Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I actually set an alarm last night. For 3:30am. As is almost always the case, I woke well before the alarm. At 5:30am. Jim is taking me to the airport at about 5:30am this morning. My flight from Orlando (MCO) to San Diego (SAN)–with a connection in Dallas (DFW)–departs at 9:00am.

Today’s blog post took about 2 hours to prepare; thanks to Arash for his e-mail help. It was published at 3:11am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. If you are one of the very few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that. Do consider joining me in South Georgia next October for the trip of a lifetime. See here for the 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 check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. I just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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

This image was created on a dark, rainy day in Vancouver, Canada by Arash Hazeghi. He used the with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 2000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Arash Hazeghi

Saved From the Darkness…

From Arash Hazeghi’s ‘s post here on BirdPhotographers.Net. Arash is one of seven moderators in BPN’s Avian Forum.

Because of the changing light this frame was significantly underexposed: I should have been at 1/1600sec at ISO 4000. Thanks, however, to DPP4 and the great imaging sensor of the 1DX, I was able to create a good quality output file.

You can see the optimized image file that Arash made from the well under-exposed original above immediately below.

This is the optimized image that Arash created from the well under-exposed original above. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Arash Hazeghi

The DPP 4 RAW Conversion

Arash lightened the image by moving the Brightness slider to +1.33 and opened up the shadows by moving the Shadow slider to +3. He moved the Highlight slider to -3 to protect the WHITEs of the raptor’s rump. Then he adjusted the Reduce chrominance noise slider to eliminate the color noise and lastly adjusted the Reduce luminance noise slider to suppress the graininess. BPN Member Willie asked a good question in Pane #3 of the thread regarding depth-of-field and flight photography. Arash gave the same answer that I would have given.

Even more amazing is the fact that today’s featured image was about a 60% crop….

Stuff…

At times, I run into beginners who use only JPEG capture. I always say, “With JPEGs, when you screw up, you are screwed. With RAW, you almost always have a chance….” As always, the proof–in the form of today’s featured image–is in the pudding.

The DPP 4 eGuide

The RAW file for this image was converted in DPP v4.1.50 that now supports the 7D Mark II along with image files from the 1D X, the 5D III, the 6D, the 7D, the EOS-1D Mark IV,and several other older Canon camera bodies as well. DPP is far more sophisticated and complex than the various iterations of DPP 3. Thus, Arash and I created a new, stand-alone eGuide for DPP 4, one that really simplifies things. As so much work and effort went into the creation of the DPP 4 eGuide, it does require a separate purchase. Learn more about this great guide by clicking here, or purchase a copy here.

Note: the Sharpness and Noise Reduction Charts have already been updated to include the recommended values for the 7D Mark II. We will be adding values for the Mark IV, the 7D, and likely for the 70D but those will require some time so please be patient as the his process will involve a lot of work on Arash’s part; the update will of course be free. Arash’s recommended values for both chrominance and luminance noise reduction are key to making successful RAW conversions in DPP. He developed these values–which are in nearly all cases much more aggressive than the values calculated by the program itself–after extensive testing of dozens of camera-specific RAW files.

Fort DeSoto in spring can be bird photographer’s heaven. And most of the birds are stupid tame.

Fort DeSoto in Spring/Breeding Plumage IPT: April 24-26, 2015. 3 FULL DAYs: $1099. Limit 8/Openings: 5.

Meet and Greet at 8pm on Thursday, April 23.

Join me at Fort DeSoto at the height of the breeding season for many of our target species: Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, dark and light morph Reddish Egret, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. In addition, we will have a good shot at photographing a variety of arctic-bound shorebird species in breeding plumage. We should have good chances with a variety of courtship behaviors including courtship feeding, courtship displays, pre-copulatory stands, and copulation.

On this IPT you will the learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

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 will 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 you spot. The balance, $600 will be due on February 7, 2015. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.

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 day, another swim; the pool was down 3 degrees to 74F after the previous night’s cold front. Again, I made some decent progress on the 7D Mark II User’s Guide. Today’s blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published at 7:10am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. If you are one of the very few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that. Do consider joining me in South Georgia next October for the trip of a lifetime

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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

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

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

San Diego Gear Bag

I am pretty sure that I have never been to San Diego without a 600 or a 500. Till this year.

Because of a mis-communication with my contact at B&H I did not have a brand new Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens waiting for me when I got home from South America. It would be both conceivable and practical to do the whole San Diego trip with the 100-400 II, a 7D Mark II, and a 1D X. I am still scrambling to get my hands on a 100-400 II for the trip. If you know of a local camera store with one on the shelf, please shoot me their contact info via e-mail.

If I do get a 100-400II I am sure that there will be at least a morning or two when I head out with just the new lens, a camera body or two, and a 1.4X TC in my vest.

Note: We have LensCoats for the 100-400L IS II in stock in the BAA Online Store; purchase yours here.

I needed to carefully consider taking either the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens or the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender.

The 600 II is great for the ducks, great for making super-tight images of pelican parts, and very good for shorebirds. The 200-400 is far more versatile allowing for virtually unlimited framing options. The pelicans are often quite close. The money shot with them is the head throw. When you have a perfect situation you often need to wait for the head toss. Those waits can be long ones. On the surface it would seem that hand holding the 100-400II would be best. But keeping even this relatively light lens raised for what might be a considerable period of time quickly gets old. I’d much prefer the 200-400 on a tripod.

In addition, with the 1.6 crop factor of the 7DII, I will be able to create the super-tight pelican stuff that I love either with the built-in TC alone or by adding an external Canon Extender EF 1.4X III to the mix. With both TCs and the 7DII I will be able to enjoy effective of equivalent (your choice of words) 1254.4mm, roughly the equal of the 600II/2X III/1D X combination (1200mm).

Taking all of the above into account we put the 200-400 into the lens trunk, put that into our old, large, dependable, well-taped-up, heavy duty cardboard shipping box, and sent it UPS-3 day to the San Diego hotel. Along with my hiking boots, my tripod, and my Mongoose M3.6 tripod head.

As getting the 100-400II is not a given, I am bringing the venerable and versatile Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Great for the pelicans in flight or for a variety of bird-scapes and scenics with either camera body (or with a 5D Mark III).

Choices for Nikon Folks

Telephoto lens choices for Nikon folks, especially those using full frame bodies, are more difficult. If I were in that group, I would lean more towards bringing the 11.16 pound (sorry, big advantage to Canon there) Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens than to bringing the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens. I’d make sure, however, to have a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens on hand.

Those whose big lens is the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II should bring along their Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens as well.

For Nikon folks using 1.5X crop factor cameras the choices are that much more difficult….

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

Auxiliary Lenses

Also along for the ride will be the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II and the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS . I used each successfully on the Southern Ocean trip both on landings and from the zodiacs.

There were more than a few times on that trip when I wished that I had had the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens along and vowed to bring it on pretty much every trip that I make. When you are out in nature it is rare that something tiny and interesting does not catch your eye. The 100 macro IS will be in the bag.

As always, I will be traveling with three Canon 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs.

Camera Bodies

I will have along two 1D X bodies, my 7D Mark II, and the 5D Mark III. I will likely use each of them at some point on the trip.

Singh-Ray Filters: In Case of Rainbows

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. Who? Art Wolfe, Tony Sweet, my new friend Ian Plant, my friend and oft-business partner, Denise Ippolito, Nevada Weir, Brenda Tharp, Cole Thompson, Chuck Kimmerle, and the late Galen Rowell among others. Singh-Ray has been and is the name in quality filters. I will have both my 77 and 82mm Singh-Ray Warming Polarizers in my vest in San Diego in case of rainbows.

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

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

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

Think Tank Rolling Bags

I will be using the larger of my two Think Tank rolling bags, the Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. I used the slightly smaller of the two, the Airport International™ LE Classic for my Southern Ocean trip. I am going with the larger bag in anticipation of having a 100-400 II to bring home 🙂

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

The Think Tank Glass Limo

The Think Tank Glass limo was so fantastic on the Southern Ocean trip that I am bringing it to San Diego even though there are very few long walks. I will be doing a blog post soon detailing how I use this great bag.

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

The San Diego Site Guide

The San Diego Site Guide is, as all of our Site Guides are, the next best thing to being on an IPT. I share all the hard-earned secrets learned over three decades of birding and bird photography in and around America’s Finest City. Learn more or purchase here.

Delkin Flash Card Price Drops

Please note the new lower prices for Delkin flash cards:

32GB 700X CF Card: $54.99
64GB 700X CF Card: $84.99
128GB 700X CF Card: $194.99

32GB 1000X CF Card: $74.99
64GB 1000X CF Card: $99.95
128GB 1000X CF Card: $219.95

You can purchase yours at the new low prices above by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 or by clicking here.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Used Gear Cautions

Though I am not in a position to post images of gear for sale here or elsewhere, prospective buyers are encouraged to request for photos of the gear that they are interested in purchasing via e-mail. Doing so will help to avoid any misunderstandings as to the condition of the gear. Sellers are advised to take care to photograph their used gear with care against clean backgrounds so that the stuff is represented accurately and in the best light; please pardon the pun :).

These Price Reductions Just In!

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens, the “old six”

An Amazing Package for Someone Young and Strong. Or Old and Strong.

Price reduced $400 on 1/26/2015!

Gerald Barrack is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens for the record-low price of $5199, or $5399 with the 1.4X II and 2X II TCs thrown in. The lens is in very good condition with perfect glass and many dings and wear on the painted surface that do not affect function. Photos are available upon request. The lens was given a clean bill of health after a clean and check by Canon in Nov. 2014. The gear will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made. The sale includes the lens trunk, the front leather hood, the rear lens cap, and insured ground shipping within the continental US.

Interested folks can contact Gerald via e-mail or try him on his cell at 201 638 3510 (Easter Time Zone).

The old six was my workhorse super-telephoto for too many years…. artie

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV/Lowest Price Ever!

Price reduced $301 on 1/26/2015!

Gerald is also offering a used Canon EOS 1D Mark IV body again for a record low price: $1599. The body is in very good to excellent condition and is in perfect working order having been check by CPS in November 2014. The body has several scuff and wear marks that do not affect function. Photos are available upon request.

The sale includes a Really Right Stuff mounting plate, the original Canon camera strap, the battery charger and an extra battery, the instruction manual, and insured ground shipping within the continental US. Interested folks can contact Gerald via e-mail or try him on his cell at 201 638 3510 (Easter Time Zone). The camera will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Two Mark IVs were my workhorse bodies for many years. artie

Used Sigma Zoom Super Telephoto 300-800mm f/5.6 EX DG APO IF HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS

Price reduced $500 on 1/26/2015!

Beth Starr is offering a used Sigma Zoom Super Telephoto 300-800mm f/5.6 EX DG APO IF HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS, aka The Sigmonster, in like-new condition. Used only 3-4 times: $4,999. The sale includes the original shipping box and the original lens case. Includes insured ground shipping in the continental US. You can call Beth on hee cell at 908-625-1589 or contact her via e-mail.

This is a superb lens for folks working from a vehicle with the lens supported by a BLUBB. James Shadle has used the Nikon mount version of this lens on a tripod for years to create many memorable images. Strong folks can save a bundle as this is a steal at $2,899 below the list price. artie

New Listings (1/25/2015)

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

Sale Pending

As predicted, Rod’s used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens sold almost instantly for $5200.

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

Brad Lincoln is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM Lens in excellent condition for the lowest-ever-by-far price of $4199. The sale includes the front leather hood, the rear dust cap, the strap, the original case with keys, a Lens Coat, a Really Right Stuff 63A Lens Plate, the lens manual, the original warranty card, and insured shipping to US addresses only. The lens had Canon’s 11-Point EF Lens Maintenance Service in March 2014. Photos are available upon request via e-mail. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Folks can contact Brad by e-mail or reach him by phone at 1-703 440-5912, 6:00-9:00 pm Eastern Time. There are currently four of these lenses listed on the Used Photography Gear Page here at prices from as low as $4700 to as high as $5250; this is one is priced to sell instantly so best would be to e-mail Brad as it will be first come, first served.

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

Used Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II Lens

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

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

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

Used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Zack Skochko is offering a used Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in like-new condition for the amazingly low price of $7499. Save $2,000 right now. No marks, no blemishes, glass perfect. Request photos via e-mail as below. The sale includes the front leather hood, the rear dust cap, the strap, the original lens trunk, a Really Right Stuff replacement foot, the lens manual, the original warranty card, and insured shipping to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Folks can contact Zack by e-mail or reach him by phone at 703-965-7432, EST. Day and evenings OK.

Note: Used “new fives” are exceedingly rare. They sell new at B&H for $9499. B&H is offering a used old 500 (Item condition 9) for $6,299.95. This “new 500” is priced to sell instantly so please do not hesitate and risk being disappointed.

Used Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM Lens

Bill Lloyd is offering a one year old used Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens in excellent conditions with perfect glass and several minute, barely visible scratches for $949. The hood locks/unlocks smoothly and the focusing ring operates smoothly. Request photos via e-mail as below. The sale includes with the Canon LZ1132 Pouch and Strap (both unused), the lens Guide Sheet, the front and rear lens caps, the tripod mount ring AII(W), and insured shipping to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Folks can contact Bill via e-mail.

Though I put my beloved “toy lens” on the map about 2 decades ago, this versatile lightweight lens is still in production for good reason. It makes a great flight lens or a great starter lens. It is super sharp. 7D II folks can add a 1.4X III TC and enjoy tremendous reach (though I recommend using a good tripod and the Mongoose M3.6 with a teleconverter to ensure sharp images). The 400/5.6 sells new today at B&H for $1339.

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 day, another swim. And lots more core strengthening and balance exercises. And I made some decent progress on the 7D Mark II User’s Guide. Today’s blog post took about 2 hours to prepare. It was published at 6:52am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL where it is pouring rain right now.

If you are one of the very few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that. Do consider joining me in South Georgia next October for the trip of a lifetime

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

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

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

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #471

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #471 is available online here.

• The Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” 7-Video Instructional Series
• King Penguin Abstract
• The Morro Bay, CA Canon Live Learning EOS Destination Workshop
• The Blog is the Bomb!
• Jim Neiger Osprey Heaven and Custom Anytime Workshops
• Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbills and More Instructional Photo-Tour: 1 Opening Due to a Cancellation!

This image was created in cloudy conditions on December 25, 2014 at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia. I used the handheld Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 210mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/7.1. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is almost always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: King Penguin preening abstract

King Penguin Preening Abstract

A raging ice melt river more than two feet deep with a 6 knot current kept me and many others on the trip from making it to the best vantage points on a ridge above the King Penguin colony. (More on that tale soon.) That left me to work with hundreds of silly tame King Penguins along the beach. I photographed them coming out of the surf. I did head portraits. And tried my best to capture a few courtship interactions. But as always with this species, I could not resist creating a few tight abstracts of the bird’s heads, necks, and faces. With the bright colors and intricate patterns there is pretty much an infinite number of complex abstract images there for the making.

The success of this image was due in part to my crouching down to best parallel the resting subject and in part to the carefully thought out image design. The partially open eye added a lot here. This was the only frame of about a dozen in the series in which the eye was not shut tight. With the eye shut, however, the image becomes even more abstract.

One of my King Penguin neck abstracts was honored in the 2013 Nature’s Best Competition. Click here to see the image and here for additional contest info.

This image was created in cloudy conditions at 7:15am December 23, 2014 at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/16. Cloudy WB. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF on the center of the black-yellow/orange edge and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: King Penguin sleeping abstract

King Penguin Sleeping Abstract

I created an image similar to this one on a fresh snow day at Fortuna Bay in October 2012. After the fact I think that I prefer the one with the snow background by a small margin. OCT/early NOV trips to South Georgia offer a much greater chance of snowy conditions. I am always praying for a white-out. Note that I used the 1D X and the 7D II with equal effectiveness on my recent trip.

This image was created in cloudy conditions at 7:26am December 23, 2014 at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/100 sec. at f/16. Cloudy WB. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF where the black curve juts into the orange patch from our left 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 #3: King Penguin neck abstract

King Penguin Neck Abstract

You’ve spent a ton of money to travel to one of the world’s premier nature photography locations. You’ve gotten up early. You’ve waited patiently for a gorgeous King Penguin to walk up to you and then stand still. You can’t resist making another series of tight abstracts even though you have previously created thousands of similar images.

Here is what you need to remember: when everything is perfect, make lots of images. Too many folks will make only one or two images in a given situation and then move on (to “save space on their flash card.” What they are not realizing is that in a series of nearly identical images one will almost always stand out as clearly best. Small differences in sharpness, the pose, the bird’s eye, and minute shifts of various lines and angles in the image (caused by slight changes in the composition can make a large difference in the impact of the photograph. The image above is a perfect example. At the end of a large series the bird looked up to the sky for a moment creating a totally new and different look. Ah, success. I plan on entering this one in the next BBC contest….

Your Favorite?

Which of the three images here is your favorite. Be sure to let us know why. Which do you think is the weakest image. And why?

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 2015 South Georgia Expedition Voyage

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.

#3: Do understand that King Penguins are pretty much “dirt birds” on a South Georgia trip. What’s a dirt bird? A bird that is so common and so tame that it is usually over-looked by serious birders….

Click here for complete details and to learn about Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris. Please e-mailor with any questions or try me on my personal line this weekend at 863-692-2806.

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Amazon.com

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Another day, another swim, another ice bath. Lots of core strengthening and balance exercises. I sped into town yesterday afternoon to have my teeth cleaned and arrived five minutes and one day early. I thought that yesterday was Thursday. Everyone in the waiting room had a good laugh. So did I. Today’s blog post took about 4 1/4 hours to assemble. It was finally published at 8:42am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL.

If you are one of the very few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence, y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it extensively with both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back to normal levels at about 3,000 page views/day.

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

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

BirdPhotographers.Net (BPN): It Ain’t Just Birds!

Honest critiques done gently….

I co-founded BPN late in 2007 with a small group of like-minded friends. Today I am the Publisher, and with the technically brilliant Peter Kes, co-owner. My vision then was to create an educational web site where photographers from around the globe could share their images and learn from “honest critiques done gently.” At all costs, I wanted to avoid becoming just another “great shot, pat on the back” nature photography site. There were already enough of those around (and still are).

I truly believe that we have succeeded admirably. Check us out and see for yourself by visiting the home page here: BirdPhotographers.Net. Check out the Avian Forum here. As noted above, it ain’t just birds. You can see a list of all of our forums by clicking here.

Like Stunning Wildlife Photography?

While going through 2014 Image of the Week selections for all of the Critique Forums last night, I was struck by the incredible high quality of the images and decided to share a selection of my favorites from the various forums with you here on the blog over the course of the net few weeks. I begin here today with the BPN Wildlife Forum. This forum is skillfully guided by moderators Steve Kaluski, Morkel Erasmus, and Rachel Hollander.

Wildlife: For posting and critiquing images of terrestrial and aquatic creatures other than birds and macro subjects. Images may included minor hand of man elements. If your subject is captive, please disclose that fact. If you have attracted your subject or subjects into photographic range with food, water, audio, or by any other means, please let us know. If you have significantly altered your image by adding or removing elements of the composition, we ask that you let folks know that as well.

You can click on the six BPN links to read the honest critiques done gently for each of the marvelous photographs presented here. The amount of learning that goes on with every posted image is even more notable than even the best images. My hope is not only that many of you visit but that you are so impressed that you join us and become part of our worldwide community of folks who enjoy nature photography and are keen on improving their skills.

This image was created at the Mooiplaas waterhole near Mopani camp in the northern partat Kruger National Park with the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens and the Canon EOS 70D. I got hammered a bit (in a good way of course) when I posted the elephant image a few weeks ago. Well I’m back to have another go. On our recent visit to the Kruger National Park, I spent a lot of time late afternoons at the Mooiplaas waterhole near Mopani camp in the northern parts of the Park. The waterhole is visited by a variety of game, and especially the zebras were regular visitors. The zebras often got involved in scuffles, and I managed to capture this image of two zebras kicking up dust while being less than friendly with each other. The image was taken late afternoon and I was shooting a bit against the light that was left. I edited the image in LR5. The image was cropped a bit on the right hand side as well as the top. The adjustment brush was used to selectively reduce the clarity on the background from about halfway up. I upped the exposure, contrast and clarity, and lifted the shadows. I upped the saturation a tad, but I didn’t adjust anything to the colours. I applied sharpening after resizing, and applied noise reduction. Thanks for looking, and all critique and comments welcome! Zebra Scuffle. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Thinus Schoeman

Zebra Scuffle by Thinus Schoeman

Many thanks to Thinus, who lives in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa, for sharing this wonderfully exciting image with us. You can read all of the image critiques, view a single re-post, and learn a ton here.

This image was created with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens and the Nikon D4 (now replaced by the Nikon D4S ). ISO 1000. 1/5000 sec. at f7.1. Flying Red Squirrel. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Keith Mitchell A good mate of mine gave me the opportunity to photograph his squirrels; it was my first attempt at this so I hope I have gotten something right. Thanks for looking and for any comments you would like to make.

Flying Red Squirrel by Keith Mitchell

Thanks also to Keith Mitchell who hails from Lincolnshire in the UK for posting this spectacular image. You can read all of the image critiques by clicking here.

This image was created with the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . ISO 1600. 1/1600 sec. at f/5. This wild polar bear cub was photographed in the High Arctic from a small boat among some barrier islands in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. I recently returned from two consecutive trips up there. Apologies for my lack of activity on BPN recently, but it has been the start of a busy new teaching term here at the university. In addition, I have been slowly recovering after impaling my back on the boat’s anchor while on the last trip to the arctic (I slipped backward on the boat’s deck while photographing and the anchor was up on the deck at the time). Cracked ribs and severely bruised kidneys have made it difficult to sit at the computer for lengthy periods of time. Luckily and most importantly, the camera gear was fine. Anyway, back to the bears … there were four different females up there with cubs, and this little youngster was by far the most curious and fascinated with the boats. To avoid habituating the bears, we always made sure to back away before the cubs got close to the boat. Wild, not baited, no compositional elements changed. The lens was on a beanbag with the Walt Anderson Panning Ground Pod. Curious Polar Bear Cub. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Mark Needham

Curious Polar Bear Cub by Mark Needham

A big time thanks to Mark, from Corvallis, OR (score one for the US of A), for sharing not only this wonderful image but for sharing his post processing with the group. You can learn how he got such and even exposure for both the sky and the foreground and read all of the image critiques as well by clicking here.

This image was created at Machaba Camp, Khwai, Botswana with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens and the Nikon D800 (now replaced by the Nikon D810 DSLR.) ISO 320. 1/200 sec. at f/5.6. With flash at -1 stop. A Leopard cub perched up in a tree at sunset. We spent about 3 hours with this young cub and its mother as they lay and moved around in this tree; it was truly great to have the time to actually work the scene and capture it from all angles and under different lighting conditions. Leopard Cub at sunset. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Brendon Cremer

Leopard Cub at sunset by Brendon Cremer

Thanks to professional wildlife photographer Brendon Cremer for posting this delightful image on BPN. Brendon resides in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa when he is not on safari. You can learn what folks had to say about this image and view the single re-post here.

This image was created at Mwagusi River, Ruaha National Park, Tanzania with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR lens (Black) and the Nikon D3s (now replaced by the Nikon D4S DSLR.) ISO 400. 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6. In nice golden light this female was doing everything possible to entertain this baby. She wasn’t the mother (possibly an aunt) but just loved doing back flips in front of this new born. The entertainment went on for more than 15 minutes. It was just a joy to sit, watch, and be witness to. Flipped Out Sister. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Marc Mol

Flipped Out Sister by Marc Mol

Thanks to Marc for sharing this most entertaining image in the Wildlife Forum. Mark, who enjoys photography & travel is currently located “somewhere else in the world.” Read the critiques here.

This image was created at South Luangwa National Park, Zambia with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens and the Nikon D3S (now replaced by the Nikon D4S DSLR.) ISO 1600. 1/6400 sec. at f/4. We had a beautiful crisp, clear and sunny morning to do some aerial shadow photography from a microlight, this herd of elephants was very cooperative as they traversed the dry Luangwa river floodplain. It was one of my best flights ever! In the Shadow of the Elepants. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Marc Mol

In the Shadow of the Elephants by Marc Mol

Thanks again to Marc for sharing this dramatic image with the boys and girls on BPN. You can read the critiques and learn or post a critique of your own here.

Your Favorite?

The images above were my BPN Wildlife Forum favorites from 2014. But there were lots of others that I loved and many of the calls were very close ones. Which of these six is your favorite?

If you visit Wildlife and see a 2014 image that you love, feel free to share it with us here by leaving a comment with the link.

Used Canon 400mm f/2.8L IS II Lens

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

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

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

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

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 4. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.

If and when a promised (1-16-2015) deposit check arrives, this trip will be a go.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Dr. Cliff Oliver’s Mom as a young woman.

Condolences

Am sending love, strength, and energy to my bud, Dr. Cliff Oliver of The Center for Balance in San Diego, CA. Cliff’s mom, Edie Oliver (she hated Edith), died recently at age 92. Nearly two decades ago Cliff inspired me to quit trying to kill myself with food. We talk most every week.

Four years ago Cliff stood by his Mom’s bedside. The doctors took him into the X-ray room at the side of the ICU and showed him why she would only live another two weeks at the most. “The oxygen that had been incorrectly administered during surgery has destroyed her lungs.” Edie Oliver lived to enjoy four pretty darned good years until her death last Wednesday. The kidney failure that eventually killed her was caused by short term over-medication….

My Mom is 92.

What’s Up?

I felt good enough yesterday afternoon to take my first swim in two months. I did about a half mile in my 74 degree pool. And I took my first ice bath as well. The tub was 59 F when I got in to do my 44 minutes of relaxation and healing. My efforts paled in comparison to those of the ice swimmers below.

Today’s blog post took about 1 1/4 hours to create. It was published at 5:25am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Today, I will continue to work on the upcoming 7D Mark II User’s Guide, on Used Photography Gear e-mails, and on the next BAA Bulletin.

If you are one of the few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently-concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence, y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it extensively with both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back to normal levels at about 3,000 page views/day.

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

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

This image was created on the cloudy afternoon of January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III (at 192mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light gray sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF on the swimmer standing on the small iceberg and re-compose left Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Trip participant Cameron Sinden of Australia dives from a small iceberg into the -2 degree centigrade (28.4 F) water.

The South Georgia Heritage Trust Rat Eradication Project

Kudos to Cheesemans’ for conducting their annual fund raiser to support the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) Rat Eradication Project (REP) on the recent Southern Ocean expedition. Expedition leader Hugh Rose informed me yesterday via e-mail that folks pledged roughly $1600 for the SGHT REP to sponsor the 20 brave ice swimmers…. The entire SGHT Rat Eradication Project fund raiser auction raised more than $20,000. Four 16X20 inch prints donated by BIRDS AS ART raised about $1500. The auction, always a raucous affair, was once again conducted by CES Expedition Staff member Joe Kaplan who as always had folks rolling on the floor while emptying their wallets.

From the SGHT website:

Team Rat completed their 2013 baiting target

Team Rat has now reached its 2013 target, baiting a further 580 square kilometres of South Georgia, despite operating in some of the worst weather in a decade. This year’s work means that the team has baited 70% of the infested area of the island. You can support Team Rat’s work by sponsoring a hectare of the island to be cleared of rodents by clicking You can make a donation here. And you can even do it by Paypal.

Used 13″ Macbook Pro for sale

Steve Ellis is offering a used 13″ Macbook Pro in very good condition for $799. (The laptop was purchased new for $1650 on 2/13/12.)

PROCESSOR: 2.8GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7. MEMORY: 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x4GB. HARD DRIVE: 750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400. OPTICAL DRIVE: 8x Double-Layer SuperDrive. The sale includes insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. Personal checks only; the laptop will be shipped only after your check clears.

Contact Steve via e-mail or call him at 203-292-3101 (weekdays/eastern time zone).

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 :).

Important Note

My samandmayasgrandpa att e-mail account was suspended on 18 DEC. Those who tried to reach me by e-mail between then and yesterday had their mails bounced back. If you tried to reach me during that period please re-send any important e-mails. It was re-activated soon after I got back from my big trip to the Southern Ocean.

What’s Up?

Though I still have traces of my cold, I am finally feeling much better this morning. If you are one of the few who missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. I still have many exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently-concluded trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Today’s blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to create. It was published at 5:05am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Today, I will continue to work on the upcoming 7D Mark II User’s Guide and get to work on Used Photography Gear e-mails. And watch the two NFL games. I am rooting for the Seahawks to beat the Packers and the Colts to dispatch the Patriots. Can my perfect losing streak continue?

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it with both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back to normal levels at about 3,000 page views/day.

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

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

This shag image was created at 4:11pm on December 17, 2014 in cloudy bright conditions on New Island, the Falklands, with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the light blue sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Manual selection–single point/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. The 7D II has a superb AF system. Here it tracked the incoming bird perfectly against a background other than sky.

From Ted Cheeseman via e-mail

I think that by the currently accepted taxonomy, the bird is a King Cormorant (aka White-bellied Shag), Phalacrocorax (atriceps) albiventer.

Note: Ted’s up to the minute knowledge of all things Southern Ocean borders on the super-natural.

From Cheesemans’ Expedition Leader/birding specialist Joe Kaplan via e-mail:

According to the current e-Bird listing this one goes as Imperial Cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps).

Note from artie: The scientists in charge change the species names of the Southern Ocean comorants (shags) about every to weeks…..

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II

I have championed this camera since the moment I first got my hands on it. And I still love it. How can you beat a lightweight relatively inexpensive body with superb AF, a fast frame rate, superb image files,and pretty darned good control of high ISO noise. There are, however, two things that bug me about the 7D II.

The Number One Thing That I Do Not Like About the 7D Mark II: the Almost Invisible vertically-oriented Exposure Scale in Manual Mode

When you are working with the 7D Mark II in an automatic mode like Program, Aperture value (aperture priority), or Time value (shutter priority), there are two analogue exposure scales in the viewfinder, a horizontal one at the bottom, and a vertically oriented one on the right side. When you are working in manual mode, the only analog scale on the 7D II is the vertically oriented one on the right side of the viewfinder. The problem is that the marks on the vertical scale are smaller and seem to be more dimly lit than the markings on the horizontal analog exposure scale that is easily seen when working in P, Av or Tv.

(Notes: In the official Canon nomenclature, the vertically oriented analogue scale is termed “Exposure level indicator (Metering/Flash metering).” The exposure compensation here is shown by the first mark just to the right of the scale. The flash exposure compensation is shown by a second mark, effectively just to the right of the first mark, only if the pop up flash is raised or an external Speedlight is in place and turned on.

In the official Canon nomenclature, the horizontally oriented analogue scale is termed “Exposure level indicator.” Relevant subheads include “Exposure compensation amount,” “AEB range,” and “Flash exposure compensation.”

The first two are straightforward. The amount of Flash ec is shown on the horizontal scale only after the Flash exposure compensation/ISO button on the top right of the camera has been pushed.)

I believe that the problems encountered when attempting to view the vertical analogue scale when working in Manual mode are compounded because the viewfinder box of the 7D II with its 1.6 crop factor is physically smaller than the viewfinder box on a pro body; unless you have your eye squarely in the dead center of the viewfinder either side of the box block your view of the scale. At times can be difficult at best to read the analog scale. The brighter the ambient light, the more difficult it can become to view the vertically oriented analogue exposure scale (when working in Manual mode).

You can demonstrate the problem by working in Manual mode and moving your eye slightly left and then slightly right in the viewfinder; for most of us the analogue scale will disappear and then appear and then disappear again.

Several times when photographing on the recently-concluded Southern Ocean trip I raised a lens with a 7D II attached and had great difficulty seeing the vertical analog scale (only of course when working in Manual mode). At this point my choices were either to opt to work in the dark (so to speak) by making an image and then checking the histogram or to switch to Av mode. Either is fine in most situations where the light is constant and the subject is not doing anything special. If you come upon a new exposure situation while you are working in Manual mode and the subject does something spectacular you will miss the action.

You can read more about this problem here in the Photography Gear forum on BirdPhotographers.Net. You can check out the honest critiques done gently in the Avian forum here.

Can the problem be solved by a firmware update? Possibly.

This is the layout of the 1D X AF grid. It is the same on the 5D III. Note that the central block is 3 X 7 and that the two outer blocks of sensors are 4 across X 5 tall. More importantly note the relatively narrow gap between the central block and the two outer blocks. Compare with the 7D II AF grid in the next illustration.

The Number Two Thing That I Do Not Like About the 7D Mark II: the AF Grid Void

This is the one–that to my knowledge–has never been mentioned before. Except by me in various personal conversations with other photographers….

On previous EOS digital camera bodies with similar layouts the left, center, and right AF arrays were closer together. In addition, when you worked in either Expand AF area (the selected sensor plus as many as four surrounding AF points) or in Expand AF area: Surround (the selected sensor plus as many as eight surrounding AF points) and move the selected arrays of sensors across the boundary between the three AF arrays (left, center, and right) the transitions are seamless. For example, if you are in Expand AF area: Surround with the central sensor selected with a 1D X or a 5d III and you move the selected array of eight centers one click to the left you will still have nine active sensors, six in the central array and 3 in the left hand array.

This is the layout of the 7D II AF grid. Note that the central block is 5 X 5 and that the two outer blocks of sensors are 4 across X 5 tall. More importantly note the relatively wide gap between the central block and the two outer blocks. There-in lies the problem.

That does not happen with the 7D II; the transitions are not seamless.. You are fine when you move the selected block of sensors one click to the left (because the center block is wider at 5 X 5 with the 7D II than with either the 1D X or the 5D III where the center block of AF points is 3 across X 7 tall). But when you move the selected block of sensors two clicks to the left you will find yourself only with a 3 tall X 2 wide block of six active sensors. The block does not cross over to the left hand (4 X 5) array. One more click to the left and you again find yourself with a 2 X 3 block of of active sensors, this time in the left hand array.

With the widest-ever gap between the central block and the two outer blocks of sensors you are often left wanting. The exact spot that I want to put my array on is often in the void between the central block and one of the two outer blocks. For those who take great care as I do as to exactly where they place the array of active sensors, this often makes getting the exact composition that you want either more difficult or impossible.

Important note: the “AF grid void” problem that I detail immediately above is usually only encountered when you are tracking a slowly moving subject or when you are hand holding and need to keep AF active at the moment of exposure. If you are on a tripod working with a static subject then either One-Shot or Rear Button focus will enable you to come up with the exact composition that you want.

I am hoping that the “AF grid void” problem might one day be solved with a firmware update so that a 5-sensor array stays a 5-sensor array when you cross the void and a 9-sensor array stays a 9-sensor array when you go from the center array to one of the outer arrays….

When folks on IPTs ask, What is the big secret to success in bird and nature photography my answer is always the same. “Paying attention to the small details….”

Do consider joining me for a once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos archipelago in July, 2015.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 14-28, 2015 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit 14 including the leader:/Openings: 2.

My two-week Galapagos Photo-Cruises are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with eight Galapagos cruises under his belt. Pre-trip and pre-landing location-specific gear advice. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea!

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour and Isla Lobos for nesting Blue-footed Booby (most years), South Plaza, Floreana, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus tons more. And there will he lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny mid-days for those like me who wish to partake.

We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast weather, we will often spend 5-6 hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location. Note: some of the walks are a bit strenuous. Great images are possible on all landings with a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter. I bring a longer lens ashore on most landings as that fits my style. I generally work with either the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS or the Canon 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender.

Do know that there is a NatureScapes Galapagos trip: one week for $8495. Thus, my trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations?

The Logistics

Fly to Guayacil, Ecuador on July 12, 2015. Travel insurance/rest day: July 13 (We may or may not offer a photo outing on the 13th). Fly to the archipelago on July 14 and board the Samba. Get off the boat on July 28. Fly to Guayacil that afternoon. Fly home on the early morning of July 29 unless you are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the 28th).

$12,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayacil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $4,000 is not due until 11/1/14. The final payment of $3449 per person will be due on 2/1/15. A $200 discount will be applied to each of the balances for couples or friends who register at the same time.

Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On my past two cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.

Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayacil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayacil, personal items, and a $600/person cash tip for the crew and the guide—this works out to roughly $40/day to be shared by the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.

Please e-mail for the complete itinerary and for additional info and images. Please cut and paste “Galapagos 2015 Info Please) into the Subject line.

Facebook

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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 :).

Important Note

My sam and mayas att e-mail account was suspended on 18 DEC. Those who tried to reach me by e-mail between then and yesterday had their mails bounced back. If you tried to reach me during that period please re-send any important e-mails.

What’s Up?

Though I am still clearing the frogs from my throat a bit, I am feeling better this morning and had a lot more energy yesterday afternoon than on the preceding days. If you missed the Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” seven video series, be sure to click here for a link and the complete details. More on those here soon. I still have many more exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded Southern Oceans trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Today’s blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to create in all and was published at 5:32am from my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL.

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it with both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back at about normal with nearly 3,500 page views/day.

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

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

This image was created in cloudy bright conditions at one minute after noon on January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 240mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stop:s 1/4000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. One sensor to the right of the central sensor/AI Servo/Manual selection–single point/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Wide View

The Early Scene

In the “On the Way Home With My Favorite Flying Penguin Image” blog post here, I wrote, “After a nice hike up a pretty good snow-covered hill I spent an hour photographing several quite scenic Gentoo Penguin colonies. After I made my way back to the landing I began hearing fantastical tales of a huge feeding/bathing aggregation of Gentoos with dozens of birds jumping in and out of the water. I hustled to get on a Zodiac with only 4 other photographers.”

Within minutes we were approaching a large over-turned iceberg sprinkled with Gentoo Penguins We slowed the zodiac at a distance to create some wide images. Expedition photo leader Ron Neibrugge had done a program earlier on creating “animal-scapes” and that is exactly what we did. Then right before our eyes dozens of penguins began trying to jump out of the water up onto the iceberg. Most did not make it and crashed back into the bay after whacking their heads or necks against the ice.

Thanks to Ted Cheeseman for this e-mail exchange

am: What kind of ice were the penguins jumping onto in the two images below??? Glacier? Iceberg? Snow pack? Something else?

tc: Definitely iceberg, which means calved off a glacier. The exposure doesn’t leave a lot of surface texture but I think it’s a berg that has rolled over at some point.

am: thanks Ted. As the tide was dropping around the berg, I am assuming that the big berg was grounded. The receding tide resulted in more and more Gentoos crash landing as the jumped from the water.

This image was created in cloudy bright conditions at one minute after noon on January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 180mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. One sensor below the central sensor/AI Servo/Manual selection–single point/Rear Focus AF as framed fell on the edge of the ice where the blue met the white, was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Penguin Flying Circus

Closer

Expedition leader Joe Kaplan, friend, expert birder, skilled zodiac driver moved us closer to the action at my request. By working relatively wide as I did above, it was fairly easy to get several penguins jumping out of the water in the same frame.

Be sure to check out the animated GIF below to learn about the optimization of this image.

This image was created in cloudy bright conditions at one minute after noon on January 5, 2015 at Neko Harbor, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 240mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stop:s 1/4000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Manual selection–single point/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Crash Landing

Closer Still

After everyone made a slew of wide shots, we agreed to move closer in an attempt to photograph single birds jumping up onto the grounded iceberg. That turned out to be a near impossibility as when you framed tight you had no idea as to where a single bird would appear like a missile being launched from an underground silo. The best that I could do was get a few sharp frames of birds falling back into the bay.

Lou Newman

Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Lew Newman, who has pretty much traveled the world with me over the past 8 years, was part of the BAA group along with firend Betty Neupert. That afternoon Lou out-thought me. Seeing the groups of birds were consistently attempting to land on the berg in a relatively small area, Lou had his zodiac driver put the craft close to the ice without disturbing any penguins. This had two advantages only one of which I realized at the time.

#1: a photo of a jumping penguin made from the side, in profile, would be much more pleasing than one made from the rear….

#2: I did not realize at the time that by working close to the berg and pointing your lens down the length of the iceberg , that all of the birds jumping out of the water would appear somewhere in your viewfinder. You could then acquire focus much more quickly and easier than when working from behind the birds where you had to guess where a bird might appear….

Via e-mail yesterday from Lou Newman

Hi Artie, Great trip. I learn a ton whenever I spend time with you. I loved the new Canon tutorials; great job! Please sign me up for the three-day Bosque IPT before Thanksgiving. Lou

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of today’s images you like best and be sure to let us know why.

THE Flying Penguin Image

If you missed the spectacular flying penguin image posted on January 9, 2015 you can see it a href=”https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2015/01/09/on-the-way-home-with-my-favorite-flying-penguin-image-yes-i-said-flying-penguin/”>here.

Please pardon the clean-upe typo. 🙂

The Image Optimization

Like all of my new work, this image was converted in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, this one yesterday in DPP v 4.1.50.0. The latest version adds support for the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. The charts in the updated version of the DPP 4 Raw Conversion Guide includes sharpness and noise reduction values for the 7D Mark II. We will be adding values for the 7D and the 1D Mark IV within a week or two.

Take a careful look at the Before and After animated GIF above. Note the elimination of the two unpleasantly merged penguins. I used the Protective Cloning on a Layer Technique taught to me by Denise Ippolito. This technique involves working on a Layer with a Regular Layer Mask added. The guano was eliminated with my usual clean-up tools, the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp.

Image Question

Would you have removed the left-most penguin from the optimized version?

Digital Basics

Everything that I did to optimize today’s images 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 (including the Surface Blur settings as taught to me by Denise Ippolito), 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, and tons more.

APTATS I & II

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

The Bosque Site Guide

All BAA Site Guides are designed so that with a bit of study you can show up at a great place and know exactly where to be at what time on what wind and in what lighting conditions. With a Site Guide on your laptop you will feel like a 20-year veteran even on your first visit. Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. If you plan on visiting the refuge it would be foolish to make the trip without having this guide in hand. Why spend money on gear and travel and then spend days stumbling around in the wrong spots? If you have visited previously, and are still unsure of where you should be at this time of day with that wind, this guide will prove invaluable to you as well.

You can order yours here or check out all of our site guides here.

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). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. 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. 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!

…..

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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 :).

Important Note

My sam and mayas att e-mail account was suspended on 18 DEC. Those who tried to reach me by e-mail between then and yesterday had their mails bounced back. If you tried to reach me during that period please re-send any important e-mails.

What’s Up?

I was feeling a bit worse last night and did not enjoy the greatest night of sleep but am feeling a lot better as this morning as this blog post is being published from home at about 7:55am. I still have many more exciting new images, tales, and lessons from my recently concluded Southern Oceans trip to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing just that.

Huge Thanks!

Though page views dropped by about 35% during my absence y’all did a great job of remembering to use my B&H affiliate links while I was on my busman’s holiday. We sold about ten each of the new 100-400 II L IS lenses and 7D Mark IIs. I should be getting my 100-400 from B&H in a few days and plan on bringing it to San Diego where I will be using it the both my 7D II and a 1D X. IAC, thanks a stack to all those who use the BAA affiliate links for their December and early January purchases. Readership is now back to well above the normal 3,000 page views/day.

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

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

Canon CDLC Video #1: Location Scouting for the Perfect Shot/Understanding the Light and the Wind Direction. Note: you need to follow the link below to view the video. 🙂

Canon Digital Learning Center “Bird Photography with Arthur Morris” Video #1

Location Scouting for the Perfect Shot/Understanding the Light and the Wind Direction

I was thrilled in late October when Elaine Vuong and Rudy Winston wrote asking me to do a 7-part bird photography video for the Canon Digital Learning Center (CDLC). It all came to fruition in mid-November at Bosque del Apache. The crew from C47 Productions included Producer/Director Jem Schofield, camera and sound men Daniel Phakos and James Kwan, and two locally hired grips. Rudy Winston was along as our Technical Advisor and he got me out of a few jams when my memory failed :). They were a fun bunch to work with; we all had a ball even though Jem was a stern taskmaster. He did get the best out of everyone.

The videos went live yesterday. You can access the whole series by clicking here.

Today I will be talking a bit about Video #1, “Location Scouting for the Perfect Shot/Understanding the Light and the Wind Direction.” You can view that one (4 minutes, 31 seconds) by clicking on the first of the seven images (the one of me against a light purple sky) and then hitting play.

You will learn about the qualities and the direction of light and how the wind affects bird photography. My comments on wind direction are quite clear and revealing (he said modestly). There are numerous still photos included in the video and the explanatory diagrams are cleverly conceived and executed. I will be glad to answer any questions on the topics covered in the first video here on the blog; please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question below. Enjoy the video.

Note: Video #4, “Getting the Right Exposure” is currently unavailable. I am of course hoping that that is temporary.

I was quite surprised….

I Smiled the Whole Time

When I learned yesterday that the video series was online on the Canon Digital Learning Center I watched them over the course of the afternoon. I smiled the whole time. In the past, whenever I watched myself in a video or on a TV show (I did something like six or seven episodes of the old Canon Photo Safari programs), I always felt as if I look doofy and sounded even doofier. I am not sure how the folks at C47 did it but I thought that I looked pretty good (if a bit grizzled) and sounded even better (venerable???). Way to go guys.

This image was created at 7:21am on the clear morning of November 22, 2014 at Bosque del Apache NWR with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop off the yellow grasses around the pond: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 set manually. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF as framed just caught the top of the bird’s extended neck and was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Understanding the Wind and the Light

Over time you will come to understand that a wind with any western component on a clear morning will make flight photography difficult at best. A wind from the north/northeast as here is ideal as the birds will be angling slightly towards you. For landing birds, a wind from the east will have the birds landing right at you. Northeast, southeast, or south in the mornings can be pretty darned good as well.

First CLDC Video Comments

Kindly, via e-mail this morning from Collier Smyth:

Artie,

Great job with the Canon Digital Learning Center videos. They are Very nicely done.

Collier.

The Bosque Site Guide

All BAA Site Guides are designed so that with a bit of study you can show up at a great place and know exactly where to be at what time on what wind and in what lighting conditions. With a Site Guide on your laptop you will feel like a 20-year veteran even on your first visit. Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. If you plan on visiting the refuge it would be foolish to make the trip without having this guide in hand. Why spend money on gear and travel and then spend days stumbling around in the wrong spots? If you have visited previously, and are still unsure of where you should be at this time of day with that wind, this guide will prove invaluable to you as well.

You can order yours here or check out all of our site guides here.

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). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. 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. Meet and greet at 3pm on SAT NOV 28 followed by an afternoon photo session at the crane pools and the introductory slide program after dinner on your own.

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

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

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

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

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

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Very Important Note

My sam and mayas att e-mail account was suspended on 18 DEC. Those who tried to reach me by e-mail between then and yesterday had their mails bounced back. If you tried to reach me during that period please re-send any important e-mails.

What’s Up?

I spent pretty much all day yesterday catching up on the NFL playoffs via TIVO. As I was rooting for the Ravens to beat the hated Patriots, for the Panthers to upset the Seahawks, for Peyton Manning’s Broncos to beat the Colts, and for Tony Romo’s Cowboys to beat the also-hated Packers, it was a very long day…. The overturned call on Dez Bryant’s incredible 31-yard catch was the final insult. This blog post was eventually published at 5:55am from my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL.

I have many more exciting new images, tales, and lessons to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks and am looking forward to doing so.

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

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

This image was created on 18 DEC, 2014, on day 4 of the great Cheesemans’Southern Ocean expedition. As is fairly typical, we pretty much encountered all four seasons worth of weather in a single day. By the time this image was created, 7:05pm, it was clear and sunny and very windy. See more on that below. I used the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 123mm) and the Canon EOS-1D. ISO 400. I exposed for the breaking surf with the equivalent of the very bright sunny very white exposure (1/3200 sec. at f/8) at 1/5000 sec. at f/6.3. Zone/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly by selecting one AF point two below and one to the right of the central sensor. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see the spectacular larger version.

Always Look Back

We landed early at the Steeple Jason Island in the Falklands. The incredible Black-browed Albatross colony there, with well more than 1/4 million pairs of this spectacular seabird, is the world’s largest breeding colony of black-broweds. We encountered cloudy dark, cloudy bright, light drizzle, partly sunny, mostly sunny, and sunny and clear. Did I mention wind?

The last zodiac back was supposed to be in the mid-afternoon and once everyone was back on the ship we were to head to another spectacular location, Sea Lion Island. I headed to the landing a bit early in part to get back on the Ortelius and dry out a bit. But as I began the trek the wind came up. Seemingly it increased in strength with each step. The good news was that it was at my back. When I reached our morning landing site a Force 9 gale had developed. I was told that the ship would be sailing around the island so that we could be picked up at the alternate landing site. I did not realize that that would take about two hours. I got my gear and my drybag together and made the short walk to the new landing site. Then I napped.

when I woke, I got out my 70-200 and both TCs and began photographing near the alternate landing site: Gentoo Penguins, Steamer Ducks, and Striated Caracaras and a single Austral Thrush kept me busy for a while. By now the wind was howling. Though the ship was in sight the sheets of spume and spray that covered the ocean made it clear that no matter how skilled, competent, and daring the Cheesemans’ staff that it would not be safe to lower any zodiacs until the wind dropped considerably. Folks began considering the possibility of our spending the night on Steeple Jason….

Micheal Viljeon and I decided to head back towards the original landing site to photograph the gentoos coming out of the water after a day of gathering krill. We climbed out as far as we dared on the huge boulders in an effort to get closer to the birds and to get closer to a good sun angle. After about an hour of pretty good action prestigious Cheesemans’ staff member Tim Carr came by to fetch us: “You need to head back. The wind is dropping and the ship is getting closer. They should be lowering the zodiacs soon.”

I removed my 2X TC and climbed carefully back towards safety. I am not sure why but I stopped every few steps to keep an eye on the penguins. Just once I saw a big group swimming towards their landing site, called to Michael, and paused to create a few frames. The image above, much wider than anything that I had done previously, was my favorite by a mile. I will share the image optimization for today’s image in tomorrow’s blog post.

Tim Carr, along with wife Pauline, has been on the Cheesemans’ Expedition Staff for each of my three Southern Ocean trips with CES. They spent fourteen years on South Georgia working for the South Georgia Museum, first as Custodians and then as Curators. Before they became the complete resident human population of South Georgia, they spent 25 years circumnavigating the globe aboard Curlew, a 28-foot, engineless wooden sailboat that was built in 1898. Arriving at South Georgia in 1992, the Carrs were inspired by this incredible island and , in 1998, wrote the book Antarctic Oasis: Under the Spell of South Georgia

In addition to their sailing exploits around the South Georgia, the Carrs explored inland extensively while camping in tents, bivouacs and snow holes. Tim and Pauline are delightful personalities, and as leaders and frequent presenters, they bring an unparalleled and intimate knowledge not only of South Georgia but of all the Southern Ocean sites and creatures along with a passion for the early history of South Georgia, a very special and remote island.

Card and design by Denise Ippolito. Scroll down here to see lots more of Denise’s Palouse images.

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

Card and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

The Palouse A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)/Eastern Washington State. June 5-9, 2015/5 Full Days: $1699/Limit 12 photographers/Openings 3.

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

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

What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, our newfound but very extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions when possible.

You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills. You will learn to get the right exposure every time. You will learn to develop your creative eye. You will learn the basics of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. You will learn a variety of in-camera creative techniques; Canon 5D Mark III bodies are a plus. And most importantly you will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images. Do see both of our blogs for lots more on that in the coming weeks. You will learn how the quality and direction of light combine to determine the success of your images. And–please don’t gasp–we will be working quite a bit with sidelight when creating landscapes. Lastly, we will be touching on infrared photography.

A non-refundable $699 deposit is due now. The balance will be due on January 29, 2015. If 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.

With the unpredictable nature of the photography business, I have not said this often lately, but it seems quite likely that this one will fill up very quickly. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining us. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours or send us a check; the latter is preferred.

Please send your deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Facebook

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

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

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

…..

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

What’s Up?

My red eye flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Atlanta was pleasantly uneventful; I even managed to get a good 5+ hours of sleep. I began this blog post at breakfast in the E concourse at ATL. Just for the record books, it was 27 degrees when we landed at Hartsfield Jackson a bit after 5am this morning, several degrees colder than anything we experienced in Antarctica. Older daughter and BAA Executive Director Jennifer is picking me up at the Orlando Airport at about 9:45am.

Arrived a bit early into MCO. One of my two checked bags was first out. The other never showed up :). I re-checked it after customs in Atlanta but there is no record of it :). IAC, they are assuring me that it will be delivered to my home in Indian Lake Estates. Time will tell.

I have a ton of exciting new images and tales to share with you here over the course of the next few weeks. Online in Jen’s car on FL 528 via my Verizon Mobile hotspot this blog post was published at 10:19am.

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

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

This image was created on December 31, 2014 at Brown Bluff, Antarctica with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop in late afternoon light: 1/1600 sec. at f/10. One sensor to the right of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF on tip of the left hand chick’s bill was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II/2X III TC/EOS-7D Mark II: A More Than Viable Combination

On my last Cheesemans’ Southern Ocean expedition I relied on the 300II/2X III combo with one of two full frame bodies, either the 1D X or the 5D III. On my recently concluded trip I often went with the 7D Mark II body to enjoy and extra 60% reach. My full frame 600mm focal length became a 960mm f/5.6 lens. All in a relatively light package. And as you can see by taking a good look at today’s featured images, the results and the image sharpness were outstanding.

The chicks in the image above are Adelie Penguin chicks. When we made our first continental landing, the light was harsh and the adult on this nest was facing 180 degrees away from the light. More than once I said out loud, “We need this bird to turn around and show us those chicks.” Several folks responded by saying, “Ain’t gonna happen; all the whitewash is behind the nest. She must always sit facing east.” I answered, “A guys gotta dream.” Within minutes the bird turned around and fed her two chicks. But the light was still too harsh. Skip ahead till 6:18pm and my prayers were answered again. The image here is my very favorite from a close to 100-image sequence.

Image Question

Why did I go to f/10 for the image above and risk bringing up unwanted background detail?

This begging Gentoo Penguin chick image was created on January 4, 2015 at Jougla Point, Antarctica also with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops in cloudy conditions: 1/400 sec. at f/11. Central sensor/AI Servo (Single Point-Manually Selected) Rear Focus AF on back of the chick’s head was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Seeing the Situation

I explained early on to the BIRDS AS ART group that it would be easy to fill a dozen 64gb cards on most of our landings if one was to photograph indiscriminately; after all, on some of our landings we would be seeing well more than 1/4 million potential subjects. “The trick,” I continued, “is to learn to spot the few good situations: nice subject, the right lighting, and most importantly, the background.”

AF Strategy Change

About halfway through the 25-day trip I began–when photography relatively static subjects, ie, not flying–manually selecting a single sensor in lieu of using my usual Surround. Why? For increased focusing accuracy.

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 :).