Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

We enjoyed a cloudy, drizzly morning on the first full day of the current IPT. With occasional deluges. All in all it was a great but wet morning and I got to use my flash quite a bit. Flash images and stories coming soon.

This blog post, the 118th in a row, took about an hour to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 2am on Wednesday morning.

Never Hesitate

I was creating more head and head and shoulders crane silhouettes down by the lake on Sunday evening past when I noticed a crane flying right at me and right into the rather significant color. Rather than thinking of changing the exposure I finally learned the lesson I have been teaching for decades: shoot now, ask questions later. I had thought that -1 would be less than ideal but it turned out be prefect as the RED RGB numbers were in the high 240s. If I had taken even a half second to try to fix the exposure I would have missed the opportunity.

Exposure Question

Why do you think I was at -1 stop EC in the first place?

Image Critiquing Questions

What are the positives? What are the negatives? How do you feel about this image overall?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Sunday was a triple-header day: swim, core exercises, and ice bath. And both a morning and afternoon sunset session. With some great results. Got some stuff done on the San Diego article for Nature Photographer Magazine. Ate well and took a nice nap. All in all a perfect day.

This blog post, the 116th in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Monday morning.

It’s All Dan Cadieux’s Fault…

Several years ago–I would not be surprised if it was actually four or five years, Dan Cadieux, BirdPhotographer’s.Net’s top Avian moderator, stopped by ILE for a night’s lodging, some good chow, and a helping of Sandhill Cranes. Dan was so hungry for cranes that he went down to the lake in the afternoon. I’d been living at ILE for well more than a decade at the time and had never been to the lake in the afternoon. Heck, Dan stayed for sunset and got some really nice crane silhouettes. I’d been thinking of that image for years and on Saturday night, for whatever reason, I head down to the lake at about 7:20pm. It was relatively easy pickings….

Now, I feel obligated, driven if you would, to get down to the lake at sunset on all but totally cloudy or rainy evenings…. It is Sunday night as I type and I just got back from the lake. I got some more amazing stuff. Sunset addiction….

DPP 4 Screen Capture

When the sun was a bit higher in the sky, I had set -1/3 stop to keep from burning the sun. But as it kissed the horizon it was well muted so I needed to brighten the image by 1/3 stop. That’s +0.33 on the Brightness slider. Except for a slight crop from behind the bird this one is pretty much right out of camera. As you can see above center Zone AF performed superbly and using it usually makes it easy to create the composition that you want.

100-400 II Versatility & 7D II Tip

When going with the 7D II on an intermediate telephoto I almost always use the one without the battery grip to save weight. The more I use the 100-400 II the more I get comfortable handling it and working the zoom. I’ve noticed that if I concentrate on the in-viewfinder level that things get easier and easier with practice. The level is actually a lot easier to see than the invisible exposure analog scale….

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

The Ideal Companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. A free update that will cover most of the newly added cameras will be sent as soon as I get it from Arash.

7D Mark II User’s Guide

You can purchase your copy right now in the BAA Online Store here for $59. Or call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 and place a phone order. This is the highest priced user’s guide ever, surpassing the 5D II User’s Guide that is priced at $50. Why? I did twice as much work preparing the 7D II Guide. It required many days of writing, many dozens of hours of study and research, not to mention hundreds of hours in the field trying to figure out the best 7D II setting while doing what I love to do best, photographing birds and nature. The camera is quite complex. Many thanks to both Rudy Winston and Chuck Westfall of Canon USA for their help in getting me through the stickiest parts.

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

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

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

What Else is in the Guide?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Otherwise, feedback via e-mail or blog comment is always appreciated.

Click here and scroll down for a free 7D Mark II User’s Guide AF Point Auto Switching Excerpt.

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Friday was another typically busy day of work doing what I love. I had a great swim, did my core exercises, and enjoyed a 59 degree ice bath. Watched lots of NHL and NBA playoffs on Tivo. Answered another ton of e-mails and Saturday morning I will really get started on my Nature Photographer magazine San Diego article. And, I will start packing up my photo gear for the upcoming St. Augustine trip.

This blog post, the 114th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Saturday morning.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call me on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember 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.

Tough Conditions

Dealing with wind against sun…

The wind was blowing in our faces, sand scouring our eyes. The light was behind us. Most every bird was facing directly away from us into the wind and away from the light. Like butt shots? It would have been a perfect morning for you.

What to do? My first choice is always to look for birds in the shade but the tide was too high for that. I instructed the group to get low, get ahead of the feeding shorebirds, wait for them to approach sun angle, and then make an image when they angled slightly towards us on the light. Foraging birds do not always feed facing directly into the wind. We were doing as well as could be expected, which was not very good when someone called out, “Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.” We followed the same strategy outlined above.

Like all the Willets, dowitchers, and turnstones, this bird was headed from our right to our left, roughly to the south. The wind was roaring from the west. On occasion, the night-heron would ignore the wind and turn slightly toward us. To get low I wound up almost on my back crunched up a bit while making a very few images. Craig Wesson’s image of me that led off yesterday blog post here was made just moments after I created today’s featured image. It is not at all easy to create level verticals while lying on your back in a quasi-sit-up position with a stiff wind in your face. Taking a peek at the in-viewfinder level helps only a bit as it is so sensitive but it will get you in the ballpark. I made only two frames. Amazingly, both were level with the subject sharp and nicely framed.

Beach Clean-up & Moving the Bird in the Frame

Click White Balance in DPP 4 worked perfectly during the RAW conversion.

With the onshore wind the beach was a mess with sea grass. About halfway through the clean-up I almost quit because it was taking me so long. But the cleaned up portion looked so good that I decided to keep on going. I went with my usual cast of cleanup tools: Protective Cloning on a Layer using the Clone Stamp Tool, the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and a series of small Quick Masks refined with Regular Layer Masks. Once the cleanup was complete, I moved the bird up and back in the frame as you can clearly see by viewing the before and after animated GIF above. Then some Eye Doctor work followed by my NIK 50/50 recipe on the bird alone. Last was a Contrast Mask applied only to the dark and middle-toned feathers of the face.

Digital Basics

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

APTATS I & II

Learn the details of advanced Quick Masking techniques in APTATS I. Learn Advanced Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS II. Mention this blog post and apply a $5 discount to either with phone orders only. Buy both APTATS I and APTATS II and we will be glad to apply at $15 discount either with phone orders or here in the BAA Online Store. For phone orders, call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 weekdays.

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

The Ideal Companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. A free update that will cover most of the newly added cameras will be sent as soon as I get it from Arash.

Facebook

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

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

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I got lots accomplished on Wednesday but still had time for a good swim, my core exercises, and an ice bath before dinner. This blog post, the 112th in a row, took about 1 1/4 hours to prepare. It was published at 4am on Thursday morning.

6:18am Update

I awoke just before 5am to discover a first. Due to a snafu, most of this post had mysteriously disappeared… At first it seemed that I would need to start from scratch but by hitting the back button I was able to get to a preview view. From that I was able to recreate the post in about 20 minutes. Whew! Starting over would have required at least an hour’s additional work.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call the office at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember 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.

A Gorgeous, Under-appreciated Species

At the peak of breeding plumage, Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, is quite a handsome bird: red eye skin, white eye crescents, wine red legs, and a blood red bill fit nicely with it gray upperparts and stark white breast and belly. To many, it is just a gull. To me it is a beautiful bird that makes a great photographic subject.

On Composition Here

The key for successful head portraits like the one that opened this blog post is to make sure that the bird’s eye is well above the horizontal centerline of the image; do this by carefully selecting your active AF point. The way that I describe front end vertical portraits is that you should always “give ‘em an inch behind the legs.” This design works well for many mammals as well as for birds.

Learn more about composition and image design in the section on Advanced Composition and Image Design in The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images each with my legendary educational captions: on CD only. Adapts easily to an i-Pad.) ABP II is the digital follow-up to the original classic (now in soft cover only) The Art of Bird Photography, the best place around to learn exposure theory. Buy the 2-book bundle and save $10 here. If I am home I am always glad to sign and personalize the softcover books.

Image Questions

#1: Why was it important for me to be seated rather than standing for these two images?

#2: What would have been the easiest way to make Image #2 even stronger?

The Stronger of the Two?

Which of the two images presented here is the stronger of the two/ Why?

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

Though conditions on Monday morning turned out to be much better than on Sunday morning, I decided to pack up, get everything in the car, and drive back to ILE. I was beat. The DeSoto IPT group was great and and so were the birds. As fate would have it, it is supposed to rain for 2 days…. I guess that the weather gods heard that I was out of Dodge. I enjoyed a nice swim yesterday and will be back to the full routine today.

This blog post, the 110th in a row, took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published just after 5am on Tuesday morning.

Answers to the Spoonbill Aperture Quiz tomorrow.

Featured Listing

Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM Lens

Dave Bourgaize is offering a used Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in excellent condition for $1499.00. The sale includes front lens cover and rear lens cap, EW-88C lens hood, original Canon bag, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Dave by e-mail or by phone at (310) 748-9547 (pacific time zone).

I own and use the 24-70II. It is much sharper edge to edge than the lighter, more versatile Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I consider the 24-70II a must for serious landscape photographers. As it sells new for $1899 Dave’s price is lower than any I have seen for this lens in excellent condition. It should sell immediately.

300 II/1D X in Low Light Conditions

In the “What Camera Body for the Conditions?” blog post here, I asked:

Why the 300 /f2.8L IS II (over the 200-400 or the 600 II)?
Why the (full frame) 1D X?

While many folks skirted around the right answers and few did pretty well, everyone missed the #1 answer…. Bill Eaton covered two important points succinctly when he wrote, “Both body and lens are good in low light.” Elinor Osborne did a nice job overall as well. As did David Peake as well. In fact, his 4:37am comment was quite excellent.

Here are my thoughts:

#1: Most of the birds at DeSoto are very tame (David Peake: You might have decided that you didn’t need the extra reach of the crop sensor since you had 300 , 420, and 600 covered with your lens/TC choice.)
#2: At f/2.8 the 300 II is a full stop faster than the two larger lenses. This allowed me to use lower ISOs while maintaining a fast-enough shutter speed.
#3: The 300 II is lighter and well smaller than either of the two larger lenses. This makes it easier to hand hold (Matteo Bianchi), allows you greater freedom of movement, and gives you a better chance of capturing images of flight and action.
#4: High ISO noise control is better with the 1D X than with the 7D II.
#5: It’s nice to go light with just one lens on occasion. When conditions were better I brought my beach cart with the big wheels and took the 600 II, the 200-400, the 300 II, a wide angle lens, and both TCs. And one afternoon I brought along the 70-200 f/2.8L IS lens as well.

7D II Viewfinder Level

I find the viewfinder level in the 7D II quite helpful when handholding and creating verticals, especially when using the camera without the vertical battery grip.

Free Excerpt from the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

Viewfinder Display

Here I set Viewfinder level to Show and VF grid display to Enable. In Show/hide in viewfinder I leave all the boxes checked except for the last one for Flicker detection as that deals with indoor photography.

I find the Viewfinder level incredibly useful when hand holding wide angle or fish eye lenses. I wish that all of my cameras offered this feature.

Learn more about the 7D Mark II User’s Guide or purchase your copy here.

Loving the Haze

On our second IPT morning we enjoyed a light haze from just after sunrise until we left the beach at about 10:30am. The haze softened up the light very nicely. In addition, without hard-edged shadows we were able to work well off light angle. I tracked this bird as it moved from our right to well to our left, about 30 degrees past sun angle. When it stopped for an instant in front of a small patch of marsh grass, I fired off two quick images. As I was working quickly the image was about 2.5 degrees off level so I needed to go with a pano crop. In addition to the low crop I re-shaped the bird’s eye with a Quick Mask: Transform > Warp.

i made this image while seated in the warm lagoon water. At times, the water was up to my chest. I will be sharing many more hazy sun morning 600 II/2X II/1D X images here with you soon.

Loving the Marsh Grasses

Participant Phil Frigon (say FREE-gone) mentioned early on that he really liked images that included at least some marsh grass. He inspired me to create more images in that vein so I did just that. Each of today’s images features the lovely green stuff. Does anyone know if it is spartina?

When I saw the bird standing right in the middle of patch of marsh grass I figured that there would be at least a few blades of grass blocking its face and eye. I approached slowly while standing and when I raised my lens I was amazed to see that the bird was well in the clear and perfectly framed by the vegetation.

Image Question

Why in this particular instance was it better to be standing than seated?

Your Fave?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the three images you like best and why you liked it best. Remember, leaving a comment makes the blog interactive and more interesting. And in addition, it heightens your learning experience.

7D Mark II User’s Guide

You can purchase your copy right now in the BAA Online Store here for $59. Or call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 and place a phone order. This is the highest priced user’s guide ever, surpassing the 5D II User’s Guide that is priced at $50. Why? I did twice as much work preparing the 7D II Guide. It required many days of writing, many dozens of hours of study and research, not to mention hundreds of hours in the field trying to figure out the best 7D II setting while doing what I love to do best, photographing birds and nature. The camera is quite complex. Many thanks to both Rudy Winston and Chuck Westfall of Canon USA for their help in getting me through the stickiest parts.

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

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

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

What Else is in the Guide?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Otherwise, feedback via e-mail or blog comment is always appreciated.

Click here and scroll down for a free 7D Mark II User’s Guide AF Point Auto Switching Excerpt.

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

We had a great morning and a great afternoon. I am way tired….

This blog post, the 108th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare. It was published just after midnight on Sunday morning.

Miracle Flap

I was really tight as above. When the bird flapped, I fired away and as expected, cut many wingtips badly. The above was a fit in the frame miracle.

The Palouse

There is a single opening due to a cancellation on the Palouse #2 IPT. We will only be able to hold the lone remaining hotel room until next Friday so do not hesitate if you wish to learn from two great leaders. Scroll down for details.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call the office at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember 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.

Tight Splashing

When you get in really tight you pretty much lose any chance of getting a nice wing flap without clipping any wings, but you can see some amazing detail.

Miracle Flap

When the bird finally flapped, I fired away and as expected, clipped a zillion wingtips badly. Except for the miracle flap above.

Palouse #1. The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. May 29-June 2, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12 photographers/Sold out.

The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 5-9, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12 photographers/One Opening Due to a Cancellation.

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 or two. 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. 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 breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible.

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; Canon 5D Mark III bodies are a plus. And 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 touching on infrared photography.

A non-refundable $699 deposit is due now. The balance will be due on January 29, 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. 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 unpredictable nature of the photography business, I have not said this often lately, but 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; the latter is preferred.

Please send your deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. 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 :).

Stuff

Packed. Packed the car. Swam. Drove to St. Pete. Met the very nice group. Gotta get to sleep. This blog post, the 106th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare (including the image optimizations and creating the composite. It was published just after midnight on Friday morning. Friday is Day 1 of the DeSoto Spring IPT.

The Palouse

There is a single opening due to a cancellation on the Palouse #2 IPT. We will only be able to hold the lone remaining hotel room until next Friday so do not hesitate if you wish to learn from two great leaders. Scroll down for details.

The Sky Too Dark

Even though the sun was relatively well muted by haze, the sky needed to be rendered several stops too dark in order to prevent burning out the sun. The resulting image is not very pleasing and in no way resembles what we saw….

The Sun Toasted

In this image, exposed properly for the sky, the sun is well over-exposed, toasted, and burned with the RGB values showing 255, 255, 255: detail-less white.

Exposure Question

Exactly how many stops different are the two exposures: 1/6400 sec. at f/10 and 1/2500 sec. at f/8. Please explain your math.

The Composite

After converting both images in DPP 4 I brought the two originals into Photoshop and leveled Image #2. Then I painted a Quick Mask of the sun from Image #1 and brought it into Image #1. I added a Regular Layer Mask and then worked for more than 30 minutes on border of the sun…. Lastly I selected the sun, put it on its own layer, and added about 60 points of Structure in NIK Viveza.

Palouse #1. The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. May 29-June 2, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12 photographers/Sold out.

The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 5-9, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12 photographers/One Opening Due to a Cancellation.

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 or two. 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. 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 breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible.

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; Canon 5D Mark III bodies are a plus. And 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 touching on infrared photography.

A non-refundable $699 deposit is due now. The balance will be due on January 29, 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. 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 unpredictable nature of the photography business, I have not said this often lately, but 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; the latter is preferred.

Please send your deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. 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 :).

Stuff

Honest. I would have gotten up early and went out photographing on Tuesday but for the crappy weather forecast (that for a change happened to be quite accurate).

Tuesday morning involved more relaxing while creating this blog post and watching Golden State win a tough game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Then my core exercises.

This blog post, the 104th in a row, took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published at about 3:40am on Wednesday. I got up at oh-dark-hundred to make my 6:40am flight from ISP to MCO. If everything goes as expected Jim will be picking me up at about 9:45am on Wednesday morning.

St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount Info

Please see below and/or call the office at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Canon’s two new huge megapixel bodies are available for pre-order. If you want to get your hands on one, please pre-order by clicking on the logo-link above. They will surely be difficult to get; shoot me your B&H receipt via e-mail and I will be glad to do my best to expedite your order. Learn more about the two new bodies here.

Please Remember 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.

Down By the Lake

When I was home, I was getting down to the lake pretty regularly each morning. I fly home on Wednesday morning and will get to sleep in my own bed for just one night as I head over to St. Pete on Thursday for the long sold out Fort DeSoto IPT. I hope to get down to the lake again on Thursday morning as last Thursday is was pretty good. And, I found a new, very pretty crane nest that I want to check out. I am hoping that it is a viable nest.

One to One (1:1) 100% Crop Tutorial by Michael Tapes with Arthur Morris

Michael Tapes of LensAlign has visited twice recently helping me out with micro-adjusting some of my gear. With his help I will be creating a written tutorial that will detail the use of LensAlign and a new version of FocusTune to be released early this summer. This tutorial will be for serious photographers who want to get the most out of their gear in terms of sharpness. I must admit to having been intrigued by FocusTune early on as it can really open your eyes about all things AF. And most importantly, It will enable you to set up all of your camera lens combinations so that you will on average be creating the absolute sharpest images possible

I have assembled nearly all the gear that I need to do the micro-adjusting to perfection; right now I am only lacking a cable release.

In any case, on his last visit I mentioned my confusion with creating 1:1 or 100% crops when I needed to show folks how sharp or how unsharp a given image is. He opened my eyes to the fact that I had been doing most everything wrong. Most notably, he explained that the percentage view had nothing at all to do with creating a 1:1 crop, a fact that I had been happily oblivious to before his last visit. In other words, if you view an image a 200% and then simply use the Crop Tool the resulting JPEG will be comprised of re-sampled (read “mangled”) pixels.

Here is how Michael taught me to do it.

1: Bring either your converted TIFF or your optimized image file into Photoshop. Using a previously un-cropped image will give you the truest representation of the sharpness of the file.

2-Activate the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

3-In the Style box select Fixed Size from the drop-down menu.

4-Type in the size in pixels that you want your JPEG to be. For today’s image I went with Width: 800 px and Height: 800 px. Note that if you use larger values (like 1200 X 1200) you will have a wider view. With smaller values (like 400 X 400) you will have a much tighter view. But no matter, you will be looking at a 1:1 representation.

5-Now click anywhere on the image and your 1:1 crop symbol will appear. Grab the crop symbol with the cursor and position it as desired.

6-To execute the crop go Image > Crop. (I use my personal keyboard shortcut, Command C.)

7-Optional: hit Command D to lose the marching ants.

8-Then go File > Save for Web (or hit Shift + Alternate + Command + S). It is mandatory that you save the JPEG at Quality 100%.

9-Hit OK and you are done.

For most accurate viewing it is best to display the final image at its pixel dimensions. In this case that would be 800 X 800 px.

Many thanks to Michael Tapes for his help with these concepts that were previously confusing to me. More on LensAlign, the new ruler, and the next version of FocusTune some time in June.

The Image Optimization

The primary challenge in optimizing this image involved deal with the RED color cast that was due to the quality of the early morning light. To restore detail to the Turkey Vulture’s red head I selected it with the Quick Selection Tool and then added 35 points of CYAN to the REDs in Selective Color. Next I selected all the BLACK feathers, again with the Quick Selection Tool and then went to Hue-Saturation, chose the RED channel, and reduced the RED saturation about 30 points. As a result of these two steps, the light still looked sweet but the color looked far more natural.

Next was clean-up of the face and the feathers with my favorite cast of friends, the Spot Healing Brush (J), the Clone Stamp Tool (S), a small Quick Mask or two, and the Patch Tool (my personalized keyboard shortcut P). I applied a 50% layer of my NIK 50-50 pre-set and refined that with a Regular Layer Mask. I varied the opacity of the brush to leave the full effect on the face and bill tip but reduced it substantially on the black feathers.

Digital Basics

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

APTATS I & II

Learn the details of advanced Quick Masking techniques in APTATS I. Learn Advanced Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS II. Mention this blog post and apply a $5 discount to either with phone orders only. Buy both APTATS I and APTATS II and we will be glad to apply at $15 discount either with phone orders or here in the BAA Online Store. For phone orders, call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 weekdays.

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

The Ideal Companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. A free update that will cover most of the newly added cameras will be sent as soon as I get it from Arash.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Call on Monday to learn of the Late Registration Discount: 863-692-0906

St. Augustine in early May is a bird photographer’s paradise. With any luck we should have chicks of all sizes in the nests ranging from newly hatched Snowy Egrets and Tricolored Herons to nearly fledged Great Egrets. More than a few pairs of Roseate Spoonbills have nested at the Alligator Farm for the past several years. Photographing the spoonbill chicks in the nest is a huge challenge…. With any luck we will encounter a few Snowy and Cattle Egrets in stunning breeding plumage. We should have lots of flight photography ops especially late in the day. We will enjoy extra early entry on our three mornings. Folks who will need a photographer’s pass need to get us $89.95. This fee includes full season early entry and late stay and submission fees for up to 5 photos in their annual contest. This works out to cheaper than four separate entry tickets. We pick up the passes on our first afternoon.

What You Will Learn

On this IPT you will the learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure and how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure. You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior and to see and understand the light. You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system and how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). Most importantly, you will learn to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective. Rookeries are crowded, cluttered, white-washed places. Most folks who visit have no clue as to the difference of an image with tons of distractions and one with a clean line of sight and the best possible distant background. Join me and I will teach you to see like a pro.

I will be bringing my flash to the Alligator Farm (gasp!) I have not used flash for at least a year. I will be teaching you how to use flash as fill and how to use flash as main light. In addition, I will be reviewing the flash flight techniques that I developed at St. Augustine more than a few years ago.

Whats the Rest of the Deal?

Afternoon session on Monday, May 4. Then two full days with a morning and afternoon session each day, May 5 & 6. Then our last morning on May 7. At lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday (included) we will review my images; folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at five of your best images from the morning or another session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.

A $499 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot. Your balance–$600, payable only by check, is due immediately. Please include a separate check for $89.95 so that we can purchase your pass in advance. Please click here to read our cancellation policy before committing. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork linked to here and get it to us. You can register by calling Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 and arranging for your deposit of $499. Balances are payable only by check. I hope to see you there.

From Pat and Stokes Fishburne

The Alligator Farm is quite good right now. Good spoonbill nests and lots of spoonbills. Also, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and a few Cattle Egrets along with more than a few Great Egret nests with chicks.

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

Aside from writing this blog post Sunday was a very relaxing day of doing nothing but watching NBA and NHL playoff games…. This blog post, the 102nd in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It should be published at one minute after midnight on Monday. Coming tomorrow: my and your Lightroom Comments….

See below for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Canon’s two new huge megapixel bodies are available for pre-order. If you want to get your hands on one, please pre-order by clicking on the logo-link above. They will surely be difficult to get; shoot me your B&H receipt via e-mail and I will be glad to do my best to expedite your order. Learn more about the two new bodies here.

Please Remember 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.

“Lousy Camera or Lousy Photographer?

In the “Lousy Camera or Lousy Photographer?” blog post here, many folks noted that I was in One-Shot AF (Single Servo or AF-S in Nikon). For flight photography, you need to be in AI Servo AF (Continuous or AF-C with Nikon) so that the system can track a moving subject.

And the Answer Is:

Lousy Photographer

AF Primer

When working in in One-Shot AF (Single Servo or AF-S in Nikon) you have press the shutter button (or engage rear focus) to set and lock focus. Both the subject and your rig–the camera and lens–<em>must not move once focus is locked or else the resulting image will not be sharp.

AI Servo AF (Continuous or AF-C with Nikon) was designed to track moving subjects. Not only do these amazing systems track a moving subject but they actually determine the speed and direction of the subject and predict accurate focus at the moment the shutter is released.

Some AF systems offer an AF mode that is designed to switch between the two AF modes when either a still subject or a moving subject is detected. This mode is called AI Focus AF in Canon and AF-A in Nikon. These AF modes rarely works properly. Do not use or depend on them.

My Excuse

My excuse (I do understand that there are never any legitimate excuses in photography :)) is that I had been micro-adjusting that very camera body lens combination with Michael Tapes the day before I went down to the lake and created the badly o-o-f Osprey image. One of the first steps in doing an accurate micro-adjustment with LensAlign/Focus Tune is to set One-Shot AF. Whether I am using Rear Focus or Shutter Button AF I pretty much never use One-Shot AF so I never thought to check that setting….

Osprey Wing Position Lesson

In the “NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 Osprey” blog post here, I asked, “Which wing position is far less than ideal, the near wing or the far wing? What would have been better?” Two folks left a comment, asked some good questions, and eventually understood that the image would have been a lot stronger if the near-wing had been raised higher with the wings fully up. This would have evened out the exposure, given us a better look at the underwing surface, and added more tension to the image. Good on Deirdre Sheerr-Gross and David Peake for sticking with it. As is often the case, you can learn a ton by reading and following the comments on each blog post.

BTW on the B&W

Of the two versions, I far preferred the Neutral treatment. The High Structure image was overdone for my taste. Several disagreed. How boring would life be if we all thought or liked the same things.

The Big Payoff

Checking Your Camera Settings Before You Start

I do make it a habit of checking my settings before I am in position to start making images. And we teach that on IPTs as well. Here is my mental check list: ISO setting, Shooting Mode, AF Area Selection Mode, selected AF point, Evaluative Metering, rear focus or shutter button AF, White Balance, and Highlight Tone Priority (those last 3 by hitting the Q button). When I do not know what to expect, I will set the ISO according to the light, ISO 400 if it is bright or sunny, or ISO 800 or higher if need be. I usually choose Aperture Priority (at or close to the wide open aperture) so that I am ready for anything simply by dialing in exposure compensation. Once I am in the ballpark I will usually switch to Manual mode. Most recently I have been setting center point Expand shutter button AF. I keep Highlight Tone Priority on. (Do not do that unless you convert your images in DPP 4 as doing so will give you a false sense of security as far as your WHITEs go. Only DPP can read the HTP info.) I set the White Balance to either AUTO or to CLOUDY. As I never use anything but Evaluative Metering the only way I might change that is accidentally but as we have seen here, it never hurts to check. At this point I know my starting points, and if you know where you are in terms of camera settings, you have a much better chance of getting to where you want to be.

Now I just have to remember to add “Make sure to be in AI Servo AF” to my mental checklist.

There is nothing worse than coming upon a great situation and not having a clue as to how your camera is set up so be sure to make it a habit of going through your mental camera check list before you head into the field.

Date Change: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Call on Monday to learn of the Late Registration Discount: 863-692-0906

St. Augustine in early May is a bird photographer’s paradise. With any luck we should have chicks of all sizes in the nests ranging from newly hatched Snowy Egrets and Tricolored Herons to nearly fledged Great Egrets. More than a few pairs of Roseate Spoonbills have nested at the Alligator Farm for the past several years. Photographing the spoonbill chicks in the nest is a huge challenge…. With any luck we will encounter a few Snowy and Cattle Egrets in stunning breeding plumage. We should have lots of flight photography ops especially late in the day. We will enjoy extra early entry on our three mornings. Folks who will need a photographer’s pass need to get us $89.95. This fee includes full season early entry and late stay and submission fees for up to 5 photos in their annual contest. This works out to cheaper than four separate entry tickets. We pick up the passes on our first afternoon.

What You Will Learn

On this IPT you will the learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure and how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure. You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior and to see and understand the light. You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system and how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). Most importantly, you will learn to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective. Rookeries are crowded, cluttered, white-washed places. Most folks who visit have no clue as to the difference of an image with tons of distractions and one with a clean line of sight and the best possible distant background. Join me and I will teach you to see like a pro.

I will be bringing my flash to the Alligator Farm (gasp!) I have not used flash for at least a year. I will be teaching you how to use flash as fill and how to use flash as main light. In addition, I will be reviewing the flash flight techniques that I developed at St. Augustine more than a few years ago.

Whats the Rest of the Deal?

Afternoon session on Monday, May 4. Then two full days with a morning and afternoon session each day, May 5 & 6. Then our last morning on May 7. At lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday (included) we will review my images; folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at five of your best images from the morning or another session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.

A $499 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot. Your balance–$600, payable only by check, is due immediately. Please include a separate check for $89.95 so that we can purchase your pass in advance. Please click here to read our cancellation policy before committing. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork linked to here and get it to us. You can register by calling Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 and arranging for your deposit of $499. Balances are payable only by check. I hope to see you there.

From Pat and Stokes Fishburne

The Alligator Farm is quite good right now. Good spoonbill nests and lots of spoonbills. Also, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and a few Cattle Egrets along with more than a few Great Egret nests with chicks.

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

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

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I did not start packing until about 7:30am on Friday knowing that Jim and I needed to leave the house at 9:30am to be on time for my acupuncture appointment. Piece of cake. After that he dropped me at Orlando airport for my 3:45 flight to Islip for my surprise visit to me 92-year old Mom. No worries: she never looks at the blog . No swim on Friday. I am hoping to get in my core exercises tonight at Mom’s home on Long Island. Tomorrow I will get to spend some time with my younger daughter Alissa and her family: husband Ajiniyaz and my two younger grandsons, Ilyas and Idris.

This blog post, the 100th in a row, took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and was published at one minute after midnight on Saturday. Read carefully as there is lots to learn. The great bulk of the work was done at the airport and on the plane.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Canon’s two new huge megapixel bodies are available for pre-order. If you want to get your hands on one, please pre-order by clicking on the logo-link above. They will surely be difficult to get; shoot me your B&H receipt via e-mail and I will be glad to do my best to expedite your order. Learn more about the two new bodies here.

Please Remember 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.

On the Spot Again: Image Quality/Camera Body Quiz #3

Take a look at all three of today’s images. Above is the optimized TIFF of my favorite from the series. Next is a 600 pixel square, 1:1 crop of the crane’s eye from the embedded JPEG of the next image. Last is the a JPEG created from the full frame embedded JPEG that was extracted in Photo Mechanic and viewed in DPP (as was the image that supplied the tight crop of the eye).

Based on image quality, can you tell if today’s images were created with a 1D X or a 7D Mark II? If yes, what led you to your choice? Answers to all three of these quizzes soon. Promise.

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP 4 the image optimization in Photoshop included just a bit of bill and cap cleanup. You can see what I did by taking a close look at the third image and comparing it with the optimized image. I did miss an important part of my workflow in part because I forgot that I was working stooped down to f/9. Wide open was f/4….) What did I forget to do?

What’s wrong with this image?

In frame 2 of the sequence, the nictitating membrane was just beginning to slide over the eye, moving from our left to our right. Compare with the perfect eye in the optimized image that opened this blog post.

Why Always Three at a Time?

Observant folks who photograph with me on an IPT are usually quick to ask, “Why do you almost always create three images at a time even when photographing a static subject? There are many reasons:

#1: As we see here today, birds often and unexpectedly slide their nictitating membranes over their eyes. These membranes are like a semi-opaque third eyelid. At times, such as when feeding a chick or when receiving or a stick for the nest from their mate, they do this as a form of protection. But often it is a reflex action similar to our blinking. Whatever the cause, most times they will ruin an image.

#2: Even when we see them as being at rest, birds are almost always moving. This often results in one of the three images that you should be creating being slightly sharper than the other two.

#3: As we will see in future posts while learning about LensAlign, Micro-adjusting, and FocusTune, our AF systems are nowhere near as perfect as we assume that they are. Even with AF active at the moment of exposure AF may shift imperceptibly again resulting on one image being slightly sharper than than other images in a sequence. I call this the vagaries of AF. There are many possible causes the most notable of which is lack of strong contrast.

#4: Even when working on the sturdiest tripod with the most rigid tripod head imaginable and employing perfect sharpness techniques there will always be play in your support system that will affect focus. Consider what happens when working off a BLUBB or when hand holding….

Those are the major reasons that I almost always create three images in a given instant. Please do not think that I go about my work firing haphazardly at every bird I see. I look for good situations and when I find one and get set up the way I want, then and only then will I whack it: click, click, click, three at a time. Always. If the bird is still in the same spot, I will refocus and repeat. Always.

No matter how long a series of images is, one image will almost always stand out clearly as best. If you are creating one image at a time you will often be missing the boat. And if you are doing so to save time while editing, you are seriously deluding yourself. Picking your keepers in a great program lIke BreezeBrowser or Photo Mechanic is both fast and painless.

Image Ruined

This image, created in the same one one hundredth of a second as the two images above, is ruined by the fact that the crane’s nictitating membrane is covering its eye. Such images–especially extreme close-ups–can, on occasion, be interesting. In those cases I will optimize the image and add it to the BAA collection for educational purposes. In addition, it might one day fill an editor’s need and result in a sale.

Due to a recent cancellation there are once again three slots open.

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 3. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.

Join me in Katmai National Park, AK for seven days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears (grizzlies) catching salmon, fattening up for the long winter. Other subjects will include Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight and dip-feeding on salmon roe. Did I mention that we live on a boat and that the food is great? Most of our photography will be done in a variety of famed locations: Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, and Kukak Bay. We once had 39 bears fishing the creek at Kukak….

It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of August 31, 2015 September to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of September 1. With air travel in AK being what it is, with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on August 30 is an even better plan). I will be on Kodiak on August 30 to avoid any potential disaster. That said in my nearly a dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once but since I was day early as noted above there was no harm, no foul.

We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 1. We will photograph bears fishing that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are–get to photograph Harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 8, our last morning on the boat, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will do so. The group returns to Kodiak via float plane midday. Most folks will fly to Anchorage and then continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.

The eight days will consist of six full days (Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) of photography featuring lots of Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon as above plus a variety of other natural history subjects plus some nice scenic photography that I forgot to mention above. Plus the first afternoon and the last morning.

What’s included? 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. (The food is quite excellent.) National Park fees. One night’s double occupancy lodging on Kodiak; arrive: Sept 1/depart: Sept 2. The thank-you-in-advance dinner on Sept 1. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of a top professional; I will constantly let you know what I am thinking, what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and Photoshop instruction on the boat.

What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). All necessary lodging other than the cost of your double occupancy room on the night of August 31 should you opt to arrive early–we can arrange that in advance for you. We will let you know the cost of a single supplement for the one night if so desired. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat on September 2 and back to Kodiak on September 9. The cost of a round trip this year was $500. The suggested crew tip of $210.

Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 6 full and two half days, a wealth of great subjects, and the fact that you will be walking with the bears just yards away (or less….) it will be one of the great natural history experiences of your life. Most folks who take part in a Bear Boat IPT wind up coming back for more.

A $2,000 per person non-refundable deposit by check only made out to “Arthur Morris” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.

Your deposit is due immediately. That will leave a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on February 15, 2015. The final payment of $2000 is due on May 1, 2015.

I hope that you can join us for this wondrously exciting trip.

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 :).