Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
July 11th, 2015

Galapagos Gear Bag includes a story of amazing generosity...

What’s Up?

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.

Galapagos Gear Bag

I will be packing my Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag on Saturday. I was undecided at to whether to borrow a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II as my big lens, bring the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS with Internal 1.4x Extender as I did so successfully on my last trip to the archipelago, or tote the lighter Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II that has served me well on several Southern Ocean expeditions….

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.

Bookmark This Page

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.

The Lens Line-up

In addition to the Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens I will bring the following lenses:

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….


southgeorgiacarda

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.

July 10th, 2015

So How Did the 600 II Work Out on the UK Puffins IPT?

What’s Up?

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.


atlantic-puffin-vocalizing-_y5o5028-seabird-islands-off-seahouses-uk

This image was created on the recently concluded 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/125 sec. at f/14. AWB.

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.


uk-puffins-card-ii-layers

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.


uk-puffins-card-iii-layers

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.


uk-puffins-card-i

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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Amazon.com

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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 :).

July 9th, 2015

Exposure Fine Point Answer and Explanation/You Will Not Learn This Stuff Anywhere But Here...

What’s Up?

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.

You can see all of the current listings here.

Brand New Listings

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens

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.


atlantic-puffin-incoming-breaking-with-fish-_y8a0781-seabird-isles-off-seahouses-uk

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.


common-murre-braking-for-landing-_y8a1053-seabird-isles-off-seahouses-uk

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….


bear-boat-bearscatchingsalmoncard

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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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 :).

July 8th, 2015

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It! Announcing the 2016 UK Puffins & Gannets IPT

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.


uk-puffins-card-ii-layers

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.


uk-puffins-card-iii-layers

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.


uk-puffins-card-i

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

July 7th, 2015

The 400 DO II/7D II Combo: Saving the Best for Last (in more ways than one...)

Stuff

We left the cottages at 4:45am sharp as planned and arrived at Edinburgh Airport just before 7:00am, also as planned. After a short delay while returning our rental vans and a long delay at security, denise and I got to the gate for our 9:25 flight to Newark at about 8:55 only to find groups 1 & 2 were boarding. Whew. I slept off and on in a somewhat comatose state for the first five hours. I edited some image files and then worked on the two images for this blog post on the flight to EWR, UA 37. We almost landed 30 minutes early at Newark but with the runway in sight just below the pilot gunned the engines and circled for an additional 30 minutes stating that there had been a disabled plane on our runway. Oops. I had been there and done that.

We arrived on time at just about noon. After a coffee break Denise headed home while I prepared to enjoy the rest of my five hour layover: Jet Blue to MCO leaving at 5:00 pm scheduled to arrive at MCO at 7:43pm where the dependable Mr. Litzenberg should be waiting to grab me. I spent about 2 hours preparing this blog post, most of that during my layover. I plan on publishing this on the early morning of Tuesday, July 7th.

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.


atlantic-puffin-incoming-breaking-with-fish-_y8a0781-seabird-isles-off-seahouses-uk

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.

The 400 DO II/7D II Combo: Saving the Best for Last (in more ways than one…)

Long-ago multiple IPT veteran William T. (Bill) Lloyd–it was great to see him again after so long–had offered to let me try his 400 DO II since day one of the trip. Several other lucky 400 DO II owners kindly offered to do that same. Finally, on the last morning of the trip, I succumbed. Bit time thanks to Bill. Co-leader Denise Ippolito had put most of our folks in a great spot from which to photograph the incoming puffins, many with fish. After putting the rest of the group in a pretty darned good spot myself with landing birds at closer range, I joined denise’s clan; she and I had rarely photographed together on the whole trip. There were smiles and high fives all around.

Conditions were dead-solid prefect with sky conditions ranging from cloudy bright to solid overcast. Denise was at 600mm on a tripod with the 600 II and a 1D X. I was at 640mm with the hand held 400 DO II/7D II combination. When I was editing my images on our United flight to Newark on Monday, denise said, “You really rocked ’em. When are you getting the 400 DO II?” I responded, “I will try to get one through Canon Explorers of Light before my Galapagos trip.” When I got the sensor on the bird’s face and the system was tracking, most every image was razor sharp on the eye. As I say here often, diminishing strength and diminishing hand eye coordination often prevents me from tracking flying birds smoothly…. My persistence often makes up for these short-comings.

With perfect sky and wind conditions the flight photography was so, so good that the folks who were hand holding complained of lower back and shoulder muscle strain. If you lowered your lens to rest for even a few seconds you usually paid a big price in form of a great missed opportunity. I photographed through the pain for nearly two hours before I quit to take a walk. It was then that I found a decent spot to photograph the incoimng murres. More pain. But heck, it was the last day!

In short, it was the very best day of puffin flight photography that I have ever had the privilege to enjoy.


common-murre-braking-for-landing-_y8a1053-seabird-isles-off-seahouses-uk

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 Question

Serous students are invited to study the exposure data carefully and try this one on for size:

A: 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.

Your Favorite?

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

2016 UK Puffins and More IPT

We hope to be announcing the dates details for this great trip soon. If you would like to have us save you a spot please shoot us an e-mail. We have three folks signed up already….

400 DO II

I look forward to getting my hands on this lens and giving it a thorough test with and without TCs. If what you read here motivates you to purchase this lens we would of course appreciate you using my B&H affiliate link and shooting me your receipt via e-mail so that I can attempt to have your order expedited. Please understand that there is a large backlog of orders and that I am hoping that the logjam is eased as happened recently with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4L IS II.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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…..

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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 :).

July 6th, 2015

Martin Mikulas 400 DO II Group Photo/Finding Subjects in the Shade On a Sunny Afternoon...

Gotta Run!

The luggage truck will be here at 4:30am UK time. It is just after 8pm and I gotta get to bed soon. The alarm is set for 3:45am. Then to Edinburgh Airport, then Newark, then Orlando to be picked up by Jim after dinner east coast time…

Good night!


group-photo-sm-7-3-15-8b2a7737

Part of the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT group at a kittiwake wall. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015 Martin Miulas.

Martin Mikulas 400 DO II Group Photo

Martin made this beautifully designed image with 400 DO II and the EOS-5D Mark III. Take a look at my image below. As far as the nest I was photographing–thats me in the brown pants on the right–what two things are of special note?


black-legged-kittiwakes-at-nest-site-female-incubating-_y8a9388-seahouses-uk

Black-legged Kittiwake pair at nest with the female incubating.

A Favorite

This image was created with tripod-mounted 100-400II at 153mm and the EOS-5D Mark III. It is one of my very favorite images from the trip.

Exposure Question

What do you think the exposure compensation for this image was as framed?

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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 :).

July 5th, 2015

Hanging Back as a Strategy/100-400 II Versatility Continued...

Be Careful What You Wish For; You Just Might Get It

Though most Brits, especially those on holiday, gloried in the blue skies and unusually warms temperatures along the northeast coast of the UK, a bit more overcast would have been welcomed by this bird photographer. Well, we got our wish on Saturday; there were lots of clouds. Unfortunately a huge storm with lots of wind and rain cancelled all sailings and thus all landings in the morning. Conditions in the afternoon improved but the wardens closed the afternoon landing site to protect the too-wet tern chicks.

This blog post, the 3rd in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare. It should be published automatically at 7:00am on Sunday, July 5, 2015.

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. Six recently listed lenses have sold within the past week.

Featured Listings

Canon 300mm EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is offering a used Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens (s/n 29811) in mint condition for $3,175. The sale includes all of the original items such as the lens trunk (hard case), the front and rear lens caps, the documentation, and insured shipping via Fed-Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

Though I never owned this lens I borrowed it often and was quite impressed with the sharpness with and without TCs and with the relatively light weight. It was long the favorite lens of the world’s top raptor photographers.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is also offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens, the “old five,” (s/n 27104) in excellent condition for $4,275. The sale includes all of the original stuff such as the leather front hood, the lens trunk (hard case) with keys, the front leather hood and the rear lens cap, the documentation, a RRS foot as well as the original foot, a 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.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

I owned and depended on the “old five” for well more than a decade. At one time it was clearly the world’s most popular super-telephoto lens. Purchasing this lens will leave you with a lot more cash for travel as compared to purchasing a 500 II….

Brand New Price Drop

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

Price reduced $401 on 7/4/2015!

Arash Hazeghi is offering a used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens in like-new condition for $4999. The sale includes the lens hood, the rear cap, the lens strap, the Canon lens trunk (hard case) with keys, A LensCoat Real Snow camo cover, and a LensCoat front lens cover (a $120 value). All packed in original Canon box and sent to you via Fed Ex insured Ground shipping. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Arash by e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 650-353-1866 (Pacific time zone). Photos of the lens and sample RAW files can be provided upon request.

The 300 II is amazingly sharp and deadly. It can easily be hand held by most folks including me. It is sick sharp even with the 2X TC. It is versatile. And with or without the 1.4X III TC is is a superb flight lens. Unlike me, Arash takes very good care of his gear. artie


arctic-tern-hovering-_y8a0008-seabird-islands-off-seahouses-uk

This image was created on the afternoon of DAY 3 of the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. AWB.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the bird’s black cap. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image #1: Adult Arctic Tern kiting

Image Question

For me there is a single negative in the otherwise angelic image above. What do you think bugs me?

Hanging Back as a Strategy I

On our morning landings we want to exit the boat quickly as there are two prime locations and lots of photographers; we want and need to get our boys and girls and ourselves into the best situations. Over two years of visits we have learned that there are–depending in part on the wind–several benefits to not rushing off the boat. With white sky conditions and the wind behind us I was one of the last to exit the boat. On purpose. There were about 70 folks in the queue waiting to show their landing passes to the rangers. I stayed well back on the dock, grabbed my 100-400II/7D II, set the exposure as above, and photographed the terns kiting above the visitors in protest. With the fairly brisk wind they birds would often stay in place for a half minute or more. 7D II AF performed beautifully even in the low light/low contrast situation; nearly all of the 36 images in the series were sharp on the eye (though many were mis-framed as the terns shifted position in the wind).


arctic-tern-small-chick-_y8a0087-seabird-islands-off-seahouses-uk

This image was also created on the afternoon of DAY 3 of the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 278mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/7.1. AWB.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the bird’s neck just below the base of the bill. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image #2: Arctic Tern chick begging

Hanging Back as a Strategy II

Once the throng of visitors had made their way up the hill old friend and IPT veteran Bill Lloyd and I followed. By luck, we spotted a very young Arctic Tern chick on a small patch of grass on the left side of the path in a spot where the fence had given way. We both grabbed our versatile 100-400 IIs and sat on the far right side of the path. The chick was only about six feet from us, no problem at all with the great close focusing ability of the 100-400 II. We had some great chances that were interrupted for a bit as more than a few cell phone toting visitors–completely oblivious to our presence–stopped right in front of us to grab a few snaps. None-the-less we had some great chances. Participant Pascal Favre, a first time IPTer from Switzerland, came back down the hill and joined us for a bit.

100-400 II Versatility Continued…

As you have seen here often the 100-400 II is a superb flight lens. It is easily hand held by most folks. It’s close focusing ability makes it deadly for both small subjects and close subjects. Its fabulous 4-stop Image Stabilization system allows folks to create sharp images at relatively slow shutter speeds. And the 4:1 zoom range makes it ideal for a great variety of subjects.


bear-boat-bearscatchingsalmoncard

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

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 :).

July 4th, 2015

The Start of Perhaps My Best 20 Minutes Ever: Part I

What’s Up?

Peter Kes flew in from Switzerland and joined us on Thursday evening. With many folks clamoring for Photoshop and image review, both denise and I skipped the full day puffin boat to meet their needs. We conducted several great sessions broken up by a fish and chips lunch at a local restaurant proclaimed to probably be one of the best fish and chips houses in all of England…. Very tasty but very greasy.

This blog post, the 2nd in a row on the new streak, took about 2 hours to prepare and is scheduled to be published at 7:00am eastern time.

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. Six recently listed lenses have sold within the past week.

Featured Listings

Canon 300mm EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is offering a used Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens (s/n 29811) in mint condition for $3,175. The sale includes all of the original items such as the lens trunk (hard case), the front and rear lens caps, the documentation, and insured shipping via Fed-Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

Though I never owned this lens I borrowed it often and was quite impressed with the sharpness with and without TCs and with the relatively light weight. It was long the favorite lens of the world’s top raptor photographers.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is also offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens, the “old five,” (s/n 27104) in excellent condition for $4,275. The sale includes all of the original stuff such as the leather front hood, the lens trunk (hard case) with keys, the front leather hood and the rear lens cap, the documentation, a RRS foot as well as the original foot, a 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.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

I owned and depended on the “old five” for well more than a decade. At one time it was clearly the world’s most popular super-telephoto lens. Purchasing this lens will leave you with a lot more cash for travel as compared to purchasing a 500 II….

Brand New Listing

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

Price reduced $401 on 7/4/2015!

Arash Hazeghi is offering a used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens in like-new condition for $4999. The sale includes the lens hood, the rear cap, the lens strap, the Canon lens trunk (hard case) with keys, A LensCoat Real Snow camo cover, and a LensCoat front lens cover (a $120 value). All packed in original Canon box and sent to you via Fed Ex insured Ground shipping. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Arash by e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 650-353-1866 (Pacific time zone). Photos of the lens and sample RAW files can be provided upon request.

The 300 II is amazingly sharp and deadly. It can easily be hand held by most folks including me. It is sick sharp even with the 2X TC. It is versatile. And with or without the 1.4X III TC is is a superb flight lens. Unlike me, Arash takes very good care of his gear. artie


atlantic-puffin-with-baitfish-_y8a0247-seabird-islands-off-seahouses-uk

This image was created on the late afternoon of DAY 2 of the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/8. AWB.

One AF point up from the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Atlantic Puffin in soft light with lots of fish

The Start of Perhaps My Best 20 Minutes Ever: Part I

After a great afternoon of photographing copulating Razorbills, displaying Kittiwakes, incoming Common Murres (guillemots on this side of the pond), and the bridled form of the Common Murre, all in soft light, I decided to head to the cliff to the left of the big white building. I started creating tight head portraits of a Razorbill with the 100-400 II/7D II combo wile employing the 7D II’s pop-up flash. (I will share the best one of those with you here at some point.)

At exactly 16:17:55 as all good photographers do and as I advise here often, I looked around to check things out. To my right stood a perfectly clean puffin with its beak full of baitfish. Standing on a pretty neat rock with a distant sea background. And so the adrenal rush began. Striking while the iron was hot, I created 97 images of this handsome bird in the next minute and 37 seconds as the bird posed like a fashion model on a runway turning its head from side to side. After the first few frames I alerted Pascal who had been the only participant to join me on my exploratory walk and he joined in the fun.

Just after the first fish laden puffin flew away, another landed just to its right and posed. Then another landed and trudged right towards both us and its burrow. Then another landed closer still and posed for head portraits, again with a beakful of fish. Finally, when the puffins quit landing with fish, I looked over the edge of the cliff and saw two small grayish white Black-legged Kittiwakes looking up at me from the safety of their nest. Taking advantage of its remarkable minimum focusing distance of less than a single meter (3.2 feet), I went back to work with the 100-400 II. The last image that I made was created at 16:37:55, exactly, to the same one hundredth of a second, twenty minutes after the excitement had started.

And then it was time to head down to the dock to catch the 4:50pm boat. In retrospect, that twenty minutes might have been the very best twenty minute period of my 32 year career…. What a privilege.

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP 4 I rotated it 3 degrees CW in Photoshop.Canvas was added as needed left and below with Content Aware Fill and cleaned up with the Clone Stamp Too. At times it is hard to remember to check in the in-viewfinder level during the heat of the action… I applied a Contrast Mask to the face after selecting it with a Quick Mask and darkened the crown and the bill with Multiply after making the selection with the Quick Selection Tool and then refining that layer with a Regular Layer Mask. The I selected the background with the Magic Wand Tool and applied a layer of White Neutralizer in NIK Color Efex Pro. I added a good amount of BLACK to the WHITEs on the sky layer only using Selective Color. Anything else that you notice?

Image Question

Do you prefer the lead gray color of the sea in the original or the darker, bluer sea in the optimized image?

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. 🙂


dpp-4-guide

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.


san-diego-card-neesie

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.


san-diego-card-b

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 :).

July 3rd, 2015

A New Streak/Canon 100-400II Continues to Rock the UK Puffins...

What’s Up?

On Wednesday afternoon a huge thunderstorm hit the puffin island 15 minutes earlier than predicted at 3:45pm. Sideways hail and rain with 40+ mph winds left most folks drenched; the rule in Northumberland is to always have your rain gear along…. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed; our boatman skillfully got us back to port. The storm knocked out internet for about a day and a half. Thus, there was no blog post on Thursday.

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.

Recent News

Four more recently-listed lenses sold with the past few days. With the demands of cooking for 12, now 13 folks, and with the internet down for a good bit, I am once again far, far behind in updating the used gear page and answering e-mails. Heck, denise and I have barely had time to breathe…. I may have some time to catch up today. If I missed an important e-mail please re-send it. I will do my best.


atlantic-puffiin-flapping-_y8a8670-seabird-islands-off-seahouses-uk

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 and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/5000 sec. at f/5.6. AWB.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the bird’s upper breast just below the black neck band. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Atlantic Puffin flapping

600 II vs 100-400II

Though I have lugged the 600II on every landing, I used it only briefly until Thursday afternoon, and even then the 100-400II proved very valuable. The 100-400 II is lightweight, easily hand holdable, and super-sharp. With the 7D II it offers lots of reach, especially with the 1.4X III TC in place. As shown in today’s image, it is extremely versatile; without being able to zoom out I’d have seriously clipped the puffin’s wings. Lastly it’s ridiculously short minimum focusing distance of less than a meter, or about 3 feet, two inches, allows the creative photographer to envision and create images that simply were not possible before the release of this lens.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens In Stock

For the very first time since its release, B&H has the 100-400 II in stock, ready to be shipped to you. Simply click on the logo link immediately above or use the product-specific text links in any blog post to purchase yours while supporting my efforts here on the blog .

The 100-400 II vs the 200-400 with Internal TC

As expected, I have received several e-mails asking for a comparison of these two great lenses, the Canon EF 100-400mm II and the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender. You should find find my detailed analysis here within a week.

The Single Negative?

What do you think is the biggest negative in this image?

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 :).

July 1st, 2015

100-400 II Draws First Blood...

Stuff

I have slept great the first two nights with not a trace of jet lag. I always do great flying to places; not so good flying back home regardless of the direction. Tired as we were after the first day of puffins, most of us made it out after dinner to photograph a nearby castle (with the bonus of a rising full moon). After another great dinner of haddock two ways with steamed broccoli/cauliflower/kale prepared by yours truly the group continues to rave enthusiastically about the chef: me. This blog post, the 173rd in a row–what is wrong with me?, is scheduled to be published automatically at 9:00am eastern time on Wednesday, July 1.


atlantic-puffin-incoming-flight-_y5o4871-indian-lake-estates-fl

This image was created on Day 1 of 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 the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3.

Center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected and active AF point was on the base of the bird’s right wing, just past the plane of the eye, yet the eye was sharp. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Atlantic Puffin incoming flight

Day 1

We have a super-nice group, a mix of IPT veterans and first timers, all happy campers. We need to get out for day two on the puffin boats so I will be brief here. I brought the 600 II to the islands and barely used it….

With a year under our belt Denise and I knew that with the given sky and wind conditions that there were only two good locations on our morning landing, and that is right where we put the group. I used the 100-400 II with both the 1D X and with the 7D II, with and without the 1.4X TC.

The Image Optimization

As you can see by the animated GIF, I need to level and crop the image. I used content aware fill to fill in the two small triangles of added canvas. A healthy dose of Detail Extractor was applied to the brightest WHITEs on the sides of the head after selecting those with a Quick Mask and refined with the addition of a Layer Mask. That was followed by a 30% layer of my NIK 50-50 recipe and a Contrast Mask on the dark parts of the bird’s face only (after selecting those with the Quick Selection Tool.) Dust spotting and cleaning up the strip of vegetation along the lower frame edge pretty much finished the job.

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. 🙂


dpp-4-guide

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.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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 :).

June 30th, 2015

artie: Locked and Loaded /Photo by Jennifer Morris

Stuff

Our red eye flight to EDI was a piece of cake. I actually slept pretty well. Denise did not. We met the group at about 10:15 am, met met our transfer truck right on time, picked up our rental vehicles, stopped for a great lunch, and arrived at our lodgings just after 3:00pm. Then it was off to the local market for a group shopping trip. It was really great fun. Then your truly prepared a sumptuous dinner of baked chicken thighs, steamed cauliflower, and steamed kale. It was the first time for me and several others. It is super healthy, really tasty, and went great with the cauliflower. With lots of butter.

It is scheduled to be published automatically at 9:00am eastern time on Tuesday, June 30. Tomorrow is our first puffin boat trip; everyone on the sold out UK Puffins and Gannets IPT is thrilled (and that includes the two leaders!) This blog post is the 172nd in a row.


artieat-mco

Yours truly at Orlando International Airport with 2 checked bags, my big Think Tank rolling bag, my Urban Disguise Laptop Bag, and my Xrtrahand vest by Vested Interest.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Jennifer Morris

Par For the Course…

I’ve done this a few times. Yet each time for me is more exciting than the last. With all of my diabetic needs and supps it is not possible for me to travel with one checked bag so two it is, here are 47 and 45 pounds respectively.

The 29 inch Samsonite Four-wheel Spinners

About two years denise introduced me to these great bags. They allow me to get around airports without having to rent a luggage cart; heck, as much as I travel they have already paid for themselves.

Recently, after having one of her soft-sided spinners wrecked during a flight, she switched to one of the Samsonite Hard-sided 4-wheel Spinners You will need to scroll down. In the meantime, mine have held up quite well, even the zippers.

Laptop Security Tip

If you are not lucky enough to get TSA-Pre-Check, the tendency is, when you are going through security, to grab one of the large plastic trays, put your laptop in it, and place it on the belt first. Bad idea. I did that twice today and twice the tray with my Macbook Pro Retina was nearly toppled off the end of the belt by the stuff behind it. From now on it is everything else first, laptop last.

Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag

It is very simple, without my Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag, I am not going anywhere with my 600 II. Above it comes in at a svelte 44.25 pounds, 4 1/4 pounds heavier than the legal US limit. I have only twice been hassled for roll aboard weight, once flying out of Nairobi, and once in London. Be sure to have a big smile for the gate agent. Pull your rolling bag with the laptop bag atop it on the side opposite the gate agent. In other words, if you are handing over your boarding pass with your right hand, be sure to be pulling your roll-aboard with your left hand with the bag somewhat hidden behind you. And that goes triple if you are wearing a photo vest. Again, I have been hassled about the vest only a very few times in three decades of flying around the world. And I have always talked my way past the agents. Being a diabetic carrying insulin in the vest has saved me on occasion.

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. A nine inch band of fabric allows you to easily slide the laptop bag safely and securely onto the extended handle of your Think Tank roller. If you take a close look at Jen’s image you should be able to note that feature. Combined with the two Samsonite spinners this allows me to make it through airports easily on my own without a cart. Carpeted areas can be a challenge with the spinners….

Please click on my Think Tank affiliate link here to earn a free gift when you purchase either a Think Tank Rolling Bag or an Urban Disguise laptop bag.

Delkin Flash Cards

As always, both denise and I will have a 64gb Delkin e-Film Pro Flash Card in each camera body so that we 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….


bosque-2014-a-card

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance. We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Many of them are downright cheap. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. With us you will have two full time pros there for you every minute we are in the field. Together they have more than 28 seasons of experience at the refuge. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time every day, do join us.

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

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

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

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

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

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


bosque-cardlarger

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance.

We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time, do join us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Facebook

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 :).

June 29th, 2015

Not Really Pissed Off Woman Thrilled When Lost Images Materialize...

Stuff

On Saturday I enjoyed an easy one mile swim and did most of my core exercises. Sunday was get-away and get to Newark Day. I actually slept until the alarm went off at 6am on Sunday morning. Most days at home I never set an alarm yet am almost always up and at ’em no later than 5:00am. While traveling and teaching I always set an alarm but rarely get to hear it go off as I am an early riser. I’d say that I sleep to the alarm less than 10 days each year…. I am putting the finishing touches on this blog post while online at Orlando Airport. Older daughter Jen dropped me off at MCO at 11:15am. This blog post, which took me about 1 1/2 hours in all to assemble, is the 171st in a row. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 5:00am eastern time just after we land in Edinburgh, Scotland to meet the boys and girls on the sold out UK Puffins and Gannets IPT.

However, I screwed that up big time. It is now being published at 2:55pm ET on Monday, June 29 from Seahouses, the UK….

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June has been a Great Month.

The last two 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…. The supply of 100-400IIs has been much more steady with availability every week to ten days.

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. Do know that the sale of Steve Leimberg’s 400 DO was finalized today and that Jean Thomas’s original version 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens sold within two hours as predicted.

Todays items should sell quickly as well.

Two New Listings

Canon 300mm EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is offering a used Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens (s/n 29811) in mint condition for $3,175. The sale includes all of the original items such as the lens trunk (hard case), the front and rear lens caps, the documentation, and insured shipping via Fed-Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

Though I never owned this lens I borrowed it often and was quite impressed with the sharpness with and without TCs and with the relatively light weight. It was long the favorite lens of the world’s top raptor photographers.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Tom Blackman is also offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens, the “old five,” (s/n 27104) in excellent condition for $4,275. The sale includes all of the original stuff such as the leather front hood, the lens trunk (hard case) with keys, the front leather hood and the rear lens cap, the documentation, a RRS foot as well as the original foot, a 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.

Please contact Tom via e-mail or by phone at 619.807.5615 PDT.

I owned and depended on the “old five” for well more than a decade. At one time it was clearly the world’s most popular super-telephoto lens. Purchasing this lens will leave you with a lot more cash for travel as compared to purchasing a 500 II….


donna-bourdon-with-600-_y5o2594-alafia-banks-fl

This image was created at Alafia Banks with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6. WB: Cloudy.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on Donna’s face and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

IPT veteran Donna Bourdon with the 600 II, a 7D II, and the Mongoose M3.6. Lots more on tripods coming here soon….

Not Pissed Off Woman Thrilled When Lost Images Materialize

Donna Bourdon has been on more than a few IPTs over the past two years. Her work has improved continuously and she now does very well in club competitions. I created a series of images of her that we both loved on a cloudy morning on an Alafia Banks Hooptie Deux IPT this spring. When I went to send them to her they had simply vanished. I sent her several apologies via e-mail….

Yesterday while working on old image files the lost images appeared. I was thrilled. In the one posted here Donna looks pissed off, or at least as if she has an attitude problem. She is in fact a sweet and easy going happy camper. She is joining me on the Bear Boat IPT and then joining Denise and me in Japan, both with her friend and fellow bird enthusiast Bev.


san-diego-card-neesie

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.


san-diego-card-b

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 :).

June 28th, 2015

Big Glass Advice Request...

Stuff

Again I spent a good part of Saturday working on old image files…. And I started packing my checked bags. This blog post, which took me about 1 1/4 hours to assemble, is the 170th in a row. It was published just before 5:30am on Saturday, June 28, 2015. I fly to Newark today to meet up with denise for our red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June has been a Great Month.

The last two 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…. The supply of 100-400IIs has been much more steady with availability every week to ten days.

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.

Big Glass Advice Request…

An e-mail from SB:

Artie, Hope your summer is going well. I just watched your B&H video with Denise on Pleasing Blurs; lovely stuff. You guys have inspired me to try some! Thanks.

We spoke late in April. I am almost ready to spend some money and yes, I will of course use your B&H affiliate link. First I have an important additional question (on top of what you and I have already spoken about before). Here goes:

I am going to find myself with a $30k budget instead of the $20k that we had spoken about earlier. Keeping in mind that I own an EOS 7D Mark II and and an EOS 5D Mark III, which option below would you go with? Or would you recommend a different option?

Be mindful that my biggest two lenses at the moment are 300mm F/4L IS and the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. I also own the 24-105mm zoom and both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs.

Option 1:

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II
Canon 500mm f/4L IS II
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

Option 2:

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II
Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

Option 3:

Canon 500mm f/4L IS II
Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

Option 4:

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II
Canon 500mm f/4L IS II
Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II

Here is the e-mail conversation that followed:

AM: Where do you photograph?
SB: Mostly in Ohio where I live.
AM: What do you like to photograph?
SB: All types of birds. And I love to do flight photography.
AM: Do you travel to Africa, Antarctica, the Galapagos or similar places with either large animals or very tame birds?
SB: Nope.
AM: Do you go out west to photograph large mammals in low light?
SB: Nope.
AM: How old are you?
SB: 50.
AM: Are you fairly fit?
SB: Yes, fairly.
AM: Give me a call at the office and we can do a phone consult. BTW, if you’d like to learn more about creating pleasing blurs, check out A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

Your Call

#1: Which of the options above would you recommend for SB? Why? (Try not to let the fact that you will be earning a 3.5% commission on the total influence your answer.)
#2: If none of the above, what combination of lenses would you recommend for him? Why?
#3: Which intermediate telephoto lens would you recommend? Why?
#4: Would you recommend that he consider the 200-400II f/4L IS II with Internal TC? Why?
#5: Which of the super-telephotos on his list would you suggest that he definitely not buy? Why?
#6: Would you recommend an additional camera body? Why?
7: What other advice would you give SB?

I will share my answers to the above with y’all here soon. artie


bosque-2014-a-card

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance. We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Many of them are downright cheap. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. With us you will have two full time pros there for you every minute we are in the field. Together they have more than 28 seasons of experience at the refuge. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time every day, do join us.

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

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

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

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

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

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


bosque-cardlarger

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance.

We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time, do join us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Facebook

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 :).

June 27th, 2015

Shorebird Lessons...

Stuff

Again I spent a good part of Friday re-arranging and doing third edits on trip image folders with lots more of the same in store for Saturday. I made a lot of progress–deleting many thousands of images kept on the first round of editing (picking keepers) but still have a ton of work left. This blog post, which took me about 1 1/2 hours to assemble, is the 169th in a row. It was published just before 5:30am on Saturday, June 27, 2015. I fly to Newark tomorrow to meet up with denise for our red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. I start packing seriously today.

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June has been a Great Month.

The last two 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…. The supply of 100-400IIs has been much more steady with availability every week to ten days.

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. Do know that Steve Leimberg’s 400 DO sold instantly as predicted…. Todays items should sell quickly as well.

Two New Listings

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens

Jean Thomas is offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS in like-new 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 original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the tripod ring. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Jean via e-mail or by phone at 954-632-5822 (EST). Photos of the lens and accessories are available upon request.

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with a 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Jean’s 100-400 in like new condition ties the lowest-ever price for this item. artie

Used Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

Sale Pending within 2 hours!

Jean Thomas is also offering the original version of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the low price of $649. The sale includes insured shipping via Fed Ex or UPS Ground to US addresses, the tough fabric case, the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the tripod ring. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Jean via e-mail or by phone at 954-632-5822 (EST). Photos of the lens and accessories are available upon request.

Teamed with a 7D II and a 1.4X II or III TC the original 70-200 L IS lens would make a great starter lens for someone who lives near tame birds; think Florida or California. I used this lens for birds for many years, at Fort DeSoto with the old 50D, for Bosque blast-off blurs, and at Maya’s dance recitals. And you cannot beat the low price. artie


semipalmated-sandpiper-juvenile-_y7o5364-east-pond-jamaica-bay-wr-queens-ny

This image was created last August at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, NY with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/9. AWB.

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

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.

What Bugs Me?

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.

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.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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 :).

June 26th, 2015

UK Puffins & Gannets IPT Gear Bag

Stuff

Both denise and I are getting more and more excited about our up-coming trip. Again I spent a good part of the day re-arranging and doing third edits on trip image folders with lots more of the same in store for today. I enjoyed both a swim and an ice bath. This blog post, which took me about 2 hours to assemble, is the 168th in a row. It was published just after 6:30am on Friday, June 26, 2015. I fly to Newark on Sunday to meet up with denise for our red-eye flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. I will start packing seriously on Saturday.

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June has been a Great Month.

The last two 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…. The supply of 100-400IIs has been much more steady with availability every week to ten days.

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.


uk-puffins-card-ii-layers

Having access to a great range of focal lengths on a trip is a huge plus…. Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

UK Puffins & Gannet IPT Gear Bag

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens. After traveling on the light side last year, both denise and I are taking our 600 IIs. Many folks who have traveled to the UK for puffins feel that a 600mm lens is overkill. Some state openly, “All you need is a 70-200.” That may be true for them but not for us.

We want our 600s so that we can do the incoming puffins in flight at f/4 (thus yielding some really fast shutter speeds), so that we can easily create tight head portraits, and so that we have the extra reach when needed. Most of the time I will have the big lens with a 1D X mounted in a LensCoat 4X Expandable Long Lens Bag (with harness). Call it shoulder love.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I will be using this lens as my on-the-shoulder (with a Black Rapid RS-7 strap) intermediate telephoto lens with either the 5D III or the 7D II. The 100-400 focal length fits almost perfectly with the 600. I envision using it whenever I need to go wider such as when creating images of nests with multiple birds or simply group shots of puffins. It will also be great for hand held flight photography with the 7D II.

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


uk-puffins-card-iii-layers

Several of the images on this card were made with the hand held 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, most with the 1D X and a 1.4X III TC in place. Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Focal Length Coverage…

The beauty of the 24-105/100-400 II/600 II combination (as above) is that these three lenses mesh beautifully. The addition of a 1.4X III TC to the 100-400 II and the 2X III TC to the 600 II gives you coverage of focal lengths ranging from 24mm to 1200mm. Substituting her Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens for the 100-400 II will give Denise similar focal length coverage as the 70-200 II works well with either TC.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens. I borrowed this lens from Canon Professional Services just for this trip to use primarily on our gannet boat trips where its light weight weight will be a huge plus. On our previous trip most folks simply could not raise their lenses after the first hour of nonstop flight photography. I will also bring along the optional Canon Tripod Mount Ring A-2 for 70-200mm f/4L (IS & Non-IS versions) so that I can put the lens on a tripod when I need extra depth-of-field or when we are doing castles. The Wimberley P-20 plate is perfect for all intermediate telephoto lenses including this one, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, and the 100-400 II.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens with the again optional Canon Tripod Mount Ring D for IS 100mm f/2.8L Macro Lens. And you guessed it, the Wimberley P-20 plate is perfect for this lens also. On our last visit there were some gorgeous purple flowers in bloom on the beaches…. I packed my ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 on Thursday afternoon as was glad that I had room for this lens.

Camera Bodies

EOS-1D X. I will use my rugged pro body primarily with the 600 II, going with the 7D II on the big lens only when I need the extra reach. The more powerful 1D X battery makes it better for flight and for driving the AF system when a TC is added.

5D Mark III). Depending on the situation, I will use either the 5D III or the 7D II on the 100-400 II.

EOS-7D Mark II. In addition to part time pairing with the 100-400 II I will go to the 7D II/600II combo (with or without either TC) whenever I need the extra reach.

I will have a 5D II that was converted to infrared by Kolari Vision with me just because infrared is great fun. See here for IR details. I may even do an IR puffin or two even though most folks tell me that IR does not work well with birds….

TCs

Though I almost always travel with three Canon 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs, As this trip is on the short side, I am bringing only two 1.4X TCs and one 2X TC to save weight. I will try to 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….

Singh-Ray Filters: In Case of Rainbows

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. As always, I will have my 77mm Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer in my vest in case of rainbows. I will be running a blog post on using both the Singh-Ray 3-stop resin and the Singh-Ray 5-stop glass 52mm drop-in Neutral Density filters with the Canon super-telephoto lenses soon.

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

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

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


uk-puffins-card-i

Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. We already have two folks signed up for our 2016 trip; dates TBA here in about two weeks. E-mail if you are interested.

Think Tank Rolling Bags

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

Think Tank Urban Disguise Laptop Shoulder Bag

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

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

Delkin Flash Cards

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

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Typos

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

June 25th, 2015

Canon EOS-7D Mark II ISO 800 Image Quality

Stuff

Both denise and I are a lot more excited than we should be about getting back into the puffins. I spent the morning getting my Palouse image folder down from the original 3,000+ keepers down to 535. I spent the rest of the day answering e-mails and working on a few new images for upcoming blog posts. I did all of my core exercises, enjoyed a nice swim–the motor for the pool machinery was replaced today, and have an ice bath scheduled for 6:30pm (on Wednesday). This blog post, which took me about 1 1/2 hours to assemble, is the 167th in a row. It was published just after 6:00am on Thursday, June 25, 2015. We fly to Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday so it is getting time to start thinking about packing….

Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog

Thanks a Stack! June has been a Great Month.

The last two weeks have been quite rewarding. 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.



If what you’ve learned here on the blog about the Canon EOS-7D Mark II has inspired you to purchase this great new camera body, please consider using the logo link above to support our efforts here in bringing you the latest, greatest educational materials on daily basis.


black-vulture-with-road-killed-opossum-_36a8688-indian-lake-estates-fl

This image was created at 8:29am in the shade of some woods along the main road on the clear morning of October 31, 2014. I used the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and a beta version of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II . ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode.

One sensor to the left of the central Sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s neck 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.

From the Sequoia with the lens supported by the BLUBB (my custom-designed, hand made Big Lens Ultimate Bean Bag). When working on a beanbag with a long lens and re-composing be absolutely sure that the focusing ring does not rest on the beanbag lest you throw off accurate focus when re-composing. Otherwise, be sure to be in active AI Servo AF as I was here.

Black Vulture with road-killed armadillo

Serendipitous Road Kill

I came across this single Black Vulture on a road killed armadillo on my way home after a short session with the cranes down by the lake. I positioned my vehicle across the center median so that I could best parallel the subject. This drew a few strange looks from the early morning exercise walkers and cyclists. I was having lots of fun when a woman in some type of large four wheel maintenance vehicle driving off the road on the the wrong side of road drove right at the bird, scared it off, and gave me a dirty look as she rode by. You gotta love it. Heck, I had lots of work to do anyway.

Image Design Question

Why did I take the time to raise the window 5 inches?


black-vulture-200-pct-with-road-killed-opossum-_36a8688-indian-lake-estates-fl

This JPEG represents an unsharpened 100% view of the optimized image file above. The fine grained noise in the background is easily dealt with using Image > Blur > Surface Blur as taught to me by Denise Ippolito and as detailed in Digital Basics.

The 100% View

The JPEG above represents an unsharpened 100% view of the optimized image file that opened this blog post. There was no other Noise Reduction applied other then the NR applied during the RAW conversion in DPP 4. The RAW file was about 1/2 stop underexposed. What do you think of the noise and image quality at ISO 800?


7d-ii-ug

You can purchase your copy of the 7D Mark II User’s Guide in the BAA Online Store here for $59.

7D Mark II User’s Guide/400 Sold; Nothing But Praise

Purchase your in the BAA Online Store here for $59. This is the highest priced user’s guide ever, surpassing the 5D II User’s Guide that is priced at $50. Why? I did twice as much work preparing the 7D II Guide. It required many weeks of writing, many dozens of hours of study and research, not to mention hundreds of hours in the field trying to figure out the best 7D II settings while doing what I love to do best, photographing birds and nature. The camera is quite complex. Many thanks to both Rudy Winston and Chuck Westfall of Canon USA for their help in getting me through the stickiest parts.

The guide contains 23,196 words in 516 paragraphs. There are 24 photos and screen captures interspersed in the main body of the text and a gallery of 23 additional 7D II images that show what the camera is capable of with a variety of lens and lens/TC combinations.

The Great Strength of the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

The very great strength of the 7D Mark II User’s Guide is the coverage of the autofocus system. I review in detail all of the items on the five pink AF Menus. Most important of these is the Custom Case setting (at AF 1) that I have developed over time and currently use for all of my bird photography. On the recently concluded Hooptie Deux Spoonbills and more IPT John Johnson of Naples, FL mentioned that he was having trouble producing sharp flight images. I set up my Custom Case on his camera, and within minutes he was amazed at the sharp results that he was getting…. While skill, strength, fine motor control, and superior hand eye coordination are all factors that will influence your success as a flight photographer, you can have all of the preceding in spades but if your camera is not set up properly much of your effort will be in vain….

What Else is in the Guide?

In the 7D Mark II User’s Guide you will learn everything that I know about the important topics listed below, and better yet, I explain the options for each along with my reasons for choosing a specific setting in a specific situation.

Handling the WHITEs
The top LCD and all camera control buttons
7D Mark II drive modes
How to manually select an AF sensor
Choosing an AF Area Selection Mode; how and why (includes extensive detail)
Moving the AF point or Zone
The creation of in-camera Multiple Exposures and in-camera HDR images (includes extensive detail)
Live View Shooting and AF choices (all new in the 7D II)
Menu Item Access
Coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including the following: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Lens aberration corrections settings, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (as above, this includes details on the custom setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation linked AF point (I love this feature), Highlight alert, Histogram display–do you know how to access both histograms at once?, Auto rotate, Image Jump, LCD Brightness, Info button display options, Custom Shooting Modes set-up, ISO Safety shift, using the Q button, setting up rear focus, and setting up your My Menu feature (among others).

The guide is–of course–written in my informal, easy-to-follow style.

Please note: Some Menu items are not covered in this guide for one of several reasons:

They deal only with the creation of movies (not covered)
They are irrelevant to nature photography.
After spending hours studying the 7D II Instruction Manual and consulting others I have no clue as to the purpose or the reason for the existence of a given feature.

Though I recommend that the irrelevant and confusing items be left at the default settings, I do, in most cases, I refer you to the relevant page in the 7D II Instruction Manual. If you follow up, it just might turn out that you are a lot smarter than me. In those cases I would love to hear from you via e-mail. So far none of the above have prevented me from creating many spectacular images with my 7D II.

Please note that this guide does not contain a table of contents or an index. To search the document for a given topic simply hit Control F to search. When the Find box pops up, simply type the term that you are looking for into the field and hit Next. This will allow you to find what you are looking for quickly and efficiently.

If you purchase the 7D II UG and it helps you to create better images, please feel free to send no more than two 1200 pixel wide or 900 pixel tall sharpened JPEGs to me via e-mail along with your comments. I will be glad to do a short critique if so requested. Otherwise, feedback via e-mail or blog comment is always appreciated.

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

June 24th, 2015

24mm for Birds & Why a Light-toned Image Created in Soft Light Should Look Like Crap on the Rear LCD

Stuff

Pretty much everything is sorted out for the upcoming sold-out UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Our rental vehicles are all set as is our luggage transport truck. And the folks at the cottages are expecting us. Both denise and I are a lot more excited than we should be about getting back into the puffins.

I spent the rest of the day answering e-mails and working on a few images including the one featured in today’s blog post. I enjoyed a late swim followed fairly closely by an ice bath. This blog post, which took me about 1 1/2 hours to assemble, is the 166th in a row. It was published just after 5:30am on Wednesday, June 24, 2015. We fly to Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday so it is getting time to start thinking about packing….

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. Do know that Steve Leimberg’s 400 DO sold instantly as predicted….

Brand New Listing

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

Arash Hazeghi is offering a used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens in like-new condition for $5400. The sale includes the lens hood, the rear cap, the lens strap, the Canon lens trunk (hard case) with keys, A LensCoat Real Snow camo cover, and a LensCoat front lens cover (a $120 value). All packed in original Canon box and sent to you via Fed Ex insured Ground shipping. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Arash by e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 650-353-1866 (Pacific time zone). Photos of the lens and sample RAW files can be provided upon request.

The 300 II is amazingly sharp and deadly. It can easily be hand held by most folks including me. It is sick sharp even with the 2X TC. It is versatile. And with or without the 1.4X III TC is is a superb flight lens. Unlike me, Arash takes very good care of his gear. artie


black-skimmer-flock-at-24mm-_a1c9427-nickerson-beach-li-ny-recovered

This image was created on last year’s Nickerson Beach IPT with the hand held Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens (as 24mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/4. WB: 7500 K.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the nearest skimmer and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Black Skimmer flock in soft light

24mm for Birds

At times, I like to take a walk with a lens that I do not use a lot and see what I do. I guess that seeing this big flock of skimmers spread out on the beach with the lovely skies might have prompted me to grab the 24-70 II. In any case, I added lots of light to the exposure making sure to expose well to the right. As we preach here most every day.

Really Neat…

What is really neat about this image is that the foreground to sky ratio is almost perfectly 1 to 3. It’s funny that the standard advice, “Place the horizon either 1/3 or 2/3 of the way into the frame,” works well even when you are not totally conscious of it in the field.

Why a Light-toned Image Created in Soft Light Should Look Like Crap on the Rear LCD

It is always best to expose as far to the right as possible while avoiding significant blinkies to achieve the largest possible file with the most data while reducing noise. Then simply bring the image into Photoshop and adjust the tonality until you are pleased with the look.

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP 4 as always, I brought the image into Photoshop. I selected the sky and put it on its own layer. I went into NIK’s Viveza where I increased the structure about 40 points, darkened the selection 20 points, and increased the saturation about 20 points. This left a dark line along parts of the horizon so I added a Regular Layer Mask, worked large, and painted away the dark line. Then I did a bit of clean-up on the left side of the image right near the surf line by removing parts of two skimmers that were clipped by the frame edge. Lastly I selected only the beach and pulled the curve up a bit to lighten it. I tried some of my NIK 50-50 on the sand but it brought up too much unwanted detail even when I reduced the opacity to 10% so I simply trashed that layer.

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.


dpp-4-guide

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.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

Facebook

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

June 23rd, 2015

Black Skimmer Flight/So Many Lessons...

Stuff

Today was mostly an off day but I did take an ice bath in the early afternoon. This blog post, which took me about 2 1/2 hours to assemble, is the 165th in a row. It was published just before 6:30am on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.

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. Do know that Steve Leimberg’s 400 DO sold instantly as predicted…. Todays items should sell quickly as well.

Price Reduction

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS Lens

Price reduced a total of $300 on 6/22/2015!

Multiple IPT veteran Jack Panzeca is offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS lens in very good + condition for $699 including insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The tripod collar has one small scratch. The sale includes the original tough fabric case, the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the strap. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Jack via e-mail or by phone at 817 819 1756. Central Time Zone.

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with a 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Jack’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie

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

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. I just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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


black-skimmer-landing-approach-to-nest-in-beach-grass-_y5o9986-nickerson-beach-li-ny

This image was created on last August’s Nickerson Beach IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6. AWB.

61-Point Automatic Selection/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure and as you can see in the first screen capture below, failed miserably at getting an active AF point on the subject but yielded a sharp image anyway…. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Black Skimmer: adult returning to nest in beach grass

Black Skimmer Flight

With winds from the south or the west in the afternoons there are almost always lots of opportunities to photograph the skimmers in flight. Here I was sitting behind my lowered tripod in an effort to frame the birds just above the beach grass. Standing at full height for this image would have yielded a less intimate photo with a complete green background that would have been much more in focus (and much less pleasing) than the BKGR in today’s image. Do consider learning a ton about photographing beach nesting birds by joining me on the Nickerson Beach/JBWR(?) IPT this August. Scroll down for details.


dpp-4-scrn-capt-blk-skim title=

DPP 4 Screen Capture #1

61-Point Automatic Selection AF

Note that although 61-Point Automatic Selection AF seems to have failed miserably here–the active AF sensor (illuminated in red above) was nowhere near the bird, the resulting image was fairly sharp on the eye. I credit that in part to the great AF system of the 1D X and to my personalized Custom Case 3 settings that are designed to keep AF tracking accurately even when the active sensor (whether caused by AF system error as here, or by human error and frailties, as is often the case). To learn my Custom Case 3 settings and everything else that you need to know about AF with the 1d X, you are directed to our EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide.

Our User’s Guides for both the 7D II and the 5D III contain the same information. You can check them both out by scrolling down here.

DPP 4 Screen Capture #1

Note here that before any adjustments were made, with the cursor on what I accurately perceived as the brightest WHITEs,that the RGB values read 247, 232, 198. As this image was made late in the afternoon the RED value was too high for my tastes and the WHITEs were somewhat lacking in fine feather detail.

DPP 4 Adjustments

First I chose the RAW conversion recipe for “1D X ISO 400 “by going Edit > Read and paste recipe from file (as first suggested in a comment by someone here; many thanks!) Then I dragged the Fine Tune slider to the left away from the warm RED and YELLOW tones; though this is something that I do only rarely it worked like a charm here. Then I moved the Brightness slider to the left to -1.7, moved the Highlight slider one to the left to -1, and moved the Shadow slider one to the right to +1. Then Command D to convert.


dpp-4-scrn-capt-befaft

DPP 4 Screen Capture #2

DPP 4 Screen Capture #2

Here we see the Before and After Preview windows in DPP 4. Note that DPP 4 easily eliminated all the vignetting, the darkened corners of the frame caused by using a super-telephoto lens at the wide open aperture. In addition, you can clearly see that my work on color balance was quite effective: though the light still looks sweet the RED and YELLOW color casts have been removed and the color looks much more natural. Note also the truer, bluer sky.


dpp-4-guide

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.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 5.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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 :).

June 22nd, 2015

Wheeleez as Savior...

Stuff

On Saturday I began working on a huge backload of image files from various trips; I have never been so far behind as I am now…. It is a huge job but somebody has to do it. As soon as I finish this blog post I will be on the phone to the UK double checking our vehicle rentals and our luggage transport arrangements for the Puffins and Gannets IPT. Those who would like to join us in the early summer of 2016 on the next puffin trip are invited to shoot me an e-mail.

I spent a good part of the day watching the US Open golf; at 5:15am on Monday morning it is down to the last three holes and–after he holed a big-breaking 19 foot putt on 16, it is looking very much like another Jordan Spieth victory….

So much for easy: with a 3-shot lead and two holes to play, Spieth just double-bogeyed 17 while Oosthuizen birdied 18 to tie after a backnine birdie barrage and a 29 on the incoming nine…. Young Jordan needs to birdie 18 to avoid a playoff…. Yikes!

This Just In!

Congrats to Jordan Spieth on winning the first two legs of the 2015 Grand Slam. He birdied 18, just missing his eagle putt. But it looked like a sure playoff as Dustin Johnson birdied 17 and had a chance to win outright with a 12 foot, four inch eagle putt on 18. He missed that and then missed the short come-backer to give Spieth the win. He celebrated with his Dad and family on Father’s Day. Whew and wow! The ending left pretty much everyone in shock.

I had time for my core exercises and another long swim. This blog post, which took me about two hours to asssemble, is the 165th in a row. It was published just before 5:30am on Monday, June 22, 2015.

Check it out!

BIRDS AS ART on the B&H Explora blog here.

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

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. I just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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


wheeleez-from-jpeg-_y7o0017-jones-beach-li-ny

Wheeleez has extended my long lens beach photography career by at least two decades….

Wheeleez

While I love my Eckla Beach Rolly (and accessories) for the boardwalks at places like the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Gatorland, the thin tires/wheels are not very good on the beach. The always generous Dr. Greg Gulbransen introduced me to Wheeleez last summer. I considered stocking them in the BAA Online Store but the box that they come is in huge. After months of searching, I finally found them on Amazon. Folks kind enough to order theirs using the logo link below can help support my efforts here on the blog and the work that I do virtually every day of the year answering your e-mail questions.

In Practice

As most regular readers here know, I have been rehabbing my right shoulder for about ten years, the result of incorrectly carrying a big telephoto lens, with the full weight of the rig resting–you guessed it–on my right shoulder. I am sure that I will be rehabbing the shoulder until they nail the box shut. In any case there was a point about 18 months ago when I thought that long lens photography at the beach–one of my great pleasures–was a thing of the past. Then I received the gift of a Wheeleez. It quickly became a Godsend for me. I love to bring a ton of stuff to the beach. Though the opening image here shows a light load, actually only the fabulous Lens Coat 4Xpandable Long Lens Bag, I routinely carry a ton of stuff easily in my Wheeleez.

I actually own two Wheeleez-es (please do not ask me what is the correct spelling of the plural of Wheeleez), one is at my Mom’s on Long Island, the other here in Florida. I often head out to the beach with the 600 II, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II, the 100-400mm IS L II or the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS,, my tripod with a Mongoose M3.6 on top, a wide angle lens or two, and often the 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens. All of the smaller items are protected either by LensCoat Hoodies, LensBags, etc. or by my woolen watch caps. The stretchy strap that the include with the Wheeleez is great for keeping everything in place. Greg uses heavy duty rubberized wire ties to do the same. Be sure to place the smaller items in the bottom of the crate or inside the Lens Coat 4Xpandable Long Lens Bag so that they do not bounce out. You will also have room for a bottle of spring water and a bit of extra clothing that can serve as padding. If I need to carry an even larger load I go to my X-trahand Vest from Vested Interest. Please e-mail for info on that.

Plastic Milk Crate

You need a sturdy plastic lattice-type milk crate to make the whole thing work. Why lattice type? They include two straps. I use only one. I thread it through the open spaces near the bottom of the crate to secure it. If you do not have one in the garage or the attic the one linked to above is perfect.

Negative Reviews

There are many negative reviews of the Wheeleez on Amazon, along with many positive ones. I own two and have never had any type of problem. A friend on Long Island has owned one for more than two years and has never had a problem. It is rather large and I am lucky to have an SUV. Even with my Mom’s Honda, though, I am able to fold it down and get it in the back seat without having to undo the strap…. That is a blessing.

Perhaps the boys and girls are simply loading too, too many kegs of beer on their beach carts….

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 :).

June 21st, 2015

Backlit Skimmer Chick: Too Much, Not Enough, or Just Right? More Great Cheap Used Gear...

Stuff

On Saturday I answered more than 100 e-mails. I sent an e-mail to the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT group catching up on last minute travel details and admitting a mistake as to our meeting time at the airport on Monday, June 30th. For some reason I thought that Denise and I landed at 7:00am rather than the actual 9:45am. Thanks to Denise who spotted my mind-set error.

Those who would like to join us in the early summer of 2016 on the next puffin trip are invited to shoot me an e-mail. Those who would like details on the Bears Catching Salmon IPT (late August into early September) are invited to do the same.

I did my core exercises, enjoyed a long but relaxing swim, and plan on an ice bath at about 6:00pm. This blog post, which took me about 90 minutes to prepare, is the 164th in a row. It was published at just before 7:00am on Sunday, June 21, 2015.

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

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. I just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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

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. Do know that Steve Leimberg’s 400 DO sold instantly as predicted…. Todays items should sell quickly as well.

Brand New Listings

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS Lens

Mike Lawie is offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS lens in excellent condition for $699 including insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The sale includes the original tough fabric case, the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the strap. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements (such as payment via PayPal) are made.

Please contact Mike via e-mail or by phone at 1-231-798-2474 Eastern time.)

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with my old 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years and as I did forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I still own my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens; I am trying to talk denise into keeping hers for low light situations….

Used Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens

Mike Lawie is also offering a used Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro in mint condition for $425. The sale includes the original box, the front & rear lens caps, the lens hood, the hood adapter, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only.

Please contact Mike via e-mail or by phone at 1-231-798-2474 Eastern time.) Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements (such as payment via PayPal) are made.

Though I have never used this lens I have heard only good things about it, especially with regards to image sharpness. I love the Canon version of this lens but this one is less than half the price.

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS Lens

Dale Lorenzen is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f 4.5-5.6 L IS lens in excellent condition for $699–another record low BAA price. The black plastic lens hood has a few smudge marks on it. The sale includes the original tough fabric case, the original box, the instruction manual, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the lens strap, and insured shipping via UPS or Fed-Ex Ground to US addresses only. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Dale via e-mail or by phone at 630-742-3309. Eastern Time Zone.

The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with a 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently. Dale’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie


black-skimmer-chick-backlit-just-after-sunrise-_y5o4243-nickerson-beach-li-ny

This image was created last August on the Nickerson Beach IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/10.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand (by necessity)/Rear Focus AF as framed and release. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Black Skimmer/backlit chick, Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY

Skimmer Chicks and Backlight

In a typical years, there will be lots of Black Skimmer chicks of all ages from tiny to fledged in mid-August. Do consider joining me on this summer’s IPT; see below for details. If you cannot make my August trip, do know that Denise has a few openings on her second July Nickerson Beach workshop; check it out by scrolling down here. Her first workshop is sold out.

Though I love to point my shadow at the bird, there are times when doing the exact opposite can pay big dividends. If you know exactly where to be when at Nickerson Beach in the early morning, you can take advantage of some great opportunities. The funny thing is that the sun, my subject, and I, am almost always on the same line. Only the order differs…. In front lit situations, it’s the sun behind me, me, and then the subject, all on a straight line. For the strongest backlight, me, the subject, and then the sun should all be on the same line. Because of background considerations with the image above, I was working about 30 degrees off of direct backlight; note the angle of the shadow of the bird whose legs appear in the top left of the frame.

The Image Clean-up

After converting the RAW image in DPP 4, my main concern was with the degree of beach clean-up. Pristine beaches in beach nesting bird colonies are pretty much non-existent so deciding how much to clean and how much to leave was indeed a fine line in the sand….

I used my usual triumvirate of clean-up tools for the bulk of the work: the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, and the Spot Healing Brush. Plus a few small Quick Masks refined by Regular Layer Masks on a few difficult areas. Then I selected the bird only (including the rim light) with the Quick Selection Tool and applied my NIK Color EFEX Pro 50-50 recipe, 50% Tonal Contrast and 50% Detail Extractor. That layer was also refined with the addition of a Regular Layer Mask; I painted away 50% of the effect on the shaded plumage areas but left at 100% to tame the rim light.

Too Much, Not Enough, or Just Right?

All are invited to leave a comment regarding the degree of clean-up. Would you have done more or less? Or no clean-up at all? Do let us know why you feel the way that you do.

Would you have left the bill of the adult on the left frame edge? Why or why not?

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 II. 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 at 863-692-0906 weekdays to order.


dpp-4-guide

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.


nickersonbeach-carda

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 5.

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. I hope to see you there.


nickerson-beach-card-c

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.


nickerson-beach-card-b

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

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 :).