Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

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.

This image was created down by the lake at ILE on Thursday morning from my SUV with the BLUBB-supported Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and which camera body? ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/400 sec. at f/9 in Av mode was right on the money. AWB. Center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best if possible when working off the BLUBB). The selected AF point was just past the end of the bill where the red of the cap met the dirty white of the neck. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: a sharpened JPEG that represents the optimized TIFF of my favorite from this series.

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?

Image #2: this is an unsharpened, 600 pixel square, 1:1 crop of the crane’s eye from the embedded JPEG of the next image in the 3-frame sequence.

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 #3: this is a sharpened, 900 pixel tall crop of embedded JPEG from the third and last image in the sequence.

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.

All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.

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.

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Slept well again. Acupuncture, swim, core exercises, and ice bath. And it is looking like early to bed.

This blog post, the 98th in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published at one minute after midnight on Thursday.

Passover is Over

B&H is now accepting and shipping orders.

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.

Civility and Freedom of Speech on the BIRDS AS ART BLOG

As most would surmise, I am pretty proud of the work that I do here on the blog. I enjoy teaching and I enjoy sharing. Though some think not, I am fine if you do not like an image. In fact, there have been a few that I posted recently that I did not think much of. If you don’t like an image, just say so. There is however, no reason to go out of your way to be nasty or to try to be insulting. Those who opt for the latter are in truth only insulting themselves.

It is imperative that folks who opt to leave a comment be civil. Folks who visit and comment regularly would be given a bit of slack, but I cannot even recall a situation where that was necessary. Nasty comments almost always come from folks who are commenting for the first time. It’s good to know that some folks have such miserable lives that they feel the need to take time out of their busy days to be nasty, or as Denise Ippolito calls it, “snarky.”

Folks who comment for the first time have their comments sent to a Moderation page where they might be approved, replied to, trashed, or spammed. The vast majority are approved or replied to. If you are spammed, you will likely be unable to post a comment. Not too long ago a first time poster wrote something to the effect that I should stick to photography, that nobody wanted to read about my grandkids or my health. I thought, it’s my blog. I will write about what I want to write about. I had no qualms about spamming him instantly. If you choose to visit my home, please play nice.

Freedom of speech on the blog? There is none.

A Negative but Civil Comment

A first time poster left this comment at BAA Bulletin #473 here:

In my opinion the photo is not worth optimizing. Sea lions are cute animals, this image, although a great pose, makes them look slimy and not endearing to the viewer. The optimized image, although better, still is not good enough to represent what I think of as an elegant animal.

Though I disagreed in part as I feel that sometimes by trying you can either learn something or surprise yourself by working on a very poor image, I was fine with the fact that the poster did not like the optimized image. Heck, I did not think much of it either.

This in-camera HDR image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 16mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of: 1/100 sec. at f/22 in Av mode. AWB. With the 77mm Singh-Ray warming circular polarizer set to dark. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF one-third of the way up the rock on the right side 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: Morro Rock with fog.

A Not-too-good Image of Morro Rock

In the blog post here, which featured the in-camera HDR image of Morro Rock, someone who had never commented before left this comment:

“I’d stick to birds if I were you. That is just not a very good shot and just a terrible way to go about it. You clearly know how to use Photoshop so why on earth would you use crappy in-camera HDR. Also even the 7D Mark II APS-C sensor has enough dynamic range to get that shot in one exposure.”

I spammed him for being unnecessarily nasty. Was I being too sensitive?

A comment like this would have worked well for me:

That is just not a very good shot. It would have been better if you had created an HDR from three separate images.

Pretty Bad Morro Rock Image… This image was created at Morro Bay (while standing) with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400: Evaluative metering at zero: 1/100 sec. at f/11 in Av mode. Auto WB. (Should have been Shade or at least Cloudy). Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The center AF point fell on a spot at the upper right center right near the edge of the painted nail. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Painted toenail in shade.

Flag-painted Toenail Lessons

In the blog post https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2015/04/05/canon-100-400ii1-4xiii7dii-part-ii-patriotic-toe-photography-related-exposure-and-white-balance-lessons/, which featured images of the flag-painted toes US Air Force retired med-evac technician Chris Billman, another first time poster wrote:

“Really? This is now the Toes as Art blog? Ugh.”

To me it is clear that the poster went out of his way to be nasty. In addition, there was a great sun out/sun in exposure lesson there in addition to the two images. I spammed him too. His comment was OK up till the “Ugh.” Was I being too sensitive?

Several questions from that same blog post:

A: How is your exposure math?

Q: Same toe. Same lens. Same day. Same beach. How many stops difference in the two exposures, the one in the sun and the one in the shade?

A: The exposure for the sunlit image was 1/640 sec. at f/11. The exposure for the shaded image was 1/100 sec. at f/11. Since the aperture was the same all that you needed to do was to determine how many stops between 1/100 sec. and 1/640 sec. The sequence would look like this: 1/100 sec., 1/200 sec (one full stop), 1/400 sec (2 full stops), and 1/800 sec (three full stops). Since we never quite made it to to 1/800 sec (almost), the correct answer is that the difference in stops between 1/100 sec at f/11 and 1/640 sec at f/11 is 2 2/3 stops. Many folks answered this one correctly.

The unspoken lesson here is that the same toe in the shade needs a heck of a lot more light to be properly exposed in the shade than when in the sun, 2 2/3 stops more to be exact.

B: Easy Question

Q: If the recorded focal length (560mm) is the same for both images above, why is the toe considerably larger in the shaded version?

A: I moved the lens closer to the subject. Let of folks got that one right.

C: Another Easy Question

Q: Why was it vitally important that AF be active at the moment of exposure for both images?

A: It would be pretty much impossible to avoid moving while pointing the lens down to photograph your or someone else’s toe; just your breathing alone would be more than enough to throw off accurate focus. Solve problems like this by using AI Servo AF (C for Continuous with Nikon) and having it active at the moment of exposure. It is common knowledge that we must use AI Servo AF to track moving subjects like flying birds; what folks need to realize is that then they are hand holding they are almost always moving, at least a bit.

Your Thoughts?

Feel free to chime in on any of the topics covered here today. Or not. Just be nice 🙂

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Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I went down to the lake this morning and almost headed back to get some work done. But then it got pretty good. I even had an Osprey posing in the grass. Then a nice swim, an acupuncture treatment, and an ice bath.

This educational blog post, the 96th in a row, took 2 hours to prepare and was published at one minute after midnight on Tuesday.

St. Augustine Short Notice IPT

With just three folks signed up, this trip represents a great opportunity to learn a ton in a great setting. See here for complete details.

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.

This image was created at Right Whale Bay, South Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/4.5 in Tv mode. 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. Image 1: King Penguin rookery, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia

The Situation

Delayed by a Force 10 gale on the way from the Falklands to South Georgia, we arrived very late at Right Whale Bay, well after dinner in fact. Having taken our time at dinner Michael Viljoen and I were late getting to the zodiacs. When I saw how cloudy, dark, and gloomy it was and noted that the Ortelius was anchored right in front of the main portion of the King Penguin rookery, I said, “Let’s stay on the ship and see what we can do.” We grabbed a few lenses and our tripods, each equipped with a Mongoose M3.6, and went to work. We began trying to create relatively sharp images like the one above at fairly high ISOs. As it was getting darker by the minute, I suggested that we tried some creative stuff. So we did.

This 5-frame in-camera Multiple Exposure was created at Right Whale Bay, South Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/4.5 in Tv mode. Center AF point (manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF 1/3 of the way into the frame for each frame and re-compose while shifting the camera slightly for each exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image 2: King Penguin rookery in-camera Multiple Exposure, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia

Multiple Exposure

First up I set up for five-frame Multiple Exposures as detailed in the 7D II (and the 5D III) camera body User’s Guides. I initially over-processed this image with too much contrast and too much Detail Extractor so I created a softer version by putting the optimized image on top of the converted TIFF and reducing the opacity to about 40%. It looked a lot nicer than my first attempt.

This image was created at Right Whale Bay, South Georgia tripod-mounted Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 100. Evaluative metering at zero yielded a base exposure of 1 sec. at f/11 +/- 2 stops. Center AF point (manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF Center AF point (manual selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed and release. Zoomed out and then in very slowly during the three exposures. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: King Penguin Rookery in-camera Art Vivid HDR zoom blur, Right Whale Bay, South Georgia

Really Messing Around

As the ship swung on anchor, we had to move from the 2nd starboard deck to the first deck on the stern. I created some standard zoom blurs and then, borrowing a technique that I had developed at the flower fields in Holland, I made some Art Vivid zoom blurs with mega-slow shutter speeds….

Soon after we made our way down to the stern, the zodiacs began returning. It had been a short landing in very poor conditions. Both Michael and I agreed that the decision to stay on the boat was a good one. As things worked out, we had many landings with tame, wall to wall King Penguins in decent conditions.

Your Call?

Feel free to pick one or to improvise:

a-I liked all of them.
b-Image # __ was my favorite because.
c-I don’t like any of them because ….
d–They are all terrible. You should have stayed in bed.
e-….

South Georgia 2015

Like penguins? Be sure to shoot me an e-mail to learn how to become part of the BAA group.

Remember!

Each of us gets only one ride on the merry-go-round of life….

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.

Questions?

I’d be glad to answer all of your Southern Ocean/Falklands/South Georgia/Antarctica questions. Please leave a comment if you’d like to learn more. If you’d like to join my group this October, shoot me an e-mail to learn how. Click here for additional details.

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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 went out to Lake Blue Cypress with Clemens van der Werf and his lovely wife Adri. With a west wind and mostly sunny skies it was a tough morning but we worked hard and did find a few good situations. Then it was back to my house for a great lunch of low carb eggplant & haddock parmigiana (made with Romano cheese). That along with a big salad with coconut oil dressing. We ate well and everyone enjoyed it tremendously. Especially the chef. 🙂

Then it was a nap and Masters golf on TV, an afternoon and evening of r & r. This educational blog post, the 94th in a row, took 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published at one minute after midnight on Sunday.

St. Augustine Short Notice IPT

With just three folks signed up, this trip represents a great opportunity to learn a ton in a great setting. See here for complete details.

South Georgia

Like penguins? Please click here to learn about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the great Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition next October.

New Used Gear 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.

Used Photography Gear

You can see all the current listings here.

This image was created at Lake Blue Cypress with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering -1 stop off the green BKGR: 1/800 sec. at f/4 Manual mode. AWB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed originally (see below) was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was nowhere near the subject. Click on the image to see a larger version. Pileated Woodpecker flight pano

Honest Opinions Sought…

Considering that the active AF point was active but was nowhere near the bird this image is actually pretty sharp. At ISO 1250 image quality is suspect at best. Not to mention a relatively large crop. And the fact that the bird is angling slightly away…. All that said I sort of like it.

What do you think?

If you do not like the image, just say so, but please remember there is no need to be nasty. More coming soon on civility on the blog. 🙂

This is the original frame. Note that the center AF point was both active at the moment of exposure and was nowhere near the subject at the moment of exposure.

The Image Optimization

As the dark tones were a mess, I used lots of both luminance and chrominance noise reduction during the RAW conversion in DPP and followed that up with a good dose of Filter > Blur > Surface Blur that I painted away at 50% on the bird using a Regular Layer Mask. Then a bit of Eye Doctor Work, a Contrast Mask to selectively sharpen the whole bird (after selecting it with the Quick Selection Tool), and the pano crop.

All as detailed in the DPP 4 Raw Conversion Guide, Digital Basics, APTATS I, and APTATS II.

Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Just One Slot Left!

The 2015 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
June 29 through July 5, 2015: $5499: Limit 10 photographers/One opening due to a recent cancellation. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

Here are the plans: take a red eye from the east coast of the US on 28 June arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland on the morning of Monday 29 June (or simply meet us then either at the Edinburgh Airport (EDI) or later in the day at our cottages if you are driving your own vehicle either from the UK or from somewhere in Europe. Stay 7 nights in two gorgeous modern country cottages.

There are 5 days of planned puffin/seabird trips—weather permitting, and 1 full day of gannet photography with 2 sessions on the boat.

Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

The Details

We will be staying in upscale country-side cottages that are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for image sharing and Photoshop lessons. The shared rooms are decent-sized, each with two roomy single beds and a private bathroom. See the single supplement info below.

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All 5 puffins boat lunches will need to be prepared in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. Also included is a restaurant lunch on the gannet boat day and a farewell fine dining thank you dinner. The cost of your National Heritage Trust is also included; that covers the twice a day landing fees.

Plan to fly home on the early morning of Monday 6 July or to continue your stay or travels.

Images and card design copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the card to enjoy a spectacular larger version. Scroll down to join us in the UK in 2015.

Single Supplement Info

The single supplement is $1475. As we will be renting a third cottage the $1475 is due with your deposit and is also non-refundable.

If you are good to go please send your $2,000 deposit check now to save a spot. The balance will be due on March 29, 2015. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If 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.

We do hope that you can join us.

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Two photo sessions on Lake Blue Cypress. No swim, no core exercises, no ice bath. Jim Litzenberg, who joined us on the afternoon outing, is driving us home as I type, online in my Sequoia. After a great morning–see below, the afternoon was rather ordinary with a pretty stiff east breeze making flight photography extremely difficult. We did see two tiny baby Red-shouldered Hawks getting fed by momma but the light was too harsh and the contrast between sun and shadow too great to make anything close to a good image. We did finish the day off with a spectacular golden sunset.

This blog post, the 92nd in a row, took 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published at one minute after midnight on Friday.

St. Augustine Short Notice IPT

With just three folks signed up, this trip represents a great opportunity to learn a ton in a great setting. See here for complete details.

South Georgia

Like penguins? Please click here to learn about joining the BIRDS AS ART group on the great Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition next October.

This image was created at Lake Blue Cypress with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 381mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the blue sky: 1/5000 sec. at f/5.6. AWB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The chosen AF point was squarely on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version. This is a small crop from the left and below. Osprey landing. Image copyright 2015: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Story

Greg Gulbransen, who is vacationing with his family in Florida, hired Jim Neiger for a day of Osprey photography at Lake Blue Cypress and invited me to tag along. So I did. If you missed the amazing blog post about Greg click here.

It was a beautiful morning but the wind was too north and not enough east. Even though it was not much more than a gentle breeze, the birds were landing and facing away from the light. Do you like butt shots? After an hour or so the wind switched to east/northeast and in addition, we were blessed by some nice big clouds that softened the light.

My Osprey Image

The two things that I like best about my Osprey image (above) are the fully flared wings and the almost perfectly lit underwings. You can just make out the shadow of the bird’s head on the base of the bird’s left wing, but it is quite faint. A very light cloud had taken the edge off the harsh light. Just before that, it had been totally clouded over and I had been working at ISO 800 at 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. When I saw that the light was coming up I thought of switching to ISO 400 but decided that that would have taken too long so I just went six clicks darker with the Index Finger Wheel and came out smelling like a rose.

This image was created at at Lake Blue Cypress with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR AF lens and the Nikon D810 DSLR. ISO 640. 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1 via histogram check. Daylight. Image #2: Osprey taking flight. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Greg Gulbransen.

My Goal

Every time that I head into the field with a lens I have the same goal: to make one good image. If I succeed at that, then it is OK to get greedy. On the rare occasions that I do not make even one good image, I am never disappointed. Why not? Disappointment is a choice, one that I choose not to make. (See the Work of Byron Katie here; who would you be without your story?.) Greg Gulbransen has the same goal, to make one good one on each outing.

What’s your goal when you head out for a photo session?

After our morning session we headed back to my house at Indian Lake Estates for lunch. After some good chow Greg and I each chose and optimized our favorite image. Mine opens this blog post. Greg’s is immediately above.

Greg’s Image

Greg had been hand holding his Nikkor 600 with the full frame D810 but found that he was clipping too many wings so he went to the 400 f/2.8. I loved this image from the moment I saw it on the back of the camera. It is full frame on the width with just a small crop from the bottom. I love the image design, the open bill, and the slightly motion-blurred wing tips.

Actually, we each wound up with quite a few good ones.

These are artie’s images from Lake Blue Cypress trips with Jim Neiger.

It is not too late!

Jim Neiger’s Osprey Heaven Workshops 2015
Lake Blue Cypress (Vero Beach), Florida

Flight School Photography returns to Lake Blue Cypress for the sixth year and will be featuring three, five day workshops in spring, 2015. The workshops will be conducted by expert bird photographer Jim Neiger, who knows the lake and surrounding area like no-one else. Jim has spent the past several years perfecting his unique techniques for photographing birds in flight using large telephoto lenses, hand held. The focus of these workshops will be learning Jim’s hand held, long lens techniques for photographing birds in flight and in other action. The workshops will be held in some of the most beautiful, wild, and unspoiled wilderness areas of central Florida.

Each workshop will include a four hour classroom session, welcome dinner, four morning photography sessions, and three afternoon photography sessions. Each photography session will be of three to four hours in duration. Five of the photography sessions will be conducted via a specially configured pontoon boat that has been customized for photography from the water (weather permitting). The remaining photography sessions will be land based sessions in the field. The workshops will be limited to five participants so that everyone may photograph in comfort and receive personalized instruction.

The photography sessions by boat will be held on the unspoiled and unparalleled Lake Blue Cypress. This spectacularly beautiful lake is virtually free of civilization and man made elements. The lake is surrounded by ancient cypress swamp and marshy wetlands. Here, the gorgeous cypress trees grow from the lake bottom, surrounded on all sides by water. Osprey nest by the hundreds in these trees, and participants will be able to photograph them as they fly to and fro, dive for fish, gather nesting materials, and feed their young chicks. Some of the nests are actually at or below eye level when standing in the boat. The only distractions in this pristine, wilderness environment are the constant cries of the Osprey as they frolic in the air and defend their nests from other birds.

Lake Blue Cypress is also a landscape photographers dream. The horizons contain nothing of man’s influence and only the beauty of the real Florida wilderness. Perches and backgrounds are spectacular beyond belief. April and May are the best months to be at Lake Blue Cypress. Many of the birds are actively nesting and rearing their young during this time. Wildflowers cover the stumps and trees like blankets of radiant color. The skies glow with spectacular, multi-hued sunrises and sunsets. Hundreds of different species of birds are possible including the typical Florida waders and water fowl. Large Alligators are commonly seen sunning themselves on top of the fallen trees and stumps amidst the colorful wildflowers. The biggest problem for a photographer here is deciding which subject to photograph. Even the weather cooperates at this time of year. It is the dry season and clear, sunny days are the most common weather condition.

The photography sessions on land will be held in remote areas of southern Osceola County. Here, participants are likely to have opportunities to photograph birds that are endangered and rarely seen. Possible species include: Whooping Crane, Swallow-tailed Kite, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, and Red-Shouldered Hawk among others. Sandhill Cranes, a common bird in Central Florida, are tame enough to approach as closely as you like. Participants will also learn how to safely use bird song recordings to attract birds. Jim has developed his own, innovative techniques for using recordings to attract birds, in such a way, that amazing photographic opportunities are common when they would be almost impossible otherwise. This includes special techniques that encourage birds to fly and land as desired; this can provide spectacular opportunities for both flight and perched images (with the perches being selected for their beauty).

Jim consistently produces amazing flight images. His imagination and dedication have resulted in his developing many new techniques, techniques that can only be learned from Jim. His Flight School Photography Workshops are a must for any serious nature photographer.

Workshop Dates

Workshop LBC-2: April 13-17, 2015
Workshop LBC-3: April 20-24, 2015

Note: you can set up an Osprey Custom Workshop any time from March 10 through April 30 when Jim does not have a LBC workshop scheduled.

Workshop Costs and Payment

The cost of each workshop is $1750 per person. Each workshop includes a four hour formal classroom instruction session, a welcome dinner, 4 morning photography sessions, and 3 afternoon photography sessions. The photography sessions include personalized instruction in the field. Each participant will receive a copy of Jim’s e-book “Flight Plan – How to Photograph Birds in Flight” when they sign up for the workshop. Discounted lodging is available, but is not included in the workshop fee. A $875 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot in a workshop. The remaining $875 is due 30 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop, after paying the balance, the balance payment will be refunded ONLY if your spot can be filled, on short notice, from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

Participant Requirements

Participants should have working knowledge of how to create a properly exposed image, a telephoto lens of 400mm or more (300mm with a teleconverter is acceptable), and be physically capable of holding their camera and lens up to their eye in shooting position for at least 20 seconds. Participants must also have a vehicle to travel to and from the photography locations.

Lodging and Logistics

Workshop participants who require lodging during the workshop should stay at the hotel in Vero Beach where the classroom sessions will be conducted. Participants arriving via air arrive at the Orlando International Airport, which is the closest major airport to Vero Beach. Rental vehicles are available at the airport. Flight School Photography will assist participants with arranging the sharing of vehicles and/or lodging if desired. Detailed information will be provided when you sign up for the workshop or upon request. Lodging, transportation, and meals (except for welcome dinner) are not included.

Learn more here. View Jim’s incredible image gallery here. And see some of artie’s images here.

Great Horned Owl being harassed by Fish Crow. BBC Honored image copyright: Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography

Flight School Custom Anytime Workshops

Flight School Photography offers private, customized workshops, September thru May, in some of the most beautiful, wild, and unspoiled areas of central Florida. Your instructor and guide, Jim Neiger, has spent several years observing, studying, and photographing the varied birds near his home in central Florida and knows this avian rich area like no one else. If you prefer, Jim will travel to a location selected by you to provide personal instruction.

These individual or small group workshops are tailored exclusively to the participants’ interests, goals, and schedule. Workshops are conducted by boat, on land, or a combination of both. Personalized instruction lets you make the most of your time. The workshops can range from a single half-day workshop to multi-day or week-long workshops. Snacks and drinks are provided during every workshop session.

You have the following options: scheduling a private, individual custom workshop; putting together a small group of photographers for a customized workshop; or having Jim travel to your location to provide a custom workshop. You can also choose the species you wish to focus on and/or the topics you would like to learn more about. Jim’s experience in the central Florida area allows him to locate the most sought after species in settings and conditions that are optimal for photography.

Jim’s Custom Workshops offer a great variety of desirable subjects.

Custom Workshops by Boat

Jim’s pontoon boat was purchased and customized specifically for use during photography workshops. It is roomy, comfortable, and stable. The boat is equipped with an extremely quiet, four-stroke motor for silent cruising. It also has a powerful, silent, electric trolling motor with wireless remote control. This allows Jim to position the boat precisely and silently. The boat has a capacity of twelve people, but Jim limits the number of participants to five or less so that everyone has room to photograph in comfort. The boat can be configured with no top, a half canopy to provide shelter from sun and rain, or with a half enclosure that can completely protect participants from the elements. Using the boat allows close access to some of the most difficult and desirable subjects in North America. Many of the images of these subjects in their wetland habitat would not be possible from land.

Note: you can set up an Osprey Custom Workshop any time from March 10 through April 30 when Jim does not have a LBC workshop scheduled.

Custom Workshops on Land

Land-based sessions are held in a number of wild and remote locations of central Florida. Jim has spent several years learning the out-of-the-way wilderness areas in the region. He has also written a best selling guide to photographing birds in central Florida. The variety of birds in the area is astounding, and Jim knows where to find them and how best to photograph them. Participants will need to provide their own vehicle for the land-based workshops, unless there is only 1 photographer.

Both land and boat workshops are likely to provide participants with opportunities to photograph birds that are uncommon and rarely seen. Possible subjects include: Crested Caracara, Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, Barred and Great Horned Owls, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Snail Kites, Red-Shouldered Hawks, Red Cockaded Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Limpkins, Ibis, Wood Storks, Purple Gallinules, various wading birds, warblers, sparrows, and many others too numerous to list.

Custom Workshop Instruction

Custom workshops may also include personalized, in-the-field instruction; formal classroom instruction; or an introductory slide presentation, if desired. Topics may include instruction devoted to learning or practicing:

· Jim’s unique handheld techniques for photographing birds in flight using long telephoto lenses.
· Jim’s unique techniques for using recordings safely to attract and photograph birds successfully
· Making proper exposures working in manual exposure mode
· Other nature photography topics of your choice

Learn more about Jim’s Flight School Custom Anytime Workshops here. See the spectacular image gallery here. See the custom workshop rates here.

Contact Information

Contact Information: Jim Neiger, Flight School Photography, Inc. 550 Basin Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34744-4804
Cell phone: (407) 247-5200. e-mail.

Flight School website.

Flight Plan

I can say without a doubt that after spending more than two months (part time) editing Jim Neiger’s great e-Guide, Flight Plan, that my flight photography has improved by leaps and bound whether I am working off a tripod or hand holding. His explanation of the bumping the focus technique finally sunk in. Learning to use this technique regularly is a huge help for any all types of flight photography.

You can learn more about Flight Plan here or order a copy by clicking here.

Bob Hollowell’s Flight Plan Comments

I just wanted to send kudos to both you and Jim Neiger for the excellent E-book that you referenced in a recent BAA blog post. I immediately purchased a copy, and have finished my first read and will now read it a second time just to make sure I’m ready to take it to the field. My favorite haunt is Squaw Creek NWLR and I’ve stumbled & fumbled with flight photos using both tripod & monopod as support for my Canon 7D, and just can’t seem to come up with real sharp photos using that method. Jim’s text is well written, and really puts flight photography in a whole new perspective for me. I’m 76 years old, and I’m sure I’ll have to experiment with the handholding methodology a bit, but I’m excited at the prospect of applying Jim’s methods.

Thanks again… Bob H.

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Typos

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What’s Up

Swim and ice bath. Lots of office work. Congrats to Geno Auriemma on his 10th Lady’s NCAA championship. The Lady Huskies could not hit a basket till late in the second half but held off a game Notre Dame team rather easily. This blog post, the 90th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare; it was published just after midnight early on Wednesday morning.

This image was created from my SUV at Indian Lake Estates, FL with BLUBB-supported Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and which camera body? ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. Three AF points up from the center AF point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and release. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Red-shouldered Hawk

Down By the Lake

I am gonna make an effort to get the gear in the car and get down to the lake every sunny morning. Right now there are several half-grown Sandhill Crane colts along with a pair of still-small chicks. Along with a very few other photographable species like Red-shouldered Hawk (above) and Mottled Duck (below). Other possibilities include Bald Eagle, Turkey and Black Vultures, Limpkin, and Wild Turkey.

Unsharpened 200% view of hawks head

Making Sharp Images Off the Blubb

It is best when working off the Blubb to have AF active at the moment of exposure to ensure that your accidentally moving the lens does not throw off accurate focus…. Rotating the lens even a fraction of a single degree will always ruin an image as it will effectively turn the focus ring. In the opening image I framed the image, pressed the rear button to focus, released the rear button, and made the image without moving the lens at all. As you can see in the 200% crop immediately above, careful technique created an extremely sharp image.

With the image below–made with the2X III TC on an f/4 lens–I was working with a minimum effective aperture of f/8 and was thus limited to the center AF point. Note: by pushing the grid button you can add the four expand points. If I had kept AF active at the moment the duck would have been way too far forward in the frame with the bill near or touching the right frame edge. So I took a gamble, rear button focused on the duck’s eye, and re-composed carefully making absolutely sure not to rotate the lens at all as I shifted the lens down and to the right. The proof is in the sharp eye.

This image was created from my SUV at Indian Lake Estates, FL with BLUBB-supported Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and which camera body? ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/9. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the duck’s face and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Mottled Duck head and shoulders vertical portrait

You’re On the Spot: Image Quality/Which Camera Quiz

In the recent blog post here, both John Giatropoulos and Steve Soderling left comments to the effect that they were able to distinguish 1D X and 7D II images based on image quality.

They, and everyone else here, are invited to leave a comment and let us know which of today’s images were created with a 1D X and which were created by a 7D II. And they are of course welcome to let us know why they made their choices.

There will be lots more like this in the coming weeks.

All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.

Just Two Slots Left!

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

This trip is a go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Amazon.com

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I enjoyed a nice swim but otherwise spent a good part of the day relaxing in front of the TV. I was glad that Notre Dame edged out a very game South Carolina team in the Women’s NCAA basket ball tournament. The Irish scored the winning basket with about ten seconds left in the game. Two Gamecock stars were left sobbing for a a good while after the final whistle. It is halftime in the second semi-final as I type with Connecticut up by 11 over Maryland so it looks like a Connecticut vs. Notre Dame final on Tuesday night. It is hard to imagine Connecticut losing.

In the Men’s final I am going with Wisconsin over Duke on Monday night.

This blog post was published very early on Monday morning while I slept. This one is 88 straight.

This in-camera HDR image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 16mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of: 1/100 sec. at f/22 in Av mode. AWB. With the 77mm Singh-Ray warming circular polarizer set to dark. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF one-third of the way up the rock on the right side 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: Morro Rock with fog.

The Situation

At about 9:30am some heavy localized fog appeared in the immediate vicinity of Morro Rock. By 10am we were ready to head back but as we got in the vehicles some patches of blue sky began to show above the Rock. I thought that there might be a shot with some purple flowers in the foreground but that one did not work out; when we stopped we saw that there was a snow fence, too many signs, and a parking lot in the way. A few of the folks on the Canon Destination Workshop requested a potty stop. That brought us the parking lot just to the east of Morro Rock. By now only a bit of fog was left to crown the 21 million year old volcanic plug, one of the Nine Sisters formation.

The Problems

It was now 10:20am and the sun was out at full strength. The light was harsh, far less than ideal for landscape photography. But I had a plan to combat the contrasty light. I grabbed the 16-35mm, screwed on the Singh-Ray warming circular polarizer and set it to dark, and set up to make an in-camera Art Vivid HDR. Working a bit off sun angle I knew that the polarizer would juice up the sky nicely and that the warming filter would tame the harsh light just a bit. And the in-camera HDR would reduce the contrast by evening out the exposure.

As far as framing, when you photograph Morro Rock at close range you still have to deal with all manner of telephone poles, signs, cars, light stanchions, and the restrooms. If you head into town you face the same distractions and in addition you need to deal with a harbor full of fishing boats, sailboats, and other water craft. I got pretty close to the rock, zoomed out to 16mm, and opted to include the roof of a car in the lower right corner so that I could maximize the size of the green patch in that same corner.

HDR Tips

When hand holding for HDR remember to make sure that Auto Align is set to enable or your images simply will not align properly. And realize that when Auto Align is enabled that the image will be cropped about 4% from what you see in the viewfinder. Thus, you must frame a bit wider than if you were working on a tripod with Auto Align set to Off.

The Image Optimization

I brought the JPEG into Photoshop and executed the planned for crop from below and the left. Next I reduced the YELLOW saturation 10 points to negate a bit of the over-the-top colors that often come with an Art Vivid HDR. Next I ran my NIK Color Efex Pro 50-50 recipe to the whole image and painted out the effect on rock only at 33% via a Regular Layer Mask. Then I ran a layer of Filter > Blur > Surface Blur on the whole image, added a Hide-All (or Inverse) Layer Mask, and painted the effect in on the sky and the fog only, again with a large, soft brush. I eliminated a few patches of really bright Western Gull whitewash with the Patch Tool or the Spot Healing Brush. Not bad for bright sun and harsh light in mid-morning.

Image Question

Why should I have been on a tripod? (One reason is obvious, the other not so obvious.)

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.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Snowy Egrets/breeding plumage pair, American Alligator with egret feather on head, Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (with fill flash), large Snowy Egret chicks, displaying gator, Wood Stork in flight carrying nesting material (fill flash), begging Snowy Egret chick, another Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (with fill flash), and Great Egret chick.

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.

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 mornigs. Folks who will need a photographer’s pass ($89.95 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 will have those ready for pick-up on the first afternoon.

Clockwise from upper left: flash-as-main light Great Egret chick begging, breeding plumage Cattle Egret w/fill flash, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret chick in nest begging, Cattle Egrets copulating, Wood Stork with nesting material, another Wood Stork with nesting material, and breeding plumage Snowy Egret displaying.

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.

Clockwise from upper left: gator back, Great Egret returning to mate (with fill flash), Roseate Spoonbill with bill open, Roseate Spoonbill chick begging, Roseate Spoonbill 11am silhouette, large Great Egret chicks in nest, and bill of Roseate Spoonbill.

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.

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Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Swim and ice bath. More IPT-related travel agent chores taken care of. Started working on second image edits for several trip folders; I need to get a ton of images transferred from my Apple 15.4″ MacBook Pro Notebook Computer with Retina Display (Mid 2014) to the office computer. Sent 79 e-mails by 8:43pm. This blog post took about 1 3/4 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published very early on Saturday morning. It will be the 87th straight day with a new educational blog post.

BAA Bulletin #473

BAA Bulletin #473 is online and can be accessed here.

• Is this Image Worth Optimizing?
• Date Change: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015.
• 7D Mark II User’s Guide
• The Blog is the Bomb!
• Used Photography Gear for Sale
• BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Info
• South Georgia October 2015
• Affiliate Stuff

Item 1 above,”Is this Image Worth Optimizing?” might very well be of interest to those who visit the blog regularly.

This image was created at Alafia Banks with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X . ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. One AF point to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Brown Pelican, intentionally mis-framed to allow room for the hoped for head throw.

Puzzling Mystery

In the blog post here, I asked about the image above:

Why in the world would someone intentionally frame an image with the pelican so low in the frame? Can you come up with the number one reason? Or was this possibly simply a bad framing error?

See the next image for the answer….

This image was created at Alafia Banks with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X . ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. One AF point to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). It fell on the white band at the base of the neck. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Brown Pelican, fully extended head throw.

Just Barely In…

By pre-planning the image, I was just able to avoid clipping the pelican’s bill at the peak of the head throw. I made about 8 frames in a single sequence when the bird was close to full extension. The entire sequence was comprised of about 30 images all made in a very few seconds. I will share two more of those in a blog post soon.

How understanding one simple principle can improve your bird photography…

Here is the principle: bird behavior is often repetitive.

I liked this pelican from the get-go: a handsome bird on a pretty darn clean perch with a relatively distant background. Just what I look for. I added the teleconverter in an effort to create a striking full frame vertical portrait. When the bird did a head throw I was taken totally by surprise and was so tight that I did not even bother pressing the shutter button. But since I know that bird behavior is often repetitive, I simply moved back carefully. And then I moved back some more. And then I moved back a few more steps to the spot where I made the image above.

After about ten minutes my hunch and my patience paid off. And I did not even have to resort to praying….

When the bird began its head throw I pushed and held the shutter button for about 30 frames as noted above. For whatever reason or reasons, this was the sharpest of the eight frames that I created when the bird was near or at full extension.

Perspective Question

From Image #1 to Image #2 did I move to my right or to my left? How do you know?

All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.

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

This trip is a go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By e-mail from Bill Keown, veteran of three bear boat trips!

Hi Artie, What a great trip! With the exception of the one bright sunny day it was just great. Very different from my first trip in June where we only had the bears clamming; the fishing bears were amazing! As always I learned a lot and enjoyed the group immensely. All the Best, Bill

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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?

Not much. I enjoyed a tremendously relaxing do-nothing day yesterday; see below for details. I did my swim before the Klein family arrived and enjoyed an ice bath at 6:30pm. This blog post took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my home at ILE, FL on the morning of April 2. Today marks 85 straight days with a new educational blog post. I would like to wish everyone a belated happy April Fool’s Day….

Retirement Reactions & Revelations

Everyone who knows me at all realized almost instantly that yesterday’s retirement was an April Fool’s prank. I will not be retiring. Not now. Not ever. Bird photography is in my heart and in my soul. It is my passion and my reason for being. And the same goes for teaching others. As long as I have my health, my retirement will come when they nail the box shut. In addition, I would never ever think of hanging the folks signed up for future IPTs out to dry….

I have long dreamed of being a professional golfer, but I have a very big handicap in that area: a severe lack of skill. As the commercials say, “Those guys are good!”

Some folks got snagged. All were quite gracious once they learned that they had been April-fooled. Many sent clever replies via e-mail. Some of those left me laughing out loud for several minutes.

Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Dick Curtain sent this:

Art, Best wishes on your retirement!!! I just placed a $100,000 gear order with B&H but didn’t use your link as I knew that it would not be active now that you are retired… Best, Dick
ps: happy April Fool’s Day to you too!

By e-mail from Chuck Hooker

Dear Artie, I was thrilled with your announcement this morning. So much so, that I walked into my manager’s office and tendered my resignation, effective immediately. When he picked his jaw up from his desk, he looked at me in bewilderment. I showed him your email. I said, “this is the opening I have been waiting for. It’s time I claim my place as the next Arthur Morris. I’m going to Florida to take over where he’s leaving off.” I showed him an image I made this morning of bluebirds at the feeder, shot with my iPhone. He just shook his head in disbelief.

I’ve contacted Nikon about beginning the process of becoming a Nikon Ambassador, which will let me rub shoulders with some of my mentors like Ami Vitale and Moose Peterson. I’m sure they’ll jump on it, since when I post the first few Nikon made images and all the BAA devotees dump their Canon gear and switch over to Nikon, their sales will be such that it will finally put them in the black.

Unfortunately I find Florida a little too warm for my taste (and I have an aversion to sinkholes), so I’ll be relocating BAA to Seattle, where there is great birding and great coffee. I hope your daughters won’t mind the move – you can come too if you like – or they can just telecommute. I know it’s Passover and all, but I’ll try to be there this weekend to try and make the transition a smooth one. Thanks, cheers, and Happy April Fools to you! Chuck

E-mail exchange with Frank Sheets

Artie, Sorry to see you hanging it up, but I can completely understand. I keep trying to do it but my wife, ten years younger than me, a type “A” personality, and way too overworked, keeps telling me, I’m not retired, just “redirected” (by her I might add). I live on a golf course here in the high desert of Southern California and the more I am out there, the happier I am, but she keeps dragging me into the house to do a little consulting. Honestly, although I gripe, its not a bad gig and keeps me involved in my original field of work and the people and relationships. You may want to consider that option.

Anyway, for the short time I have been subscribed to your blog I have enjoyed it immensely and thanks for that. I keep looking at your bird
photos and keep asking myself what makes these wonderful as compared to the vast number of bird pics on the internet that in no way compare. As such, you have helped me set some bird photography goals. I hope to reach some of those as I continue to photograph for many more years.

I will miss your posts. Hopefully you (or your daughter) will keep your website up so we can continue to look at your inspirational bird photography. RE your golf game, remember, “What do you see when you look up? A bad shot.” Hey, I know that, from experience. Best of luck and thanks again.
Frank

ps: I knew your cap was on your head. I am getting more and more experienced along those lines as well. #$%^@$#

am: Thanks for you kind words. BTW, happy April Fool’s Day 🙂 No retirement here 🙂 Gotcha! later and love, artie
ps: thanks for the personal sharing and best of luck.

FS: You, you, you, you…….SOB. You really got me. I can’t wipe the grin off my face. YOU……YOU……YOU SOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stop laughing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frank T. Sheets

Patrick Sparkman

You should have mentioned that you we moving to San Diego to take up the Triathlon with me! Thanks for the laugh! I needed it! My Mom is quite ill. Patrick

Henry Posada

LOL. I really fell for that one big time!!!

Ron May

The subject line of Ron May’s e-mail said it all best and succinctly: Retirement–Yeah, right!!!

From left to right, Dave Klein, yours truly, younger son Ian (15), Dave’s lovely and charming wife Ingrid, and older son Brendan (17, on the deck of the Digital Basics pool. Photo courtesy of and copyright 2015: Dave Klein. Because I ruined the best 20-second timer image by squinting, I used two small Quick Masks refined by warping the selection via the Transform Command. The basics of this technique are described in Digital Basics and APTATS I.

A Relaxing Day by the Pool with Friends

Yesterday I had the pleasure of having multiple IPT veteran and friend Dave Klein and his family over for lunch and a swim. We were joined by my older daughter Jennifer, husband Eric, and their two kids, Sam and Maya. As always my right hand man Jim Litzenberg joined in the fun by helping out tremendously. One of the prime topics of the day was the NHL. Granddaughter Maya is a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan while Dave’s two boys are equally fanatic about the Minnesota Wild who are doing quite nicely of late.

After lunch I took the Klein family down to the lake where Dave got some nice images of both adult and colt Sandhill Cranes.

An E-mail from Dave Klein

Dear Artie,

Thank you for offering us the opportunity to visit with you, Jim, Jennifer, Eric, Sam and Maya at your home today. Going for a swim in your pool was fantastic as well. Thanks for bumping the temperature up from your usual 76 degrees! The lunch was great and we enjoyed meeting everyone and sharing stories around the table. We truly appreciate your hospitality and friendship. Enjoy your time at home until your photographic adventures take you on the road again. Our visit was a definite highlight of our week spent in Florida and you all made us feel very welcome. Thanks so much for such a great day!

With appreciation and love from your Minnesota friends,

Dave, Ingrid, Brendan and Ian Klein

ps: Having followed you for years and having tried to do my best to learn from you as well the visit for me personally was a real thrill. You have my sincere thanks 🙂

Clockwise from upper left to center: Snowy Egrets/breeding plumage pair, American Alligator with egret feather on head, Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (with fill flash), large Snowy Egret chicks, displaying gator, Wood Stork in flight carrying nesting material (fill flash), begging Snowy Egret chick, another Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (with fill flash), and Great Egret chick.

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.

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 mornigs. Folks who will need a photographer’s pass ($89.95 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 will have those ready for pick-up on the first afternoon.

Clockwise from upper left: flash-as-main light Great Egret chick begging, breeding plumage Cattle Egret w/fill flash, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret chick in nest begging, Cattle Egrets copulating, Wood Stork with nesting material, another Wood Stork with nesting material, and breeding plumage Snowy Egret displaying.

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.

Clockwise from upper left: gator back, Great Egret returning to mate (with fill flash), Roseate Spoonbill with bill open, Roseate Spoonbill chick begging, Roseate Spoonbill 11am silhouette, large Great Egret chicks in nest, and bill of Roseate Spoonbill.

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.

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?

Just so you know, I sent 79 e-mails today…. Plus swim, core exercises, and a trip to town for grocery shopping. At 7:00pm I enjoyed a very cold ice bath; the water temp was only 58.6 when I got out. I am shivering hard as I type. In all, this blog post, the 83rd in a row without missing a day, took about 3 hours to prepare and was published from my home at ILE at 12:01am on Monday. While I slept. Got nine hours last night.

After a great first half by the Dayton Flyers–it seemed that they could not miss–the juggernaut Lady Huskies of the University of Connecticut, who trailed by one after the first 20 minutes, romped in style. I do not think that they will be beaten…

Azizen Pesach to all of our good friends at B&H

Order Soon to Avoid Lengthy Passover Delays/Please Of Course Use Our B&H Affiliate Link(s)

If you are in a hurry to get some new photo gear, please note that you must place your order before noon on Thursday, April 2. Orders received before then will shipped before the holiday closing. Be sure of course to use our generic B&H link here in the right hand column of the blog or to click on one of our product-specific links. Many thanks for that.

Orders placed after the deadline will not ship until Monday, April 13.

This image was created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. Note the perfect framing and the perfect head angle, one to two degrees toward us. Just like I taught him 🙂 Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #1: Adelie Penguin flapping in place

Meeting and Working with Micheal

I first met Michael Viljoen (say FILL-yoon) on a BAA Katmai Bear Boat IPT about 8 years ago. Even going back that far I remember him sitting next to me aboard the Coastal Explorer soaking up Photoshop, watching me choose my keepers, sharing his best bear images with me, and asking dozens of questions. Not much has changed since then. On our last of many trips together, the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition, Michael hung with me even more than the eager beginner, Sally Sue South.

Michael, who has lived his whole life in South Africa, was a good photographer when we first met in Alaska. Over the years he has developed into a superb, world class photographer. If you think that I am exaggerating, check out his portfolios here and let me know what you think. With my rather slow connection, each portfolio took a while to load and view, but each was well worth my while. Michael is great technically and has the eye of an artist. His stuff from Africa is among the best in the world.

This image was also created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. I was exhausted and simply did not have the strength to stay up for the New Year’s celebration. I missed nature’s celebration…. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #2: Icebergs, sea ice, and moon at midnight.

Michael’s BAA Group Comments

I have been privileged to have been on two great Cheesemans’ Southern Oceans trips and did my booking both times through BIRDS AS ART. So what are the advantages of signing up to be part of the BAA group?

It does not cost you a penny more and there are many benefits. Artie has a lot of experience in the Southern Ocean and an uncanny ability to remember the different landing sites and where the best photo opportunities are at those landings. Prior to each landing he does do a full briefing with his group, advising them on what equipment they need to take for the landing and where they need to be for the best photo opps. He normally does a slide show for the group to highlight what can be expected at the different landings. This is crucial because the time at landings whizzes by, especially at South Georgia where one can be overwhelmed by the numbers and magnitude of the wildlife and easily walk around aimlessly for hours. There is just too much to take in.

Everyone visiting South Georgia wants to optimize the time on the landings rather than wasting time trying to figure out where to be or struggling either because of not having the right lens at hand or having brought too much equipment along. On the landings, artie is always glad to share and to teach. On the last trip, few in the group took advantage of artie on the landings. Folks would see something great and get lost in their own worlds.

Another plus is that artie always keeps an eye on the stern. Whenever there were seabirds following the ship, artie would find the individual group members and alert them. In addition, he is a pretty smart guy. After extensive delays due to high winds we were very late getting to Right Whale Bay. Artie who was late getting to the Zodiacs said to me, “It is getting dark. By the time we land it will be time to head back to the ship.” We grabbed our tripods and 70-200 f/2.8s and photographed very successfully for 90 minutes from the decks of the Ortelius….

Between landings and on navigations Artie normally stakes out spot or a corner where he can be found with at his computer, editing or processing images. Anyone who knows artie knows that he cannot help himself–he has to teach. He is always glad to explain his Photoshop workflow and answer any photo-related questions that one might have. And he is always glad to have a look at your keepers and to comment on the goods and the bads.

You can spend as little or as much time sitting next to him as you wish. The more time you spend with him the more massive your learning experience will be. If you have plans to go to South Georgia, book through BAA – there will be a lot of great photography and learning and laughter.

This image was also created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #3: King Penguin rookery, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia.

South Georgia October 2015

Do consider joining me in South Georgia next October for the trip of a lifetime. If you would like 20+ hours of free Photoshop tutoring and image review click here.

If you are thinking of joining me on the next Cheesemans’ South Georgia expedition, be sure to check out Michael’s penguin portfolio here.

This image was created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #4: small blue iceberg

About Michael Viljoen

Michael Viljoen, wildlife photographer, was born and bred in South Africa, is truly African at heart, and has a deep-seated love for the last remaining true wilderness areas and it’s animals. He uses his photography to express this passion while at the same time trying to create awareness of the urgency of conservation efforts and the need to protect both wildlife and wild habitat.

Michael’s passion often takes him to places far removed from the normal pathways, to remote and less travelled destinations, in order to capture animals in their natural environment. This regularly puts him in a situation where he is up close and personal with wild animals and that is why his photos often arouse feelings of intimacy. His images strive to portray another world, one of drama and poignancy where the very souls of the animals seem to be revealed…. with the aim not to only exhibit their beauty but also to highlight their fragility in a world where they are struggling against powerful forces. The human population has an insatiable hunger for land, water and food and is competing with wild animals for these finite resources, often putting whole ecological systems under threat. In Africa especially, poaching is rampant, not only for bush meat but also for ivory and Rhino horn. We are at a crossroads and the sad truth is that if more is not done to save our environment, many of the animals depicted in Michael’s photographs will not be there for our children to see and experience.

This image was created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #5: Black-browed Albatross: courting pair

About Michael Viljoen continued…

From an early age Michael was exposed to wildlife and hunting and has spent lots of time in the bush. He has always been a conservationist at heart and transformed from hunter to photographer years ago. His photography is self-taught and he will be the first to tell you that it is a continual learning experience. It is his means to interact with nature and wildlife and his knowledge and understanding of animal behavior gained over many years, give him an edge in capturing photographs with a different and fresh approach. The patience required for wildlife photography is legendary but the allure of capturing a moment of beauty and observing unusual behavior is more than enough motivation for the many hundreds of hours waiting in the bush for the right light or the right moment!

Michael has done work for African Parks, a non-profit organization that is currently managing seven parks totaling 4.1 million hectares in six countries in Africa, with plans to expand to more countries. Working with African Parks, his photographs have been exhibited at prestigious venues in order to raise awareness and also to help with fundraising for conservation projects.

Additionally he has photographed for The Peace Parks Foundation that has played a big role in the creation of various Trans-Frontier Parks in Southern Africa. Currently they are using some of his rhino photographs in the fight against Rhino poaching. Action is needed to preserve our natural world and Michael’s hope is that his photographs will inspire people everywhere to join the cause and to help stop the senseless destruction of life and beauty before it is too late.

This image was created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #6: Weddell’s Seal in heaven look

Michael’s Southern Ocean Gear Bag

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender Michael was kind to loan me his 2-4 on occasion.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens Great for flight from the ship.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Both Michael and I used this lens extensively on the trip with the 7D II often with either the 1.4X III or the 2X II TC.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens We often mixed and matched our short zooms as I had both the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II along.

Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) and the Canon 2x EF Extender III (teleconverter). At one point one of Michael’s 1.4X III TCs failed so I loaned him one of my three for the duration of the trip.

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Like me, Michael used his 7D II almost exclusively for birds and wildlife and his 5D III for scenics. And like me he rarely used his 1D X on the trip.

This image was created on the Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean 2014/2015 Expedition. I like Michael’s creativity here. He inverted the image in Photoshop to turn the BLUEs to Penguin Poop Krill Pink. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Michael Hercules Viljoen Image #7: Ice patterns, color inverted from blue in Photoshop

Best of All…

Best of all, Michael Viljoen is a really sweetie, a died in the wool happy camper. The only thing more persistent than his cough was his warm, friendly smile. I am trying to convince him to re-up for the 2015 voyage and to bring his son along as well 🙂

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.

Important Notes

#1: If you register directly with CES you MUST remember to let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one penny.

The Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris South Georgia Expedition Voyage

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

From the CES website:

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

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

More CES Kudos

From multiple IPT veteran Alan Lillich who (along with wife Pat) was in the BAA group on a 2012 CES voyage with me:

Start with some of the world’s best alpine landscapes, add an overwhelming abundance of tolerant wildlife, and finish with tour operators who put you there and give you the freedom to explore. It doesn’t get any better.

Questions?

I’d be glad to answer all of your Southern Ocean/Falklands/South Georgia/Antarctica questions. Please leave a comment if you’d like to learn more.

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