Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I enjoyed a relaxing 1/2 mile swim and and an ice bath today. BTW, go Wisconsin! I felt like a travel agent arranging my flights to Santiago, Chile and Stanley in the Falklands (where I will board the Ortelius for my next Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition) and to Tokyo for the sold out Japan in Winter IPT. Lots lots more healthy eating. And I enjoyed another great night’s sleep on Friday with just one pit stop. This blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my home at ILE, FL very early on Sunday morning. Today marks 81 straight days with a new educational blog post.

Canon 600 mm f/4L IS II Lens

David Ramirez is offering a used Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS II in excellent plus condition for $10,499.00. The sale includes the Lenscoat cover in Max-4, the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, the lens trunk, the lens strap, the original box, the lens manual, and both the original lens foot and the 4th Generation Design replacement low foot CRX-5 (a $122 value). Insured shipping via UPS Ground is also included. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact David by e-mail ­­­­­­­­or by phone at 541-892-3726 (Pacific Time).

As the lens sells new for $11,999 you can save a cool $1500 by grabbing this one now.

I currently own and use the 600 II as my go-to super-telephoto lens when I need reach. It teams well with any camera body and offers amazing reach with the new 7D II (960mm at f/4!). I use it often with my 1DX with both TCs especially the 2X III. as I recommend and use the Mongoose M3.6 I use the CR-X5 Low Foot as the plate. Some young strong folks hand hold the 600 II for long flight and general bird photography shooting sessions. I can hand hold it only for short periods unless I am seated. It is a killer lens when using your car as a blind with the lens supported by a BLUBB.

South Georgia October 2015

Do consider joining me in South Georgia next October for the trip of a lifetime. Click here for complete details.

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

Two folks have signed up for this IPT that was announced only yesterday. Scroll down here for complete details.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at 8:19am on the cloudy morning of March 22, 2015 at Alafia Banks with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 640: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. AWB. AI Servo Zone/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; see the DPP 4 screen capture below for the active points. Click on the image to see the spectacular larger version.

Manual Mode a Must!

Those who persist in working in Av mode in all situations for a variety of reasons (and all the rest of you as well) are invited to estimate the correct amount of positive or negative Exposure Compensation (EC) that should have been shown on the analogue scale at the moment of exposure to result in a perfect exposure.

To simplify the question, what would the right EC have been if you had been working in Av mode?

Either way, the answer will be the same. We can make it a multiple choice question to encourage more folks to participate:

a: +2 stops
b: +1 stop
c: +1/3 stop
d: -1/3 stop
e: -2 stops
f: -2 2/3 stops

Be sure to let us know why you chose your answer.

Exposure Fine Points

#1: if you are photographing a species of a given tonality in flight (working correctly in Manual mode as you should be for most flight situations) and the bird lands, it is generally best to open up 1/3 stop (usually by slowing down the shutter speed one click). Why? Though theoretically the light falling on the subject is roughly the same whether the bird is in flight or on the ground my experience is that “it is lighter up there.” That is, the land absorbs a bit of the light. Does this really make sense to me? No. Does it work? Yes.

#2 is a principle that we teach whenever we are photographing a variety of birds in flight in the same light: to get the right exposure for subjects of varying tonalities you need to adjust your shutter speed for light and dark birds. Again, it is almost always best to do that by adjusting the shutter speed. At the defaults, with Canon gear, that means turning the Index Finger Dial clockwise for a faster shutter speed and counter-clockwise for a slower shutter speed.

Here is how that works at Alafia Banks:

a: Figure the correct exposure in a given lighting condition via experience and a histogram check. Make sure that you have no blinkies on the subject and that you have data well into the fifth (highlight) histogram box on the right. On a clear sunny morning at ISO 400 this usually work out to 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3.

b: If a Great Egret comes along, go one click clockwise with the Index Finger Wheel to 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3. Why? Great Egrets are well whiter than the brightest WHITEs on a spoonbill. Remember this principle: Whites and light tones need less light to be properly exposed than middle tones.

c-If a Great Blue Heron or a Brown Pelican flies by go one click lighter (slower shutter speed) than you are for a spoonbill. Why? The WHITEs on these two species are not as bright as the WHITEs on a spoonbill. This would put you at 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3.

d-If a dark morph Reddish Egret (darn close to a middle tone) comes into range go only another click lighter? Why? You need to guard against getting blinkies on the pink of the bill which can be very bright in full breeding plumage… You will wind up at 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3.

e: If a Double-crested Cormorant flies by open up only four clicks from the spoonbill settings. Though it is a black bird, you still need to guard against toasting the bright orange bill. You will correctly be at 1/1250 sec.

f: If a Fish Crow (basically all BLACK) is the subject, open six clicks from the spoonbill settings to 1/800 sec. (if I have done the math correctly.

We do the exact same thing at Bosque with the geese and cranes, we vary the shutter speed to come up with a good exposure for birds of varying tonalities while working in Manual mode when the light is constant.

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

Zone AF

As careful readers have been noticing, I have been working more with Zone AF in recent months. While I almost never rely on Zone AF for flight, I have been trying it for action shots and also with somewhat static stuff. I chose it for today’s pelican image in an effort to move the bird back in the frame. The relatively wide coverage of center AF zone allows for that with large birds. When the pelican raised its wings to take off and kicked up some sand in the process I simply fired off several frames. As you can see by the screen capture above, Zone AF did an excellent job of picking AF points that resulted in a sharp-on-the-eye image.

All in all AF Zone has performed quite well in a variety of situations. For flight however, I will be sticking with center AF point/Expand AF… And of course, my new old friend, Shutter Button AF.

Before and After Image Questions

What are the two main differences between the original image (as seen in the screen cap) and the optimized version that opens this post? Eagle-eyed readers will be able to come up with at least three differences.

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

Though you cannot see the Brightness slider, I moved it to +.67 as the original was about 2/3 stop underexposed. I moved the Highlight slider to -1 (as I often do) to assure lots of detail in the brightest highlights, in this case, the light yellow atop the pelican’s head. I moved the Shadow slider to -1 to darken the background; this is something that I do only rarely.

Digital Basics

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

APTATS I & II

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

You can order your copy of “The Photographers’ Guide to Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.0” (aka the DPP 4 Raw Conversion eGuide) by Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris by clicking here.

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

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

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. A free update that will cover most of the newly added cameras will be sent in a week or two. See upcoming blog posts for exact details.

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.

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

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 early entry. 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. All will need to bring a $5 bill for the staff tip for each of our 3 extra-late stays.

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?

At lunch (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 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 of $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?

Another nice swim and an ice bath today. And lots more healthy eating (for a change). Amazingly, I slept eight 1/2 hours on Wednesday night with just one pit stop. This blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my home at ILE, FL early on Friday morning. Today marks 79 straight days with a new educational blog post.

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

Two folks have signed up for this IPT that was announced only yesterday. See the previous blog post for complete details.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (hand held at 205mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5. AI Servo Zone/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). For this image, the AF system activated two AF points one of which caught the left side of the bird’s neck and resulted in a sharp eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Single King Penguin emerging from surf

King as Dirt Bird, Dirt Bird as King

dirt bird (dûrt bûrd) noun: a bird species so common, so numerous, or so nondescript that it is often overlooked or ignored by serious birders

Nobody in their right mind would describe King Penguin as nondescript, but with about one-quarter million nesting pairs in the South Georgia archipelago, folks who are blessed to be able to visit the incredible wildlife spectacle that is South Georgia often quickly begin to take them for granted. Not me. And not most photographers.

King Penguins are gorgeous birds. They are tame. And they are curious, often approaching humans. And they often gather in huge groups weaving tapestries of black, white, silver, gray, yellow, gold, orange, and pink across hillsides and flat areas. Interwoven among the masses of brightly colored adults are rows and rows of Oakum boys, the brown young of the previous year.

This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (hand held at 98mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5. AI Servo Zone/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). For this image, the AF system activated two AF points below the center AF point and with the relatively short focal length a sharp image was the result. 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 group emerging from surf

King Penguin Exposure Challenges

As with all birds that offer large areas of white and black, the trick with this species is to push the WHITEs to the edge of blinkies to ensure getting sufficient detail in the BLACKs and the other dark tones of the face.

Static or Action?

King Penguins will often stand in the same spot for an hour allowing you to create a variety of tight abstracts. And on many South Georgia landings, it is easy to find a spot where they are coming out of the surf in large numbers, either singly or in groups. These exiting birds provide almost endless opportunities to photograph them in action.

Where?

Many South Georgia landings are at sites that feature large King Penguin colonies. These include Right Whale Bay (where I was blessed with a fresh snowfall on my last early season visit), Salisbury Plain (60,000 pairs), Fortuna Bay with its relatively small but photogenic colony, St. Andrews Bay (upwards of 150,000 pairs), and the spectacularly scenic Gold Harbor (25,000 pairs).

All of the images on the card were made on South Georgia. This remote wilderness island offers both spectacular scenery and hordes of tame wildlife and birds. From top left clockwise to the center: Southern Elephant Seal, courting King Penguin pair, King Penguin abstract, Grey-headed Albatross, King Penguin rookery on Salisbury Plain, Macaroni Penguin head portrait, King Penguin molting Okum Boy, Macaroni Penguin pair, King Penguin preening, Southern Elephant Seal yawning, the view of Gold Harbour from a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross nest. Click on the image to see an extra large version.

The Southern Ocean

South Georgia Expedition Voyage

I’ve been blessed. I’ve now made four trips to the Southern Ocean, three expeditions that visited the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula, and one to the Falklands and South Georgia. Each was a truly amazing experience. South Georgia has been the star of the show each time: rugged snow covered peaks, tame and abundant wildlife including Southern Elephant Seal and Southern Fur Seal, and penguins: more King Penguins than you could ever have dreamed of. Gentoos. And my favorite, the golden-yellow spaghetti-topped Macaronis. With four trips to South Georgi under my belt, I have a pretty good idea about how to make great images at each of the iconic landings. In addition, we should have some pretty good flight photography sessions from the stern of the ship. I would love the chance to share my knowledge with you.

Going Light

On my recent trip, I found myself going with shorter lenses and lighter gear than on any previous Southern Ocean Expedition. In part that was due to the crop factor of the 7D Mark II, in part because going light makes life (and landings!) much easier. I made many landings with just the 7D II and the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. I refined the way that I got my gear safely from ship to shore. Lots more on that here soon.

Cheesemans’ Well Deserved Kudos

I know from personal experience that if you are a photographer who is going to invest in Southern Ocean voyage, you will want to put your money on Cheesemans’. No other tour company goes as far out of their way to ensure making every possible safe landing. And no other tour company will have you spending more time on land. Michael Viljeon from South Africa was aboard the Ortelius on a Southern Oceans voyage that preceded the Cheesemans’ trip that we were both on. As we headed back to Ushuaia, he said, “The folks that ran that first trip were pathetic. Too rough. No landing today. Surf too high today. No landing. Wind wrong direction. No landing. Cheesemans’ routinely and safely gets folks on land in conditions where the leaders of other tour companies do not even bother getting out of their bunks.”

Here, from the” Way to Go CES! (Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris)” blog post here, is one of my favorite Cheesemans’ stories:

The landing at Bailey Head, Antarctica, was especially rewarding to me as I had been sitting in a zodiac 100 yards off shore on my 2007 trip when the zodiac in front of mine swamped and the captain of the ship called off the landing…. Early that day it looked as if my weather Karma might not be working. Ted’s “Good morning shipmates” was followed by the news that we would not be able to land at Bailey Head that morning as the swell was too big. The beach there is sloped tremendously and the sea strives to pull the zodiacs back into the ocean before folks have gotten off with their gear. Tom Murphy had said to me several days before, “We will get you on the beach at Bailey Head.” Ted concluded his morning greetings by saying, “We are sending out a scout team to see if landing is possible.”

After breakfast I was thrilled to hear Ted’s voice again on the PA, “We will be landing at 8am.” Afterwards folks noted that it was the calmest landing ever at this amazingly beautiful spot. My good weather Karma (courtesy of late-wife Elaine) had come through one last time. Along with St. Andrews Bay, it was one of my two favorite super-great once-in-a-lifetime days of the trip. And we even got to enjoy three additional hours at Hannah Point, Antarctica before calling it a wrap and heading for the feared Drake Passage. All thanks to Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris.

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an official leader on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. I will make pre-trip gear recommendations. I will hold informal pre-landing briefings. In the same vein, everyone will receive a free copy of our Antarctica Site Guide once they are paid in full (July 2, 2015). I will be available on the ship to review your images,, answer questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the ship-board birds in flight and marine mammal photography opportunities.

Do join us. To learn how to be part of the BAA group please e-mail me with the words Antarctica/Extended Expedition BAA Info Please cut and pasted into the Subject line.

Important Notes

#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

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

The Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris South Georgia Expedition Voyage

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

From the CES website:

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

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

More CES Kudos

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

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

The Pull is Too Strong…

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

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?

Things got back to normal today with a nice swim, my core exercises, and an ice bath. Though I was a bit jet-lagged by mid-morning I got lots of stuff done. This blog post took about 3 hours to prepare (including the four image optimizations) and was published from my home at ILE, FL early on Wednesday morning. Today marks 77 straight days with a brand new educational blog post.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 148mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/30 sec. at f/5.0 in Tv mode. Color temperature: 9000 K. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Western Gull pre-dawn blur

Low Light Pleasing Blur Techniques are Easily Learned

As I do at Bosque and other locations, I taught a large group of folks to create pleasing flight blurs in the predawn by working in Tv mode as above, working in Auto ISO (or setting ISO Safety Shift as I do with all of my camera bodies), and adding from one to nearly three stops of light to the exposure (depending on the tonality of the background–the lighter the background, the dumber the meter is and the more light you need to add to get data well into the fifth histogram box). If there is even a hint of color you can set your color temperature to Kelvin and dial in anywhere from 7000 to 10000 K to juice things up a bit.

Many of the Canon Morro Bay Destination Workshop participants created some really nice pleasing blurs on our first morning after only three minutes of instruction….

This image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 100mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop of the pale blue sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Western Gull adult in flight

AF Expand for Flight

I am quickly coming to realize that AF Expand is the best AF Area Selection mode for me when it comes to photographing birds in flight. If you are more skilled than I am at keeping the active AF point on the bird’s eye, face, or even neck then central AF point (manual selection) might be best for you. Note that what I call AF Expand (for simplicity’s sake), Canon calls “AF Point expansion:top/bottom/left/right.”

This image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 188mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the pale grey sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: California Gull adult in flight

AF Expand for Flight/Image Sharpness

My custom AF Case setting–I re-do Case 3 as I see that as the least useful of the six for bird and nature photography–contributes quite a bit to the consistent sharpness that I am getting with the 7D II/100-400II combo. For a free excerpt from the 7D II User’s Guide that deals with AF point auto switching issues, see the blog post here. Those who own the 5D III User’s Guide or the 1D X AF Guide will also benefit from a careful reading of the material covered there. I advise a careful reading as several folks have written asking whether 0, 1, or 2 is best for them… As the excerpt states, it depends on your skill level. I have surprised myself to some degree by achieving consistently sharp images with AF point auto switching set to 0.

Morro Bay’s March Gulls

There are many hundreds if not thousands of Western Gulls in the region in March along with a smattering of Ring-billed Gulls. The Westerns breed on Morro Rock. Surprisingly, California Gull is typically hard to find and photograph both in Morro Bay and in San Diego. I did see and photograph a single Heerman’s Gull in Morro Bay; they will arrive in numbers as summer begins.

This image was created at Morro Bay with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop off the pale grey sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #4: Ring-billed Gull adult in flight

Background Considerations

As the birds came down to our proffered offerings I suggested to folks that they try and time the shutter release so as to include the distant fog-enshrouded hillside. As I did here.

Your Favorite?

Please keep the blog interactive and leave a comment as to which of the four featured images you like best and be sure to let us know why you made your choice.

The 7D Mark II User’s Guide is now available. You can purchase your copy right now in the BAA Online Store here for $59.

7D Mark II User’s Guide

The long-awaited 7D Mark II User’s Guide was published 15 days ago. Nearly 300 have been sold to rave reviews. You can purchase your copy right now in the BAA Online Store here for $59. This is the highest priced user’s guide ever, surpassing the 5D II User’s Guide that is priced at $50. Why? I did twice as much work preparing the 7D II Guide. It required many days of writing, many dozens of hours of study and research, not to mention hundreds of hours in the field trying to figure out the best 7D II setting while doing what I love to do best, photographing birds and nature. The camera is quite complex. Many thanks to both Rudy Winston and Chuck Westfall of Canon USA for their help in getting me through the stickiest parts.

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

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

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

What Else is in the Guide?

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

5D III exposure fine points
Handling the WHITEs
The top LCD and all camera control buttons
7D Mark II drive modes
How to manually select an AF sensor
Choosing an AF Area Selection Mode; how and why (includes extensive detail)
Moving the AF point or Zone
The creation of in-camera Multiple Exposures and in-camera HDR images (includes extensive detail)
Live View Shooting and AF choices (all new in the 7D II)
Menu Item Access
Coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including the following: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Lens aberration corrections settings, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (as above, this includes details on the custom setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation linked AF point (I love this feature), Highlight alert, Histogram display–do you know how to access both histograms at once?, Auto rotate, Image Jump, LCD Brightness, Info button display options, Custom Shooting Modes set-up, ISO Safety shift, using the Q button, setting up rear focus, and setting up your My Menu feature (among others).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

Pleasing blurs are not, as some folks believe, out of focus mistakes. If you would like to learn how to create these increasingly popular images, get yourself a copy of “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance. We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time, do join us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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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?

Despite the preponderance of tame Long-billed Curlews, Marbled Godwits, and Western Gulls in gorgeous breeding plumage, the folks on the Morro Bay Canon Destination workshop were a bit tuckered out from our long Saturday beach walks. And they wanted some variety. In search of that, we spent about two hours with a very handsome and very cooperative male Anna’s Hummingbird. Nobody was bored.

I pack tonight. I will be getting up quite early as my Monday flight to Phoenix departs San Luis Obispo at 6:20am. From there it is on to MCO where Jim will be picking me up at about 4:30pm. Good luck with my 40 minute connection time….

This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and was published at 9:02pm on Sunday, two minutes past midnight on Monday on the east coast. Good night.

Image #1: Rock Rose 3X2

Lens Quiz

Both the 3X2 image above and the square crop below were created from the same RAW file. The 3X2 is a minuscule crop from the original.

What lens or lens/TC combination was used to create the original image?

a-Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens
b- Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens
c-Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III
d-Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
e-some other lens/TC combination; if this, which?

Note: the flower was about two and one-half to three inches in diameter.

Image #2: Rock Rose Square

Image Preference

Which of the two images above do you like best, the 3X2 version or the square crop. Please let us know why.

Please

Please remember to use our affiliate links especially for you major gear purchases. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Stuff

I enjoyed a great morning at Morro Bay with two private clients, Bill Goodhew and Dwayne Marrott. The curlews and godwits and Willets and Western Gulls were all in fine form and the light was sweet. The afternoon, with a bit of fog thrown in, was fair to good. It got so foggy in the end that we wound up creating pleasing blurs.

I met the Canon Destination Workshop group at 7pm for our introductory session. Everyone in the group was nice and there were lots of good questions; everyone seemed eager to learn. Several folks borrowed 200-400 (with Internal TC) lenses. This blog post took 1 1/2 hours to put together and was published from my hotel room in Morro Bay, CA at 9:40pm.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Morro Bay on the morning of March 20, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400: 1/1600 sec. at f/9. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF, focus lock and re-compose. See below for details. Click on the image to see a larger version. Surf Scoter in surf

AF-On Button for Focus Lock

Having come almost full circle, back to using Shutter Button AF more than 90% of the time, I now set the AF-On button to be my focus lock (AF-Off). To create the image above I focused with the shutter button, pressed and held the AF-On button to lock focus, quickly re-composed, and created two images in rapid succession. Using this technique was necessary as no AF point in the array could put the bird in the corner of the frame where I wanted it. Using rear focus would actually have been easier in this instance. But with the method above there is no need to switch from Shutter Button to Rear Focus AF when you need to re-compose.

Facebook

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Wow. Just got back from an amazing afternoon. Canon Live Learning Morro Bay Destination Workshop assistant Aidan Briggs suggested a new location and it paid off in spades. Images, including a killer flapping after bath Long-billed Curlew here soon. I am planning on hitting the sack at 9:01pm….

This blog post took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my hotel room in Morro Bay, CA at 9:07pm.just after midnight on the east coast.

If you would like to join us in Morro Bay this coming weekend scroll down for details. All you need is a 100-400 II and a 7D II.

Please remember: no phone orders; web orders only!

For the past week, a brain typo by yours truly resulted in a grievous error; the section below stated “Phone orders only!” Thanks a stack to Robin Harrison who kindly pointed out the error. This is of course correct: Please remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

Many thanks to all who continue to support my efforts here on the blog by using our affiliate links.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Morro Bay on Tuesday March 17, 2015 at 7:01pm with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 248 mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800 (should have been ISO 400). Evaluative metering -2 1/3 stops: 1/2500 sec. at f/22. Color temperature: 9000K. Zone/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). It selected two AF points along the right center edge of the rock. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Bird Sh*t Rock/Starburst at the eyebrow

f/22 for the Starburst Effect

With many lenses photographing the sun just above the horizon or peeking out from the edge of a rock or a tree at f/22 or smaller apertures will often produce lovely starbursts. Understand that with today’s two images the moving a fraction of an inch in either direction will have large effects on the image. Even at -3 stops the sun will register as over-exposed with RGB values of 255, 255, 255. No worries. If you work in Manual mode and set an exposure dark enough to avoid blinkies on the sun you will have a black rock in a black sky…. Much better to toast the sun and to avoid underexposing the sky at all.

This image was created at Morro Bay on Tuesday March 17, 2015 at 7:07pm with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens(at 256mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800 (should have been ISO 400). Evaluative metering -2 2/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/22. Color temperature: 6100K. Zone/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). It selected two AF points just below the “nose” on the right side of the rock. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Bird Sh*t Rock/Starburst in the mouth

What Do You See?

Bird Sh*t Rock is the local name of the small outcrop just to the north of the much larger Morro Rock. I believe that both species of cormorants nest on this rock and it serves as an evening roost for those two species as well as decent numbers of Brown Pelicans. What do you see when you view the shape of the rock? Does anyone see a horse’s head?

This image was created at Morro Bay on Tuesday March 17, 2015 at 7:44pm, well after sunset. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 263 mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 2500. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/15 sec. at f/5.6. Color temperature: 9000K. Center AF point AI Servo/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point fell on the rock between the nose and the mouth. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Bird Sh*t Rock/Starburst with landing pelicans

Image Question

Why so little minus exposure compensation with this image as opposed to the first two?

4-Stop IS Rocks the Rock at 1/15 sec.

This image represents a bit more than true four-stop IS. Half of 263 is 131.5. Half of that is 65.75. Half of that is 32.875. And half of that is 16.4375. So 1/15 sec. at 263mm is a bit more than four times better than the old recommendation of 1 over the focal length. IAC, it is quite amazing.

Your Preference?

Though the three images are quite similar, there are differences. Which of today’s three images do you like best? If you do have a strong preference, be sure to let us know why.

Morro Bay offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects in a variety of attractive settings. Do consider joining me there on the March 20-22, 2015 Canon Destination Workshop. Complete info and register here

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day

The Morro Bay Canon Destination Workshop March 20-22, 2015 now has only three slots open. To encourage folks to sign up I have planned the following:

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day. Friday March 20: $399.

This in-the-field workshop includes a 4-hour morning photo-session that begins in the pre-dawn, a 2 hour afternoon photo session (3-5pm or so), and a working lunch with image review and some Photoshop. We will finish up in time to attend the Friday evening program that opens the Destination Workshop. At present only two folks are signed up for the day so you will surely receive all of the one on one guidance that you can handle.

Though you not need to be registered for the Canon event to join me on Friday, doing so would make a lot of sense to me. The Friday evening program is of course open only to those who are signed up for the Destination Workshop. See immediately below for details on that.

BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
March 20-22, 2015: $1050

You must register soon to get in on the fun and learning!

Borrow great Canon gear. Head home with a print or two. Learn from the best.

Click here for complete info or to register.

Click here to see the course agenda.

Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of the sea and shore. The star of the show will be the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits and Willets as well as lots of the smaller shorebird species. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay; with any luck we should enjoy some great sunrise and sunset photography. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one good location where we should get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon–you will be able to borrow a long lens from Canon along with various camera bodies. We may get to photograph some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy. And California Ground Squirrel. Sea Otters are also possible.

Folks who register after seeing this notice are asked to shoot me a copy of their BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay Registration Confirmation via e-mail.

See lots more Morro Bay images here.

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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

Monday morning was incredibly exciting and productive. With some heavy cloud cover, I took Monday afternoon off to relax. This blog post was published at 9:50pm on Monday night from my hotel room in Morro Bay, CA–just before 1am on the east coast.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Morro Bay on the morning of March 16, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6. Color temperature: 9000K. One AF point up from the Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Western Gull in predawn

What 500II? What 1D X?

I have not taken the 500II out of the trunk since the first morning in Morro Bay. I have not even touched the single 1D X that I brought to California. The 100-400II/7D II combination is that deadly….

This image was created at Morro Bay on the morning of March 16, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 100mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6. Pop-up flash at zero. 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). Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Western Gull in flight/flash blur

Your Last Chance is Nearly Here…

It is not too late to join me here in Morro Bay for this coming Friday’s In-the-Field Workshop or to register for the Canon Live Learning Morro Bay Destination Workshop that follows on Saturday and Sunday. See below for details.

This image was created at Morro Bay the morning of March 16, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6. AWB. One AF point to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was on the edge of the top of the bird’s breast. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Long-billed Curlew female

Morro Bay is Smoking Hot!

I have been blessed to come across a variety of great situations every day at Morro Bay. Monday afternoon was the first day with a blah sunset. On Monday morning I enjoyed some great pre-dawn color, a variety of birds chowing down on a seal carcass, and several displaying male turkeys along with the usual cast of Long-billed Curlews and Marble Godwits.

This image was created at Morro Bay at Morro Bay on the morning of March 16, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/640 sec. at f/8. AI Servo/Shutter Button/Zone AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The AF system selected an array of four sensors just above and to the right of the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version. AWB. Image #4: Western Gull/third winter scavenging pinniped

Coming Soon

I will sharing a series of images of gull scavenging the seal carcass here soon. In another upcoming post, I will be discussing the use of the 7D II pop-up flash to improve your bird photography.

This image was created at Morro Bay at Morro Bay on the morning of March 16, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 217mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/2 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6. One AF point to the right and one row above the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was just behind the bird’s neck. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #5: Wild Turkey tom strutting display

Image Question

In what type of habitat was the turkey above photographed? In other words, where? Hint: it was not photographed atop a pool table.

Your Fave?

Please take a moment to let us know which of today’s five images was your favorite and why you liked it.

Morro Bay offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects in a variety of attractive settings. Do consider joining me there on the March 20-22, 2015 Canon Destination Workshop. Complete info and register here

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day

The Morro Bay Canon Destination Workshop March 20-22, 2015 now has only four slots open. To encourage folks to sign up I have planned the following:

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day. Friday March 20: $399.

This in-the-field workshop includes a 4-hour morning photo-session that begins in the pre-dawn, a 2 hour afternoon photo session (3-5pm or so), and a working lunch with image review and some Photoshop. We will finish up in time to attend the Friday evening program that opens the Destination Workshop. At present only two folks are signed up for the day so you will surely receive all of the one on one guidance that you can handle.

Though you not need to be registered for the Canon event to join me on Friday, doing so would make a lot of sense to me. The Friday evening program is of course open only to those who are signed up for the Destination Workshop. See immediately below for details on that.

BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
March 20-22, 2015: $1050

Borrow great Canon gear. Head home with a print or two. Learn from the best.

Click here for complete info or to register.

Click here to see the course agenda.

Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of the sea and shore. The star of the show will be the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits and Willets as well as lots of the smaller shorebird species. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay; with any luck we should enjoy some great sunrise and sunset photography. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one good location where we should get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon–you will be able to borrow a long lens from Canon along with various camera bodies. We may get to photograph some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy. And California Ground Squirrel. Sea Otters are also possible.

Folks who register after seeing this notice are asked to shoot me a copy of their BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay Registration Confirmation via e-mail.

See lots more Morro Bay images here.

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?

It was a great first full day at Morro Bay with lots of Long-billed Curlews and Marbled Godwits in the morning, some nice California Poppies in the afternoon, and a pretty sweet sunset. I am tired.

This blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my hotel room in Morro Bay, CA at 9:44pm on Saturday, which is early Sunday morning on the east coast.

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 remember: no phone orders: web orders only!

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

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/500 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AI Servo/Rear Focus/Zone AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The AF system activated three AF points that fell on the bird’s neck and the base of the bill and nailed a sharp eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Long-billed Curlew on wet sand

Canon 500mm f/4L IS II and 7D II Rocks Morro Bay

I headed out to the beach going light on Saturday morning with just the hand held 500 II and the 7D II with the 1.4X TC in my fanny pack. Conditions are currently ideal at Morro Bay. Do think seriously about joining me here next Friday. Scroll down for details.

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. 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). The centr AF point was on the top of the bird’s head. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Marbled Godwit foraging in surf

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AI Servo/Rear Focus/Zone AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The AF system activated three AF points that fell on the bird’s face and the left side of its neck and once again nailed a sharp eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Western Gull landing with nesting material

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/2000sec. at f/9 is the equivalent of my sunny bright white ISO 400 exposure in full sun: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. One point to the right and one row up from 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). The selected AF point fell right on the bird’s eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #4: Western Gull head portrait of bird in breeding plumage

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400: 1/1000 at f/8 in Manual mode confirmed via histogram check. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand Rear Focus AF squarely on the bird’s eye 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 #5: Free and wild Red-tailed Hawk

This image was created at Morro Bay, CA with the the hand held Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand Rear Focus AF squarely on the bird’s face 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 #6: Pied-billed Grebe fluffing up

Your Fave?

Please take a moment to let us know which of today’s 6 images was your favorite and why you liked it.

Morro Bay offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects in a variety of attractive settings. Do consider joining me there on the March 20-22, 2015 Canon Destination Workshop. Complete info and register here

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day

The Morro Bay Canon Destination Workshop March 20-22, 2015 now has only four slots open. To encourage folks to sign up I have planned the following:

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day. Friday March 20: $399.

This in-the-field workshop includes a 4-hour morning photo-session that begins in the pre-dawn, a 2 hour afternoon photo session (3-5pm or so), and a working lunch with image review and some Photoshop. We will finish up in time to attend the Friday evening program that opens the Destination Workshop. At present only two folks are signed up for the day so you will surely receive all of the one on one guidance that you can handle.

Though you not need to be registered for the Canon event to join me on Friday, doing so would make a lot of sense to me. The Friday evening program is of course open only to those who are signed up for the Destination Workshop. See immediately below for details on that.

BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
March 20-22, 2015: $1050

Borrow great Canon gear. Head home with a print or two. Learn from the best.

Click here for complete info or to register.

Click here to see the course agenda.

Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of the sea and shore. The star of the show will be the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits and Willets as well as lots of the smaller shorebird species. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay; with any luck we should enjoy some great sunrise and sunset photography. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one good location where we should get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon–you will be able to borrow a long lens from Canon along with various camera bodies. We may get to photograph some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy. And California Ground Squirrel. Sea Otters are also possible.

Folks who register after seeing this notice are asked to shoot me a copy of their BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay Registration Confirmation via e-mail.

See lots more Morro Bay images here.

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?

Me. Early. I leave the hotel at 4:30am for my flights to Phoenix and San Luis Obispo. Yesterday was packing day. This blog post took 3+ hours to prepare and was published from the Orlando Courtyard Marriott at 3:45am.

BTW, good job! The 3000+ views streak is still alive with yesterday’s 3157.

The 100-400II is back in stock at B&H. With its amazing close focus, it really is the most versatile intermediate telephoto lens ever and it’s great image stabilization system makes it eminently hand holdable. Even though the B&H website shows this as out of stock, they are in stock right now in limited quantities so order yours right now by clicking on the widget below. Many thanks for that.

Today’s Images

Today’s images were all made on the morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. I used focal lengths ranging from 100-400mm to showcase the amazing versatility of the new 100-400 II. Do consider that I spent several hours that morning working with the 7D II with both the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II and the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II.

Your Fave?

Please leave a comment to let us know which of the eight images is your favorite and which one you think does not merit inclusion here. Either way or both, be sure to let us know why.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. Cloudy WB. 65-point automatic Selection/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the AF system activated three AF points across the birds’s breast obviously on the same plane as the bird’s eye which is right-on sharp. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Laughing Gull with Pipefish

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode was a slight underexposure. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the active AF point fell squarely on the top of the bird’s head. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: White Ibis feeding in surf.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.0 in Manual mode. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the active AF point just below the tip of the bird’s bill. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Royal Tern Incoming

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stop as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 was a very slight underexposure. Cloudy WB. Zone AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the AF system activated two points below the center AF point that were on the reflection of the bird’s neck. Less than ideal but for the fact that the image is sharp. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #4: Great Egret striking

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops set manually: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the active AF point fell on the bottom of the back of the bird’s head just before the neck. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #5: Great Egret with prey/rear view

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 100mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the nearest Willet 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 #6: Willet flock at the beach What three other species besides Homo sapiens are shown in this image?

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 182mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/8. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure; the active AF point fell right on the bird’s eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #7: Ring-billed Gull/tight head portrait

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the cloudy morning of March 6, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 278mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/1600 sec. at f/5. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the front bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #8: Royal Terns sleeping line-up

As Predicted Here Previously…

As predicted here previously, the 7D II/100-400 II combination is revolutionizing bird photography. If you decide to join the fun and were inspired to purchase your rig as a result of what you have read here on the BAA blog, please consider supporting my efforts here by clicking on the widget below. Many thanks! artie

Morro Bay offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects in a variety of attractive settings. Do consider joining me there on the March 20-22, 2015 Canon Destination Workshop. Complete info and register here

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day

The Morro Bay Canon Destination Workshop March 20-22, 2015 now has only four slots open. To encourage folks to sign up I have planned the following:

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day. Friday March 20: $399. Limit 8/Openings: 6

This in-the-field workshop includes a 4-hour morning photo-session that begins in the pre-dawn, a 2 hour afternoon photo session (3-5pm or so), and a working lunch with image review and some Photoshop. We will finish up in time to attend the Friday evening program that opens the Destination Workshop. At present only two folks are signed up for the day so you will surely receive all of the one on one guidance that you can handle.

Though you not need to be registered for the Canon event to join me on Friday, doing so would make a lot of sense to me. The Friday evening program is of course open only to those who are signed up for the Destination Workshop. See immediately below for details on that.

BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
March 20-22, 2015: $1050

Borrow great Canon gear. Head home with a print or two. Learn from the best.

Click here for complete info or to register.

Click here to see the course agenda.

Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of the sea and shore. The star of the show will be the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits and Willets as well as lots of the smaller shorebird species. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay; with any luck we should enjoy some great sunrise and sunset photography. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one good location where we should get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon–you will be able to borrow a long lens from Canon along with various camera bodies. We may get to photograph some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy. And California Ground Squirrel. Sea Otters are also possible.

Folks who register after seeing this notice are asked to shoot me a copy of their BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay Registration Confirmation via e-mail.

See lots more Morro Bay images here.

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I accomplished a ton on Tuesday. Lots more work on the ethics of nature photography business. A nice long swim, my core exercises, and an ice bath.

This blog post took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare and was published at 6:43am from my home in central Florida.

I fly to Morro Bay on Friday for a week-long busman’s holiday followed by the Canon Destination Workshop. On Monday,Bosque In-the-Field workshop participant Dwayne Marrot called and signed up for my Friday Morro Bay In-the-field sessions and then registered for the Canon Morro Bay Live Learning Destination Workshop. Togehter they make for a neat and relatively inexpensive package. It is not too late for you to sign up for one or both and I would love to see you there. Scroll down for complete details.

BAA Blog web stats for the past month

Great BAA Blog News

Congrats to all. And to me. For the first time ever, the blog enjoyed 3,000 or more hits every day for a month, from Monday February 9, 2015 through at least Monday March 9, 2015. Thanks for visiting. Please remember to use our B&H and other links for all of your purchases major and minor.

A New Streak

Today’s blog post is the 63rd straight day with a new educational blog post. This streak began on January 7, 2015. No days off since :). No worries, I am not planning on trying to eclipse last years ridiculous streak of 366 straight days with a new blog post.

E-mail Apologies

At no time in my career have I been so far behind in answering e-mails. If you sent one to me that has gone unanswered, please re-send it here and I will do my best to get to it as quickly as possible.

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 remember: no phone orders; web orders only!

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 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 in cloudy conditions at 5:03pm on Friday past at Brandon, FL with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops off the grey sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3. Three AF points to the right and one row down from the center AF point/AI Servo Expand Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The active AF point was on the female’s body; she is the one on our right. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Was It Real? Or was it a Photoshop Phony?

In the March 8, 2015 blog post here, I asked, “Do you see any evidence of a major Photoshop changes? Did I add a head or an eye? Did I repair a wingtip? If so, please state your case clearly and let us know what the telltale signs were.”

Lots of folks saw signs that I had monkeyed’s around:”cloned the female’s eye,” “I suspect the female’s head has been traded for one from another shot. The clue is that the feather pattern around the her head looks slightly clipped. It is very hard to select feathery patterns well for moving,” “To my eye, the male’s head/neck doesn’t belong to it’s body: the whites are different, the position doesn’t look natural, and I’m not sure you could have gotten the male’s neck/head in focus with the focus point on the female’s neck,” “Now that you mention it, the male’s neck doesn’t seem to connect with his body,” and “Love the shot but either the tips of the primary flight feathers and tail feathers of the female are very dirty or they are from another species of bird. The upper legs on the female have a slightly different tonality (black and more matte) than the lower, which may be caused by the bird’s shadow.”

Kudos to Jon who commented “Wonderful image Artie, I don’t see any signs of cloning/patching etc on this image,” and to Janet Heintz who left this: “Beautiful capture, I really can’t notice anything in the image that would make me think it was altered.”

“I’m not sure you could have gotten the male’s neck/head in focus with the focus point on the female’s neck…”

Actually, the active AF point was on the female’s body not on her neck. The neck is too, too skinny; if I tried that it would have been very likely that I would have lost AF at just the wrong moment. When I envisioned creating this image and others in the series I realized that getting both heads and eyes razor sharp would somewhat be a matter of luck. Remember that I held the shutter button down as soon as I saw the female get excited by the sight of her returning mate. Not all of the images in the series featured the bird’s head on the exact same plane. This one did, along with the wonderful, embracing pose.

The Truth

The truth is that this is the first image I have ever posted without changing a single pixel. I converted the RAW file in DPP, brought it into Photoshop, and executed a square crop utilizing only a few pixels less than the full height of the original image. No NIK. No selective sharpening. No Clone Stamp Tool. No Patch Tool. No Spot Healing Brush.

When I started asking questions like this more than a year ago, my original premise was that if you told folks in advance what repairs you had done, they could always spot the “telltale signs”, but if you did not tell them what had been done (if anything), many folks would wind up inventing or imagining the telltale signs. I like being right :).

New Used Gear Listing

Used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Lens

Richard Rhudy is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4299. The sale includes the the front leather hood, the rear dust cap, the lens trunk, an AquaTech SoftHood Collapsing Hood for the 500mm f/4 (a $150 value), and insured shipping by UPS Ground to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Richard via e-mail or by phone at 650-855-2421 (Pacific time zone).

The old five was at one time the world’s most popular telephoto lens. It still makes great images with both TCs. artie

Used Photography Gear for Sale

You can see all of the currently listed items by clicking here or at any time by clicking on the Used Photography Gear for Sale tab, the last item on the lower row of yellow-gold tab bars near the top of each blog page.

Morro Bay offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects in a variety of attractive settings. Do consider joining me there on the March 20-22, 2015 Canon Destination Workshop. Complete info and register here

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day

The Morro Bay Canon Destination Workshop March 20-22, 2015 now has only four slots open. To encourage folks to sign up I have planned the following:

Morro Bay Pre-Canon Destination Workshop In-the-field Day. Friday March 20: $399.

This in-the-field workshop includes a 4-hour morning photo-session that begins in the pre-dawn, a 2 hour afternoon photo session (3-5pm or so), and a working lunch with image review and some Photoshop. We will finish up in time to attend the Friday evening program that opens the Destination Workshop. At present only two folks are signed up for the day so you will surely receive all of the one on one guidance that you can handle.

Though you not need to be registered for the Canon event to join me on Friday, doing so would make a lot of sense to me. The Friday evening program is of course open only to those who are signed up for the Destination Workshop. See immediately below for details on that.

BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
March 20-22, 2015: $1050

Borrow great Canon gear. Head home with a print or two. Learn from the best.

Click here for complete info or to register.

Click here to see the course agenda.

Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of the sea and shore. The star of the show will be the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits and Willets as well as lots of the smaller shorebird species. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay; with any luck we should enjoy some great sunrise and sunset photography. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one good location where we should get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon–you will be able to borrow a long lens from Canon along with various camera bodies. We may get to photograph some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy. And California Ground Squirrel. Sea Otters are also possible.

Folks who register after seeing this notice are asked to shoot me a copy of their BIRDS AS ART Morro Bay Registration Confirmation via e-mail.

See lots more Morro Bay images here.

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Typos

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