Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I spent most of my birthday–thanks a stack to the huge number of folks who sent birthday wishes along either here or especially on Facebook–doing what I do most days when I am home: answered e-mails, worked on this blog post, worked on a few images, started another round of core exercises, and enjoyed a late afternoon swim. To celebrate, I “borrowed” about ten M&M Peanuts from Jim’s stash and injected 3 extra units of Regular insulin to cover that indulgence; I enjoyed them.

My Mom, my younger sister Arna, and my younger daughter Alissa called at about 10:00am to sing happy birthday, and younger daughter Jennifer and her family did that same in the afternoon. It was all very sweet and touching. Lissy and Jen teamed up to buy me an early birthday gift, a Cuisinart Food Processor that I have been putting to good use recently making crispy pizza dough from cauliflower. It is amazing. And healthy. Speaking of which, I tipped the scale this morning at an even 175 pounds, my lowest weight in about 5 years.

As I finished the last of 48 lengths of the pool I heard someone singing happy birthday to me. I looked up to see all six foot six or so of good friend Clemens Vanderwerf standing on the pool deck. He dropped by on his way home from Tampa. Then I got my real gift. He brought his three Golden Retrievers into the house where they proceeded to explore every inch of the place and lick me and kiss me up and down. They were quite well behaved yet playful as can be.

This blog post took about four hours to prepare and will be published at 5:00am early on the morning of Monday, June 15.

Blog Thanks

Those who wish to thank me for the work that I put into the blog and the hours I spend each week answering your e-mail questions are invited to click here or to send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net. All donations are greatly appreciated. artie

This image was created on the first Palouse IPT with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, an external Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at the max, 798mm), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/2 sec. at f/16 in Tv mode. AWB. A Singh-ray 52mm Mor-Slo screw-in glass 5-Stop Neutral Density Filter in a Canon Drop-In Filter Holder for 52mm Screw-In Filters was used to get down to a really slow shutter speed in the bright sun. I will be doing a feature on the 52mm Singh-ray Mor-Slo Neutral Density Filters and the Canon Drop-In Filter Holders for 52mm Screw-In Filters in a blog post here soon. Center AF point (Manual selection)/One-Shot/Shutter Button AF and pan from up to down. With the 5-stop ND in place in a super-telephoto lens you need to give your eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark viewfinder. As long as there is some contrast to work with, AF should perform just fine. Click on the image to see a larger version. Old Barn siding vertical pan blur.

Pan-Blurs

On each of the two Palouse IPTs we did several in-the-field tutorials covering the creation of both horizontal and vertical pan blurs. Most folks were open-eared, open-minded, and eager to learn.

What They are Saying…

Scattered throughout this blog post are comments from roughly half the folks who attended the two Palouse IPTs. It is interesting to note that 13 of the 14 folks quoted here have traveled and studied with either Denise or with me before. Of those, Only Lou Newman’s son Rick was a virgin, completely new to to either a BAA IPT or an A Creative Adventure workshop. Legacies are always welcome on our tours 🙂 Muriel McClellan’s daughter Mimi is joining her Mom and us on the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Come to think of it, parent/child workshop combos are about as huge a compliment as you might ever get….

In any case, what should be obvious to all who read the various comments is that Denise and I, with our different teaching styles, combine to make a powerful and creative teaching team. Denise’s style and encouragement actually got me a bit out of my box in the Palouse; I spent more time looking at rear LCDs than I ever had before. It is much harder to do that on bird trips as the subjects tend to move more than old barns or crop fields 🙂

If, after reading the comments here, you would like to join us in the Palouse next year, click here for details.

Lou Newman/Multiple BAA IPT Veteran

Artie and Denise, I wanted you to know that the Palouse IPT was A#1! Wow! The best! I have just returned from one of the best instructional photo tours I have ever attended. Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito proved to be a superb teaching team. At each stop Artie and Denise provided personal attention to each participant, made sure that every participant was set-up properly, and answered all questions before even thinking about shooting themselves. Once they setup their own cameras they provided group instruction telling all what they were doing and why, then encouraging questions and alternatives and asking the participants for suggestions. Individual attention was always available.

All of the participants were experienced photographers so the group dynamics were great and there was considerable sharing of expertise and information. When we returned from the morning shoot we went right into the computer sessions which were held in an ideal small conference room with chairs facing tables for laptops and a projection screen in front. Artie and Denise had prepared presentations for four sessions, and requested that all participants submit images for review for the middle session. The Photoshop and image review sessions with this teaching team and group of talented photographers were exceptional. We all had lunch together, then free time prior to heading out in the late afternoon. It was exhausting, but proved to be one of the best learning experiences I have encountered on a photo tour. Kudos to Artie and Denise for this one! Lou

Cindy Gosselin/A Multiple Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Hey Guys, I want to thank the both of you for a wonderful trip to the Palouse. This area of the country has been on my “bucket list” for more than 5 years. Finally getting there did not disappoint!! But what made it extra special was that the two of you led the group. Thank you for sharing your tips and techniques. But most of all thanks for sharing your passion for photography. It is contagious and re-inspired me at every stop along the way. Cindy

Rick Newman

Artie and Denise, I went into this workshop with no landscape photography experience, yet had a wonderful time! Denise and Art have complementary teaching styles, giving me an abundance of opportunities to learn. I left with an entire new skill set, a deeper understanding of my camera, some previously undiscovered talent, and a new enthusiasm for photography. If you want to up your photographic game, attend this workshop! Rick

Colleen Malley/A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Artie and Denise, I can’t say thank you enough times for such a wonderful trip! My confidence has skyrocketed with your and Art’s encouragement. I also learned so much more about the capabilities of my camera. You definitely have not seen the last of me. !!!! Colleen

Len Saltiel/A Multiple Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Denise and Art, Terrific workshop and is highly recommended. Terrific shots and memories Denise. Len

Joe Barranco/Multiple BAA IPT & A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Denise and Artie, Workshop was awesome. I have never seen farmland that looked like this. Contour farming at its best. The images I got with help from Denise and Art Morris were great. Plus they made it a lot of fun. The landscape images are just different. Awesome place. The old barns and farm equipment blew me away. I liked the “wheel fence” images in one of Denise’s blog post because I did not “see” them. Denise has the best “eye” out there! Joe

Judy Helderman/Multiple A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Hi Denise, I haven’t downloaded my Palouse pictures yet as I’m in the midst of changing computer systems, but I will as soon as I can and will send a couple for critiquing. I learned a lot from you in the Palouse. You were incredibly helpful. I’d like to take your Charleston workshop next spring.
Judy.

Muriel McClellan/Multiple BAA IPT & A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Denise and Artie, What a fantastic experience. Denise and Artie did a fabulous job of finding the best opportunities in the middle of the maze that is the Palouse. I was blessed to be on this trip and my learning curve jumped off the charts. Muriel ps: see you in the UK!

Phil Frigon/BAA IPT Veteran

Hey Guys, Enjoyed the IPT, making new friends and the experiences. Thanks to all. Sign me up for the Greece/Dalmatian Pelicans IPT. Phil

Alan Glasser

Artie and Denise, The workshop was great. I learned an enormous amount and enjoyed it thoroughly. Your teaching styles exactly fit my style of learning. Kudos. Alan Glasser

Pat Fishburne/Multiple BAA IPT Veteran

Dear Art and Denise, Stokes and I really enjoyed the Palouse IPT! Pat

Catherine Costolo/Multiple BAA IPT & A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Artie, The trip was awesome, thanks to you and Denise. Catherine

Mary Doherty/A Multiple Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Denise, Just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time I had on the workshop with you and Artie. Thanks both for making this such such a great workshop!!! I was totally blown away by all the different locations we visited and appreciated all the suggestions and guidance you provided during the workshop.The Palouse was amazing…beautiful landscapes (even without puffy white clouds) and lots of old and crumbly barns…so much to see and photograph. Thanks again for a wonderful workshop! Mary

This image was created on the second Palouse IPT by Mary Doherty with the hand held Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens (at 200mm) and the Fujifilm X-T1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 200: 1/15 sec. at f/22. Old barn blur: Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Mary Doherty

Mary Doherty’s Barn Blur

In the opening image here, I went to my maximum focal length so that I could get only the red boards on the side of the barn. Mary included her vertical pan blur in the five images that she sent as part of her post-IPT critique. We offer that on all IPTs and A Creative Adventure Workshops; it is a great way to extend the learning that takes place on location. In any case, Mary took our pan blur instructions and ran with them. I loved that she included some of the grass below the barn.

Dust Bunnies

I noticed that Mary’s image had a ton of dust bunnies, lots of big ones and more smaller ones. Looking at the EXIF it is easy to see why. At f/22, even microscopic dust becomes a problem. I suggested to her via e-mail that she purchase either a 3-stop resin or a 5-Stop glass Mor-Slo Singh Ray Neutral Density filter. I wrote, Many folks would prefer the 3-stop resin Mor-Slo but I like the 5-stop glass ones. It takes your eye a moment to adjust to the dark view through the lens but it allows me to work in bright sun at relatively wide apertures and the AF system works just fine. The ideal situation would be to own both but that would surely be a bit extravagant for most.

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.

John Haedo/Multiple BAA IPT & A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Artie and Denise, I had a wonderful time during the IPT, notwithstanding the blue skies. I learned quite a few new things and reinforced some of the things that I’ve been doing correctly. To everyone in the group, and especially to Gary and Phil, with whom I rode every day, I want to express my appreciation for your delightful company. I really enjoyed the IPT; all of you were very nice “happy campers”, as someone I know likes to say. I feel honored to have shared this experience with all of you and hope our paths will cross again in the future. Artie and Denise, thank you both for working your tails off (as always) to give us a great experience. And thanks for your friendship, patience and the ample sharing of your large reservoir of knowledge and experiences with us. Every IPT with you guys is better than the last. Thank you, and be well. John Haedo

Sally Foster/Multiple A Creative Adventure Workshop Veteran

Finally got to the Palouse and it was everything I had imagined and more. Artie and Denise make quite a team with their knowledge and willingness to share. Sally

[Not a valid template]

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

If you would like to learn the fine points of creating pleasing pan-blurs but cannot make an IPT get yourself a copy of A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. Dozens of other creative techniques are detailed as well.

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 :).

What’s Up?

My first night home I slept eight hours with five pit stops. After my first ice bath in more than two weeks on Thursday, I slept seven hours with no pit stops. The power of the ice baths is amazing. No swim on Friday, just an ice bath. When I finish this blog post I hope to get on the floor and resume my core, shoulder, and knee exercises….

Though I got a ton done today, I did not get online to arrange the National Trust memberships for the sold out UK Puffins and Gannets IPT that I am leading with Denise Ippolito. This blog post took about four hours to prepare and will be published at 5:00am on the early morning of Saturday, June 13.

Blog Thanks

Those who wish to thank me for the work that I put into the blog and the hours I spend each week answering your e-mail questions are invited to click here or to send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net. All donations are greatly appreciated. artie

Lake Kerkini Dalmatian Pelicans IPT

If the promised deposit checks arrive, there is only one spot left on this amazing trip. See the blog post here.

2016 Palouse IPTs

We received several more deposits today for each of the two 2016 Palouse IPTs. Click here for more information.

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.

This image was created on the second Palouse IPT with the hand held Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens (at 14mm) and an EOS-5D Mark II converted to Infrared at 720nm by Kolari Vision. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/500 sec. at f/11. Custom WB. Center AF point/One Shot/Shutter Button AF as framed. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Modern Grain Elevators/Infrared Capture

Infrared Info

About a month ago, on the advice of IR expert Mark Hilliard, I had a 5D Mark II in pretty decent shape converted to IR at 720 nm (nanometers) Infrared by Kolari Vision. Both Denise and I used the body extensively on both Palouse IPTs and shared it often with more than a few participants who wanted to dabble. Everyone had a ton of fun. Digital IR is new and different and exciting, at least to denise and to me. Both of us were very happy with the quality of the work done by Kolari Vision and with the resulting image quality as well. There is a pretty steep learning curve with IR photography but we are a very clever team and we figured things out pretty quickly.

Kolari Vision Infrared Camera Conversions

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

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

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

This image was created on the first Palouse IPT with the hand held Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens (at 20mm) and an EOS-5D Mark II converted to Infrared at 720nm by Kolari Vision. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. Custom WB. Center AF point/One Shot/Shutter Button AF on the branches and recompose while half-pressing the shutter button. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Denise’s Tree/Infrared Capture/Image copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Choosing a Filter

Filter Choices

The text below is cut and pasted from an informative Kolari Vision article. You can access the complete photo illustrated tutorial by clicking here.

We currently have 6 filters to pick from. We offer the 720nm standard infrared, the 850nm deep infrared, the 665nm extra color infrared, the 590nm infrared, a full spectrum filter, and a two spectrum filter. All filters are the same price.

The Standard IR Filter (720nm) allows for good false color, and good contrast for black and white. This is equivalent to the Hoya R72 and the Wratten 89b.

The Ultra Color filter (590nm) lets more visible light in. It produces the most vibrant colors: leaves are golden yellow, skies are bright blue.

The Enhanced Color filter (665nm) has an effect between the 720nm and 590nm, producing more vibrant colors than the 720nm for pale yellow leaves and soft blue skies.

The Deep Black and White filter (850nm) is good for a dedicated black and white IR. The camera and will produce bright whites and pronounced blacks. It is Equivalent to the Wratten 87c.

After some serious thinking I converted my camera at 720nm. We did get a chance to experiment with Catherine Costolo’s super-color IR camera.

Costs

Kolari Vision offers economical IR conversions for a great variety of camera bodies.

This image was created on the second Palouse IPT with the hand held Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens (at 11mm) and an EOS-5D Mark II converted to Infrared at 720nm by Kolari Vision. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/8. Custom WB. Center AF point/One Shot/Shutter Button AF on the center of the bridge and recompose while half-pressing the shutter button. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Old Railroad Bridge/Infrared Capture

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s three infrared images is your favorite? Please let us know why you made your choice.

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

My alarm was set for 3:00am on Wednesday morning. Denise and I left the hotel at 4:10am to make our flights, mine at 5:25am to Denver and then on to MCO, hers to SLC at 6:15m and then onto Newark. I slept off and on on both flights and I am sure that denise did too. All in all we had a great time in the Palouse. We ended the 2nd IPT with a great dinner at the Mexican place in town. We are both looking forward to next year’s IPTs. At least as soon as we are recovered from sleep deprivation. Thanks as always to my right hand man Jim Litzenberg who picked me up in Orlando and drove me home safely in a big rainstorm.

This blog post, which took me about 2 hours to prepare, is the 154th in a row. It should be published just after midnight eastern time on Thursday, June 11, 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.

Used Photography Gear for Sale

There has been lots of action on the Used Photography Gear page here. Stuff has been flying off the virtual shelves here almost every day; the following items have sold within the past month including four series II Canon super-telephotos in the past few days:

Two Canon 600mm f/4L IS lenses sold by Pat and Alan Lillich within a week of listing for $9500.
Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens sold by Clemens Vanderwerf for $7999 on June 10, 2015.
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens sold by Kevin Hice within two days are being listed for $4750.
Canon 500mm f/4L IS sold by Richard Rhudy for $4200.
Canon 100-400mm zoom lens sold by Barbara Garmon for
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens sold for $4999 by Jacques Bouvier on May 20, 2015.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II sold by Carl Zanoni for $1649 on May 19, 2015.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM sold by Owen Peller for $799 on 5/19/15.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV sold by Gerald Barrack for $1599 in May, 2015.
Canon EOS 7D DSLR Digital Camera Body (with battery grip) sold for $579 by Barbara Garmon on May 23, 2015.

You can see all of the current listings here.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Featured Listing

Used Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II Lens

Price reduced $300 on 2/20/2015!

Melissa Hahn is offering a used Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens in mint condition now for $8699. (Original asking price as $8999.) Original owner. The sale includes the lens hood, the E-180D front lens cover, the 400C lens trunk, the rear lens cap, the wide lens strap, a black LensCoat (an $89.99 value), a TravelCoat (a $59.95 value), and insured ground shipping to US addresses. The lens will ship only after your check clears. Glass and lens immaculate. The lens was very recently cleaned and checked by Canon. Photos are available upon request.

Interested folks can contact Melissa on here cell phone at 1-631-404-2965 (eastern time) or via e-mail.

This fast, super-sharp, relatively lightweight (8.49 pounds) super-telephoto lens (the Nikon version weighs 10.2 pounds) is a versatile lens for wildlife photographers. It creates super-sharp images with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III Extenders. It currently sells new at B&H for $10,499 and they are offering a used one for $9,899.95. You can save some significant bucks by grabbing Melissa’s lens now.

This image was created at Lake Kerkini, Greece with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/4. Two AF points up from the center AF point/AI Servo/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. Snazzy Dalmatian Pelican

Personality Plus Hairdos

With their bright red bill pouches, orange eyeskins, and raggedy hairdos, Dalmatian Pelican is one of the world’s most photogenic bird species. Folks including us purchase live fish from the local boatman and have the pelicans come to us. It is rare that one or two Dalmatian Pelican images is not honored in one or more of the major photo contests in a given year. Do consider joining us in Greece for an amazing workshop.

Images copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Dalmatian Pelicans ~ Northern Greece
: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Workshop/denise ippolito & arthur morris
. January 24th – 29th, 2016 ~ 5 Nights/ 4 Full days of photography: $2950. Limit: 6.

This trip is a go.

Photograph beautiful Dalmatian Pelicans in Greece. Our trip will be from January 24-29th, 2016. Our hotel accommodations are located fifteen minutes from Lake Kerkini. This is a huge plus as we will be able to take advantage of great light at a moment’s notice. This location is well known as the best location on the planet to photograph these beautiful, common, and extremely photogenic birds. And we will enjoy tons of flight photography. Though your 70-200 will be your very best friend, you will be able to use almost every lens in your gear bag. Wide angle shots, close portrait work, flight shots, creative blurs- you name it. Our expert guide knows the area like the back of his hand; he guides some of the most world renowned photographers.

There will be in-the-field instructional photography sessions each morning and afternoon from the shore and we will enjoy extended small boat sessions. Image review and post processing sessions will be informal; we will cover a ton of information during both our in-the-field and indoor session. With two great leaders that only thing that will limit your learning is a lack of stamina.

More than 100 pairs of Dalmatian Pelicans nest on specially constructed platforms on the lake. They remain at the lake during the winter. During our time in Greece the Pelicans will be in their brightest and most impressive breeding plumage. The birds hang around the local fisherman and in addition, we purchase live bait to bring the pelicans close. They are silly tame as they have been begging fish from the locals for many decades.

The groups of Dalmatian Pelicans are often accompanied by single Great White Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorants and Great Cormorants.

The price of this IPT IS $2950.00 per person USD, based on double occupancy; The single supplement is $360. The workshop fee includes hotel accommodations, WiFi, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, round trip transfers from Thessaloniki Airport, all ground transportation during trip, boat fees and lots of fish.

Not included: Round trip airfare to Thessaloniki Airport, alcoholic beverages, personal items including but not limited to laundry, phone, or fax services.

This workshop is currently limited to 6 participants. A non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 is required to hold your spot for this workshop. Balances are are due on August 1st, 2015 and are also non-refundable. Payments in full are of course welcome at any time. All payments including the deposit must be made by check made out to “Arthur Morris.” Please be sure to check your calendar carefully. 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.

Please note that even though we have secured a top notch guide this is somewhat of a scouting trip (as denise has never been). The price of next year’s trip will be considerably higher. There are only 2 slots open. This is an especially attractive deal for folks from Europe….

Please contact us via e-mail to check on availability or write with questions: artie or denise. All deposits and balances must be paid by personal check or money order made out to “Arthur Morris” and mailed to BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Overseas folks can, however, pay their deposits and balances by wire transfer; the registrant is responsible for the fees on both ends.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

We do hope that you can join us. artie and denise

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

We photographed a wonderful old prairie home in the early morning; I made probably my favorite image of the trip. I will share it with you here soon. Then we photographed a barn that we had been searching for for a year. We made out trek to Palouse Falls State Park that Monday afternoon and photographed the Yellow-bellied Marmots and the falls.

This blog post, the 152nd in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published just after 1:00am on Tuesday.

This image was created on the San Diego IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The center AF point was on the base of the bird’s left leg. Click on the image to see a larger version. Ring-necked Duck drake in flight

Photographing Erratically Flying Birds

Photographing birds that are flying erratically, even relatively large birds like ducks, it a huge challenge for most including me. The biggest part of the challenge is keeping the active AF point on the bird’s eye, face, or neck (as I failed to do here). Even though we had the perfect situation with the wind from east and the sun right behind us, the zig-zagging flight of the incoming ducks tested one’s hand eye coordination to the max and to a lesser degree, their arm strength and stamina.

For some good tips on photographing small birds in flight, see Doug West comments on the recent blog post here.

Note that the active AF point is nowhere near the bird’s eye, face or neck but that the image is relatively sharp on the duck’s eye.

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

Though I had the active AF sensor on the bird’s foot, the system did a great job of accurately tracking the subject and producing an image that was sharp on the eye. My personalized Custom Case 3 settings surely had something to do with the success of this image.

From multiple IPT participant Stokes Fishburne via e-mail:

Dear Art, Many, many thanks for setting the AI Servo controls on my 7D II ls for me. It made a world of difference. When I first purchased the 7D II I had trouble producing tack sharp images as I had with the 1D Mark IV. I just could not seem to get the right combination for AI Servo AF. Thanks to the options that Canon built into the camera and your Custom Case 3 setting my birds in flight are now almost all sharp and I am now very happy with the 7D Mk II. It is a great camera.

See you in the Palouse. Thanks again…. Stokes Fishburne

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP 4 it was brought into Photoshop. The optimization was straightforward: I ran my NIK 50-50 on the bird only, did some Eye Doctor work on the eyes, sharpened the face with a contrast mask, and executed my final crop.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects. With annual visits spanning more than three decades I have lot of experience there….

2015 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) JAN 8 thru the morning of JAN 12, 2016: $1899 (Limit: 10)

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

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

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

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

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

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings.

…..

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up

The hip is feeling better each day, and my black and blue and yellow and purple bruise keeps getting larger. We had a great 2nd morning on the 2nd Palouse IPT at a dijon mustard field in bloom. Talk about a win-win situation, the participants learned from and were inspired by the two leaders and the two leaders learned from and were inspired by the participants. This blog post, the 150th in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published just after midnight on Sunday, June 7.

Bosque IPTs Heating Up

Interest and registrations and for both Bosque IPTs continue to to increase. We signed up two folks for the 2nd IPT and the first, the 3-day is getting close to full. Scroll down for complete details.

Blue Sky Days

The first Palouse IPT was blessed with both cloudy bright days and skies full of huge puffy white clouds. Great for scenics, great for barns, great for infrared, great for everything Palouse. All day Friday and on Saturday morning of the second Palouse IPT we had cloudless blue skies. In the next few blog posts and probably beyond, I will share some of the techniques that we have been teaching so that folks can make some very good images on those clear sunny days….

Praying helps: as we headed out to one of our favorite locations on Saturday afternoon some nice clouds had built up in the west, just where we needed them.

This in-camera HDR Art Vivid HDR image was created on day 2 of the Palouse IPT with the (barely) tripod-mounted Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 50mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Adjusat dynamic range was set to Auto around a base exposure as follows: evaluative metering at 0: 1/50 sec. at f/4 in Av mode. WB: Auto. Center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the C.L Dechenne and Sons text and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Dealing With Bright Sun and Blue Skies, Part 1A

Rule #1: Find a subject in the shade

One of the easiest ways to find a subject in the shade in the Palouse is to–when it is safe to do so and you are not trespassing, go around sticking your head in the open or broken windows of dilapidated barns and houses. The results can at times be wondrous.

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.

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 :).

Miracle Day in the Palouse

Today was indeed a miracle day in the Palouse. We did not go photographing. We did not make a single image. We did no scouting. As I said, it was a miracle day.

We have a meet and greet with the second Palouse IPT folks at 7:30 pm Thursday night. On Friday, we all leave the hotel at 4am. Get to bed 🙂

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

The Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 3-7, 2016/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12

The Palouse ~ A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 10-14, 2016/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12

Double Header!

Maximize both your travel dollars and your learning experience by signing up for both IPTs.

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

The Palouse IPTs

Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will likely enjoy spectacular sunrises and possibly a nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. We will take you to some really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join us for this trip. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.

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

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

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

To Sign Up

A non-refundable $699 deposit is due now. The balance will be due on February 15, 2016. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

With the spectacular success that we enjoyed in 2015 it seems quite likely that this one will fill up very quickly. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining us. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours or send us a check to leave a deposit; the latter is preferred. If by check, please make out to “Arthur Morris” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via e-mail: artie or denise.

Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

One Palouse IPT down. One to go. Denise and I are planning to get up at 3:30am to photograph her very own special tree; story to follow at some point.

This blog post, the 146th in a row, took about 45 minutes to prepare. It was published just after midnight on Tuesday.

This HDR Art Vivid (Auto Dynamic Range) image was created at Palouse Falls State Park on the 4th afternoon of the first Palouse IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens (at 24mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . ISO 100. Evaluative metering +2 stops around a base exposure of: 2 seconds at f/22 in Manual mode. AWB Center AF point (Manual selection) 1/3 of the way into the frame and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. HDR Wind Blur

One Frame Wonder

We had been dealing with a fierce wind, sand and grit in our eyes, and leaning too far over the cliff edges during our cloudy afternoon session at Palouse Falls State Park. We did lots of ultra wide angle stuff and made some great images thanks to some gorgeous clouds and the 11-24mm lens.

Walking from my cliff side perch around a chain link fence to join the group, I noticed a mixed field of purple flowers and prairie grasses gone to seed blowing in the wind. I staked out a nice patch of flowers, zoomed to 24mm–my longest available focal length at the time, pointed the lens down at a 45 degree angle, and created a single in-camera Art Vivid HDR JPEG. It looked so beautiful on the back of the camera that I did not even try to create another one. To my eye, it was a painting.

I added a touch of contrast and executed a small crop from the bottom.

What’s in Name?

If you can think of a good name for this image, please do share.

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 :).

What’s up?

The IPT group thrilled on a gorgeous red sunrise from Steptoe Butte. Long lenses were best, the longer the better. I shared my 200-400 with the internal TC in place and an external TC added with several participants, and opened Bill Keay’s eyes to the possibilities as he has owns the lens. Then it was old barns and farm houses. With lots of lessons and lots of learning throughout, and a bit of IR as well. Folks who do not have an IR body were invited to give it a try.

This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 135mm), and the Canon EOS-1D X . ISO 1600. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the adult’s eye and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Northern Giant Petrel with chick on nest/wide habitat shot

In the Northern Giant Petrel Large-in-the-frame or Habitat Shot… here, I asked seven questions included one mis-guided poor one. You will find each of those along with my answers and comments below.

Surprise Miracle on Salisbury Plain

Northern Giant Petrel nests in many locations on South Georgia. Many of those are off limits to visitors. In places you severely are restricted from approaching a nest. Because of severe weather delays due to high winds on our crossing from The Falklands we missed our scheduled landing at Salisbury Plain, one of several hard-to-believe King Penguin nesting sites in South Georgia. Our expedition leader was able to make a deal with another so that we were able to land at about 4:00am. And we needed to be off the beach by 8:00am.

Advance crew member landing parties land before any of the trip participants to make sure that things are do-able and safe and to stake out a path through the furs seals. As I made my way up the beach I was astounded to see a completely unperturbed Northern Giant Petrel sitting on both its nest and a small white chick. Talk about striking it rich. As our path was within scant yards of the nest all the photographers needed to do was walk slowly and stay a bit on the quiet side. And that is exactly what we did.

This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 240mm), and the Canon EOS-1D X . ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 /3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/8. One row down and four AF points to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell on the the adult’s neck well below the eye and just forward of the feathers of the upper back. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Northern Giant Petrel with chick/tight

Seven South Georgia Giant Petrel With Chick Answers

#1: Which image do you like best, the habitat shot or the tight shot? Why?

am: I like both but feel that the wider image is a better image for the reason mentioned in #6 below.

#2: Why was f/8 needed for the tight image?

am: Depth-of-field increases with the camera to subject distance. The closer you get to the subject, the more concerned you need to be about depth-of-field issues.

#3: Are the two exposure the same?

1/250 sec.at f/5.6. 1/125 at f/8. With a one stop slower shutter speed combined with a one stop smaller aperture the exposures are identical. Most folks got this one right.

#4: Why +1/3 stop for Image #2 but zero for the first image?

am: A larger area of light tones on the adult’s breast would influence the meter to underexposure.

#5: Which image was created first, #1 or #2? (You need to know me to get this one right….)

am: Folks who know me know that I will always go for the tight shot first and then think wide/environmental.

#6: What do I like least about Image #2?

Late commenter Mal Graham said it perfectly: #2. I feel that a little more space below the chick would make it feel more balanced. The little fella is getting squeezed from above by mum and from below by the bottom of the frame. Zooming out a bit wider would have had multiple benefits: in addition to adding a bit more room below the birds I could have included the complete tuft of grass in front of the birds.

#7: Why did I choose the exact same line of sight for both images?

am: This was the faulty question has I had not chosen the exact same line of sight…. I was fooled by the fact that the adult’s head was (properly) set against a similar tuft of tussock grass… With heavy cloud cover, sun angle was not an issue.

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. 🙂

This could be you! Pat Lillich and King Penguin in snow. There is a much greater chance of snow in October than in December/January and for photography, fresh snow rocks!

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.

The Pull is Too Strong…

The pull is too strong. I need to go back. And I am. Do join me for an unparalleled wildlife and scenic photography experience. Please e-mail for additional information or with questions.

What’s Up?

Up at 3am for the third day in a row for both Denise and me. Photography with the 1st Palouse IPT group till 9:30. Photoshop, lunch, nap, plan for the next two days of the IPT, afternoon session, work, and then sleep.

This blog post, the 142nd in a row, took about an hour to prepare. It was published just after midnight on Saturday.

This 3-frame in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was created from atop Steptoe Butte on the 1st Palouse IPT with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop (+/- 2 stops) around a base exposure of 4/10 sec. at f/16. AWB. Live View with 2-second timer. Center AF Point (Manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF 1/3 of the way into the frame and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

See, Plan, Arrange, Fine-Tune, Execute

I was so pleased with the image design here that I would not change a single pixel. When I first saw and tried to photograph the swirly patterns of the dirt fields I hated the white Quonset hut; when I framed tight, it wound up right in the middle of the image and ruined the composition. When I went from the 200-400 to the 70-200 to go wider, everything began to fit in the frame (as denise had suggested it would). The curved road leading to the hut added to the image design, and the hut balanced beautifully with the large white structure in the upper right. We originally thought that it was a church but closer inspection showed that it was a grain elevator. I made sure to give the small tree on the upper left a nice border. It was equally important that I give the rightmost tip of the nearest dirt triangle in the lower right corner a nice border. The distant rolling hills draw the viewers eye through the frame toward the horizon.

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 :).

What’s Up?

I met denise at MSP. We flew to GEG, rented a car on the way to the IPT hotel, and scouted on our way down. We will be leaving at 4am tomorrow to photograph sunrise. This blog post, the 140th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare. It was published at about 12:40am eastern time on Thursday.

Bosque IPTs Heating Up

Interest and registrations and for both Bosque IPTs have been picking up greatly over the past two weeks. See below for complete details.

Used Photography Gear for Sale

There has been lots of action on the Used Photography Gear page here. Stuff has been flying off the virtual shelves here almost every day; the following items have sold within the past week:

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens sold for $4999 by Jacques Bouvier on May 20, 2015.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II sold by Carl Zanoni for $1649 on May 19, 2015.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM sold by Owen Peller for $799 on 5/19/15.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV sold by Gerald Barrack for $1599 in May, 2015.
Canon EOS 7D DSLR Digital Camera Body (with battery grip) sold for $579 by Barbara Garmon on May 23, 2015.
In addition, a sale is pending on Barbara Garmon’s old 100-400.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Brand New Listings: these four should sell almost instantly!

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Pat Lillich is offering a used Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition (with only some minor wear on the hood knob) for a ridiculously low $9500: serial number 9000000194, new in July 2012. The lens sells new right now for $11,499 at B&H. The sale includes all original packaging and accessories, a RealTree LensCoat,the front cap, a black LensCoat TravelCoat, and a 4th Generation Design low foot. Recently sent to CPS for a Clean and Check and unused since. Has the letter “P” in silver paint on the base of the lens foot. Will hand deliver within 150 miles of San Jose, CA for an in person cash sale. Otherwise buyer pays insured FedEx shipping. The lens of course will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Alan Lillich via e-mail or by phone at 408-348-7479 (Pacific time).

I own and use this amazing lens often. It is, simply put, the premier super-telephoto lens for bird, wildlife, and nature photography currently in production. It blows the Nikon 600 f/4 away with regards to both weight and sharpness. Many of the young guns hand hold it routinely often with the 1.4X III. Patrick Sparkman hand holds it often with the 2X III TC. Did I mention that the 4-stop IS system is so good as to be hard to believe.? You can own this great lens and save just a shade under $2,000 right now! BTW, both Pat and Alan take very good care of their gear.

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO USM Lens

Stephan R. Leimberg is offering a used Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO USM Lens in excellent condition for $3699–another BAA lowest-price-ever for this item. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the leather front hood, the original case, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Please contact Steve via e-mail or phone at 904-491-0474 (eastern time). Please e-mail for photos. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

I used this lens for several years with great success, especially for birds in flight and when working from various type of water craft. Gannets in Love was created with the 400 DO. You can that one and 13 other killer images that I made with my 400 DO here. The title of that blog post is “The Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO Lens: Fourteen Images that Prove that the Internet Experts are Idiots.”

Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Clemens Vanderwerf is offering a Canon 500mm/f4L IS II USM lens in near-mint excellent plus condition for $7,999.The lens was only used once during a trip to South Georgia in October 2012. The sale includes the LensCoat that has been on it since day one, an off-brand replacement foot, the fabric front cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the warranty certificate, the lens booklet, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured UPS ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

This lens is super sharp and light. There is not a single scratch, ding, or chip anywhere on the paint.

Please contact Clemens via e-mail or phone at 954 608 8704 (eastern time).

I owned this lens and loved it and with the reach advantage of the 7D Mark II I am thinking hard about selling my 600 II and getting the new five….

Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Kevin Hice is offering a used Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for a lowest-price-ever $4750. The sale includes the LensCoat that has been on it since day one, the lens trunk 300B (with a few insignificant scuffs), the fabric front cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the CD, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured shipping via UPS Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

This lens is super sharp and great in low light. No scratches or chips on the paint even on the tripod foot.

Please contact Kevin via e-mail or phone at 701 460 6112 (central time).

I own and use the amazing lens often. It is great for hand holding and for flight, with or without either the 1.4X III or the 2X III TC. In all cases it is amazingly sharp in competent hands. Outdoor Photographer editor Rob Sheppard was stunned by the sharpness of my allo-preening Macaroni Penguins image that was created with the 300 II and the 2X III TC.

My Palouse Gear Bag: Heavy on Wide Angles and Fisheye Lenses

Last year I was fortunate to join Denise Ippolito and two friends on Neesie’s scouting trip to the fabulous Palouse region of Eastern Washington state: tapestries of rolling farm fields dotted with both derelict and restored farmhouses and barns. We worked very hard, had a truly great time, and found dozens of treasured locations. The result? Two completely sold out IPTs. We had a good collection of landscape lenses with us last year but this year we have outdone ourselves.

What’s in the bag?

Canon EOS 5D Mark III . My 5D III will be my primary camera body on this trip. It offers huge, high quality files and its full frame sensor offers complete wide and super wide coverage.

Canon EOS-1D X . I am bringing a 1D X along as a more than worthy backup. This body also has a full frame sensor.

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens. We were able to borrow a copy of this brand new, hard to get, ultra wide angle zoom lens through the B&H affiliate loaner program thanks to the kindness of Izzy Flamm. We had it shipped to a friend’s son’s home and should be picking it up (along with the next two items) on Thursday when we scout in the St. John’s area.

Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f / 3.5-4.5 DI II Zoom Lens For Canon DSLR Cameras. Izzy also was able to get a loaner of the Canon version of this much less expensive ultra wide angle zoom for us to evaluate. We hope to compare it with the Canon version above and report back here. As you can see in the widget above, the Tamron 10-24mm is offered in both Canon, Nikon, (and other) mounts.

Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens. The always fun to use “circle” lens as I call it offers a 180 degree circular view when used with a full frame camera body while providing true 15mm fish eye capabilities when used with a 1.6 crop factor camera body like the Canon EOS 7D Mark II which you might have figured out by now is home on a shelf in my air-conditioned garage; it is not a good idea to store camera gear for long periods of time in hot humid places. My best tips for the 8-15: use it mostly on cloudy or partly cloudy days so that you can avoid getting your shadow in the image.

The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens is an all purpose wide angle zoom that–with IS–is easily hand held.

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender. I love long glass for landscapes both for their reach and their ability to compress the various elements in a composition. The lens alone gets me to 560mm with the internal TC engaged and to 784mm with the an external 1.4X III TC in place. Having the ability to zoom in and out makes the 2-4 that much more valuable on a Palouse trip. Neesie is bringing her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM or long lens landscapes. She will use it alone at times but more often with a 1.4X III or a 2X III TC.

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

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

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

1-it is image stabilized.
2-the 77mm filter size is much more convenient for me.
3-it is an almost perfect fit with either the 11-24 or the 16-35IS and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens and a good fit with the 70-200 II. With both the 70-200 and the 2-4 along for the ride the 100-400 II is also at home on a shelf in the garage.

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

I also have 5D Mark II that I converted to infrared. Lots more on that soon.

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.

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 :).