Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Streak Goes On…

After getting in bed at 8:20pm and falling asleep instantly, I woke on Thursday at 2:20am, 1 hour 40 minutes before alarm was set to go off. I spoke at length to Peter Kes in Switzerland on Skype and then finished packing. Denise and I met the group in the lobby at 5:15am, took the bus to Haneda Airport, and flew to Hokkaido. By 2pm we were at the Akan Crane Center photographing Red-crowned Crane, White-tailed and Steller’s Sea Eagle, and Black-eared Kite. The Winter in Japan IPT got off to a great start.

This post marks 76 straight days with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another day or so, or not. Or more…. It appears that our lodge has great internet. To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we 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.

Photographing Frantic Action

The great blue grabbed the baby mullet from the bait bucket and was immediately accosted by several pelicans. As he fled to my right I tried to keep the AF sensor on the bird’s face and succeeded to some degree. I pressed the shutter button twice. In the original frame there was some motion blur on the eye so I grabbed the eye from the next frame with a Quick Mask, put on its own layer, brought the layer into the properly framed image (that second image was horribly mis-framed with the end of the bill cut off by the frame-edge), and wound up painting away all but the sharper pupil with a Regular Layer mask.

Here is the main lesson: when photographing frantic or unexpected action, push the shutter button now and ask questions later. If you try in situations that are difficult or near impossible for AF, you might wind up with something worth keeping. If you do not try, you wind up with nothing (but only 100% of the time….) If you are not making some really bad, out-of-focus, mis-framed images then you are not gambling enough and not pushing yourself or the camera’s AF system to the limit.

Image Question

In view of the fact that a faster shutter speed would have been a better choice as I would have had a better chance of freezing the action, why was I at 1/800 sec. at f/10 rather than 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3? (I think that my math is correct…..)

This is the Breezebrowser Main View screen capture for today’s image.

The Breezebrowser Main View Screen Capture

Above is the BreezeBrowser Main View screen capture for today’s image. Note that the illuminated red square (on the bird’s neck) shows the AF point that was active at the moment of exposure.

Note: in Breezebrowser you need to check “Show Focus Points” under View to activate this feature. To see the focus points in DPP check “AF Point” under View or hit Alt L. Hit Alt M to see Highlight Alert. To learn how and why I use DPP (Canon Digital Photo Professional) to convert my RAW files, see the info on our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

Note the perfect histogram the WHITEs creeping into the rightmost histogram box. Regular readers know that I use and depend on BreezeBrowser every day of the year. It allows me to sort my keepers and delete the rejects faster than any other Windows browsing program. We use it on the main computer in the home office to catalog our images file-drawer style. And the companion program, Downloader Pro allows me to download my images quickly and conveniently. It automatically adds my IPTC data and the shooting location. I have it set up to create a folder named by the Month/date/year. The Breezebrowser/Downloader Pro combo saves me many hours each week. To learn more or to purchase this great PC only program, click here. As far as the BreezeBrowser/Downloader Pro Combo goes, if you are using a Windows platform and are not using these two great programs you are at best, wasting your valuable time. My understanding is that Photo Mechanic is best for Mac-users who do not opt to run Parallels or VM Ware fusion on their Macs so that they can enjoy the many advantages of BreezeBrowser. See BreezeBrowswer on a Mac for details.

Image Question

Aside from the rapidly moving subject, why is it remarkable that the AF system was able to keep up with the focus at all?

This is the mis-framed image.

The The Mis-framed Image

This is the mis-framed second image from the two-frame sequence; as described above, I used the pupil from this one to replace the motion-blurred pupil in the image that opened this blog post. Note that when editing our images we need to learn to think digitally, to be open to keeping images that might serve as source material for a variety of purpose, images that would surely have been insta-trashes in the days of film.

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014: $4995 Limit: 12/Openings: 5

Act soon: this trip is a go and is filling quickly.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 7) are included. For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two.

Click here for additional info or to register.

Join me for the 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari!

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three roof-hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me on the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage< trip: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015, click here for additional information and then shoot me an e-mail.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

The Streak Goes On…

I am posting this at 7:27pm Tokyo time (which is 5:27am Florida time) from the Narita Airport as we wait for the bus. My flight was great. Denise and Alan and Pat Lillich kindly waited for me for almost five hours. God bless them all!

This post marks 75 straight days with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another day or so, or not. Or more…. I am not sure how good the internet access (if any) will be in Japan. To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we 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 Onliine store as well.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post!

This Double-crested Cormorant image was created on the San Diego Short Notice IPT with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held with the internal extender in place at 560mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. White Balance = K 7500. Four sensors up from the Central Sensor/AI Servo-Rear Focus AF on the bird’s chin 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: Clarabell the Clown

The 600 f/4L IS II & the 200-400 f/4L IS II with Internal Extender Combo

Though difficult to travel with, the 600 II with both TCs available and the 200-400 with Internal extender is a great combination for birds and wildlife, giving folks a focal length range of from 200-1200mm.

Orientation-linked AF Points

If you own a 1D X or a 5D III and you do not have your camera set up for Orientation-linked AF Points you are really hurting yourself. The camera senses whether you are working in horizontal or vertical format and uses the AF Selection Area and the last selected points for each. You can probably figure things out by consulting the camera manual but in the two User’s Guides below I share the details of set-up, explore the various options, and let you know how I have my cameras set up to enable me to get the shot quickly without having to fiddle around.

EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide

Learn the ins and out of the great AF system of the 1D X. Of special interest to bird photographers will be my comments and strategies involving Cases 1-6, the custom-Case that I created and use for most of my bird photography (with detailed instructions for setting it up of course), my strategy for Select AF area selection mode (on AF4, the fourth purple menu), and pretty much anything that has to do with 1D X autofocus….Get your PDF via e-mail here for only $25. Setting up and using Orientation-linked AF Points is of course covered in detail.

5D Mark III User’s Guide

5D III folks can learn everything that I know about 5D III exposure fine points, the top LCD and all camera control buttons, the 5D Mark III drive modes, how to manually select an AF sensor, choosing an AF Area Selection Mode; how and why (includes extensive detail), Menu Item Access, coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including the following: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (includes details on the custom setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation-linked AF point (I love this feature on the 5D III!), Highlight alert, Histogram display, Auto rotate, Custom Shooting Mode set-up, Safety shift, using the Q button, and setting up rear focus. The guide is–of course–written in my informal, easy-to-follow style.

You can learn more about the 5D Mark III User’s Guide or have the PDF sent to you by clicking here.

This Double-crested Cormorant head portrait was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero as framed: 1/250 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF just below and behind the base of the lower mandible active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Tight Head Portrait

Snazzy

Breeding plumage Double-crested Cormorant in full breeding plumage is indeed a snazzy bird. Both eastern and western birds feature the neat crests. Eastern birds have black crests that are not as snazzy as the fluffy white crests of their western counterparts. But the color of the inside of the mouth of the eastern birds in full breeding plumage gets to be a much brighter cobalt blue than the mouth linings of the western birds. I just saw some image of western birds photographed last week in LaJolla by IPT veteran Donna Bourdon with the mouth lining as bright as I have seen on the eastern birds at Anhinga Trail. Donna was extolling the virtues of the San Diego Site Guide.

Donna wrote: Hi Artie. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your e-book on photographing the pelicans in San Diego. I just returned and got some great shots. Your directions to the cliffs were perfect. We saw pelicans, two Peregrine Falcons, lots of cormorants, and lots of Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions. I appreciate all the instruction I have received from you through your visit to Chattanooga and your sharing of knowledge in your e-books. Attached are a few examples. Donna.

She send some very nice images including a killer shot of a peregrine taking flight.

On the San Diego Short Notice IPT (likely to be repeated next January) both species of cormorants (double-crested and Brandt’s) were several weeks ahead of an average year in terms of breeding plumage and soft parts coloration. We had great fun photographing both species. I will be sharing more cormorant images and education with you here in the not too distant future.

Questions

Which of the two images do you like best and why?

Why f/6.3 for the opening image and f/14 for the head portrait? I think that many of you are getting this concept :).

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014: $4995 Limit: 12/Openings: 5

Act soon: this trip is a go and is filling quickly.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 7) are included. For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two.

Click here for additional info or to register.

Join me for the 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari!

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three roof-hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me on the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage< trip: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015, click here for additional information and then shoot me an e-mail.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

The Streak Goes On…

I continue to feel pretty good, I fly to Japan tomorrow Denise Ippolito and Paul McKenzie will be leading the Winter in Japan IPT with me.

This post marks 74 straight days with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another day or so, or not. Or more…. I am not sure how good the internet access (if any) will be in Japan. To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we 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 Onliine store as well.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post!

If you are interested in joining us on a Japan in Winter IPT in February 2016 shoot me an e-mail.

Japan in Winter IPT Gear Bag

I head to the Orlando Airport Courtyard Marriott this afternoon, Sunday February 9, 2014, to overhight for my 8:35am flight to Dallas on Monday. I arrive in DFW at 10:30am for my 11:40am flight to Tokyo’s Narita airport arriving at 4:15pm on Tuesday. Yikes. I will be meeting co-leader Denise Ippolito and good friends and multiple IPT veterans Alan and Pat Lillich (say LILL-ick) all of whom arrive ahead of me. From there we take a bus to our Tokyo hotel for a full day of rest on Wednesday. We fly to Hokkaido on Thursday. Double yikes!

Important gear decisions must be made whenever you travel and getting ready for this trip was no exception. All of my gear is packed up in my Think Tank Airport Security Rolling Bag in either my beloved wool watch caps or in various LensCoat LensPouches, LensCoats, and Body Bags. Each of the big lenses is of course protected by a LensCoat to prevent dings on Canon’s pretty, white, heat-reflective finish. Having your lenses protected by a LensCoat will increase the resale value far in excess of the cost of a LensCoat. My favorite pattern is Hardwood Snow.

For the first time in as long as I can remember I will not be traveling with my black, hard-sided plastic Delsey suitcase; that bag has been around the world with me several times over. Why the switch? There will be times in Japan when I need to move all of my stuff at once. With my laptop bag strapped atop the Think Tank Bag and 2 regular rolling bags, that is impossible as I do not have 3 arms…. Denise has been using and loving two Samsonite soft-sided spinners, a 25″ case and a 29″ case. She can pull her roll-aboard camera bag with her laptop bag on it with one arm and maneuver her 2 checked bags with the other. As I routinely travel with a lot more stuff than she does, two 50 pound checked bags to be exact, I went for 2 of these: Samsonite Lift 29″ Spinner Luggage Navy – Exclusive. You position them back to back and stroll on down the concourse with ease.

Think Tank Bags

Spend more than $50 using this link and earn a free small bag of your choice. In addition to a great line-up of rolling bags and accessories Think Tanks also has some great backpacks.

Here’s what’s in my Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag:

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens: as this is my sole long straight super-telephoto I pretty much go nowhere without it. Two years ago I took the 800 f/5.6L IS that has been more than ably replaced by the 600II.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens; I did great with this lens on my first Japan trip with the 1.4X III TCs on the eagle boat, with cranes in flight, and with the Snow Monkeys.

Both the 300 II and the 600 II have a 4th Generation Design CR-X 5 Low Foot attached. The CR-X 5 is pretty much mandatory to prevent torque when the lenses are mounted on a Mongoose M3.6 and there is enough room between the foot and the lens to make it easy to carry the gear by the lens foot.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens; I used this lens with great success with the 1.4X TC on my last trip for both the swans in flight and the Snow Monkeys. The 70-200 is of course equipped with a Wimberley P-20 plate, the perfect Arca-Swiss compatible plate for virtually all intermediate telephoto lenses.

As regular readers know I recently sold my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens, having upgraded to the all around and edge-to-edge sharper Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens; it meshes perfectly with the 70-200 II and will soon become my new favorite B-roll all purpose short zoom lens that I will never leave home, or the car, without! See Laziness, Turtle Soup, and the Moral of the Story… to learn why.

Two Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera bodies; I never travel for birds without two of Canon’s top of the line professional digital camera body along for the ride.

One Canon EOS 5D Mark III so that I can run three lenses at once when needed and avoid having to switch camera bodies. As we are staying an extra five days to visit Kyoto where the 5D III will be my main camera body for temple and building photography where I will be doing lots of In-camera Art Vivid and Natural HDR stuff.

As the temps might be as low as -5 F or even lower, I already have the Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip for 5D Mark III installed with two Canon LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. (7.2V, 1800mAh). Using off-brand batteries carry the risk of error warnings at best or malfunction at worst.

Three Canon 1.4x EF Extenders III (Teleconverters); I cannot risk being without at least two of this valuable accessory so I always travel with three :).

Two each Canon 2x EF Extenders III (teleconverter): one for use with the 600II and one as a back-up.

I have a Delkin 64gb 700X e-film Pro Compact Flash Card in each camera body and a few extra assorted cards in a Delkin CF Memory Card Tote. I have used and depended on Delkin digital media for well more than a decade. Fast and reliable works for me every time.

All of the above fit snugly into my big Think Rolling bag that came to 46 1/2 pounds on the doctor’s scale in my bathroom.

After I sent my Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender to the Irvine, CA repair center for a repair, I had it shipped to Alan and Pat Lillich in Los Gatos, CA so that they could borrow it for their Yellowstone in Winter trip. In return, they are bringing it to Japan, bringing it back home, and shipping it to me. The three of us will share my 200-400 and my 300 II on the trip. And Denise of course is welcome to try the 2-4 if she would like.

As always, my Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod and my Mongoose M3.6 head are in one of my checked bags along with the hoods for the 3 telephoto lenses and the removable tripod collar for the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. I also have my Giottos’ tiny ballhead, my tool kit that has a Wimberley P-5 camera body plate stored in it, and my Lens Pen sensor cleaning kit.

I will be wearing my Xtrahand vest with not much in it besides my insulin with gel ice paks, my blood sugar meter, a good supply of fish salad so that I can eat well on the long flight to Japan, and my latest airport novel; I buy them from the Lake Wales Public Library for a buck each. The vest will be invaluable on pretty much all of our shoots.

My laptop bag is packed to the gills with various items and tips the scale right at about 20 pounds.

All gear questions are of course welcome. If you have additional questions about the right camera or lens for you, please feel free to e-mail me.

Wish us luck!

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014: $4995 Limit: 12/Openings: 5

Act soon: this trip is a go and is filling quickly.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 7) are included. For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two.

Click here for additional info or to register.

Join me for the 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari!

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three roof-hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me on the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage< trip: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015, click here for additional information and then shoot me an e-mail.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

The Streak Goes On…

I continue to feel pretty good today. I fly to Japan next Monday. Denise Ippolito and Paul McKenzie will be co-leading.

This post marks 72 straight days with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another few days or so, or not. I am not sure how good the internet access (if any) will be in Japan. To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we 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 Onliine store as well.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! With no images, this one took only a bit more than an hour to prepare.

Laziness?

When photographing at Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park I always bring my longest telephoto, currently the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens. I have the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens usually with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III in place with the rig conveniently on my shoulder and easily within reach with a Black Rapid RS-7 strap. In my vest I routinely stow another Canon Extender EF 1.4X III along with a single Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter). (Note: because they are so important to the work that I do I travel with three 1.4X III TCs and two 2X III TCs.) As I preach often, never head into the field without a short zoom lens on your person. I have traditionally kept my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in one of the large pockets of my Xtrahand vest. Having just sold that lens I will begin keeping my new Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in the vest.

On the morning of February 2, 2014, the 2nd morning of the Anhinga Trail IPT, I headed down the path with all of the above-mentioned gear in place. We had some good chances early on. With my vest packed with the 24-105, my tool kit, water, and on that morning, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens as well, I always try to remember to remove my vest and place it on the ground when working a good situation. I did that as I headed back towards the visitor center and as an afterthought, took the 70-200 off of my shoulder and placed it atop the vest that had been placed off the trail on the grass. As there was not much flying around I figured that it would be nice to travel light. As I go halfway to the big tree now on my left, a Black Vulture flew right at me into the east wind right down sun angle. I reached for my 70-200 but quickly realized that I had decided to leave it behind. Ooops. Then, as if to taunt me, the vulture circled and again flew right into the perfect flight photography zone….

Turtle Soup

The next afternoon marked the end of a long ten days of teaching and photography. Having not learned my lesson, I had already decided not to lug the 70-200. Then I decided after some hemming and hawing to leave the 24-105 in my SUV. I remember asking Denise, “Should I bring the 24-105?” She said, “Bring it.” I didn’t listen…. So I headed out with only the 600 II. We had yet another excellent afternoon with a clean Green Heron and a pair of very handsome preening Anhingas. It was just about sunset and I was messing around with a fishing Great Egret when I couldn’t help but see and hear a loud splash right in front of me in the slough. I called out to everyone within earshot, “A gator’s got something.” In the low light of dusk I strained to see what the prey was. At first I thought it was a large fish. Then the gator, about a 7-footer, climbed out of the slough with a huge Soft-shelled Turtle in its jaws.

Oh how I wished that I had not left the 24-105 in the trunk…. Even the 70-200 would have been OK with the 1.4X TC quickly removed. With only the 600mm, I was dead in the water as the gator and its prey were blocked by grasses on both sides. It was as Deirdre suggested later, “Turtle soup.” The gator’s chomps on the shell of the turtle were accompanied by loud cracking sounds. The turtle was trying to bite the side of the big reptile but its efforts seemed feeble at best. Then, remarkably, the turtle broke free and bolted towards the slough. The gator made a lightning fast turn with its jaws fully open and once again chomped down on the now hapless and helpless reptile. Deridre’s images showed later that the gator had the turtle completely within its jaws.

I mentioned to the group that the person who had made the best images of the encounter was a youngster of about ten who walked right up to the low fence and photographed the carnage with his cell phone….

The Moral of the Story

Here is the moral of the story:

If you are thinking about leaving a certain piece of gear behind always opt to bring it. If you don’t, you will almost always learn quickly why you should have brought it.

Here is another important lesson: the longest lens is often not the best lens for the job.

One final thought: it is often said that if God or whomever is in charge of such things gives you a lesson and you don’t get it, then God or whomever will keep giving you that lesson again and again until you learn it. Maybe I learned the lesson for good on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Or not….

Join me for the 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari!

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three roof-hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me on the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage< trip: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015, click here for additional information and then shoot me an e-mail.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

The Streak Goes On…

I am feeling pretty good with just a tiny sore throat and a bit of chest congestion remaining on Day 18 of my epic head cold. I fly to Japan next Monday.

This post marks 70 straight days with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another few days or so, or not. To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we would of course greatly appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took about 2 hours to assemble.

This bathing Wilson’s Plover image was created on the Little Estero Lagoon IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering + 1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus squarely on the subject’s eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Splish Splash…

Bobby Darin: Splish Splash (I was takin’ a bath). And for the Bobby Darin fans: Dream Lover.

Recognizing Bird Behavior

The image above shows a Wilson’s Plover in the beginning stages of bathing.

On many IPTs, denise and I will call out, “Bathing bird!” Not realizing that a bird dipping its breast and often its head in the water is in the process of bathing and that 90% of the time, the bird will rise or fly up and flap its wings, many participants stare blankly. Then we explain the process and the possibilities. When the birds finally do flap their wings vigorously–you often have to beg them to flap–everyone is amazed. But birds have been bathing and flapping after their baths for eons. Pretty much all species of birds bathe though the exact procedure often varies. Sandhill Cranes for example sock themselves and may put their heads in the water while flopping around with their wings but I have never seen them raise up and flap.

The most commonly photographed bathers/flappers are the ducks, shorebirds, gulls, and terns among others. The smaller species especially the shorebirds often flap so hard that they take flight after their baths. Whenever photographing birds in the process of bathing you face a dilemma: add a teleconverter or get closer to photograph the dramatic flashing, or stay back and relatively wide in hopes of creating a spectacular image of the flap? (Note: with the right situation and the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender it is possible to do both from the same spot.

This image of a Wilson’s Plover flapping after its bath was created on the Little Estero Lagoon IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering + 1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the right side of the bird’s breast just below the neck band active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Flapping #1

The Flapping Strategies

If you wish to photograph the dramatic flapping, you are again faced with 2 choices: use either Rear or One-Shot AF, focus on the bird’s face, and when it raises up to flap, fire away without attempting to track the subject. Or, you may focus on the bird’s head, face, or breast with either Rear Focus or Shutter Button AI Servo, and keep focus active as the bird raises up and start to flap. The first approach requires some luck–the bird must raise straight up to remain in focus. The second approach requires some degree of skill, especially when the bird veers of to one side…. I have had success with both methods. Part of the skill involves anticipating when to track the bird as it flaps and rises and when to bump the focus (as described in Jim Neiger’s great eGuide, Flight Plan).

After studying bathing birds seriously you will be able to anticipate when the bird will begin to flap; their dipping and flopping usually becomes more and more frenetic just before they rise up and beat their wings vigorously. As always, the more you study and come to know bird behavior the better photographer you will become.

Miscellaneous

Each of these images was created while I was kneeling behind my lowered tripod. Each was cropped to varying degrees from the bottom and from the side as needed to center the bird’s head. All three images were converted in DPP. After adjusting the sliders for the first image I cut and pasted the recipe to the other two files to save lots of time while doing the RAW conversions.

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the flapping images is your favorite. And why?

Do you know which feathers are the tertials?

Join me for the 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari!

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three roof-hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me on the Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage< trip: Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015, click here for additional information and then shoot me an e-mail.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

And the Streak Continues

I awoke today at 4am. We are on the way to Miami Airport where I will be dropping Denise off for her hoped for flight to Newark this morning; they are expecting 5-8 inches there…. Good luck Lady D. This post marks 69 days in a row with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another week or so. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we would of course greatly appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took about 2 1/2 hours to assemble. I am feeling pretty good today.

This Green Heron image was created on the Anhinga Trail IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop in soft sunlight: 1/80 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Dealing with Clutter at Anhinga Trail

Green Heron is a notoriously hard to photograph species at Anhinga Trail. Though they are relatively tame and fairly common, they have a habit of choosing the most cluttered perches imaginable. To see them posing in gorgeous light but blocked by any number of twigs and branches is a pretty much daily frustration along Taylor Slough. We found this bird fishing just north of the spot where the boardwalk returns to the asphalt. It took me a while to choose a perspective that allowed a clean look at the subject. As I was working well off light angle I needed to wait for a cloud to cover the sun in order to create a pleasing image. The image presented here is un-cropped; the 24X magnification of the 600 II/2X III/1D X combo enabled me to isolate the subject nicely. Most of the images in the series had one or more leaves merging with the subject; this one did not. The bird posed so nicely that I encouraged many of the participants with shorter focal length lenses to put a card in my camera and make a few images. Many did just that.

My position is that using the 2X TC with both f/4 and f/2.8 super-telephoto lenses adds range to your bird photography efforts with negligible loss of quality. All that folks need to do is to try it and practice as making sharp images with the doublers is an acquired skill.

This is an unsharpened 100% crop of the Green Heron’s head.

600 II, 1D X, 2XIII TC Insanity

There are folks who state clearly that it is not possible to create a sharp image with a 1.4X teleconverter. There are others who state that 2X teleconverters are such garbage that nobody should ever own or use one. I doubt that any successful bird photographer uses their 2X TC as much as I use mine. On our recent Florida swing probably more than half of the thousands of images that I created were made with the 600 f/4 L IS II lens with the Extender 2X III in place. I am confident that I can make professionally sharp images on a consistent basis at shutter speeds as low as 1/60 sec. My success is due in part to the superb optics of all involved parties, to my nearly impeccable sharpness techniques, and to the great 4-stop Image Stabilization system of the new Series II Super-telephoto lenses. Not to mention stopping down from f/8 to f/11.

The best way to learn my sharpness techniques is to join us for an IPT. Next best is to study the section on Advanced Sharpness Techniques in The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images on CD only).

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

And the Streak Continues

This post marks 67 days in a row with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another week or two. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we would of course greatly appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took about 2 hours to assemble. I am feeling pretty close to normal today.

This Great Egret with a very strange prey item was photographed on the Little Estero Lagoon IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. 61-point/AI Servo/Rear Focus as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Can the Wrong Head Head Angle Be the Right Prey Angle?

In both of the images here the head of the wading bird is turned away from the viewer; the head angle would usually be thought of as poor.

The image above shows a Great Egret with what I believe to be some type of fish. I saw the capture and it was as strange as the creature itself. Half of the long, skinny prey item was sticking straight up out of the mud. It looked like a stick. Then the bird grabbed it, pulled it out of its hole, and worked at swallowing it for about a minute or so.

Had the bird turned its head more towards us in the image above, how would that have effected the rest of the image? Please be specific.

If anyone has an idea as to the true identity of the prey item, please let us know by leaving a comment.

This Great Blue Heron with a gar was photographed this morning on the Anhinga Trail IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. 61-point/AI Servo/Rear Focus as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Gar

Here, nobody in the group saw the capture. The gar was lying on the ground on the asphalt path at Anhinga Trail. Two great blues were disputing ownership with their beautiful wings drooped threat displays. In the meantime a Black Vulture tried to steal the fish without success. The gar flopped itself on the grass above Taylor Slough and finally the dominant GBH was able to pick it up. As I framed the image I was aware that the bird’s head was turned away slightly but I was so excited that I made three images and in retrospect am glad that I did. Then the bird turned slightly towards me so that the head was square to the camera. Inexplicably I waited just a moment for perfect to become more perfect and the bird took flight landing on the other side of the slough…. Please do not think that after 30+ years of doing this that I fail to get excited in instances like this.

In any case, had I pressed the shutter when the head angle was perfect for the bird how would that have effected the image as a whole?

Your Favorite?

Please let us know which of the two images (if either) you like best. And of course, let us know why.

Breathe deeply, bite the bullet, and live life to its fullest; we all get only one ride on the merry-go-round… Join me on this great trip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Southern Ocean…

I’ve been blessed. I’ve made three trips to the Southern Ocean, two extended trips that visited the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula, and one to the Falklands and South Georgia. Each was a truly amazing experience. With three trips under my belt, I have a pretty good idea about how to make great images at each of the iconic landings. And I would love the chance to share my knowledge with you.

And I know from personal experience that if you are a photographer who is going to invest in Southern Ocean voyage that you will want to put your money on Cheesemans’. No other tour company goes so far out of their way to ensure making every possible safe landing. And no other tour company will have you spending more time on land. Here, from the” Way to Go CES! (Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris)” blog post here, is one of my favorite Cheesemans’ stories:

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

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

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia and Antarctica, 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 (August 15, 2014). 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.

The Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris Antarctica/The Extended Expedition Voyage

Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands: December 13, 2014 to January 10, 2015

From the CES website:

Join us on a voyage of discovery to an awe-inspiring world devoted to nature, wildlife, science, and peace. This expedition will have you completely captivated, from the stunning vistas of Tierra del Fuego to the busy penguin rookeries of the Falklands, from the dramatic landscapes of South Georgia to the ice-covered terrain of the Antarctic. Board the comfortable, safe and newly upgraded Ortelius for an expedition offering an unparalleled 17 landing days in the Southern Ocean. Our voyage includes three days in the Falklands with a huge diversity of species, six days at South Georgia Island, the all but undiscovered rugged land of towering mountains and thriving colonies of penguins, seals, and albatross, one day at the South Orkneys with nesting Snow Petrels, and seven days along the Antarctic Peninsula, the wonderland of ice and inconceivably vibrant polar wildlife. During days at sea, our naturalists on the ship’s bridge and stern share sightings of whales and seabirds, including many of the world’s species of albatross. Maximum time both on shore and Zodiac cruising will be available for photography, wildlife experiences, and exploring the landscapes of the great Southern Ocean. Our priority is assuring the most in-depth wildlife experience in the Antarctic, an experience made possible by our excellent itinerary and committed expedition staff.

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

Additional Links

Learn about the global ocean here.
Antarctic Inspiration from Paul Mckenzie here.
Way to Go CES! (Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris) here.
Or simply type any of the following words or phrases in the little white search box on the top right of this page, hit Search, and follow the links: penguin; Antarctica; South Georgia; Falklands. Have fun.

The Pull is Too Strong…

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

Questions?

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

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

And the Streak Goes On

As noted below, the Venice Rookery IPT enjoyed a great first session yesterday. This post marks 65 days in a row with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another week or two. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we would of course greatly appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took about 3 hours to assemble.

1 Day Left to Enter! BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition!

With so many folks signing up at the last minute at the end of December and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload, the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) was extended just before the end of the last year until January 31, 2014. There will be no additional extensions. The deadline for uploading your images has been extended until midnight Eastern time on February 10, 2014. Take advantage of this extension to have a crack at the great prizes.

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Register and Pay

To register click here.

To learn of payment options, click here.

The Usual Gloom and Doom Stuff…

Several folks had told me both by e-mail and at the seminar on Tuesday afternoon that photographic conditions at the Venice Rookery were poor this year: few nesting birds and sparse, dying vegetation. I took those warnings with a grain of salt as I usually do. Though the weather was lousy–a bit a fog at first, then cloudy dark till well after noon when we finally quit for lunch, we had one of the best mornings at Venice in many years. The east northeast wind was pretty darned good for flight. There are a few GBH nests positioned perfectly for photography, and there was lots of flight and chick-feeding action. As I see it, conditions at Venice are excellent.

What does the above story show? That most folks have no clue as to how to recognize a good or great situation. That’s something that you can only learn by attending an IPT or a seminar.

Lens Drive When AF Impossible

Many of the more recent Canon cameras including the 1D X, the 5D III, and the Mark IV have the Lens Drive When AF Impossible feature. It is poorly named, poorly explained in the camera body manuals, and is universally mis-understood. In our Camera User’s Guides this feature is clearly explained as are the situations that call for its use. For the image above I turned it to “Stop focus search/OFF” to keep the AF system from hunting for the background when the sensor invariably fell off the subject. For the image above it worked to perfection.

Exposure Lesson

In yesterday’s dank lighting conditions, a Great Egret required 1 1/3 stops less light than a Great Blue Heron. This was a bit more than I expect. We taught the group to work in manual mode and to adjust the exposure by 4 clicks with the index finger wheel when switching from a Great Egret to a GBH. Everyone grasped this principle quickly and was able to apply it on the spot. If you wanted to photograph a GBH in the same light as the GE above, you needed to go four clicks of shutter speed light, from 1/2000 sec. to 1/800 sec.

Lesson learned.

This Great Blue Heron flight image was also created yesterday morning on the Venice Rookery IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . ISO 400: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the top of the bird’s breast active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Original Image Capture

Though it was a bit brighter for this image than for the Great Egret image, I screwed up the exposure settings a bit. I wanted to open up four clicks from the 1/2500 sec. shutter speed I had had set but my finger only registered 2 of the 4 intended clicks. I did have gloves on :). IAC, the image above is a bit dark. And worst of all, I clipped the toe.

We worked this image as a group as our afternoon session was rained out. In anticipation of that our morning shooting was extended to more than 6 hours. I moved the bird up and back in the frame using techniques from APTATS II. I replaced the missing toenail using advanced Quick Masking techniques from APTATS II. I ran my NIK 50/50 pre-set on the bird only after selecting it with the Quick Selection Tool, did some Eye Doctor work,, and did some additional work on the bird’s face and neck after selecting those areas with the Quick Selection Tool. That work include a big Vibrance adjustment and a Contrast Mask. All that in addition to a bit of color correction and a brightness adjustment.

Just For The Record Book

Just for the record book, here is the name of the image file: Great Blue Heron in flight added toe _A1C1149 Venice Rookery, South Venice, FL.tif. I strongly believe in letting editors know when significant changes have been made to an image.

APTATS I & II and Digital Basics

You can learn advanced Quick Masking Techniques and more in APTATS I, and advanced Image Repair and Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS II. Mention this blog post and Jim will be glad to apply a $5 discount on your APTATS I purchase with phone orders only. Mention this blog post and Jim will be glad to apply a $10 discount on your APTATS II purchase with phone orders only. Order both to hone your Photoshop image clean-up skills and Jim will be glad to enter a $15 discount for the pair, on phone orders only.

All of the rest of the stuff I did to create the optimized file is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, several different ways to expand canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, my killer image clean-up techniques, Digital Eye Doctor, and tons more.

The DPP RAW Conversion Guide

To learn why I use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) to convert every image that I work on, click here.

The Neck

This bird was absolutely unconcerned with humans. Just out of the nest, he posed for us in various settings. Here he was playing with small sticks on the edge of the very small lake.

Image Question

Why did I go to f/14?

Why was I at ISO 800 for this image but ISO 400 for all the rest?

Bird Photography Hotspot: Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park. Learn more here.

Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Mini-IPT: Feb 1-2, (SAT/SUN), 2014. (Limit 12/Openings 5): $799. Introductory slide program: 7pm: FRI Jan 31. (Limit 12/Openings: 6):

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris for four great photography sessions at one of the top bird photography hotspots in North America. Morning sessions: 6:15am to 10:30am. Afternoon sessions: 3:00pm till 5:45pm. Lunch included. Informal image review and Photoshop sessions after lunch.

Jan 31 (Friday) Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Optional Add-on/Morning Only (Limit 12/Openings 5): $249

Includes lunch, and informal image review and Photoshop session. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Because of our intense travel schedule that includes a trip to Japan I will not be running the traditional SW FLA IPT. In addition, in an effort to give some folks a chance to get a taste of our teaching and our passion for bird photography, Denise Ippolito and I have organized a series of short IPTs that may be combined into one wonderful experience or enjoyed piecemeal. Click here for complete details or to register. Please e-mail with any questions or leave a comment below.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. For the short segments that are less than $500 payment in full is due at the time of registration. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If 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. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance. Best to call Jim or Jennifer with a credit card in hand to register. Credit cards are not accepted for balances. Alternatively you can send a check for $500 made out to Arthur Morris to us at PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please include a note with your e-mail address and be sure to let us know what you are signing up for.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

And the Streak Goes On

We are up early getting ready for today’s free Birds and Blooms afternoon seminar in Boca Grande, FL. I continue to feel better each day but am far from 100%. This post marks 63 days in a row with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another week or two. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned above we would of course great appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took only about 1 1/2 hours to assemble.

With so many folks signing up at the last minute at the end of December and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload, the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) was extended just before the end of the last year until January 31, 2014. There will be no additional extensions. The deadline for uploading your images has been extended until midnight Eastern time on February 10, 2014. Take advantage of this extension to have a crack at the great prizes.

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Register and Pay

To register click here.

To learn of payment options, click here.

This Brown Pelican image was created on the Little Estero Lagoon IPT with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero as framed: 1/320 sec. at f/20 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Super Tight

Lesson II On Seeing the Situation and Perspective Choice

It was just before 10:00am yesterday on a dead clear morning. My plan to have everyone in the group create images of the herons and egrets eating live baitfish out of the bucket were wrecked when I caught so many fish in my cast net that all the fish died from lack of oxygen in the water in the bucket. The best laid plans…. There were several pelicans lined up along the shoreline like so many soldiers. I was showing two of the participants with shorter lenses how they could move slowly, choose a good perspective, wait for a good head angle, and create classic vertical pelican head portraits with still blue water backgrounds.

After helping Muriel and Milton, I took my rig and backed up a bit as I was working at 1200mm. When I did so, I noticed the somewhat pink reflections of a distant condo on the eastern shore of the lagoon. In order to utilize those reflections as background I needed to get just a bit lower so again, as I did in yesterday’s post, I pulled out the front leg tab and the the front leg itself on my Gitzo 3530LS tripod. As Denise and I had spent five photography sessions teaching the group the importance of stopping down considerably when working with subjects at point-blank range, I was working at f/20.

After creating the image above, I replaced the 2XIII TC with the 1/4XIII TC, took a few steps back, chose what I thought would be the best perspective, and made a few images.

The Big Secret

Some folks show up at IPTs hoping to learn the single big secret that will make them a better nature photographer. My answer, as you have seen here in this and the last post, and probably in many dozens if not hundreds of posts here, is that the single biggest secret in creating great images is attention to small detail. An inch to the right here, a step closer there, 1/3 stop more light now, a smaller aperture then. Learning to pay attention to all the little stuff is the key to photographic success.

Image Questions

What do you like about Image #1?

What do you like about Image #2?

Which image has the more pleasing background?

Which image has a more pleasing head angle?

Which image do you like the best. Be sure to let us know why?

This afternoon seminar is 100% free and open to the public.

Free Afternoon Seminar Today!

Join Denise Ippolito and me on the afternoon of January 28, 2014 at 1:00pm in the Boca Grande Community Center for a free two-part nature photography seminar entitled “Birds and Blooms.” At 1:00pm I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” (updated with lots of my favorite new images). Denise will follow with her hugely popular “Bloomin’ Ideas.” The venue is located at 131 First Street West, Boca Grande, FL 33921.

Suggestion

Join us for the free seminar and then for the Venice Rookery IPT the following day. See below for details.

Do join us on the Venice Rookery IPT, or better yet, for the whole South Florida Composite IPT. Scroll down or click here for complete details.

The South Florida Composite IPT

Do consider joining us for one of the remaining parts or all of the South Florida Composite IPT. Call me on my cell at 863-221-2372 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip. If you call the cell and I do not pick up, please let a message and please be sure to e-mail me a good callback number and time.

Jan 29 (WED): Venice Rookery In-the-Field: all day: (Limit 12/Openings 8): $399. Introductory slide program 7pm, Jan 28.

30 (THURS) -Venice am only. (Limit 12/Openings 7): $249

You can sign up for one or more of the short IPTs and/or one or more of the add-on days or you can opt to sign up for the all the sessions. Those signing up for the whole shebang will be having all lunches and dinners with us most every day. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Bird Photography Hotspot: Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park. Learn more here.

Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Mini-IPT: Feb 1-2, (SAT/SUN), 2014. (Limit 12/Openings 5): $799. Introductory slide program: 7pm: FRI Jan 31. (Limit 12/Openings: 6):

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris for four great photography sessions at one of the top bird photography hotspots in North America. Morning sessions: 6:15am to 10:30am. Afternoon sessions: 3:00pm till 5:45pm. Lunch included. Informal image review and Photoshop sessions after lunch.

Jan 31 (Friday) Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Optional Add-on/Morning Only (Limit 12/Openings 5): $249

Includes lunch, and informal image review and Photoshop session. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Because of our intense travel schedule that includes a trip to Japan I will not be running the traditional SW FLA IPT. In addition, in an effort to give some folks a chance to get a taste of our teaching and our passion for bird photography, Denise Ippolito and I have organized a series of short IPTs that may be combined into one wonderful experience or enjoyed piecemeal. Click here for complete details or to register. Please e-mail with any questions or leave a comment below.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. For the short segments that are less than $500 payment in full is due at the time of registration. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If 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. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance. Best to call Jim or Jennifer with a credit card in hand to register. Credit cards are not accepted for balances. Alternatively you can send a check for $500 made out to Arthur Morris to us at PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please include a note with your e-mail address and be sure to let us know what you are signing up for.

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

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.

And the Streak Goes On

Despite my ill-advised walk into the somewhat icy shallow waters of Little Estero Lagoon yesterday–see below for details, I am feeling pretty good today. This post marks 61 days in a row with a new educational blog post, a record by far that should be extended for at least another week or two. Or not. 🙂 To show your appreciation, we ask that use our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We sell only what I use and 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.

You can find the following items in the store: Gitzo tripods, Mongoose M3.6 and Wimberley heads, plates, low feet, and accessories, flash brackets, , Delkin e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards, LensCoat products, and our unique line-up of educational materials including ABP I & II, Digital Basics, Site and Set-up e-Guides, Canon and Nikon Camera Users and AF e-Guides, and MP-4 Photoshop video tutorials among others.

We would of course appreciate you using our B&H and Amazon affiliate links for all of your B&H and Amazon major gear, video, electronic, household, and personal purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned above we would of course great appreciate your business.

Thanks and enjoy today’s blog post! This one took only about 2 1/2 hours to assemble,

With so many folks signing up at the last minute at the end of December and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload, the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) was extended just before the end of the last year until January 31, 2014. There will be no additional extensions. The deadline for uploading your images has been extended until midnight Eastern time on February 10, 2014. Take advantage of this extension to have a crack at the great prizes.

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Register and Pay

To register click here.

To learn of payment options, click here.

Hand held 70-200 and 1D X. ISO 5000. Tv mode at 1/60 sec. I will add the complete technical info before lunch today. Please do re-visit.

The Human Condition

I almost wore my Arctic Pro Muck Boots. But at the last moments I wore my surf booties. Having been fighting a vicious head cold for more than a week I knew that nothing could get me to walk into that 50 degree water…. Well, I was wrong. What would make a person do such a thing? I have no clue. Please don’t tell my Mom.

Hand held 300 II and 1D X. ISO 800. Manual mode: 1/800 sec. at f/2.8. I will add the complete technical info before lunch today. Please do re-visit.

Off to a Great Start–There are No Birds at Little Estero Lagoon

Every year before I head down to Fort Myers Beach, I hear the same tune: “There are no birds at Little Estero Lagoon. And once again, the internet experts were seriously wrong. The place has changed drastically from winter storms, but the main complaints as the South Florida IPT began early yesterday morning with 6 Happy Campers, were, “There are too many birds” and “The birds are too close.”

Hand held 300 II with 2X III TC and 1D X. ISO 400. Manual mode: 1/2000 sec. at f/8. I will add the complete technical info before lunch today. Please do re-visit.

Studying and Understanding Bird Behavior

Studying and understanding bird behavior can obviously help you to become a better photographer. Many wading birds will bring their prey to the shore so that if they drop it while attempting to swallow it, the fish or crab can be more easily re-captured. Knowing in advance that that would be exactly what this White Ibis would do enabled me to get in perfect position.

Hand held 300 II with 2X III TC and 1D X. ISO 400. Manual mode: 1/2000 sec. at f/8. I will add the complete technical info before lunch today. Please do re-visit.

Bathing Birds

Many folks in the group did not know that when they see a bird dipping its face and breast into the water that 9 times out of 10 they will raise up and flap their wings after their bath.

Hand held 300 II with 1.4X III TC and 1D X. ISO 400. Manual mode: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. I will add the complete technical info before lunch today. Please do re-visit.

Amazing

Both Clemens van der Werf, who was with me in San Diego last week, and I, were amazed that we would have so much fun photographing the much paler Brown Pelicans of Florida after spending 4 days photographing the brightly colored California race of Brown Pelican. But we did. And everyone made some great images of the pellies.

This afternoon seminar is 100% free and open to the public.

Free Afternoon Seminar

Join Denise Ippolito and me on the afternoon of January 28, 2014 at 1:00pm in the Boca Grande Community Center for a free two-part nature photography seminar entitled “Birds and Blooms.” At 1:00pm I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” (updated with lots of my favorite new images). Denise will follow with her hugely popular “Bloomin’ Ideas.” The venue is located at 131 First Street West, Boca Grande, FL 33921.

Suggestion

Join us for the free seminar and then for the Venice Rookery IPT the following day. See below for details.

Do join us on the Venice Rookery IPT, or better yet, for the whole South Florida Composite IPT. Scroll down or click here for complete details.

The South Florida Composite IPT

Do consider joining us for one of the remaining parts or all of the South Florida Composite IPT. Call me on my cell at 863-221-2372 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip. If you call the cell and I do not pick up, please let a message and please be sure to e-mail me a good callback number and time.

Jan 29 (WED): Venice Rookery In-the-Field: all day: (Limit 12/Openings 8): $399. Introductory slide program 7pm, Jan 28.

30 (THURS) -Venice am only. (Limit 12/Openings 7): $249

You can sign up for one or more of the short IPTs and/or one or more of the add-on days or you can opt to sign up for the all the sessions. Those signing up for the whole shebang will be having all lunches and dinners with us most every day. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Bird Photography Hotspot: Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park. Learn more here.

Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Mini-IPT: Feb 1-2, (SAT/SUN), 2014. (Limit 12/Openings 5): $799. Introductory slide program: 7pm: FRI Jan 31. (Limit 12/Openings: 6):

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris for four great photography sessions at one of the top bird photography hotspots in North America. Morning sessions: 6:15am to 10:30am. Afternoon sessions: 3:00pm till 5:45pm. Lunch included. Informal image review and Photoshop sessions after lunch.

Jan 31 (Friday) Anhinga Trail/Everglades National Park Optional Add-on/Morning Only (Limit 12/Openings 5): $249

Includes lunch, and informal image review and Photoshop session.

Because of our intense travel schedule that includes a trip to Japan I will not be running the traditional SW FLA IPT. In addition, in an effort to give some folks a chance to get a taste of our teaching and our passion for bird photography, Denise Ippolito and I have organized a series of short IPTs that may be combined into one wonderful experience or enjoyed piecemeal. Click here for complete details or to register. Please e-mail with any questions or leave a comment below.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. For the short segments that are less than $500 payment in full is due at the time of registration. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If 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. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance. Best to call Jim or Jennifer with a credit card in hand to register. Credit cards are not accepted for balances. Alternatively you can send a check for $500 made out to Arthur Morris to us at PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please include a note with your e-mail address and be sure to let us know what you are signing up for.

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IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. See especially info on the South Florida, Holland, and Nickerson Beach IPTs. Two great leaders on most trips ensure that you will receive individual attention, have all of your questions answered, and learn a ton including how to think like a pro, see the situation, and get the right exposure every time. In addition you will have fun, and make lots of great images. Click here for IPT details and general information.