places the bill tip on the same plane as the subject’s eye giving the impression of greater overall sharpness.
The Image Optimization
Note: this image is uncropped. After converting it in DPP 4, the optimization was pretty much straightforward; the image was so sharp out of the camera that I did not feel the need to run my NIK 50-50 recipe…. As detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide, Arash Hazeghi’s 7D II Luminance and Chrominance Noise Reduction values performed admirably. When I shared the image with Denise Ippolito via e-mail she suggested that there was too much BLUE in the BLACKs. After the fact, I brought the image back into Photoshop, selected the BLACKs with the Quick Selection Tool, and reduced the saturation of the BLUEs, GREENs, CYANs, and YELLOWs about 50% as detailed in Digital Basics. Color-wise, the image was much improved. Thanks Lady D.
Image Question
With the sun slightly muted by a thin cloud, why didn’t I add a bit of light to the suggested exposure?
Thanks to comments first left by first by John Armitage and backed up by Steve Soderling the major premise of yesterday’s blog, that camera shake is greater with a crop factor camera, was incorrect. I was tricked (if you were) into this error because the shake appears much more evident when you are looking through the viewfinder of a crop factor camera than when you are looking through the viewfinder of a full frame or 1.3X crop factor camera. I apologize for my error.
Thanks to John and Steve for setting me straight.
On the 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT, Alan Lillich opined that I had indeed been right for the following reason: the amount of shake when considered on a pixel level is indeed greater with the 7D II with its more tightly packed pixels. Others e-mailed and stated the same thing. Today, I firmly believe that in order to create sharp images when working with a 7D Mark II you need to keep a lens more steady than when you are working with any full frame or 1.3X crop factor Canon camera body….
Speaking of John Armitage…
Thanks again to John for loaning me his brand new 400 DO II for the Galapagos trip. The lens was shipped back to him yesterday (in new condition) via Fed-Ex 2nd day air along with a few thank you goodies.
All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.
Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 2. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.
Call for late registration discount info!
Join me in Katmai National Park, AK for seven days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears (grizzlies) catching salmon, fattening up for the long winter. Other subjects will include Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight and dip-feeding on salmon roe. Did I mention that we live on a boat and that the food is great? Most of our photography will be done in a variety of famed locations: Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, and Kukak Bay. We once had 39 bears fishing the creek at Kukak….
It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of August 31, 2015 September to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of September 1. With air travel in AK being what it is, with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on August 30 is an even better plan). I will be on Kodiak on August 30 to avoid any potential disaster. That said in my nearly a dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once but since I was day early as noted above there was no harm, no foul.
We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 1. We will photograph bears fishing that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are–get to photograph Harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 8, our last morning on the boat, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will do so. The group returns to Kodiak via float plane midday. Most folks will fly to Anchorage and then continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.
The eight days will consist of six full days (Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) of photography featuring lots of Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon as above plus a variety of other natural history subjects plus some nice scenic photography that I forgot to mention above. Plus the first afternoon and the last morning.
What’s included? 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. (The food is quite excellent.) National Park fees. One night’s double occupancy lodging on Kodiak; arrive: Sept 1/depart: Sept 2. The thank-you-in-advance dinner on Sept 1. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of a top professional; I will constantly let you know what I am thinking, what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and Photoshop instruction on the boat.
What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). All necessary lodging other than the cost of your double occupancy room on the night of August 31 should you opt to arrive early–we can arrange that in advance for you. We will let you know the cost of a single supplement for the one night if so desired. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat on September 2 and back to Kodiak on September 9. The cost of a round trip this year was $500. The suggested crew tip of $210.
Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 6 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 “Arthur Morris” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.
Your deposit is due immediately. That will leave a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on February 15, 2015. The final payment of $2000 is due on May 1, 2015.
I hope that you can join us for this wondrously exciting trip.
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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 :).
Got lots done yesterday. Changed an important flight for my Alaska trip. Finalized the dates for the 2015 Galapagos Photo-Cruise. And answered dozens of important e-mails. It felt good to get into my lap pool, to do my core exercises, and to start eating well.
This blog post was published just before 7:45am from my home-sweet-home at Indian Lake Estates, FL on Friday, July 31, 2015.
The 2017 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Galapagos Photo Cruise Dates Finalized
We will be on the ship for this great trip from August 8-22, 2017. The trip will be formally announced within one week. Though we fully expect this trip to sell out quickly, do understand that we will need at least 8 deposits in had by August 2016 or possibly before that date for this trip to run. Do understand that if you make a photography trip to the Galapagos with us that you will be maximizing your photographic opportunities and getting the absolute most out of your travel and workshop dollars. Join us for a world class learning experience.
I would assume that after viewing the variety and quality of the images in this and in recent and coming blog posts that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the first two 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. Details will be announced shortly after I get back. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
This image was created on a panga ride at Elizabeth Bay, Isabela, on Day 7 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 145mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 3200. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode.
Two rows below and four to the left of the 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 active AF point fell on young ray’s upper back just behind its head. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
With the Singh-Ray 77mm Warming Circular Polarizer set to dark. See the tutorial below.
Spotted Eagle Ray/juvenile swimming
The Anticipated Problem
We had an early panga (zodiac) photo session scheduled. It was cloudy dark. The targets in the red mangrove bays would be turtles and rays along with a few birds. It is usually pretty dark in among the mangroves. When photographing creatures swimming slightly under the surface of the water, it is best to use a circular polarizer set to dark to eliminate the reflections. This allows you (and your camera and lens) to “see” better. The polarizer, however, robs you of light. Most circular polarizers steal 3 full stops of light. With the high quality of the Singh-Ray circular polarizers you lose only two stops of light thereby gaining one full stop of ISO.
In short, it was gonna be dark. Choosing the 1D X over the 7D II for its superior high ISO performance was a no-brainer as we have seen in recent blog posts. And going with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II was also an easy choice as it would save me two full stops of ISO over the much slower 100-400 II at f/5.6 or so. In addition, the subjects would be at close range, actually right next to the pangas.
The Problem in Reality
I started out with ISO 800 adding 1/3 stop of light and found that my shutter speeds were much too slow so I went to ISO 1600. Juan positioned the zodiac perfectly and I fired away. Upon close inspection none of the images juvie rays were sharp at shutter speeds of 1/50 or 1/60 sec. Enlarged on the rear lCD they looked like crap. As Juan and I often tease each other he enjoyed mocking me in front of the group. All in fun of course.
I was not sure what the problem was. Were my shutter speeds still too slow or was the camera having trouble focusing on creatures that were a bit too far below the surface?
I saw some of Indranil Sircar’s images on the back of his 7D II and they looked pretty good. And he was actually underexposing a bit. Thus inspired and fully determined, I went to ISO 3200 and set the EC to -2/3. We had one more good chance and I nailed several images that looked more than sharp enough with the one above being my very favorite.
My Serious Error
Take a close look at the shooting data and leave a comment letting us know what you think was my major error in thinking (and in the execution of today’s image).
Singh-Ray Filters
Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. Most notably the late Galen Rowell. Singh-Ray has been and is the name in quality filters. I often use the Singh-Ray 77mm Warming Circular Polarizer set to dark when photographing rainbows, to eliminate reflections when photographing on or around the water (and when photographing the water itself as with today’s spectacular image), and to juice up a cloud-filled sky on a on bright sunny day, the latter especially when working off sun angle.
And 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.
BIRDS AS ART has been working with Singh-Ray to produce a 5-stop Neutral Density filter to to fit the filter drawers of Canon Super-telephoto lenses. Info on the will be presented here very soon so stay tuned. If you will be heading to Bosque this season, you will want at least one of the 52mm ND filters in your Xtrahand vest.
No other filter manufacturer comes close to matching the quality of Singh-Ray’s optical glass; it is comparable to that used by NASA. And they continue to pioneer the most innovative products on the market like their ColorCombo polarizers and the Mor-Slo 15-stop neutral density filter. When you use their filters, you’ll create better, more dramatic images and, unlike as with 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 Warming Circular Polarizer (for example), click on the logo link above or the one in the right hand column of each blog post, click on Polarizers/color enhancing on the menu bar, choose LB Warming Polarizer, choose the size and model, add to cart, and then checkout. Click on Continue to checkout. In the “Have a Coupon?” box (the second from the top), click on this active link: “Click here to enter your code” and then type “artie10” into the box. Click on “Apply Coupon” 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.
How to Set A Circular Polarizer to Dark
Mount the polarizer. Put the camera in Av mode with zero Exposure Compensation (EC). Point the lens at the sky 90 degrees off sun angle. Turn the polarizer slowly while noting the shutter speed as you rotate the polarizer. Quit turning the polarizer when you determine the slowest shutter speed. Now you are set up to work right down sun angle several about two stops slower than if you were not using the polarizer (set to dark). Or best photograph rainbows. Or cut down reflections off the surface of the water. Or create more dramatic skies.
The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.
Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 2.
Call for late registration discount info!
Most of our seven photo sessions will be spent at Nickerson beach photographing the nesting Black Skimmers. In flight, sometimes battling. Carrying fish. Chicks of varying sizes from a very few just-hatched to lots of fledglings. It is likely that we will get to see some Great Black-backed Gulls preying on the juvenile skimmers. They swallow them whole. There will be lots of gulls to photograph as well as some Common Terns. Locally breeding shorebird species include American Oystercatcher–pretty much guaranteed, Willet, which is likely, and Piping Plover, which is probable but we need to get lucky with those to get close….
Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office and arranging to leave your deposit of $499. The check for you balance is due immediately. I hope that you can join us at this late date.
JBWR?
If local conditions are ideal we may visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds on one or possibly two mornings. Even if we do not visit JBWR we should get some good chances with the migrant shorebirds at the beach, especially Sanderling and Semipalmated Plover. Red Knot and others are possible.
As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.
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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 :).
After 15 days on the ship, the bathroom in my home was still rocking a bit in the dark last night…. I really fell off the wagon eating the great food on the trip and need to get back with the program now. Breakfast soon.
I have tons to do after the long travel day yesterday. We taxied for more than an hour coming out of Panama City Panama for the flight to Orlando. Without any AC. I flew home with good friend Chris Billman; my right-hand man Jim Litzenberg picked us up at MCO at about 3:45pm and drove us to Publix and then on to Indian Lake Estates. Chris loaded his truck and headed back to his home in South Carolina. I am hoping that he had the sense to overnight at his sister’s home in Kissimmee.
Today’s blog post was published from my home at Indian Lake Estates at 7:20am on Thursday, July 30, 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 this and in coming blog post that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the first two 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. Details will be announced shortly after I get back. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
Relevant and Important Comments from yesterday’s blog post….
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Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
Thanks a stack to the many who used our B&H links for purchases large and small. 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.
This image was created at 3:05pm from the deck of the ship while it was anchored for our landing at Rabida on Day 14 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 135mm!) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering -2/3 stops off the green water: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point fell on the base of the right side of the petrel’s fanned tail. Note: this image was rotated 3 degrees clockwise and a small crop was executed. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
100-400II Versatility Allows for a Unique Shipboard Perspective and Mega-Creativity
I noticed some storm petrels feeding off the stern of our boat so I grabbed my 100-400 II and mounted the 1D X. Immediately I noticed that several of the birds were flying slowly into the wind just a foot or two from the hull on the port side of the ship. I realized that I would need a relatively fast shutter speed from the gently rocking boat so I set ISO 1600. I held the camera vertically and set the exposure manually to 2/3 stop darker than the reading off the shaded green water.
As I was formulating my plan to create a few images featuring a dorsal (top) view of this difficult-at-best to photograph bird, I noted two or three perfect (and missed) opportunities as the birds flew towards my position. After I was ready I had one chance and made three images of a petrel that was just past my position. Today’s featured image was the best of the lot.
Image Questions
#1: Why did I grab the 1D X rather than the 7D II? (There were three good reasons.)
#2: Why did I need to go with -2/3 stop exposure compensation (EC)?
#3: What is your favorite part of the image?
#4: What is your least favorite part of the image?
#5: Overall, what do you think of the image?
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Typos
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I am in my hotel room in Guayaquil, Ecuador after experiencing a truly memorable voyage and group. When I got up last night to make a pit stop, the hotel room was rocking gently….
We finished off the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise yesterday with a spectacular morning at North Seymour Island. Our session lasted from 6:00am till 9:30am; we were blessed with spectacular early morning light and then again by thickening cloud cover. Just what the doctor ordered. We spent a magical morning photographing fluffy white frigatebird chicks, adults with inflated red pouches both perched and in flight, and displaying Blue-footed Boobies. Best of all was a bright yellow Land Iguana basking in golden early morning light.
We bid a fond farewell to our ship, our great guide, and our great crew. Most folks wound up tipping several crew members above and beyond the required generous tip schedule. I began working on this blog post several day ago, worked on it on the flight to Guayaquil on Tuesday, and put the finishing touches on it this morning after arising at 1:56am. My wake-up call was at 3am, my flights home begin at 5:58am. Jim will be picking up Chris Billman and me a bit after 2pm at MCO.
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 this and in coming blog post that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the first two 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. Details will be announced shortly after I get back. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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.
This image was created at Darwin Bay, Genovesa (Tower Island) at 6:18am on Day 13 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the grey sky: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode in cloudy dark conditions was a slight underexposure. AWB.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Though the selected AF point was on the bird’s upper back the image was exceptionally sharp on the booby’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: White morph Red-footed Booby landing to collect nesting material
The Very Challenging Situation…
It was early. It was cloudy dark. Dozens of Red-footed Boobies were coming in to land on the beach right in front of us to gather some vegetation that they would use to line their nests. About 5% of the Galapagos birds are the striking white morphs. About 90% are the intermediate morphs with their light tan heads. And the remaining 5% are the all-brown dark morphs.
There were many challenges:
1-Getting enough shutter speed for flight photography. Here, the big advantage went to the folks with faster lenses. I scrapped my 100-400 II (at f/5.6) in favor of my 400 DO II with its one stop wider aperture of f/4. This saved me one full stop of ISO.
2-As I knew that I would be needing a high ISO, I ditched the 7D II for the heavier 1D X and its better high ISO performance.
3-Lack of contrast. As the light was soft there was barely any contrast for the AF system to work with. AF acquired and locked on a bit faster with the white morph birds but even then acquiring focus and creating sharp images was no gimme. And when you had the intermediate morphs again backgrounds of gray cliff or green vegetation acquiring focus was nearly impossible.
4-Backgrounds other than sky. As pretty much all flight photographers know, photographing birds in flight against sky backgrounds is relative child’s play as compared to–as hinted at above–photographing them against backgrounds other than sky. Even with my Custom Case settings the camera will begin to hunt in low contrast, low light, background other than sky situations.
My Solution
I went with the 400 DO II/1D X combination. At times I was wishing that I had brought the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II to shore but in retrospect the wider angle of view would not have allowed for the lovely background in the image above. The extra stop of speed, however, would have been a big plus. I used center point AI Servo Expand. I set the ISO to 1600 and the aperture to f/4. Reading 2 1/3 stops off the sky yielded a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. for the brown birds (even though I knew that this would be a significant underexposure). I went two clicks fast to 1/800 sec. at f/4 for the white morphs. I wound up keep about 50 images from the flight session, 40 of those of intermediate morph birds.
This image was also created at Darwin Bay, Genovesa (Tower Island), this one at 6:31am of Day 13. Again I used the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode in cloudy dark conditions. As I was mistakenly set up for a white morph bird this one was about 2/3 stop underexposed. . AWB.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Though the selected AF point was squarely on the bird’s face, a rarity for me…. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Intermediate morph Red-footed Booby taking flight with nesting material
The 100-400 II/7D II Disadvantage…
The many participants with the above combination were in dire straits; their f/5.6 apertures had them at ISO 3200. Note that 1/500 sec at f/4 at ISO 1600 is 1/500 sec at f/5.6 at ISO 3200; there is no getting around the f-stop math. Simply put, working at ISO 3200 is not advised for the 7D II. Note however that if you wanted to try to create a sharp image in the extremely difficult situation that we were faced with you had no choice but to work with ISO 3200.
Shutter Speed Flight Considerations
While many advise using a minimum shutter speed of 1/1600 second or even 1/2000 second for flight photography, I have aways been comfortable working at 1/500 sec. when I am hard pressed to keep the ISO down. Yes, on occasion, the wingtips will be somewhat blurred at 1/500 but I often like that look. And I have seen blurred wingtips at 1/3200 and sharp ones at 1/500. Try it and let me know how you do. Do you have a preferred minimum shutter speed for flight photography?
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I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here.
I set the exposure manually at +1 1/3 stops off the light blue sky in late afternoon light. That worked out to +1 stop as framed here because the bird is somewhat darker than the sky. In the crane image below, +1 1/3 stops off the sky worked out to the metered exposure…. See more in the next image caption below.
Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the head of the crane active at the moment of exposure. But it is likely that one of the Surround AF points took over and just caught that bird’s head. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Manual… Av… Tv… Program… Which is The Best Shooting Mode?
This is one of the age old photography questions: what is the best shooting mode? There are many who state definitively: “Real photographers work in Manual mode 100% of the time.” Many who preach this as gospel are hard-headed, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, and ignorant. Others simply prefer to work in Manual mode most or all of the time but realize that other modes might be best for other photographers (or clients) in a given situation.
At present I work in Manual mode most of the time, probably about 80% I would guess. I often work in Av mode, probably about 15% of the time. I occasionally work in Tv mode, probably about 4% of the time, but more than that when I am at Bosque del Apache NWR late each fall. (BTW, happy winter; it began today just after noon on December 21, 2013, at 12:11pm EST.) And I actually work in Program mode on rare occasion.
So what is the best shooting mode? The best shooting mode is the one that works best for you in a given situation. I will share my Shooting Mode preferences with you here.
Manual Mode
As I mentioned above, I now work in Manual mode about 80% of the time on average. When photographing birds against backgrounds of rapidly changing tonality or when that possibility exists, working in Manual mode is mandatory. This is such an important principle that I will state it again: when photographing birds against backgrounds of rapidly changing tonality working in Manual mode is mandatory.
Why? If you are in an automatic mode like Av or Tv and the background goes from light sky to dark trees you are dead in the water. Nobody can change the exposure compensation (EC) from say plus 2 to minus 1/3 stop instantly. Not to mention the times when the framing might yield both sky and trees or mountains in varying proportions. To learn to work in Manual Mode click here.
Similarly, you must be in Manual mode when the size of a very light or very dark subject in the frame is changing. Why? Unusually light or dark subjects have a big influence on your camera’s meter.
The two crane images here were made about two minutes apart; the light on the subject was constant. I began by metering the sky and adding 1 1/3 stops in the late afternoon light. When working in Manual mode you strive to get the right exposure for the subject. That is what I did here. Note that the exposure for both images was 1/1000 sec. at f/9 at ISO 800. With the bird against the sky the exposure worked out to +1 as framed. With the bird set against the yellowish brown trees in the distance, the exposure worked out to the metered exposure, that is 0 EC or no exposure compensation. Understand that the exposure settings for each image were identical: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 at ISO 800. As the light on the birds was constant the correct exposure for the subjects were the same regardless of the background. Had I been working in Av mode at f/9 I would have needed to have been at +1 stop for the first image and then at zero for the image here. Changing the exposure compensation from +1 to 0 in less than an instant is simply not possible. That is why you need to learn to work in Manual mode whenever the background tonality might change.
Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s lower breast active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Manual Mode Misconceptions and Myths
One common Manual mode misconception is that when the light is changing from moment to moment that it is easier and better to work in Manual mode. This is definitely true when the background and the light are or may be changing quickly. But when the light is changing and the background is of uniform and constant tonality, working in Av (or Tv) is often simpler, better, and faster.
Let say that you are working at the beach and all of your subjects are on the sand and average to middle light in tonality. Most gulls and most shorebirds come to mind. Nothing is flying around. But the sun is peeking in and out of the clouds. As long as you understand exposure and the way that your camera’s meter works you may find it easier, more intuitive, and faster to work in Av mode: when the sun is out you make all of your images at 0 or +1/3 stop depending on your camera body. When the sun is behind a cloud you will set something like +1 2/3stops EC. For Nikon folks these values would likely be -1/3 or -2/3 stop when the sun is out and +1 stop or so when a cloud covers the sun.
This brings us to another Manual mode myth: “If you work in Manual mode you will always get the right exposure.” Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the statement is laughable. If you understand exposure it does not matter which shooting mode you are in. The fact is that Manual mode is Av mode is Tv mode as far as exposure is concerned. If you set your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture correctly in Manual mode so that you wind up with the right exposure and the analog screen in your viewfinder shows +2/3 stop, then you can simply work in Av or Tv mode and set +2/3 stop EC. As long as the framing and background remain the same the exposure will be identical.
Do not, however, forget the original premise above: When photographing subjects against backgrounds of rapidly changing tonality working in Manual mode is mandatory. If you attempt to work in any automatic mode against backgrounds of changing tonalities you will wind up with many exposure errors.
One sensor below the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the face of the closest cub active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
In situations where I happen to be in Av mode and I am absolutely sure of the correct EC (exposure compensation), it is faster and easier to continue working in Av mode than it is to switch to Manual mode. That was the case here as I knew that +1/3 stop would be perfect. It was. As always, getting the right exposure has nothing to do with what shooting mode you are in.
Getting the Right Exposure: Shooting Mode Does Not Matter!
The key to getting the right exposure depends on your knowledge of exposure theory, on understanding how to get the right exposure, on understanding how your camera’s meter works, on understanding the quality and direction of the light, and on knowing how to evaluate your histogram, check for blinkies, and adjust your exposure accordingly. Getting the right exposure has nothing to do with what shooting mode you are in. Again, do not forget the original premise above: When photographing subjects against backgrounds of rapidly changing tonality or when light or dark subject size is changing, working in Manual mode is mandatory.
To learn exposure theory, to begin to gain an understanding of how to get the right exposure, and to learn to properly evaluate you histograms, check for flashing highlight alerts, and adjust your exposure parameters, we recommend getting a copy of The Art of Bird Photography (soft cover) with its classic treatment of Exposure Theory, and a copy of The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only). See and study the section on Exposure Simplified in the latter. You can save $10 by purchasing the 2-book bundle here.
This American Alligator with a Cattle Egret in its jaws was photographed at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (hand held at 111mm) and the EOS-40D (now replaced for me by the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop as framed: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode.
Central Sensor AI Servo shutter button AF as framed. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
When you have no clue as to what the situation might be, you are far better off being in Av mode than in Manual mode; you are never more than a few clicks away from the perfect exposure. See image next.
Av Mode
There are many situations where I find it best to work in Av mode. Most times when I am taking a walk with a long lens on my shoulder I set the camera to Av mode. If it is sunny, I set the ISO to 400. If it is cloudy, I set the ISO to 800. If it is cloudy dark I set the ISO to 800. I usually work wide open or close to it.
Why Av mode when taking a walk?
When I do not know what or where the subject might be and when I do not know if the subject will be in the sun or in the shade, I will always set Av mode so that I can quickly dial in something close to the correct EC and make an image or three. Note I: this is 100% dependent on having a thorough understanding of exposure. Note II: this same understanding is required to come up with the right exposure when working in Manual mode.
The classic example is as follows: I am at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I hear a woman scream. I have the 70-200 f/4L IS in my hands and start running. I see a big gator on the dirt in the sun with a Cattle Egret in its mouth. I instinctively dial in -1 stop EC as the gator is black and in the sun and taking up a good part of the frame and the egret is brilliant white. I make several images each with a good exposure. I see that the gator is heading under the boardwalk. I know that I will not need as much minus EC as the action will now be in the shade. I push the shutter button half-way and dial back to -1/3 stop with two counter-clockwise clicks of the thumb wheel. I make a few more images each with a perfect exposure.
This same American Alligator with a Cattle Egret in its jaws was photographed at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm only a few seconds after the image above was created. Again, I used the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (hand held at 70mm) and the EOS-40D (now replaced for me by the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as framed: 1/160 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode.
Central Sensor AI Servo shutter button AF as framed. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Had God been working in Manual mode not even he (or she) would have been able to make 14 the needed 14 clicks in the second it took this gator to slip from the bright sun into the shade of the boardwalk; if you are counting, that’s a difference of 4 2/3 stops….
If I had been working in Manual mode it would have taken 14 clicks of the shutter speed dial to come up with the right exposure. Nobody, not even the most obnoxious loud-mouthed Manual mode proponent could do quickly to get the right exposure when the gator slipped into the shadows.
While the above is an extreme situation it proves the point: when you are not sure what the situation will be Av mode is best. It allows you to come up with the right exposure quickly and easily, more quickly and easily than if you were working in Manual mode.
Similarly, as noted above in paragraph 3 in the Manual mode section, I often use Av mode when the light is changing and the background is of uniform and constant tonality.
Furthermore, if I happen to be in Av mode and I come upon a good situation where I am absolutely sure of the correct EC (exposure compensation) it is faster and easier to continue working in Av mode than it is to switch to Manual mode.
Manual Focus on the tip of the pistil and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version.
When photographing flowers in windless situations I find it easier and faster to work in Av mode than to work in Manual mode.
Av Mode Best for Flowers?
When photographing flowers in windless situations I also find Av mode best and more efficient than working in Manual mode. I found myself doing just that when photographing the tulips in Keukenhof Gardens, the Netherlands on last spring’s Tulip IPT.
I’d see and frame an image. Focus. Set Live View and the 2-second timer. Live View gave me mirror lock and the RAW RGB histogram. The 2-second timer assured sharp images at slow shutter speeds. Once I had fine-tuned the exposure I’d make a long series of images changing the aperture in one stop increments from wide open to f/22 or so. Once I had dialed in the right EC changing the aperture required only three clicks of the thumb wheel—the camera set the shutter speed each time. Had I been working in Manual mode I would have needed three clicks for the aperture and three more clicks the other way for the shutter speed. Where I come from six clicks is more work than three clicks. Working in Av mode made it fast and easy to crank out a series of images each with a different aperture….
Interestingly enough one image in a series would often stand out as clearly best.
Here is the principle that applies here: if the light and framing are constant and the only thing that you wish to change is the aperture it is faster and easier to work in Av mode. Can you do the same thing in Manual mode? Of course. But you will need to change more parameters than you would if you were working in Av mode. I prefer easier and faster 🙂
Tv Mode
As with Av mode, there are situations where working in Tv mode is far easier, far faster, far more intuitive, and far more efficient than working in Manual mode. For starters, one advantage of working in Tv mode is that it gives you absolute control of shutter speed.
Tv mode +1/3 stop. ISO Safety shift. As described in the text below this is a simple recipe for creating pleasing blurs in the pre-dawn. Beginning and intermediate photographers would have a very tough time in situations like this if they were working in Manual mode.
Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround–Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Tv Mode for Blurs
As regular readers know, I love creating pleasing blurs, often in pre-dawn situations with beautiful color in the sky. Trying to create sharp images in these situations is almost always a huge waste of your mega-high ISO time. Working in Tv mode in conjunction with either ISO Safety Shift or Auto ISO is the way to go. You simply pick a slow shutter speed that is appropriate for the EV (light) level and the distance to the birds, dial in the right EC—usually +1/3 stop to +2 stops depending on the colors and tonality of the predawn skies, and fire away. The camera will set the needed ISO. As it gets brighter, the only thing that you need to do is pick the shutter speed that you want and dial in the right EC.
Teaching this method in the dark at Bosque allows even beginning photographers to create some wonderful images on their very first try.
Folks working in Manual mode in this situation need to change the ISO, the shutter speed, and the aperture every minute or two as the skies brighten. This is relatively easy for experienced photographers but working in Tv mode as described above is much easier and much more efficient for many folks.
To learn more about creating pleasing blurs see “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. This PDF is sent via e-mail and would make a great gift for all aspiring photographers,
I knew that +1 was right and I knew that I wanted a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. Tv mode was fast, simple, and perfect.
Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround–Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Tv Mode When You Need a Minimum Shutter Speed
There are many situations where you want to be sure of having a minimum shutter speed, often when working in relatively low light and often when working from some sort of water craft. Unlike many flight photographers I do not subscribe to the theory that you need a minimum shutter speed of 1/1600 sec for flight photography. In many situations I would rather work at 1/500 sec. than choose a higher ISO. I have made many sharp flight images at 1/500 second.
The single rejoinder is that the background be of fairly uniform tonality. If the tonality of the background is constantly changing then as above, it is imperative that you work in Manual mode.
On my last Japan trip we were working with Steller’s Sea Eagles in flight in pink pre-dawn light. Both the ice and the sky were of about the same tonality—light middle, and I knew that +1 EC would give me a pretty darned good exposure most of the time. So I set Tv mode and chose 1/500 sec. I dialed in +1 stop EC and let the camera set the ISO and determine the aperture (which would always be wide open or close to it). I created many fine images that morning. And I have done the same thing often on Galapagos trips in similar situations. Fast, simple, and easy.
When photographing songbirds in relatively low, changing light with fill flash I like to work in Program mode and simple dial in the correct EC if needed. Doing so prevents the problems that you might encounter using Av or Tv and is much faster than working in Manual when the light is changing.
Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s upper back active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Program Mode
“Program mode?” you ask. “Are you nuts?”
There are actually two situations when I find that program mode is the best mode. When photographing family parties or friends’ weddings indoors with on-camera flash, I get fairly consistent results by setting the flash to -1/3 or -2/3 stops, working in Program mode, and dialing in EC as required; usually some plus EC for overall light subjects and scenes and some minus EC for dark subjects with a few bright highlights. Happy birthday!
The other time that I’d use program mode is when photographing songbirds with flash in low, changing light. First, I simply dial in the flash exposure compensation (on the flash not on the camera), usually about -1 2/3 stops for fill flash, set my ISO, dial in the right EC (as always depending my understanding of exposure theory), and begin making images. After I am set up the only thing that I need to change is the exposure compensation. If you are working in Manual mode you will spend most of your time changing two or more of the exposure parameters as the light changes.
I have not photographed many songbirds in recent years but would not hesitate to work in program mode when the right situation arises. I should be so lucky.
Which is The Best Shooting Mode?
I am hoping that by now that everyone realizes that there is no single best shooting mode for all situations. Study hard and learn to get the right exposure in all lighting conditions. Learn to use each of your camera’s shooting modes. And learn when it is best for you to use Manual, Av, Tv, or even Program. You will become a much stronger photographer.
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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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand (by necessity)/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. Being restricted to the center AF point (plus the four expanded points) can present challenges; here the AF point was on the side of the bird’s breast. With the bird angled slightly toward us that resulted in a sharp eye. I executed the typical central sensor crop for a small in the frame subject looking left by taking some off the right and the off bottom. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
What is it?
Image Questions
Was I seated behind my tripod or lying on the ground with the legs splayed? How did you know? How could the image have been improved?
Shorebird Lessons
North American shorebirds are relatively small birds in one of several families including the sandpipers, oystercatchers, avocets and stilts, and plovers. The sandpiper family includes the small sandpipers collectively known as the “peeps,” phalaropes, godwits, yellowlegs, curlews, snipe, woodcock, and dowitchers. Many of them love running around in the mud or wet sand looking for food. Others prefer grassier habitats. Some love open beaches. Most feed on small invertebrates, small mollusks and snails, and a variety or usually aquatic insects and worms. Some like Ruddy Turnstone may resort to scavenging. I have seen them feeding on French fries at Daytona Beach and picking away at large dead fish.
When I began birding in 1976 they quickly became my favorite bird family. Do understand that many birds of the shore like gulls, terns, skimmers, ducks, pelicans, and others are not correctly noted as being shorebirds.
It is often easier to age a shorebird, that is, to tell if it is a juvenile bird or an adult, than it is to identify it as to species. The bird in today’s featured photograph is a juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper. Adults in August have splotchy feather patterns that give the birds a worn, uneven look. Juveniles like this bird have a nice edging or fringe on each feather giving the bird a neatly patterned look. Semipalmated Sandpiper is one of the five regularly occurring North American peeps. It has black or very dark greenish legs and a fairly straight, fairly stout medium length bill (on average) with somewhat of a blob at the tip. The wings and tail are approximately the same length. Keep these tips in mind as you try to identify some of the additional shorebird species that I will be posting.
Todays’ Question
Is the bird in the image above an adult or a juvenile? How do you know? Can you identify it as to species? Why did you answer as you did? Read the paragraph above carefully for clues that will help with answering these two questions.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand (by necessity)/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Being restricted to the center AF point (ply the four expanded points) can present challenges; here the AF point was on a spot just this side of the bird’s eye… Thus, the eye in the original is a bit softer than I would have liked. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Semipalmated Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage
What Bugged Me?
The image immediately above appeared in the first “Shorebird Lessons” blog post here, I wrote: While I love almost everything about this image, there are two things that bug me. They are closely related…. If you think that you know what they are, please do leave a comment.
The Answer
While I love the overall look and mood of the image, I wish that the bird’s head had been turned ever-so-slightly towards me; this would likely have resulted in a small but visible catch-light…. Thanks to the many who commented.
Shorebirds, Beautiful Beachcombers
This, my first book, is perfect for anyone who wishes to learn about shorebirds (without being overwhelmed by the difficult identification problems). In addition to sharing lots of simple ID tips I cover the basics of shorebird biology and ecology including migration, breeding, and feeding habits. The book is illustrated with 70 of my images and 26 more by some of the world’s best nature photographers. We only have a very few boxes of this classic left; when they are gone it will be used copies only on Amazon or eBay only. Click here to order your copy. In most of North American southbound shorebird migration begins in earnest in a very few days with failed nesters leaving their arctic and sub-arctic nesting grounds and heading south. In July they these birds will always be worn, molting adults.
The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.
Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 3.
Most of our seven photo sessions will be spent at Nickerson beach photographing the nesting Black Skimmers. In flight, sometimes battling. Carrying fish. Chicks of varying sizes from a very few just-hatched to lots of fledglings. It is likely that we will get to see some Great Black-backed Gulls preying on the juvenile skimmers. They swallow them whole. There will be lots of gulls to photograph as well as some Common Terns. Locally breeding shorebird species include American Oystercatcher–pretty much guaranteed, Willet, which is likely, and Piping Plover, which is probable but we need to get lucky with those to get close….
Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office and arranging to leave your deposit of $499. Then please send your balance via check along with the release forms. I hope to see you there.
JBWR?
If local conditions are ideal we may visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds on one or possibly two mornings. Even if we do not visit JBWR we should get some good chances with the migrant shorebirds at the beach, especially Sanderling and Semipalmated Plover. Red Knot and others are possible.
As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. We will get you up early and we will stay out late.
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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.
Michael Tapes EOS 5DS R Video: Not My Style At All (right now) But Still Quite Interesting…
That Michael Tapes is a pretty smart guy is a given: he is the creator of both the LensAlign System and FocusTune, an amazing pair of tools that can help all photographers get the most out of their gear. By the time this is posted we should have updated our stock with the latest V4 LensAlign hardware and the just released V4 FocusTune software serial numbers. Learn more about LensAlign Fusion or order here. I am hoping to complete the long awaited LensAlign/FocusTune tutorial in early August after my return from the Galapagos.
In any case, though the huge crops shown in the video are not my style the presentation is quite interesting. And quite impressive…. Thanks to Michael for sharing.
Why the 5DS R?
I asked Michael Tapes, “Why the 5DS R over the 5DS?”
He kindly responded:
I chose the 5DS R simple because it will render more detail if the lens and shooting conditions allow. Though it is not always the limiting factor, the Anti-aliasing filter in 99% of all cameras is a blurring filter that is designed to minimize moire (the pattern caused by the frequency of a repeating pattern in an image and the repeating pattern on the sensor). The more pixels the worse the problem. But since I do not photograph fabric and repeating patterns are rare in nature. I chose the R version to get the most sharpness possible from the sensor and the photographic chain. Most people will not notice the difference and can save their money and by getting the 5DS. Note that Canon, like Nikon did with the D800/D800E bodies, chose not to eliminate the Anti-Aliasing filter, but to cancel its effect with an additional filter to cancel the AA filter effect. It is simple/easier/cheaper to do it that way when manufacturing two otherwise identical models.
Canon’s Two 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies
Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.
If…
If what you learned here inspires you to order either of these bodies please consider using one of our B&H affiliate links above. And please shoot me your receipt via e-mail. Many thanks for considering this request.
From the 5DS R Overview
Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation
Low-pass filter effect cancellation takes full advantage of the 50.6MP sensor, delivering greater detail and even higher resolution images than those of the 5DS.
As that is the elephant in the closet and because I was unable to find anything definitive anywhere online, I wrote the always brilliant Rudy Winston. Below I share his e-mail with you. My brief comments follow.
By e-mail from Canon’s Rudy Winston:
Hi Artie,
The basics are as follows…
1. Canon’s engineers believe strongly that a low-pass filter is an important aid, IN GENERAL, to image quality with digital SLRs. We’ve had one in-place immediately in front of the image sensor on all previous EOS D-SLRs to date.
2. Low-pass filters basically attack problems with false colors and especially occasional moire patterns that can arise when fine, repeating patterns (think of the weave in some fabrics, for instance) begin to line-up with and approach the size/frequency of the patterns of pixels on an image sensor. Low-pass filters work by spreading the incoming light by the width of approximately ONE PIXEL horizontally (left and right), and a second low-pass filter layer does the same vertically, splitting it up and down.
3. This scattering of light in effect produces a slight blurring effect (usually easy to correct with slight Unsharp Mask-type sharpening in the computer, after the fact, or judicious use of the in-camera sharpening via Picture Style control). But the by-product is far less tendency to give psychedelic-looking moire patterns with certain subjects, in certain conditions (and of course, you never see these moire patterns in the viewfinder, before the fact).
4. The filter array that includes the two different low-pass filters mentioned above is a part of the optical system, even though it’s sandwiched right up against the front of the imaging sensor. The total filter array includes at least one layer of IR-absorbing glass, a dichroic mirror layer to reflect infrared and UV illumination, and what they call a phase plate, which changes the polarization of incoming light into circular polarization. In other words, it’s a pretty sophisticated optical sandwich, even though to the naked eye it appears as a super-thin layer of glass in front of the sensor.
5. All that said, it is true that if we were to remove the low-pass filter component, in theory, we’d have the potential of greater initial, out-of-the-camera sharpness in many situations. And, it’s definitely true that the moire pattern risk mentioned above won’t occur in the majority of images, unless you were shooting things like fabrics or products with very fine, repeating line patterns on a regular basis. (For the type of bird imaging you normally do, or most landscape applications, I’d guess the risk of moire is pretty much nil most of the time.)
6. As a parenthetical note, these moire patterns, IF they do occur, can usually be moderated or even eliminated in some cases with various image-editing techniques… Photoshop gurus have a multitude of them, and some RAW file processing software now contains anti-moire tools for these occasions. Still, it’s an extra step — sometimes a fairly sophisticated set of them — to reduce or remove moire completely from an image, if it does occur.
7. Because the afore-mentioned low-pass filter array is a part of the optical path, you can’t just remove it — you’d change the effective length of the optical axis, and have to re-design the entire camera body slightly, including the AF system’s optical path, to accommodate such a change. Since Canon made the strategic decision to offer TWO high-resolution cameras, a different technique was needed to achieve removal of the low-pass filter effect, without upsetting the optical system within the camera body. And, without the expense of (in effect) having to design an entirely new camera from scratch, with slightly altered internal dimensions.
8. All that said, here’s what Canon has done: they need two low-pass filter layers in-place to preserve the same optical length within the body. The traditional EOS 5DS of course does just that, with Canon’s typical low-pass filter approach. With the EOS 5DS R, they also have two low-pass filter layers in-place. The first scatters the incoming light by spreading it vertically, similarly to how it’s done in the standard 5DS camera. But the next low-pass filter layer bends the incoming light VERTICALLY again, in the reverse direction — back to ONE single ray path, so the scattered light is effectively “un-scattered” and re-focused into a single optical beam. Thus, the low-pass filter effect is “cancelled.”
9. The result of this cancellation of the low-pass filter effect in the EOS 5DS R is a slight — but noticeable, in many instances — increase in the overall contrast and sharpness of fine detail, lines, and texture in subjects. Canon is clear that photographers need to understand that a by-product of this is a risk of moire patterns appearing occasionally, and that it’s up to the shooter to work with post-processing to limit this effect if and when it happens. But I have no doubt that there would be a bit more detail and texture in things like feather detail in birds, for example. I don’t want to over-state the improvement in sharpness in the EOS 5DS R vs. the standard 5DS model… you can see it when you start magnifying images and look for it, but it’s not an “in-your-face” type of obvious difference that my Mom would immediately spot when viewing on-screen at 100%.
10. Bottom line: we anticipate that the majority of sales of our 50.6 million pixel camera will be the standard 5DS camera, and that in the eyes of most users, the 5DS R will be seen as something of a specialty version. Buy the latter for the right reasons, and it’ll delight you. We just want all potential buyers, and dealer staff, to understand that along with its added initial image sharpness does come a risk of occasional optical imperfections in certain shooting situations. I’ll finish where I started: overall, Canon’s engineers remain very firm that in their opinion, OVERALL digital image quality is enhanced by the use of traditional low-pass filter design in digital SLRs. We’ll let the market be the ultimate judge!
Let me know if you have any other questions, or if any of this is not perfectly clear. Good questions you ask, and it’s up to us here at Canon to make sure every potential customer understands the answers to them! Be well, stay warm!
— Rudy Winston
Canon USA
Thanks!
Thanks a huge stack to Rudy for sharing his almost infinite knowledge of all things Canon with us.
The Overview and the Specs
You can learn all about the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR by clicking here , scrolling down, and then clicking on the Overview tab or on the Specs tab.
You can learn all about the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR by clicking here, scrolling down, and then clicking on the Overview tab or on the Specs tab.
My Comments
Even after watching Michael’s intriguing video, I still have no idea as to whether I would want either of these bodies for nature photography. I can understand that serious landscape folks and those who make large prints as a matter of course are salivating over the thought of getting their hands on whichever of these bodies they deem to be best. When, however, I can borrow one from either CPS or from B&H I will do so with relish. I may try to get one for my Alaska trips in August…
There are some great features that many might love; each features the new 50.6 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor that will deliver ultra-high resolution images for large-scale printing and extensive, creative cropping, fine detail mode in Picture Style (I wonder if Arash will like that….), 1.3x and 1.6x crop shooting (I need to learn a bit more about that and will share what I learn with you here at some point), full HD 30p movie capability, a built-In intervalometer and bulb timer, and lots more.
High-speed continuous shooting at up to 5 fps might leave those accustomed to the blazing frame rates of the 1D X and the 7D Mark II feeling a bit sluggish.
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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.
Central Sensor AI Servo Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Why You Need to learn to Work in Manual Mode for Flight Photography
It’s simple. If the possibility of rapidly changing background tonality exists (as it almost always does with flight photography), you need to be in Manual mode to ensure the correct exposure for the bird. If I had been working in Av mode for this image, the camera would have seen all of that white water on a cloudy day and would have severely underexposed the RAW file. And that is the last thing that you would ever want to do with the small pixels of the EOS-7D. If you lighten an underexposed image you are simply increasing the noise. That is why learning to Expose to the Right (ETTR) is more than important. It too is mandatory and imperative….
The above, however, does not mean that you should be working in Manual mode all the time. That is a myth. To learn the whole story, see the “At Long Last, As Promised: the Greatest, Most Educational Blog Post Ever? Manual… Av… Tv… Program… Which is The Best Shooting Mode?” blog post here. What is the best plan? Bookmark it and study it. Often.
Do understand that if you do not understand exposure theory, if you do not know how to work in Manual mode–don’t be scared it’s really the same as Av and Tv, and if you do not know how to check for blinkies, analyze a histogram, and adjust your exposure parameters you will not consistently come up with perfect exposures. (If you are scared of Manual mode, be sure to see the blog post of July 18, 2015.)
Being in one mode or another does not guarantee a proper exposure unless you are well-versed in all of the above. To learn to get the right exposure every time I recommend getting the 2-Book Bundle. In The Art of Bird Photography (the original ABP in soft cover–the classic how-to book on bird photography) you will need to study the Exposure chapter and most especially the section on Exposure Theory. In The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images on CD only), you will need to study Exposure Simplified and all 900+ of our educational image captions. Each explains how I metered and how I compensated in order to come up with a workable exposure in short order.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects. With annual visits spanning more than three decades I have lot of experience there….
2015 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?
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.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings.
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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 :).
As I type on the bus headed up the hill to the highlands of Puerto Ayora for a long morning of photographing Galapagos Tortoises, the spectacular Galapagos race of Yellow Warbler, and several species of Darwin’s finches my plan is as follows: buy a diet soda at the local pizza store, get online via their wifi, and publish this blog post. Well, that is the plan. I am not sure if the local wifi system will allow me to upload the images.
So far the trip has been a huge success. The group is fantastic, eager to learn, and the various personalities have meshed perfectly both onboard our home for two weeks and in the filed. And best of all, we have enjoyed mostly cloudy and overcast weather with zero drops of rain. One hot, sunny, blue sky afternoon put the hurt on our landing at Urbina Bay, Isabella. Despite that, Juan did find us one nice, large Land Iguana who posed for us in the shade.
I would assume that after viewing the variety and quality of the images in this blog post that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the first two 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. Details will be announced shortly after I get back. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
As most of you know or have figured out by now, I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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.
This image was created at Darwin Bay, Genovesa (Tower Island) at 10:01 am on Day 2 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise 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 1/3 stops off the bright white feathers on the bird’s back in hazy sunlight: 1/400 sec. at f/13 in Manual Mode. AWB.
Left Upper Zone AF/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The AF system chose the AF point three to the left of the center AF point–it was squarely on the bird’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 #1: Nazca Booby–tight face shot facing
Galapagos First Week/Gear Plan Working Perfectly…
On most landings I have been bring both the 400 DO and the 100-400 II ashore, the DO in the Think Tank Glass Limo, usually with the 1D X attached and the lens hood in place and the 7D II mounted on the 100-400 II on my right shoulder via the RS-7 Strap. I have, depending on the reach that I need, switched camera bodies. All of that of course with both TCs in my fanny pack ready to be used as needed. When I need to go above ISO 800, as with the Short-eared Owl image below, I always go with the 1D X. So far so good.
Tight Face Shot Success
The image above was the result of careful planning, good thinking, the close-focusing ability of the 100-400 II, and my fierce determination to create something special. Visualizing a tight head portrait, I positioned myself close to the bird, tried various AF configurations, and wound up keeping 19 of about 200 images; the one presented here today was clearly the best for me….
This image was created at Prince Phillip’s Steps, Genovesa (Tower Island) at 4:01 pm on Day 2 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 2X III and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop in thankfully overcast conditions: 1/200 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. AWB.
Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the owl’s left eye and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Short-eared Owl with its very favorite prey, a freshly killed Galapagos (Wedge-rumped) Petrel
Going Long
I had the lens on the tripod when Indranil Sircar saw this owl land right in front of him with its prey and graciously alerted the rest of the group. I added the 2X III TC, found what seem like a good angle, calculated the exposure, and made three images. I was happy with the exposure but not with the curved stem that went right over the bird’s head so I moved to my left a few yards past the last person in line and lucked out when the bird hopped forward a few meters and was kind enough to carry its prey with it. Bingo!
This image was created on a zodiac cruise at Punta Mangle, Fernandina, at 5:35pm on Day 5 of the the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 214mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky (again, in thankfully overcast conditions) was a significant underexposure: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1. In Manual mode. AWB.
Center Zone AF/AI Servo/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The AF system chose two AF points on row above and one column to the right of center AF point that fell on the left side of the bird’s upper breast just inside of the wing and just past the plane of the bird’s right eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #3: Blue-footed Booby scratching head
The 2017 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Galapagos Photo Cruise
If you wish to join us for the next Galapagos photo adventure during the first two weeks of August, 2017, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Galapagos August 2017 Photo-Cruise” cut and pasted into the Subject Line. Details will be announced shortly after I get back. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
Exposure Question #1…
How many stops should I have opened up from the white sky reading to get a good exposure for the booby? Clue: this is a simple math question.
This image was also created at Darwin Bay, Genovesa (Tower Island), this one at 7:41 am on Day 2 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop in the shade: 1/60 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB.
Three AF points to the right of and one row below the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF fell right on the bird’s eye and was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #4: Dark morph Red-footed Booby head portrait of adult on nest
Genovesa (Tower Island)
Tower Island is simply one of the great world class avian and wildlife photographic locations on the planet. And the same can be said about Espanola (Hood Island). The 2015 BIRDS AS ART Galapagos Photo-Cruise is the first ever workshop to visit each of these amazing locations twice on a two-week trip. That due to a last minute schedule improvement. We are planning to do the same with our 2017 trip though with the vagaries of the National Park Service management policies there are never any guarantees. That said, every schedule change that my guide Juan has ever suggested has eventually been approved; this year’s changes were solidified just a single day before we arrived in Guayaquil.
Exposure Question #2…
Why did I need -1/3 stop of exposure compensation here to come up with the right exposure?
This image was created on a panga (zodiac) cruise at Punta Mangle, Fernandina, at 8:51 am on Day 6 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise 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 +1 1/3 stops off the light sky in soft sunlight: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual Mode. AWB.
Center AF Point/AI Servo/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Neither the selected AF point nor any of the four assist points were anywhere near the bird which was at the very top of the frame with just a smidgeon of the central tail feathers clipped. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #5: Blue-footed starting dive
Zodiac Cruising
Photographing successfully from a rocking zodiac is a big challenge. But with the skill of the zodiac drivers and my eight years of experience we are generally able to get everyone in position to enjoy lots of great opportunities. As we feasted on a fantastic Blue-footed Booby feeding spree–I was oh for 2013 on my last cruise–Juan had the two pangas floating in tandem; this enabled me to provide instruction to all of the group.
On our zodiac cruise in the same location on the afternoon of Day 5 we were hampered at first by wind against sun conditions: all of our potential subjects were facing away from us. As we got closer to sunset a then cloud covered the sun and we enjoyed some fine chances; see the scratching Blue-Footed Booby image above. Once we were back on the ship, Bernhard Dörner of Germany, attending his first IPT with lovely wife Ruth, said to me in somewhat broken English, “Being in the zodiac with you, hearing you explain why conditions were poor, and then understanding when and why they improved was everything to me, well worth the cost of the entire trip.” (Do understand that Bernhard’s English is light years better than my German.”)
This image was created on a panga (zodiac) cruise at Punta Morena, Isabela at 10:01 am on Day 5 of the 2015 Galapagos Photo Cruise with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 338mm) with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2 1/3 stops as framed: 1/800 sec. at f/13 in Av Mode. Color temperature K8000.
Center AF point (by necessity)/One Shot Expand/Rear Focus AF and fire was active at the moment of exposure as framed. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #6: Galapagos Penguin sunset silhouette
Silhouettes in the Galapagos
Silhouettes in the Galapagos on panga rides are possible for those who get out early and/or stay out late. While you cannot land before 6:00am and you must be off each island not later than 6:00pm, we are often in the zodiacs in good position to create some silhouettes whenever there is some colored sky where we need it. The trick is to have a skilled panga driver team up with a photographic leader who knows exactly where the boat needs to be positioned. That is usually me in one zodiac and Juan in the other. With five or six or rarely seven shooters in each panga and the boats bouncing up and down in the choppy water it takes lots of determination and concentration to create even one successful image…. As the zodiac moves with the current each photographer will have some good chances, often for only a few moments at best.
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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.
This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image (dynamic range +/- 2 stops) was created on one of the 2015 Palouse IPTs the tripod-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 120mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero yielded a base exposure of 1/30 sec. at f/20 in Manual mode. AWB. 2-second timer with Live View for mirror lock. With the Giotto’s MH 1302-655 “tiny” ballhead.
Center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on our right side of the headlight and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Rusted Green General Motors Truck
Not Sure Why…
I am not sure why I am so fascinated by rusty old trucks and cars. There is something about the history and their sticking it out over many, many decades. Sort of like me. I love the look of the faded original colors and of the rust.
The Image Design #1
What do think of the image design and composition of Image #1? Could you have made a better designed image by pointing the camera a bit up or down or left or right or by framing a bit wider or a bit tighter? In any case, please explain why.
Exposure Question
You usually need lots of plus compensation with Art Vivid in soft light. Why did I need to go to -1/3 stop for image #1?
This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image (dynamic range +/- 3 stops) was also created on one of the 2015 Palouse IPTs, this one with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 70mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop yielded a base exposure of .4 sec. at f/22 in Av mode. AWB. 2-second timer with Live View for mirror lock. With the Giotto’s MH 1302-655 “tiny” ballhead.
Center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the left hand headlight and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Really Rusted International Truck
The Image Design #2
What do think of the image design and composition of Image #2? Could you have made a better designed image by pointing the camera a bit up or down or left or right or by framing a bit wider or a bit tighter? In any case, please explain why.
What are They?
If you can identify (as to manufacturer and model) and age (as to year) either or both of today’s subjects please do share your knowledge by leaving a comment.
Subject and focal lengths from upper left to right and then around to center.
Palouse Falls: 11mm; homemade kiddie race car: 105mm; barn siding pan blur: 798mm; Rolling fields diorama: 110mm; Crayola drums: 343 mm; Hay barn interior: 19mm; vintage gas station: 40mm; Dilapidated farm building: 13mm; Denise’s tree Infrared: 20mm.
Images and card design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
The Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 3-7, 2016/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12
The Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 10-14, 2016/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12
Double Header!
Maximize both your travel dollars and your learning experience by signing up for both IPTs.
Images and card design by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure.
The Palouse IPTs
Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will likely enjoy spectacular sunrises and possibly a nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. We will take you to some really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join us for this trip. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.
After 6 days of back-breaking scouting work in early June 2014 we found all of the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and views. On three additional scouting days in 2015 we discovered several more truly amazing locations. We will teach you what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time.
What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, our newfound but very extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible. There will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before each workshop begins.
You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills. You will learn to get the right exposure every time. You will learn to develop your creative eye. You will learn the basics of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. You will learn a variety of in-camera creative techniques. Most importantly you will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images. Do see both of our blogs for lots more on that in the coming weeks. You will learn how the quality and direction of light combine to determine the success of your images. And–please don’t gasp–we will be working quite a bit with sidelight when creating landscapes. Lastly, we will be doing some infrared photography.
To Sign Up
A non-refundable $699 deposit is due now. The balance will be due on February 15, 2016. 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.
With the spectacular success that we enjoyed in 2015 it seems quite likely that this one will fill up very quickly. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining us. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours or send us a check to leave a deposit; the latter is preferred. If by check, please make out to “Arthur Morris” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via e-mail: artie or denise.
Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Good Luck Denise!
I hope that you have two great Nickerson Beach A Creative Adventure Workshops! Please leave some birds for my August workshop 🙂
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here.
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This Bald Eagle juxtaposition image was created from a rocking boat near Homer, AK with the Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 set manually.
In the above situation with a large bird occupying a good portion of the frame it is imperative to figure out the correct exposure in advance by checking the histogram to make sure that it is well to the right without any blinkies. Here I probably started at -2/3 stop in Av Mode. Once you determine the correct exposure, set it manually; that is just what I did in this case. By doing so your exposure will not be thrown off if there is more black in the frame one moment and more white the next. Do understand that it is not mandatory that you start off in Av mode; you can begin in Manual mode as detailed below. Where you start is simply a matter of personal experience.
To learn basic exposure theory study the chapter on exposure in the original The Art of Bird Photography; it is the great strength of a book that has sold more than 35,000 copies and laid the foundation for many of today’s great bird photographers. And follow that up by mastering the principles in the section on “Exposure Simplified” in the Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages on CD only).
Working in Manual Mode
It has been more than two years since I first ran Working in Manual Mode on the blog. You can see the original post here. That one has an interesting link that is not included in this blog post. Right now I probably work in Manual Mode about 75% of the time. I use Av mode about 15% of the time and Tv mode about 10% of the time (the latter when creating pleasing blurs or when I need a minimum shutter speed). I use Program mode only on rare occasion, such as when photographing folks at a party with flash or when using fill flash for songbirds.
If you are not working in Manual mode most of the time you need to study the info below and learn to become competent in it.
Here is an excerpt adapted from The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages on CD only) for those who need help with working in Manual mode.
Working in Manual Mode
Many professional and serious amateur photographers work in Manual mode most of the time. I do not because working in Av mode and entering exposure compensation is faster whenever the background is of a relatively constant tonality. When the background tonality might be changing from moment to moment but the light is constant, it is pretty much mandatory that you learn to work in Manual mode. In either case, At all times, I rely on Evaluative Metering. Here are some examples of rapidly changing backgrounds: a shorebird on a rock along the edge of the ocean with waves breaking behind it. Birds flying against a blue sky with occasional white clouds. Cranes flying by in front of a variety of backgrounds that might include sky, mountains, yellowed grasses, or water. As many folks are confused as to how to work in Manual mode, I offer the following basic tutorial.
#1: When you work in Manual mode you select and set the shutter speed and you select and set the aperture. With my Canon cameras the default has you changing the shutter speed with your index finger dial and the aperture with the thumb wheel.
#2: After selecting Manual mode, point your camera at a scene or stationary subject and lock your tripod head so the framing remains constant. Next select and set the desired aperture. Then adjust the shutter speed until the analog scale in the viewfinder nulls out to zero. With Canon pro bodies this scale is laid out vertically along the right side of the viewfinder display (when you are working in horizontal format). With many of the pro-sumer bodies the analog scale is laid out horizontally at the bottom of the viewfinder display. The zero or null indicator is at the center of the analog scale. The three full stops above the null symbol (marked in 1/3-stop increments) indicate overexposure. The three full stops below the null symbol (also marked in 1/3-stop increments) indicate underexposure. If you change the aperture and you do not see the small square moving, check either the top or the bottom of the analog scale. You will note a small triangle at the top if you are way overexposed or a small triangle at the bottom if you are way underexposed. If the former, rotate the dial and choose faster shutter speeds, if the latter, choose slower shutter speeds. In either case, you will soon see the small square moving up or down the analog scale. At first, you will simply want to practice nulling the meter, that is, getting the small square to rest on the null symbol. This indicates that you have now set the metered exposure (as determined by the camera’s Evaluative Metering system.
#3: When you work in Manual mode it is not possible to set exposure compensation. To come up with the exposure that you wish, simply change the aperture or shutter speed as above until the small square indicates the amount of over- or under-exposure that you desire. If you wish to work at +2 stops, you need adjust either the shutter speed or the aperture until the small square rests on the symbol that is two full stops above the null symbol. If you wish to underexpose by 1/3 stop, you need adjust either the shutter speed or the aperture until the small square rests on the symbol that lies just below the null symbol.
With a bit of practice you should quickly become comfortable whenever the need to work in Manual mode arises.
All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.
Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 3. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.
This trip is a go.
Join me in Katmai National Park, AK for seven days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears (grizzlies) catching salmon, fattening up for the long winter. Other subjects will include Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight and dip-feeding on salmon roe. Did I mention that we live on a boat and that the food is great? Most of our photography will be done in a variety of famed locations: Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, and Kukak Bay. We once had 39 bears fishing the creek at Kukak….
It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of August 31, 2015 September to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of September 1. With air travel in AK being what it is, with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on August 30 is an even better plan). I will be on Kodiak on August 30 to avoid any potential disaster. That said in my nearly a dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once but since I was day early as noted above there was no harm, no foul.
We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 1. We will photograph bears fishing that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are–get to photograph Harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 8, our last morning on the boat, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will do so. The group returns to Kodiak via float plane midday. Most folks will fly to Anchorage and then continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.
The eight days will consist of six full days (Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) of photography featuring lots of Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon as above plus a variety of other natural history subjects plus some nice scenic photography that I forgot to mention above. Plus the first afternoon and the last morning.
What’s included? 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. (The food is quite excellent.) National Park fees. One night’s double occupancy lodging on Kodiak; arrive: Sept 1/depart: Sept 2. The thank-you-in-advance dinner on Sept 1. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of a top professional; I will constantly let you know what I am thinking, what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and Photoshop instruction on the boat.
What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). All necessary lodging other than the cost of your double occupancy room on the night of August 31 should you opt to arrive early–we can arrange that in advance for you. We will let you know the cost of a single supplement for the one night if so desired. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat on September 2 and back to Kodiak on September 9. The cost of a round trip this year was $500. The suggested crew tip of $210.
Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 6 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 “Arthur Morris” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.
Your deposit is due immediately. That will leave a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on February 15, 2015. The final payment of $2000 is due on May 1, 2015.
I hope that you can join us for this wondrously exciting trip.
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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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here. The Used Gear Listings are quite slim as a slew of mostly intermediate telephoto lenses (mostly old 100-400s) along with a 300 II sold within the past week. There are still two old 100-400s priced to all along with some great super-telephoto lenses listed including a Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS and a Sigmonster.
IPT veteran Sean Traynor is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens, the “old five,” (s/n 24343) a very sharp copy in excellent condition for $4,499. The sale includes all of the original stuff such as the lens trunk (hard case) with keys, the front leather hood, the rear lens cap, and LensCoat, and insured shipping via either UPS or Fed-Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Photos available upon request.
You can contact Sean via e-mail or by phone at 201.696.1962 eastern time.
As regular readers know the “old five” was the world’s most popular super telephoto lens for many years. I owned and used one for more than a decade. Sean’s lens is priced to sell. artie
Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Sean Traynor is also offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS in excellent condition for $699 including insured shipping via Fed Ex or UPS Ground to US addresses. The sale also includes the original tough fabric case, the strap, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the tripod ring. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears. Photos available upon request.
You can contact Sean via e-mail or by phone at 201.696.1962 eastern time.
Both denise and I owned and used the original 1-4 for many, many years and made hundreds of high quality images with it with pretty much every Canon camera body in production. This one is priced to sell. artie
On AF point above the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Bridled form of Common Murre, Common Guillemot on the other side of the pond.
Bridled Murre
Bridled Murre features a white eye ring and the accompanying distinctive white slash. It is a morph or type of Common Murre that makes up a small percentage of the population. Here it has landed on a cliff just above its nesting ledge with a somewhat mangled baitfish for its single chick.
The DPP 4 RAW Conversion & the Image Optimization
For the DPP 4 conversion of the RAW file for today’s image I moved the Shadow slider to +4 and the Highlight slider to -1 thus revealing the beautiful chocolatey tones of the Bridled Murre’s hood. The image optimization was fairly straightforward with a bit of cliff clean-up and my NIK 50-50 recipe at about 20%.
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.
Scroll down for more on the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide.
Digital Basics
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. 🙂
You can order your copy of “The Photographers’ Guide to Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.0” (aka the DPP 4 Raw Conversion eGuide) by Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris by clicking here.
The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)
Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. The DPP IV Guide is the ideal companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide, a runaway best seller.
The 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.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 27 through July 4, 2016: $5699: Limit 10 photographers/only 3 spots left. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
Please call or e-mail while I am in the Galapagos to see if this workshop is sold out. We will keep a wait list. You can get Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address or reach Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line.
Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on June 26 arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 27 June no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of three gorgeous modern country cottages.
There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips and 1 morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
The Details
We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. And two species of castles 🙂 We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell thank you dinner.
Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday July 4 or to continue your stay or travels.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.
Deposit Info
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2016. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.
Single Supplement Deposit Info
Single supplement rooms are available. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here. The Used Gear Listings are quite slim as a slew of mostly intermediate telephoto lenses (mostly old 100-400s) along with a 300 II sold within the past week. There are still two old 100-400s priced to all along with some great super-telephoto lenses listed including a Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS and a Sigmonster.
IPT veteran Sean Traynor is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens, the “old five,” (s/n 24343) a very sharp copy in excellent condition for $4,499. The sale includes all of the original stuff such as the lens trunk (hard case) with keys, the front leather hood, the rear lens cap, and LensCoat, and insured shipping via either UPS or Fed-Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Photos available upon request.
You can contact Sean via e-mail or by phone at 201.696.1962 eastern time.
As regular readers know the “old five” was the world’s most popular super telephoto lens for many years. I owned and used one for more than a decade. Sean’s lens is priced to sell. artie
Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Sean Traynor is also offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS in excellent condition for $699 including insured shipping via Fed Ex or UPS Ground to US addresses. The sale also includes the original tough fabric case, the strap, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the tripod ring. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears. Photos available upon request.
You can contact Sean via e-mail or by phone at 201.696.1962 eastern time.
Both denise and I owned and used the original 1-4 for many, many years and made hundreds of high quality images with it with pretty much every Canon camera body in production. This one is priced to sell. artie
Canadian Sale Only
Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM Lens
Jonathan Ward is offering a used Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for $2,000 CAD. The sale includes original product box and packaging, the lens hood, the front and rear lens caps, a black LensCoat, an Arca-Swiss compatible lens plate, the case and strap, the warranty card, the software disk and insured shipping via Purolator Ground within Canada. Your item will not ship until your cheque clears unless other arrangements are made.
You can contact Jon by e-mail or by phone at 416-932-2314 or 416-843-4474 EST.
I have owned and used this versatile lens for many years to create a mind-boggling variety of images. It is a favorite of many professional photographers working in various genres. artie
Sevenstyles Kittiwake Art. Image and Photoshop artwork courtesy of and copyright 2015: Patricia Lillich.
Sevenstyles Kittiwake Art by Pat Lillich
During the spectacular Puffin IPT in the UK with artie and denise we had an opportunity to photograph some gorgeous kittiwake nests on an accessible cliff. The photos were beautiful and i thought some of them would make wonderful paintings. I’ve been experimenting with some Photoshop actions by sevenstyles: you can find them here. At $5-6 they are inexpensive and they work really well. For this image I used Modern Art 2.
Bring your image into Photoshop–it needs to be at least 3000 pixels the long way–in 8-bit/channel mode. Do your cleanup and then merge all layers leaving just the one called “Background.” It needs to be exactly that name with the capital B. Now add a new empty layer (Control + J) and name it “brush” (with a lowercase b.). Decide what part of the photo you want to be the focus of the painting and then use the Quick Selection Tool to select that. In this case I selected the two birds, the nest, and some of the hanging tendrils. You could use Brush Tool instead but on my laptop I was better able to make my selection with the Quick Selection Tool. Fill in the selection with any color of your choosing. You will now have two layers, the top one a blank layer with the outline of the birds and nest filled with color over the bottom layer, Background. Run the Modernart 2 action and wait; it takes a while because it is creating about 20 different layers for you. Once it has finished go back to the various layer and start experimenting, turning some layers off and refining others with Layer Masks. To get the birds to look as they looked in the original, I masked the main Modernart2 layer group and painted in the beaks and other outlines. You can change colors, remove lines, and do lots more. Have fun abnd be creative. Sevenstyles has really good, detailed how-to videos linked to each action on the site.
Pat Lillich and husband Alan have been on about a zillion IPTs. Alan recently was named most helpful participant (of many) on the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Both Alan and Pat are excellent photographers and Pat is an amazingly talented artist and sculptress. When I saw her working on the Kittiwake image I was immediately struck by its beauty and told her, “That’s a guest blog post for sure!” Many thanks Pat.
Thanks also to Denise Ippolito or helping me refine Pat’s text.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 27 through July 4, 2016: $5699: Limit 10 photographers/only 3 spots left. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
Please call or e-mail while I am in the Galapagos to see if this workshop is sold out. We will keep a wait list. You can get Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address or reach Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line.
Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on June 26 arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 27 June no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of three gorgeous modern country cottages.
There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips and 1 morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
The Details
We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. And two species of castles 🙂 We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell thank you dinner.
Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday July 4 or to continue your stay or travels.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.
Deposit Info
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2016. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.
Single Supplement Deposit Info
Single supplement rooms are available. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise
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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 :).
I flew to Guayaquil with friend and participant Chris Billman. We are both beat after a long day of travel. I meet the group tomorrow at 10:00am for an orientation meeting and introductory slide program.
Beginning on Tuesday I will be leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. It will be a first ever with two days spent at the two best sites, Hood Island and Tower Island.
I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here.
Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the pelican’s eye and re-compose. With my left forearm resting on a rock wall for stability. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Tight Sleeping Brown Pelican
100-400 II Versatility
That the same lens with the 1.4X III TC made both of today’s images from pretty much the same position demonstrates the amazing versatility of the 100-400 II. It truly is an astounding tool.
Graphic Depth-of-field Question…
Before you scroll down to the answer below. Try the following: In image #1, the aperture is f/11. In image #2, the aperture is f/10. For all intents and purposes, the apertures are the same. How is it possible that the ocean in Image #1 is totally out of focus–a pleasing blue blur, but that the equally distant waves image #2 are fairly sharply defined?
Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the pelican’s eye and re-compose. With my left forearm resting on a rock wall for stability. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Brown Pelicans: One Sleeping, One Scratching
Graphic Depth-of-field Answer and Lesson
With both images, I was about 12 feet from the subject. The only important difference in the EXIF data between Image #1 and Image # 2 is the focal length. A visit to Depth-of-Field Master.com revealed the explanation:
Depth-of-field with a 7D II at 12 feet with a focal length of 215mm at f/11 is roughly .38 feet, roughly 4 1/2 inches. (Note: I originally posted 34 feet in error.)
Depth-of-field with a 7D II at 12 feet with a focal length of 560mm at f/10 is roughly 1/2 inch.
Thus, the shorter the focal length at a given aperture and a given distance the greater the depth of field. Some might like to think of it like this: when you go to a shorter focal length you are effectively moving away from the subject, thus the huge increase in depth-of-field. In any case, note how much more the background was brought up in the second image as compared to the first image.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects. With annual visits spanning more than three decades I have lot of experience there….
2015 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?
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.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings.
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 :).
I am currently leading a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Cruise in the Galapagos archipelago. Basically, I will not have internet access until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last six 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 the complete listings here. The Used Gear Listings are quite slim as a slew of mostly intermediate telephoto lenses (mostly old 100-400s) along with a 300 II sold within the past week. There are still two old 100-400s priced to all along with some great super-telephoto lenses listed including a Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS and a Sigmonster.
Jonathan Ward is offering a used Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for $2,000 CAD. The sale includes original product box and packaging, the lens hood, the front and rear lens caps, a black LensCoat, an Arca-Swiss compatible lens plate, the case and strap, the warranty card, the software disk and insured shipping via Purolator Ground within Canada. Your item will not ship until your cheque clears unless other arrangements are made.
You can contact Jon by e-mail or by phone at 416-932-2314 or 416-843-4474 EST.
I have owned and used this versatile lens for many years to create a mind-boggling variety of images. It is a favorite of many professional photographers working in various genres. artie
This image was created on the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm and a Kolari Vision converted 5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +-1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/9.
Center AF point/One Shot/(press and fire)/Shutter button AF as framed. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Common Murre (Guillemot) colony infrared capture
Infrared Does Not Work With Birds. Or Does It? Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
This is the same IR image converted to B&W with the NIK Silver Efex Pro Wet Rocks pre-set.
Image #2: Wet Rocks B&W
100-400 II Versatility…
Early results seem to indicate that the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS yields a large hotspot in the center of the frame when used with my IR 5D II. I was thrilled to note that the 100-400 II does well at all focal lengths. Score another versatility point for this great lens.
Your Preference?
Which do you like better the infrared version of the Black and White version? Be sure to let us know why.
Infrared Info
About a month ago, on the advice of IR expert Mark Hilliard, I had a 5D Mark II in pretty decent shape converted to IR at 720 nm (nanometers) Infrared by Kolari Vision. Both Denise and I used the body extensively on both Palouse IPTs and shared it often with more than a few participants who wanted to dabble. Everyone had a ton of fun. Digital IR is new and different and exciting, at least to denise and to me. Both of use were very happy with the quality of the work done by Kolari Vision and with the resulting image quality as well. There is a pretty steep learning curve with IR photography but we are a very clever team and we figured things out pretty quickly.
Denise’s Infrared Galery
If you are developing an interest in Infrared photography be sure to check out denise’s Infrared gallery here. See if you can figure out how she created the Milwaukee Road image. We would be glad to try to answer any basic IR questions that you have via e-mail as follows: artie or denise.
Kolari Visions Infrared Camera Conversions
If you are ready to join the fun and have a camera converted to Infrared, use either the Kolari Vision logo-link above or the LifePixel logo-link below to order your conversion we will gladly send you our simple guide to properly setting a Custom White Balance for infrared photography at 720nm. Simply e-mail us your receipt and we will be glad to shoot you the PDF once your order appears in our affiliate account.
Kolari Visions prides themselves on their fast turnaround times and excellent customer service; they are getting better and faster as they employ several full time technicians to service everything as quickly as possible. The filters they use have been specifically designed for each camera and filter combination to be the optimal thickness for best autofocus performance between lenses, and the best corner sharpness. The filters also fit directly into the frame making the conversion non-damaging and reversible if needed. Others uses a few standard-sized thick filters that they calibrate the camera around. Doing this reaches accurate autofocus with their test lens. But when a filter is too thick for what the optics were designed for, the sharpness can suffer, particularly in the corners, and other lenses will not consistently focus accurately. Some other IR converters glue their filters directly to the sensor; that makes it almost impossible to revert back or to change the filter.
Kolari offers a comprehensive shop for infrared bodies; customers can order converted cameras directly from KV. Their focus on optical quality built from the ground up has allowed them to recently offer a service that improves the performance of Sony A7 series cameras to the level of the Leica M240 cameras. Content-wise, Kolari has a very comprehensive article list and an exhaustive lens performance database chock full of technical details. Soon, KV will feature an interactive gallery that will showcase different camera/filter picture combinations to get rid of some of the mystery of picking a camera to convert.
Choosing a Filter
Filter Choices
The text below is cut and pasted from an informative Kolari Visions’ article. You can access the complete photo illustrated tutorial by clicking here.
We currently have 6 filters to pick from. We offer the 720nm standard infrared, the 850nm deep infrared, the 665nm extra color infrared, the 590nm infrared, a full spectrum filter, and a two spectrum filter. All filters are the same price.
The Standard IR Filter (720nm) allows for good false color, and good contrast for black and white. This is equivalent to the Hoya R72 and the Wratten 89b.
The Ultra Color filter (590nm) lets more visible light in. It produces the most vibrant colors: leaves are golden yellow, skies are bright blue.
The Enhanced Color filter (665nm) has an effect between the 720nm and 590nm, producing more vibrant colors than the 720nm for pale yellow leaves and soft blue skies.
The Deep Black and White filter (850nm) is good for a dedicated black and white IR. The camera and will produce bright whites and pronounced blacks. It is Equivalent to the Wratten 87c.
After some serious thinking I converted my camera at 720nm. We did get a chance to experiment with Catherine Costolo’s super-color IR camera.
LifePixel Infrared Camera Conversions
LifePixel has an extensive IR tutorial section. You can access it by clicking here or on the logo-link above and then clicking on the fourth tab: IR Primer. LifePixel offers excellent Digital Infrared conversions as well.
Costs
Kolari Vision offers more economical IR conversions than LifePixel and did a great job with my camera.
Why?
Why travel many hours by car or plane to visit Machias Seal Island, Maine to photograph puffins and sit in a cramped blind for one whole hour with no possibility of flight photography when you can hop on a red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, live and breathe puffins up close and personal for five full days with tons of flight photography? Not to mention that we get to photograph a fairly wide variety of other seabirds, spend a long morning photographing Northern Gannets in flight until you cannot lift your lens any longer, stay in a lovely place, and photograph two beautiful and historic castles? All of the above while learning from two knowledgeable and creative leaders who love to share and to teach. With 5 (now 6) of the ten slots already filled, this trip may sell out almost instantly. If you have been dreaming of puffins and are good to go, please call (863-692-0906) or shoot us an e-mail so that we can save your spot.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 27 through July 4, 2016: $5699: Limit 10 photographers/only 3 spots left. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on June 26 arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 27 June no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of three gorgeous modern country cottages.
There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips and 1 morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
The Details
We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. And two species of castles 🙂 We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell thank you dinner.
Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday July 4 or to continue your stay or travels.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.
Deposit Info
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2016. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.
Single Supplement Deposit Info
Single supplement rooms are available. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise
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 :).
I leave for the Galapagos Photo Cruise early on Sunday morning. I have spent the last few days answering many dozens of e-mails and am still far behind. Basically, I will not have internet access from this coming Monday until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until very late July. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Today is packing day. I will be trying to get down to one checked bag…. I am not sure how that will do. Many would chuckle to learn that I pretty much live out of a suitcase when I am home. The dirty clothes go into the washer and then the dryer and then back into the suitcase.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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.
400 DO II
If what you read below and elsewhere on the BAA Blog motivates you to purchase this lens we would of course appreciate you using my B&H affiliate link. Please shooting me your B&H receipt (mail order only as always!) via e-mail so that I can attempt to help. I am hoping that the logjam of orders will be eased as happened recently with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4L IS II.
And then I tried the William T. (Bill) Lloyd’s Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens with the 7D II for flight on the UK Puffins IPT and began to think…. I decided that I would like to bring the 400 DO II as my big lens used often with both TCs and keep either the 100-400 II or the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (depending on both the sky/ambient light conditions and the particular landing) on my shoulder via a Black Rapid RS-7 strap.
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Be sure to bookmark our Lens Chart page here so that you can quickly check the weights and minimum focusing distances for all Canon telephoto lenses.
The 400 DO II Problem…
As everyone here knows, getting your hands on a 400 DO II is no easy chore. Some folks have waited as long as several months. I tried to get one through the Canon Explorers of Light Program early this week but they had none in stock and no idea of an ETA. I tried to secure a loaner through both Canon Professional Services and B&H but none were available. I mentioned all of the above to John Armitage via e-mail who had written to thank me for helping him to get his 400 DO II. I was stunned when he wrote back as follows:
Art — if you are really stuck, you can borrow mine — it has been sent to my daughter in Oregon and I will not be there (from Colorado) for a couple of weeks to start playing with it; having it is not essential for me. My original 400 DO is doing just fine. I am having the new lens insured against all risks so that it can easily and cheaply be sent to you if you wish. What dates would you need it?
Well, needless to say I just about fell off of my chair. And I gladly accepted his amazingly generous offer. The lens, which had been in Portland, OR on Thursday afternoon, made it to ILE at 11:59am on Friday. Fed-Ex Priority cost me $243; if the driver had arrived 2 minutes later that fee would have been refunded as delivery was promised “by noon.” Getting your hands on the lens you want at the last second? Priceless!
I will use the 400 DO II mostly on a tripod as my big lens with either TC on most landings. I will use it on the pangas (zodiacs) and for flight photography. All with either a 7D II or with the 1D X. What is the single huge advantage that the 400 DO has over the far more versatile 200-400 with internal extender? The hand hold-ability that comes with its lighter weight: 4.63 pounds versus 7.98 pounds. The 400 DO II is 3.35 pounds lighter than the 200-400. It should and would be a bit more had Canon made the tripod ring (collar) removable as it was on the original version…. In any case, the 400 DO II is actually more than a half pound lighter than the 300 f/2.8L IS II.
It is often dark and sometimes drizzly on Puerto Ayora; I will use the 400 DO II/2X III/1D X on a tripod there. 800mm should be fine for photographing the various Darwin’s finches and Galapagos Yellow Warblers that we will see. Why the 1D X? To take advantage of its superior high ISO performance as compared to the 7D II.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. The new 1-4 will be on my shoulder by way of a Black Rapid RS-7 strap on most landings with either the 5D Mark III or the 7D II depending on both the sky conditions that affect the amount of ambient light and the expected subjects on a particular landing.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. This one will be on my shoulder on some landings with either the 5D Mark III or the 7D II again depending on both the sky conditions that affect the amount of ambient light and the expected subjects on a particular landing.
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens. This all-purpose B-roll lens will be in my Vested Interest Xtrahand vest on virtually ever landing where it can be grabbed when needed. It meshes beautifully with the 100-400 II.
If I have room I will throw in the old Canon 15mm fish eye lens now replaced by the much more fun but somewhat heavier Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens.
Focal Length Coverage…
The lenses above give me focal length coverage of 15mm and then from 24-800mm if teamed with a full frame body and effective 1280mm with the 7D II; with the 600II/2X III/7D II combination I’d again be sure to pre-focus manually because–as above–initial AF acquisition is always slower with the 7D II than with a 1D X because of its less powerful battery.
Camera Bodies
EOS-1D X. I will use my rugged pro body primarily with the 400 DO II, going with the 7D II on the big lens at times on certain landings. The more powerful 1D X battery makes it great for driving the AF system when a TC is added. As above, I will most likely go to the 1D X for the finches so that I can take advantage of its superior high ISO performance; it is often dreary on Puerto Ayora.
5D Mark III with the Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip. Depending on the situation, I will use either the 5D III or the 7D II on the 100-400 II or the 70-200 II. Using the full frame 5D III with either of those combos will effectively give me a wider focal length range with my intermediate telephoto lens that will mesh better with 400 DO with TCs…. Questions on this are welcome.
EOS-7D Mark II. I will go to the 7D II for hand held flight with the 400 DO II and in various other situations when I know that I will need the extra reach. If I have room I will bring a backup 7D II without the Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip. I use the battery grip on both my 7D II and my 5D III to give the bodies a pro body feel.
I will have a 5D Mark II that was converted to infrared by Kolari Vision with me just because infrared is great fun. See here for IR details. I am sure that I will do some IR on the big piles of Marine Iguanas that we will encounter. Thanks to the many who have used Kolari vision to convert a camera body to IR.
TCs
I almost always travel with three Canon 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs, To save weight, and because I will not be using the 2X III TC much, I am bringing only two 1.4X TCs and one 2X TC to the Galapagos in part to save weight. I will be extra cautious.
Why do I bring extras? For my style of photography I cannot afford to be without both TCs in case of accident or malfunction. Most common in the latter category would be that the locking pin might stick occasionally. When that happens, there is a risk of having your camera body hit the ground….
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 usually use the slightly smaller of the two, the Airport International™ LE Classic for my Southern Ocean trips. Everything above fits easily into my Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag.
Think Tank Glass Limo
The Think Tank Glass Limo, which served me so well on my last Southern Ocean trip, will again be instrumental in helping me get the 400 DO around while preserving my shoulder health. It travels in a checked bag.
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.
Think Tank
Please use the Think Tank logo link on the right side of each page to order any of the great products mentioned above and earn a free gift.
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 error in the form or card loss….
All of the images on the card were made on South Georgia. This remote wilderness island offers both spectacular scenery and hordes of tame wildlife and birds. From top left clockwise to the center: Southern Elephant Seal, courting King Penguin pair, King Penguin abstract, Grey-headed Albatross, King Penguin rookery on Salisbury Plain, Macaroni Penguin head portrait, King Penguin molting Okum Boy, Macaroni Penguin pair, King Penguin preening, Southern Elephant Seal yawning, the view of Gold Harbour from a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross nest.
Click on the image to see an extra large version.
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.
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. 🙂
More CES Kudos
From multiple IPT veteran Alan Lillich who (along with wife Pat) was in the BAA group on a 2012 CES voyage with me:
Start with some of the world’s best alpine landscapes, add an overwhelming abundance of tolerant wildlife, and finish with tour operators who put you there and give you the freedom to explore. It doesn’t get any better.
I leave for the Galapagos Photo Cruise early on Sunday morning. I have spent the last few days answering many dozens of e-mails and am still far behind. Basically, I will not have internet access from this coming Monday until late in the day on July 29 so please refrain from e-mailing me at the traditional samandmayasgrandpa@att.net address until my return. For mail order or other help please contact Jim by phone M-F at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail at the staffbaa address. To register for an IPT please contact Jennifer by phone during weekday banker’s hours at 863-692-0906 or via e-mail to our Verizon address with ATTN: JEN in the subject line. AS a side note, my right hand man Jim Litzenberg can help you with just about anything BIRDSASART.
Today is laundry day. Many would chuckle to learn that I pretty much live out of a suitcase when I am home. The dirty clothes go into the washer and then the dryer and then back into the suitcase.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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.
Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the tubercle behind the base of the puffin’s bill was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
So You Brought the 600 II to the UK: How’d That Work Out?
I traveled to the UK with the 600 II in my big Think Tank rolling bag. I lugged it onto the islands every day in the LensCoat 4X Expandable Long Lens Bag with the companion harness.
As it turned out, I rarely used the 600 II at all. In fact, I used it less than 5% of the time, most of that was with the 2X III TC and the 1D X. For most of the trip, about 90% of the time or more, I went with the amazingly lightweight and versatile Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. On our last morning I was fortunate enough to borrow Bill Lloyd’s Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens. You can learn about the amazing flight images that I created with that and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. I fell in love with the 400 DO II and have ordered one from B&H.
In the image here we were camped out at our favorite morning spot so I sat behind my lowered tripod creating tight head portraits.
AF Question
How did f/14 help me out in the situation above?
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #476
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #476 is online and can be accessed here. Most will enjoy the spectacular opening image that was also made by with the 600II/2X III/1D X combination. It is a tight high key image of a puffin set against a white sky that features incredible detail. See also the information on Jim Neiger’s Haine’s Alaska Bald Eagle workshop.
So You Brought the 600 II to the UK: How’d That Work Out?
Why?
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
Jim Neiger Flight School Photography Haines, Alaska 2105 Bald Eagle Workshops
South Georgia October 2015
Your Help Needed and Appreciated/Affiliate Stuff
Why?
Why travel many hours by car or plane to visit Machias Seal Island, Maine to photograph puffins and sit in a cramped blind for one whole hour with no possibility of flight photography when you can hop on a red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, live and breathe puffins up close and personal for five full days with tons of flight photography? Not to mention that we get to photograph a fairly wide variety of other seabirds, spend a long morning photographing Northern Gannets in flight until you cannot lift your lens any longer, stay in a lovely place, and photograph two beautiful and historic castles? All of the above while learning from two knowledgeable and creative leaders who love to share and to teach. With 5 (now 6) of the ten slots already filled, this trip may sell out almost instantly. If you have been dreaming of puffins and are good to go, please call (863-692-0906) or shoot us an e-mail so that we can save your spot.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 27 through July 4, 2016: $5699: Limit 10 photographers/only 5 spots left. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on June 26 arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 27 June no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of three gorgeous modern country cottages.
There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips and 1 morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
The Details
We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. And two species of castles 🙂 We will be staying in upscale country-side lodgings that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell thank you dinner.
Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday July 4 or to continue your stay or travels.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.
Deposit Info
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2016. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.
Single Supplement Deposit Info
Single supplement rooms are available. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise
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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 :).
I am just a bit jet-lagged. I have been getting to bed early and getting up very early, between 3 and 4am, but have been getting a ton of work done. I got home late Monday and fly to Guayquil, Ecuador for my Galapagos Photo-Cruise leaving early on Sunday morning. Yikes! What a life I lead. And how blessed I am.
I made time for a long meditative (B-B-S-T-S) swim on Tuesday and Wednesday and plan the same for the next three days. I have been enjoying an ice bath each night and have gotten back into my core exercise routine. I have answered hundreds of e-mails over the past few days but am still far behind. The 2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT that was announced here in yesterday’s blog is approaching a sell-out and we have two spots sold already for the 2017 trip! If you are serious about joining us in 2016 it would behoove you to call or to e-mail immediately so that we can save you a spot. We do have lots of single room supplements available.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! June was a Great Month.
The last few weeks 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. The Used Gear Listings are quite slim as a slew of mostly intermediate telephoto lenses (mostly old 100-400s) along with a 300 II sold within the past week. There are still two old 100-400s priced to all along with some great super-telephoto lenses listed including a Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS and a Sigmonster.
Michael Zajac is offering a used Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens in mint condition with the tough carrying case and the front and rear lens caps for $999.99. You can contact Michael by e-mail or by phone at 732-979-6644 (eastern time). The sale includes insured shipping via either UPS or Fed-Ex Ground to US addresses. Your lens will not ship until your check clears.
I have owned and used this lens for many years for flowers, frogs, butterflies, dragonflies, large insects, and lots more. The 180 gives you lots of reach as well as a narrow angle of view.
Near-mint Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Camera Body with Extras
Michael Zajac is also offering a used Canon EOS-1D Mark IV camera body in excellent plus/near mint condition with a low shutter counts for $2099. The sale includes the original box, all included accessories, the dual charger, 2 batteries, the RRS L Bracket (a $183.00 value), and insured shipping via either UPS or Fed-Ex Ground to US addresses. Your camera body will not ship until your check clears. You can contact Michael by e-mail or by phone at 732-979-6644 (eastern time). The sale includes insured shipping via either UPS or Fed-Ex Ground to US addresses. Your lens will not ship until your check clears.
This image was created on the last morning of the 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the light-toned sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5.
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). As originally framed, the selected sensor was squarely on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Atlantic Puffin with fish braking to land by nest.
Exposure Fine Point Considerations…
In the “The 400 DO II/7D II Combo: Saving the Best for Last (in more ways than one…)” blog post here, I wrote, Serous students are invited to study the exposure data carefully and try this one on for size: Why only +1 2/3 stops off the sky in image #1 but +2 1/3 stops off the sky in image #2? Please be specific.
Several folks were on the right track by noting that the sky in the puffin image was brighter (bluer) than the sky in the murre image but nobody wound up giving a clear answer despite the fact that I responded to many of the comments with helpful hints…. As a group, some progress was made:
1-The ambient light level for the murre image was 2/3 stop less than it was for the puffin image. How do we know that for sure? The exposure values for the two images (1/2000 sec. at f/4.5) are the same but the ISO is 2/3 stop higher for the murre image.
2-Both the dark and light tonalities of the two subjects are for all practical purposes pretty much identical.
This image was also created on the last morning of the 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5.
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). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Common Murre braking to land at cliff nest.
Exposure Fine Point Answer and Explanation
Let’s start with a bit more on the sky. In the puffin image, the sun was a bit brighter and the sky was a bit bluer, still very light but definitely a bit on the blue side. Many folks referred to the sky in the murre image as “gray.” Yes it was dingy and darker and more overcast but the sky was not at all gray. it was pretty darned close to pure WHITE; here are the RGB numbers from the sky close to the bird: R: 242, G:243, B: 244. Very close to a pure WHITE. (Why so close to perfectly neutral? Because I used Click White Balance in DPP 4 during the RAW conversion process.
When photographing birds with some white plumage I generally start by taking a reading off the white sky and opening up 2 1/3 stops. For birds without any white feathers I will start at +3 stops off the white sky because WHITE tones need less light to be properly exposed than MIDDLE or DARK tones. In all cases you must check your histogram to ensure that you have exposed to the right without having any significant blinkies (over-exposure warnings) on the subject. With dark toned birds it is often correct to have lots of blinkies in the sky in order to ensure a proper exposure for the darker tones. But we digress.
We are now in a position to answer the question correctly, something that nobody (except for denise ippolito in a phone conversation) was able to do correctly. Here is the original question:
Why only +1 2/3 stops off the sky in image #1 but +2 1/3 stops off the sky in image #2?
Here is the correct answer in full:
As I have been teaching here an elsewhere for years, when the sun is out at full strength, the camera’s metering system is pretty smart. You will rarely need more than +1/3 stop or -1/3 stop exposure compensation (EC) to come up with a properly exposed image. When the sun, however, is not out at full strength, the meter gets really dumb. The softer the light and the closer the entire scene comes to being pure WHITE, the stupider the meter becomes. In the murre image, the light was soft and sky was nearly white (242, 243, 244) so the meter was really stupid. Experience has taught me that in these condition the correct EC is very close to +2 1/3 stops off the WHITE (not gray) sky.
With the puffin image, the sky was a bit bluer and brighter as there was a bit more sun and just a light haze in the air (rather than clouds as in the murre image). Thus, the camera’s meter was a bit smarter than it was in the murre image. The sky was not nearly blue and the sun was not out at full strength so one learns that the meter still needs lots of help. Not as much help as it needed in the soft light/white sky conditions in the murre image, but significant help. Help in the form or +1 2/3 stops off the very light blue sky.
Note that I did offer some clues in the original post when I wrote this for the puffin image:
Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the light-toned sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5.
And this for the murre image:
Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5.
Are the Concepts Too Difficult?
At this point I can hear some folks thinking, “These concepts are too difficult to master. What does he expect from us? We are not full time professionals.”
They are missing the point that with digital photography you learn by estimating and then by checking your thinking and your results by evaluating the histogram.
Everyone can learn to do it by studying exposure theory in the original “The Art of Bird Photography” (ABP in soft cover) and the section on Exposure Simplified in “The Art of Bird Photography II” (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images each with our legendary educational captions on CD only).
My grandson Sam, then 13 and now in high school, learned to come up with the right exposure every time in less than five minutes when he visited the Galapagos with me several years ago by learning to analyze each histogram and add or subtract light as needed. He is admittedly a very bright young man. Jen shared with me yesterday that he scored a perfect 5 (out of 5) on an AP (college level) exam. But the fact is that you do not need to be brilliant to learn to get the right exposure every time with digital capture…. You just need to study and practice….
All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.
Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 3. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.
This trip is a go.
Join me in Katmai National Park, AK for seven days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears (grizzlies) catching salmon, fattening up for the long winter. Other subjects will include Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight and dip-feeding on salmon roe. Did I mention that we live on a boat and that the food is great? Most of our photography will be done in a variety of famed locations: Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, and Kukak Bay. We once had 39 bears fishing the creek at Kukak….
It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of August 31, 2015 September to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of September 1. With air travel in AK being what it is, with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on August 30 is an even better plan). I will be on Kodiak on August 30 to avoid any potential disaster. That said in my nearly a dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once but since I was day early as noted above there was no harm, no foul.
We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 1. We will photograph bears fishing that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are–get to photograph Harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 8, our last morning on the boat, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will do so. The group returns to Kodiak via float plane midday. Most folks will fly to Anchorage and then continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.
The eight days will consist of six full days (Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) of photography featuring lots of Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon as above plus a variety of other natural history subjects plus some nice scenic photography that I forgot to mention above. Plus the first afternoon and the last morning.
What’s included? 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. (The food is quite excellent.) National Park fees. One night’s double occupancy lodging on Kodiak; arrive: Sept 1/depart: Sept 2. The thank-you-in-advance dinner on Sept 1. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of a top professional; I will constantly let you know what I am thinking, what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and Photoshop instruction on the boat.
What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). All necessary lodging other than the cost of your double occupancy room on the night of August 31 should you opt to arrive early–we can arrange that in advance for you. We will let you know the cost of a single supplement for the one night if so desired. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat on September 2 and back to Kodiak on September 9. The cost of a round trip this year was $500. The suggested crew tip of $210.
Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 6 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 “Arthur Morris” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.
Your deposit is due immediately. That will leave a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on February 15, 2015. The final payment of $2000 is due on May 1, 2015.
I hope that you can join us for this wondrously exciting trip.
By e-mail from Bill Keown, veteran of three bear boat trips!
Hi Artie, What a great trip! With the exception of the one bright sunny day it was just great. Very different from my first trip in June where we only had the bears clamming; the fishing bears were amazing! As always I learned a lot and enjoyed the group immensely. All the Best, Bill
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Why travel many hours by car or plane to visit Machias Seal Island, Maine to photograph puffins and sit in a cramped blind for one whole hour with no possibility of flight photography when you can hop on a red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, live and breathe puffins up close and personal for five full days with tons of flight photography? Not to mention that we get to photograph a fairly wide variety of other seabirds, spend a long morning photographing Northern Gannets in flight until you cannot lift your lens any longer, stay in a lovely place, and photograph two beautiful and historic castles? All of the above while learning from two knowledgeable and creative leaders who love to share and to teach. With 5 (now 6) of the ten slots already filled, this trip may sell out almost instantly. If you have been dreaming of puffins and are good to go, please call (863-692-0906) or shoot us an e-mail so that we can save your spot.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
2016 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 27 through July 4, 2016: $5699: Limit 10 photographers/only 5 spots left. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.
This Just In: If all promised deposits arrive only 4 slots left….
Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on June 26 arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 27 June no later than 10am (or simply meet us then at the Edinburgh Airport–EDI, or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe). Stay 7 nights in one of three gorgeous modern country cottages.
There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips and 1 morning of gannet photography, all weather permitting of course.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
The Details
We will get to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet; Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns, the former with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks. And two species of castles 🙂 We will be staying in upscale country-side lodging that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with a private bathroom. See the limited single supplement info below.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell thank you dinner.
Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday July 4 or to continue your stay or travels.
Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2016.
Deposit Info
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome–please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on March 29, 2016. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.
Single Supplement Deposit Info
Single supplement rooms are available. To ensure yours, please register early. The single supplement fee is $1575. If you would like your own room, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement; your single supplement deposit check should be for $3,575. As we will need to commit to renting the extra space, single supplement deposits are non-refundable so please be sure that check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print careful even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
