Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

And the Streak Goes On

I am in Fort Myers Beach, FL with co-leader Denise Ippolito along with six Happy Campers. It is 5:23am as I put the finishing touches on today’s post. I continue to feel a bit better each day and finally my blood sugar levels are normalizing; this is a sure sign that I am beating this thing. Note: Many folks are taking advantage of the Late Registration Discounts to sign up for a segment here or a weekend or a morning there. See more by scrolling down here.

This post marks 60 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 hours (with Dave’s help) to assemble as I did not need to process any images.

Less Than a Week 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.

This Sanderling image was created with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013 David Hardcastle. Notice that Dave has pointed his shadow at the subject…. artie

EOS-7D & 400mm f/5.6L Make Darned Good Images

I get lots of unsolicited e-mails with JPEGs attached or embedded. Others send links to their websites or Flickr collections and ask that I take a look. If I am not too busy working on a blog post I try to take a quick peek. Some of the time I am left scratching my head, and some of the time I am quite impressed. A week ago I received the e-mail below from David Hardcastle of the UK.

Hi Arthur,

I wanted to let you know how I got on with a trip to Florida where I made heavy use of your Southwest Florida Site Guide. I made this trip with my wife a year ago – no idea why I did not e-mail sooner! I’d wanted to visit Florida for many years, mainly due to seeing all your photographs. I wasn’t disappointed. There were lots of great photo opportunities and the tameness of the birds was amazing and a real change from the way they generally are in England.

We spent a couple of nights on Sanibel Island. We visited Ding Darling, which I wasn’t expecting to be great based on your guide. It was challenging for photography with few birds close to the road but we got lucky and saw a nice sunset with some silhouetted birds in front of it;that photo is attached. We returned early the following morning and again it was fairly quiet but we had one good opportunity to photograph a Great Blue Heron. For that one I the “rule of fourths” composition that you describe in ABP II.

We also visited most of your other recommended sites on Sanibel; the highlight was Bowman’s Beach on our last day. We were there at the end of the afternoon which was the wrong time of day to be honest in terms of light direction–this was not purely a photography holiday). By getting perilously close to the gulf I was able to get the light behind me. I enjoyed some great opportunities with Sanderling, turnstone, and particularly a Black-bellied Plover. In the attached image of the plover with the green background the original shot was too tight because I couldn’t get farther back or I’d have been lying in the sea! So I had to add canvas left and above using the techniques covered in APTAPS II.

All shots were taken with a 7D; I’d love a 1D X and one of the newer super-telephotos, but they’re out of my price range – the 7D/400mm f5.6 does me pretty well.)

Having never been to Florida before, the guide really helped us get to the right places quickly.

Cheers – hope you can keep up the current run of a blog post a day! Dave

This Great Blue Heron image was created with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013 David Hardcastle. Note that with the dark background and the heron’s bright white chin Dave knew that he needed to underexpose to prevent blowing the WHITEs. I hope that that is beginning to sound familiar to many of you. 🙂 artie

My Reply

Hey Dave,

Good to hear from you. Glad that the guide helped. I gotta say that the image quality that you get with your 7D is superb. Simply superb. I would like your permission to adapt what you wrote in your first e-mail and use it in a guest blog post. Along with several selected images of course.

I would be fine with that alone but if you could write a short paragraph or three on how you get such superb IQ with the 7D folks would love to hear that. What is your exposure strategy? How do you convert? Do you use Noise Reduction? Nothing complicated, just the basics.

thanks a stack and later and love, artie

This Ruddy Turnstone image was created with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013 David Hardcastle. Here I love the sharpness, the perfect exposure, and the raised foot. artie

Dave’s Reply

Hi Arthur,

Yes, that’s fine, please go ahead and use what I sent in a blog. I can’t say I do anything particularly special with either my exposure strategy or my processing. For the exposure I obviously aim to get information in the right hand box of the histogram, but I don’t really push too hard on that – I’ve always struggled to get good looking whites when I’ve got too many blinkies (even with techniques like linear burn).

The quality of the 7D is good when the light is good. When conditions are dull then I don’t like the image quality as much; you can still get good results with care. If the photos I sent look good it’s mainly because the light was good. The photos from the beach were taken at either ISO 200 or 400. I think I started at ISO 200 but moved up to 400 to get more shutter speed. Looking at the exposure on the great blue heron, I was surprised to see that it was 1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 500, in manual mode – my default ISO is 400 so I don’t know why I felt the need to be at 500, but there doesn’t seem to be much noise. I should say that I shoot handheld almost all the time – I’d like Canon to release an image stabilized 400mm f5.6 but I can get sharp images without a tripod, as long as I’m careful with my technique and as long as I watch my shutter speed.

For processing I use Lightroom to convert my RAW files and do anything else I need to do in Photoshop Elements. The photos I sent have had relatively little done in Lightroom – just tweaks to the white balance and maybe toning down the whites. I use the default noise reduction settings in Lightroom (0 luminance noise reduction, 25 color noise reduction); these settings are very mild but do a great job of removing any colour noise.

To create the jpgs I sent you, I just re-sized them and did three rounds of sharpening at 125 / 0.2 / 0: I m pretty sure that I learned those from ABP II.

I guess another lesson might be that it’s better to spend your money on trips to great places rather than on top-end gear; if I’d bought a 1D X I wouldn’t have been on vacation in Florida and wouldn’t have gotten those shots! Of course, ideally, you buy great gear and travel to great locations but we don’t all get to do that. Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks, and good luck with the pelicans in San Diego. Dave.

This Black-bellied Plover image was created with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013 David Hardcastle. This image features a perfect head angle and a nice soft o-o-f background. artie

My Reply

Hey Dave, Thanks for your help and generosity.You have a great attitude! later and love, artie

This sunset silhouette image was created at Ding Darling, NWR, Sanibel Island, FL with the hand held Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering -2 stops: 1/1250 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013 David Hardcastle. I used the 70-300 briefly for flight in Norway: I loved it but for the fact that the zoom and focus rings were reversed from the typical Canon arrangement. It was however light, super-fast to acquire focus, and super sharp. The birds are lots of Willets, a White Ibis or two, a few assorted herons and egrets, surely some Black-bellied Plovers and Short-billed Dowitchers, and a single White Pelican. artie

My Comments

I have stated often, “Make the best pictures that you can with the best gear that you can afford. Quit complaining about your camera and lens, study hard, and practice whenever you can…. Those who are gear hounds are asked to study the blogs, e-mail me for advice, and be sure to use one of our affiliate links when they spend their hard-earned cash.

David proves here that it is possible to create excellent images without spending $20 K (12,000+ British Pound Sterling) on a camera and a lens. He has honed his exposure and sharpness techniques, he has studied and learned from lots of our educational materials, and he has practiced his skills whenever possible.

More on the Much-maligned EOS-7D

7D interested folks would surely love to re-visit the How Dan Cadieux Masters Canon EOS-7D Image Files blog post that includes lots of great images and info.

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 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 14/Openings: 12):

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 14/Openings 12): $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.

2014 South Florida Composite IPT: 6 1/2 days of photography spread over 9 days of learning, hanging out, and travel: $2644. (Limit 12/Openings: 5

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

I am again feeling a bit better today. I have been upgraded to lousy. Last night was an absolute pleasure at bedtime: wet itchy eyes and an incessant dry tickly cough that required about a half a bottle of Robitussin and some Chloraseptic lozenges in order to sleep. For one hour. And then repeat. What fun! At least my runny nose has quit! I leave for the South Florida IPTs tomorrow…. The good news: overall I am not feeling too, too bad this morning.

This post marks 58 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 2 1/2 hours to assemble. I need to pack for South Florida.

Amazon Canada

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

Hey John, Thanks for the Kick in the Butt!

While going through e-mails this morning I came across one from A.J. Mostert.

Hi Arthur,

I have noticed that you do not appear to use Adobe Photoshop CS6 and most interesting and surprising of all, you make no comment about Canon’s latest firmware upgrade 2.0.3 for the Canon EOS-1D X.

Regards, John

Adobe Photoshop CS6

Yes John, I have stuck with Photoshop CS-5 for far too long. Why? The #1 reason is that as far as I can tell, my images look pretty good. The #2 reason is that whenever I have tried CS-6, I encounter numerous little (and seemingly needless) interface and procedural changes from CS-5 that often leave me baffled and frustrated. The one that really drove me nuts was with cropping…. So I have resisted going to CS-6 in spite of knowing that Content Aware Fill and several other features have been improved. I have always been an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” kind of guy.

About 3 weeks ago, on the advice of buddy Tim Grey, I purchased a new laptop, the ASUS G750JX-DB71 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

Some may prefer the version with 24 gb of memory:

Everyone needs to remember that all of my favorite images are processed by me on a laptop. Have been doing that for close to a decade. And will continue doing just that till they nail the box shut. If Apple had not discontinued offering 17 inch laptops I would have switched to Mac…. As far as I can tell, that decision was a dumb one. I would have run BreezeBrowswer on the Mac on a Windows platform as described here.

As I will have only CS-6 once we get the new laptop up and running, I have decided that I will use only CS-6 on the upcoming South Florida Mini IPTs. When I get stuck, I will ask co-leader Denise Ippolito to walk me through it. I will let everyone know how this experiment goes. BTW,daughter Jen is in the process of downgrading the machine from Windows 8 to Windows 7. I have heard that the former would drive me nuts….

EOS-1D X Firmware Update Version 2.0.3

Thanks to the kick in the butt by John, I visited here and was impressed with what I read. The AF (autofocus) and the and AE (exposure) improvements are detailed here and AE (exposure). The improvements in custom camera operations are covered here.

I clicked on Download and saved the file to my desktop. I double-left-clicked on the Zipped file and copied the .FIR file to one of my Delkin 64GB 700X Pro CF flash cards. Be sure to put the file on the card itself rather than in one of the sub-folders. Then I put the card in the camera, went to the fourth YELLOW Wrench menu, scrolled down to the last item, firmware version, and followed the prompts to load the new firmware.

John’s e-mail opened my eyes to some new features that I was not aware of. Many folks are excited about now being able to use Exposure Compensation (EC)) with Manual mode. Not me. Here, adapted from what I wrote in reply to a question asked by Hossam in the Comments section at the blog post here:

As I am not deeply concerned with the aperture setting I cannot understand how this great new function improves upon the Tv method (with auto ISO or ISO Safety Shift) that I have been espousing on the blog for getting the shutter speed that you want. I addition, folks are, as Nikon folks have in the past, proclaiming that EC in Manual mode is the next best thing to sliced bread. It is not: you still need to change the EC when the background changes, the same as with the Tv method that I have been teaching… So for me, this change is no big deal at all.

No camera or custom function of firmware upgrade will ever help you get the right exposure every time with either digital of film. Only you can do that. As usual, we recommend that folks learn exposure theory by studying the Exposure chapter in the soft cover ABP (the original The Art of Bird Photography is the classic how-to work on bird photography) and by mastering the info detailed in the “Exposure Simplified: section in ABP II (The Art of Bird Photography II: 916 pages, 900+ image, on CD only). Knock yourself out and save $10 by getting the 2-book bundle. You can learn a lot more about how to improve you bird and nature photography here.

I will carefully study the material on the new firmware on the Canon website linked to above and after considering and possibly trying each new option, will share what I have learned with y’all here.

EOS-5D Mark III Firmware Update

Further motivated by John’s e-mail I belatedly downloaded and installed Firmware Version 1.2.3 to my 5D III. This update corrected several phenomenona that are seemingly inconsequential to most users. You can download this firmware update by clicking on the Download tab here and following the prompts.

BAA and other Site Guide

A BAA Site Guide is the next best thing to being on an IPT. And they cost only fifty bucks; a lot less than an IPT or other photo tour. You can learn about our 14 great Site Guides by clicking here.

Join us to learn the ins and outs of Little Estero Lagoon. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Little Estero Lagoon IPT: 2 full days–Sat/Sun: JAN 25-26 (Limit 12/Openings 9): $799. Introductory slide program: 7pm, FRI, JAN 24, 2014

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. Call 863-292-0906 to registger; payment if full is now due so call with your credit card in hand. Please e-mail with any questions.

Monday: Jan 27: Optional Estero Add-on/morning only (Limit 12/Openings 9): $249

Adding the last morning as above is an option.

What you will learn:

When to be where and where to be when at Little Estero Lagoon to maximize the photographic opportunities.
Autofocus basics and correct camera and gear set-up.
How to get the right exposure with digital every time.
How and why to expose to the right.
How to create pre-dawn silhouettes.
How to design pleasing images.
How to find the best perspective.
How to make strong images in cluttered situations.
How to photography birds in flight.
In-the-Field creative techniques.

Do consider joining us for the all or part of the South Florida Composite IPT. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

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.

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.

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 14/Openings: 12):

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 14/Openings 12): $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.

2014 South Florida Composite IPT: 6 1/2 days of photography spread over 9 days of learning, hanging out, and travel: $2644. (Limit 12/Openings: 5

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.

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…

I am feeling a bit better today. Another improvement….

This post inexplicably marks 56 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! More than 4 solid hour of work went into the creation of this blog post 🙂

South Florida IPT Late Registration Discount Info

Scroll down here for IPT details then call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for each of the three segments and the complete trip.

This Heerman’s Gull head portrait was created on the San Diego Short Notice 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 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/800 sec. at f/14 in Av Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the base of bird’s bill as originally 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. To see the “original framing” of each of the images here, see the animated GIF below. Note: this image represented the extracted JPEG; it has not been not optimized at all but for the sharpening of the JPEG. Image A

600/2X III TC & AV Mode…

To create each of the four images here I went with Av mode -1/3 stop; I wanted to make sure that I did not burn the bright WHITEs of the Heerman Gull’s head. I was being just a bit cautious as I needed to add 1/3 stop to the exposure during the RAW conversion in DPP in order to bring the WHITEs into Photoshop with the RGB values in the very high 220s. As the light was constant, the background was constant, and the framing was constant, Av mode worked just fine and allowed me control the aperture while adjusting only a single exposure parameter. Had I chosen to work in Manual mode, actually a very viable option, I would have needed to change the shutter speed each time that I changed the aperture…. Those of you who missed “At Long Last, As Promised: the Greatest, Most Educational Blog Post Ever? Manual… Av… Tv… Program… Which is The Best Shooting Mode?” should click here and read, study, and bookmark the post. A great plan would be to follow that up by re-visiting “The #1 Reason that it is Mandatory, Imperative, and Vitally Important that you Work in Manual Mode for Flight Photography.”

Not all real photographers work in Manual Mode 100% of the time… There are times when working in an automatic mode like Av or Tv is faster easier, and more efficient than working in Manual mode.

This Heerman’s Gull head portrait was also created on the San Diego Short Notice 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 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/800 sec. at f/14 in Av Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the base of bird’s bill as originally 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. To see the “original framing” of each of the images here, please see the animated GIF below. Image B

Easy Image Question

Considering Image A and Image B, which is the keeper and which is the insta-delete? Be sure to let us know why.

This Heerman’s Gull head portrait was also created on the San Diego Short Notice 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 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Av Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the base of bird’s bill as originally 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. To see the “original framing” of each of the images here, please see the animated GIF below. Image C

When You Point Your Lens at a Gull…

If I have said or written it once, I have said or written it a thousand times: “If you point your lens at a gull, it will usually not be long until the bird does something really interesting. At times, I point my long lens at a gull and am rewarded almost instantly. Here, I had made about a dozen head portraits before the bird let out with a lovely tight yawn.

This Heerman’s Gull head portrait was also created on the San Diego Short Notice 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 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Av Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the base of bird’s bill as originally 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. To see the “original framing” of this image, that represents the original framing of each of the images here, please see the animated GIF below. Image D

Images C & D

Of the two images of the gull yawning, Imaged C & D, which is the stronger image? Let us know which one of the two you like best and why?

I am not sure if I switched to a larger aperture (that resulted in a faster shutter speed) because I was experimenting or because I suspected that a yawn was imminent. I would guess the former.

Central Sensor only Image Design Strategies

When using a super telephoto lens at f/8 with the 1D X or the 5D Mark III (and the EOS-1D Mark IV I believe), you are limited to choosing the central sensor only. You are however OK to choose the Expand option provided that that option is available. When working with the 600 II/2X III/1D X or the 200-400 with internal and an external TCs in place I will almost always go to Expand; this gives me 5 active AF points, the central sensor and the 4 surrounding points.

In situation like the one that I encountered here, there are 2 options: focus on the eye and then re-compose or keep AF active and focus on the base of the bill. The former option would result in better framing but might result in an unsharp eye if the bird moves a tiny bit closer or farther away. With the clean background in this series I knew that keeping AF active at the moment of exposure would yield consistently sharp on the eye images with the bird too centered. Moving the bird back in the frame using techniques detailed in one of the several tutorials in APTATS II took about 10 seconds with another 10 seconds to apply are regular Layer Mask and paint away the edge. Mention this blog post and Jim will be glad to apply a $10 discount on your APTATS II purchase with phone orders only.

Southwest Florida Site Guide

My Southwest Florida Site Guide includes detailed instructions for photographing at the great spots within an hour or two of Fort Myers, Florida. Included are Ding Darling NWR then and now, Blind Pass Beach, the Sanibel Fishing Pier, the East Gulf Beaches–great for Snowy Plover, Little Estero Lagoon, the Sanibel Causeway, Venice Rookery, my secret White Pelican spot–head shots with a 300mm lens plus flight and action, and the two best Burrowing Owl sites on Cape Coral. Learn more or purchase here.

Join us to learn the ins and outs of Little Estero Lagoon. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

Little Estero Lagoon IPT: 2 full days–Sat/Sun: JAN 25-26 (Limit 12/Openings 9): $799. Introductory slide program: 7pm, FRI, JAN 24, 2014

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. Call 863-292-0906 to registger; payment if full is now due so call with your credit card in hand. Please e-mail with any questions.

Monday: Jan 27: Optional Estero Add-on/morning only (Limit 12/Openings 9): $249

Adding the last morning as above is an option.

What you will learn:

When to be where and where to be when at Little Estero Lagoon to maximize the photographic opportunities.
Autofocus basics and correct camera and gear set-up.
How to get the right exposure with digital every time.
How and why to expose to the right.
How to create pre-dawn silhouettes.
How to design pleasing images.
How to find the best perspective.
How to make strong images in cluttered situations.
How to photography birds in flight.
In-the-Field creative techniques.

Do consider joining us for the all or part of the South Florida Composite IPT. Call us at 863-692-0906 or e-mail to learn of the Late Registration Discounts for both the segments and the complete trip.

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.

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.

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 8):: $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 14/Openings: 12):

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 14/Openings 12): $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.

2014 South Florida Composite IPT: 6 1/2 days of photography spread over 9 days of learning, hanging out, and travel: $2644. (Limit 12/Openings: 5

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 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.

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…

My two flights yesterday went smoothly but 24 hours later, Friday night’s scratchy throat had turned into a full-blown head cold. Last night my nose was running like a sieve, I was badly congested, I had a nasty headache, my throat hurt, I had sinus pain, and of course, my teeth hurt too. Sleep was very hard to come by. I was up every 20 minutes or so sneezing and coughing. I did sleep well from 2:38am until 4:08am. I eventually got up for good at 7am and began working on finishing this blog post. I had written most of it on the plane on Saturday; as I type now at 7:26am,, I need to work on the images.

Here are my NFL picks: Denver (I do not like Pretty Boy) and Seattle.

You gotta love head colds. I am feeling a bit better right now. Heck, things could be a lot worse. My good friend James Shadle has been in the hospital for a week with bi-lateral pneumonia; please join me in wishing him a s speedy recovery so that he can begin taking folks out to Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay for some great Roseate Spoonbill photography. Get well soon Froggie!

This post marks 54 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! BTW, more than 8 solid hours went into the creations of this blog post 🙂

This landing Brown Pelican was photographed with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held with the internal TC in place at 320mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo–Rear Focus AF on the top of the bird’s head 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. The 200-400 is an incredibly effective flight photography lens. Being able to frame each image by zooming in or out as needed with the 200-400 is a huge advantage over a fixed focal length lens.

300 f/2.8L IS or 200-400 f/4L IS with Internal TC/Which is the best lens?

During the week before I left for San Diego I received several e-mails asking straight up, if you had to choose between the two, which is a better lens for bird photography, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM ($7,099) or the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender ($11,299).

My initial thoughts were that the answer depended on what you photographed and where you lived. But after the San Diego trip I reached a definitive conclusion. Before we get there let’s take a look at some of the determining factors.

This resting Brown Pelican image was created with the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/? sec. at f/? Manual mode. Note: the original ISO 400 was a typo :(. ISO 200 is now correct… Central Sensor/AI Servo–Rear Focus AF on the top of the bird’s head 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. Here the framing was controlled by human zooming, by moving in or back, by changing the distance to the subject. Image Questions: #1: judging by the depth-of-field what do you think the aperture was for this image? #2: once you have figured out the aperture, take a stab at the shutter speed.

Cost: the 300 f/2.8 II costs more than $4,000 less than the 200-400. Advantage: 300 II.

Weight: the edge here goes to the 300 II that tips the scales at 5.19 pounds as compared to the heftier 200-400 that weighs 7.98 pounds. That is more than 2 1/2 pounds less than the 200-400. And the 2-4 is only only about 2/3 pound lighter than the 600 f/4L IS II. Advantage: 300 II.

Ease of traveling by air: again the edge here clearly goes to the 300 II as its somewhat smaller size and its lighter weight makes it easier to pack and to transport. Advantage: 300 II.

Ease of hand holding: again the advantage clearly goes to the 300 II as its somewhat smaller size and its lighter weight makes it easier to hand hold for flight, action, and static subject photography. Advantage: 300 II.

Speed: as an f/2.8 lens the 300 II has it all over the 200-400 f/4 when it comes to light gathering capabilities. Advantage: 300 II.

This is an unsharpened 200% crop of the image above that was created with the 300 II at an unknown aperture. Image Question How would you judge the sharpness?

Sharpness: I’d have to rate both of these amazing lenses as superbly sharp with the edge going to the 300 as just a bit sharper than the 200-400. That said each of the two lenses in question is remarkably sharp with or without teleconverters. Do note that the 300 II can be used with either the 1.4X III or the 2X III TC. From where I sit there is no reason to use the 2X TC III TC with the 200-400. Engaging the TC and then adding an external 1.4X III TC is the equivalent of having a 1.96X TC in place. When working with the 200-400 and an external TC mounted the best strategy for getting back to 280-560 is to disengage the internal TC. Valuable time will be lost by removing the external TC. You must of course take the time to remove the external should you wish to work between 200 and 400mms.

Slight Advantage: 300 II.

Maximum Reach

The 300 II/2X TC gets you out to 600mm at f/5.6. The 200-400 with both the internal and extrenal TCs in place gets you out to 798mm.

Advantage: 200-400.

This screaming Western Gull image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held with the internal TC in place at 560mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/13 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo–Rear Focus AF on the bottom of the gape 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. Here I simply engaged the internal TC, zoomed to the longeest focal length, and began creating tight head portraits.

The Trump Card

Versatility: the 300 II is quite a versatile lens. With the 1.4X III TC you have a very nice 420mm f/4 lens. Adding the 2X III TC yields a sharp, hand hold-able 600mm f/5.6 lens. That gives you three focal lengths: 300, 420, and 600. With the 200-400 as it comes out of the box, you have of course a 200-400mm f/4 zoom lens that can, by simply engaging the internal 1.4X TC be almost instantly transformed into at 280-560mm f/5.6 zoom lens. That gives you coverage from 200-560mm. And by adding an external 1.4X TC with the internal TC engaged, you have a lethally sharp 392-784mm f/8 lens. So with an extra TC in your pocket you will have a 200-784mm zoom lens at your disposal. With both TCs in place, I will most often be working on a tripod. And yes, the Mongoose M3.6 is perfect for the 200-400 f/4L IS with Internal Extender. Huge Advantage: 200-400.

This yawning Double-crested Cormmorant was photographed with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, a Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (hand held with the internal TC in place at 728mm), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. One sensor up from the Central Sensor/AI Servo–Rear Focus AF on the bird’s neck 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. Working with the internal TC in place with an external TC mounted behind the lens gives you lot more reach and the ability to frame at anywhere between 392 and 784mm. This is part of the huge advantage in versatility for the 200-400….

My Conclusions

Though the 300 f/2.8L IS II lens came out ahead in 6 of the 8 categories and though it is a superbly sharp lens that served me very well on fairly recent trips to Japan and the Southern Ocean, I must give the overall nod to the 200-400 with Internal TC because of its amazing versatility and its great maximum reach. That said, be assured that in the hands of a competent nature photographer the 300 II along with both TCs is also a very deadly weapon….

The turning point in my thinking process was that in San Diego when I had a choice between the 300 II and the 200-400 I always reached for the 2-4….

If you are motivated to purchase either one of these great lenses because of what you have learned here, please do use either our B&H or Amaazon affiliate links; doing so will not cost you one penny more and would be greatly appreciated by yours truly.

This tight image of a resting Brown Pelican was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, a Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (hand held with the internal TC in place at only 560mm), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: stop: 1/400 sec. at f/13 in Av mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo–Rear Focus AF forward and in front of the bird’s eye 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. Though I could have made this image without the external TC added it it gave me the option of zooming in even tighter.

Blessed

I am of course doubly blessed to own both of these great lenses and to travel with them regularly to some of the world’s most wonderful bird and wildlife photography destinations.

Don’t Forget

Please don’t forget that I had my 600 II in San Diego and used it often with either the 1.4X III or the 2X III teleconverter every day of the trip; it is very rare that I go anywhere without my 600 II….

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the images here is your favorite. Be sure to 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…

There has already been a ton of interest including that from some long time wonderful Happy Camper BIRDS AS ART folks. Mulitple-IPT veteran Michael Viljoen of South Afirca has already committed to making the trip with his son. He and lovely, smiling wife Lyndsey were with me on the memorable and wonderful October 2012 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. Repeat-clients–I like to call them recidivists–are a good sign that you are doing something right.

Click here for complete details. If you are seriously interested please shoot me an e-mail for the trip link.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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…

This blog post marks 52 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 Brown Pelican image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 217mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the light blue sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the top of the bird’s breast (on the same plane as the eye) active at the moment of exposure. There were 3 sensors active on the upper back and the bottom of the neck. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. Yesterday, with the birds flying relatively consistent flight paths, I experimented with using central sensor only as opposed to Surround for my flight photography as recommended by Jim Neiger in his great eGuide, Flight Plan.

The Prelude

In the two images here we see the great versatility of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender: great for hand held flight photography and great on a tripod for tight portraits with the Internal TC in place. And adding an external TC gets you out to 784mm….

I have received several e-mails asking which is the better lens, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens or the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender. At first I thought that this was a tough question. But I have reached a definitive conclusion. I will be sharing my revelations with you here soon.

This Brown Pelican image was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 566mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. 61-Point/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. There were 9 sensors active on the middle of the bird’s large bill (on the same plane as the eye). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

61-Point AF

I have been using 61-Point AF for many of my vertical images on the cliffs over the past few days. With both the 1D X and the 5D Mark III you can set up your cameras with one AF Area Selection Mode for horizontals and a different AF Area Selection Mode for verticals. The cameras recognize whether you are holding them horizontally or vertically. You can learn how to do this in either our 1D X AF Guide or our 5D Mark III User’s Guide. Along with dozens of other great tips.

This is a BreezeBrowser Main View screen capture. Learn more below.

BreezeBrowser

Above is the BreezeBrowser Main View screen capture for the vertical pelican image. The illuminated red squares on the bird’s bill indicates that 9 AF sensors were active at the moment of exposure. Make sure 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.

Regular readers know that I use and depend on BreezeBrowser every day of the year. It allows me to sort my keepers and deletes the rejects faster than any other 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 earn more or to purchase this great PC/Windows-only program, click here.

Note also the histogram that shows the highlight data well into the fifth box…. Expose to the right. Learn more about exposure in the Two-Book Bundle here.

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the two images here you like best. Be sure to 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…

There has already been a ton of interest including that from some long time wonderful Happy Camper BIRDS AS ART folks. Mulitple-IPT veteran Michael Viljoen of South Afirca has already committed to making the trip with his son. He and lovely, smiling wife Lyndsey were with me on the memorable and wonderful October 2012 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. Repeat-clients–I like to call them recidivists–are a good sign that you are doing something right.

Click here for complete details. If you are seriously interested please shoot me an e-mail for the trip link.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 Amazing Streak Continues; I Gotta be Nuts. 🙂

This blog post marks 50 days in a row with a new 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 Snowy Owl image was created at Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, 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 1250. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/50 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the owl’s eyes and re-compose. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1

Finally…

Friday January 10, 2014 started off grey and drizzly. On that Saturday I was going to the American Museum of Natural History with my younger daughter Alissa and her younger son Idris. So Friday afternoon would–after many hours of fruitless walking and driving in search of a Snowy Owl–be my last chance to find and photograph a Snowy Owl. The rain quit just after lunch so I made the 50 minute ride to Jones Beach State Park and headed east out of the parking lot. I walked about a mile without seeing a living bird….

This Snowy Owl image was also created at Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, 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 1000. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/60 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the owl’s eyes and re-compose. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2

Finding the Bird

In the distance I saw the tall dune where I had met Tom Pfeifer and Jimmy G the previous afternoon. I almost decided to give up but after some thought continues on to the dune planning to scout east from there. As I was walking up the dune I saw just part of one wing as a large bird took off and flew east/northeast. Even though I barely saw the bird the slow wingbeats and large size convinced me that it was a Snowy Owl. After a short search I spotted it and created the three images here. Each was on a different dune.

Do note the three sharp images at 1200mm with shutter speeds of between 1/50 and 1/60 sec. Learn my advanced sharpness techniques in The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images, on CD only). And tons more.

The two horizontal originals for this Snowy Owl stitched pano were also created at Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, 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 1600. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/60 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the owl’s eyes and re-compose. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3

Your Favorite

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the three Snowy Owl images you like the best. And do let us know why. Thanks!

ps: I have a clear favorite; I will let you know in a few days which one I like and 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…

There has already been a ton of interest including that from some long time wonderful Happy Camper BIRDS AS ART folks. Mulitple-IPT veteran Michael Viljoen of South Afirca has already committed to making the trip with his son. He and lovely, smiling wife Lyndsey were with me on the memorable and wonderful October 2012 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. Repeat-clients–I like to call them recidivists–are a good sign that you are doing something right.

Click here for complete details. If you are seriously interested please shoot me an e-mail for the trip link.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Important Contest News

Contest Deadlines Extended!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
New Entry Deadline: January 31, 2014; see additional details below

With so many folks signing up at the last minute and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) has been extended until January 31, 2014 and the deadline for uploading 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.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 Continues….

I am posting this from the Islip Airport. I awoke at 3:30am for my flights to San Diego for the now sold-out Short-Notice San Diego IPT. Man, those were four boring NFL games yesterday in stark comparison to last weekend’s four Wildcard thrillers.

Today’s blog post makes 48 in row, 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 image was created at the west jetty at Shinnecock Inlet, Hampton Bays, Long Island, NY 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. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of expsoure. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

Not a Snowy Owl III: More Beautiful and Exciting than Bubo scandiacus?

I was nestled down in the jetty rocks at Shinnecock Inlet with the 600 II/2X III/1D X combo photographing all three scoter species, a few Common Eiders, and a Common Loon or two. I will share some of those images with you soon. The last thing that I did as I left the car was to grab a few slices of bread from the open loaf in the trunk. I figured that having a few gulls around would make the sea ducks feel more at home so every ten minutes or so I would toss out a few small pieces of King Kullen’s finest. Four or 5 young Herring Gulls appeared magically whenever I did so.

The sea duck photography was going well. Just as I tossed yet another scrap of bread a ghostly white gull appeared just 20 feet away; with its white primaries and small, rounded head I knew instantly that it was–along with Snowy Owl and Glaucous Gull–one of the target species for my trip. My pulse raced. I had seen only a handful of Iceland Gulls in my 30+ years of bird photography and my nearly 38 years of birding. But more than the rarity of the species it was the beauty of this bird that grabbed me. I am a sucker for young birds with their scalloped feather edgings. I quickly removed the 2X and went to work.

Notice that with the bird in the shade that I instinctively went Av mode +1 stop, a tried and true formula for a medium-sized in the frame white bird in shaded blue water. I made about 50 images of the bird before it flew off. This, my favorite, was–as so often happens–the first image that I created. Juvenile Herring Gulls are much darker overall ranging from very dark brown, sometimes almost looking nearly black, to dark brownish-grey to grey, depending on age and feather wear. The young Kumlien’s Iceland Gull was white by comparison. Kumlien’s is the race of Iceland Gull that breeds in North America.

For me, seeing and photographing this bird was more exciting than photographing a Snowy Owl.

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…

There has already been a ton of interest including that from some long time wonderful Happy Camper BIRDS AS ART folks. Mulitple-IPT veteran Michael Viljoen of South Afirca has already committed to making the trip with his son. He and lovely, smiling wife Lyndsey were with me on the memorable and wonderful October 2012 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition. Repeat-clients–I like to call them recidivists–are a good sign that you are doing something right.

Click here for complete details. If you are seriously interested please shoot me an e-mail for the trip link.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Important Contest News

Contest Deadlines Extended!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
New Entry Deadline: January 31, 2014; see additional details below

With so many folks signing up at the last minute and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) has been extended until January 31, 2014 and the deadline for uploading 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.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 Amazing Streak Continues; I Gotta be Nuts. 🙂

Today’s blog post marks 46 days in a row with a new 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 image was created in the saltmarsh that abuts the north side of the beach road at Westhampton Beach, Long Island, NY with 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 -1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/11 in Av mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Not a Snowy Owl II

The Story

I was as excited as could be to be sitting behind friend Mike Lotito in his four-wheel drive vehicle. We were driving on the beach (permit required) in Westhampton looking for one or more of the Snowy Owls that Mike had been photographing there for the previous month…. On the way to meeting Mike at the jetty, I had already seen two snowys sitting atop duck blinds. We drove about three miles towards the jetty and the three miles back. Nada. Nothing Zip. Zero. Zilch. We did see a few Sanderlings though…

Next we drove the beach road looking for anything. The first (and pretty much only) cooperative subject was the young Black-crowned Night-Heron featured in the opening image. I was working with the 600 II/2X III/1D X combo off the BLUBB on the lowered car window. I traveled with an empty BLUBB (Big Lens Ultimate BeanBag) and filled it with my sister Arna’s bird seed when I arrived. Mike did a great job of putting the truck in the perfect spot. The sun was just hitting the subject; in a few minutes the bird was fully lit by the early morning sunlight.

I created about 80 images, striving to get the bird as up and left in the frame. It is easy in situations like this to wind up with the subject too centered and with some of the reflection clipped. The problem was that I did not see that a few tiny stalks of beach grass covered the distal end of the bill in pretty much every image where the bird was looking to my right…. In the image above, only one piece of grass (and its shadow) offended. See below for the image optimization and clean-up.

I am always amazed that species like this survive can the sometimes brutal winters in the northeast. On a related note I have heard that there is a cool image on Facebook of a Snowy Owl eating an American Bittern…. Such an image would be possible along Westhampton Beach Road (if that is the correct name….) as both species share the same marsh habitat.

This is a close-up of the bill in the converted image. Note that I warmed the image up a bit too much for my taste.

The Original Capture

Note the single beach grass stem across the tip of the bill and the accompanying shadow. It was rather easy to deal with those. See below for details.

This is a close-up of the bill from the optimized image.

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP the image optimization was fairly straightforward. First I drew a line with the Ruler tool from the pupil in the bird’s eye to the reflected pupil and hit Straighten. Then I color corrected the image to make it less yellow. Next I ran a 50% layer of my NIK 50/50 Detail Extracor/Tonal Contrast pre-set on the bird only after selecting it with the Quick Selection Tool and placing it on its own layer. Then it was on the the bill tip. I used some divide and conquer techniques with the Clone Stamp Tool and the Patch Tool. After that there was very little additional tidying up to do.

All of the above of course as 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.

Image Questions

Why -1/3 stop EC (Exposure Compensation)?
Do you like the warmer look or the cooler version?

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…

There has already been tons of interest including that from some long time wonderful Happy Camper BIRDS AS ART folks. Mulitple-IPT veteran Michael Viljoen of South Afirca has already committed to making the trip with his son. He and lovely, smiling wife Lyndsey were with me on the October 2012 Cheesemans’ South Georgia Expedition.

Click here for complete details. If you are seriously interested please shoot me an e-mail for the trip link.

DPP RAW Conversions

I use DPP to convert all of my Canon RAW files. To learn why I switched from ACR to DPP for my RAW conversions see our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

Join me in San Diego for three great days of photography and learning. Click on the image to better enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Short-Notice Small Group IPT. January 15-17, 3-Full Days: $1049. Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Limit 6/Openings: 1.

There is now a single opening due to a late cancellation.
Please call or e-mail for late registration discount information.

We will get to photograph the California race of Brown Pelican in flight, resting, preening, cleaning their bill pouches, and talking to their neighbors by tossing their bills high in the air. The afternoon sessions will feature Marbled Godwits, several gull species, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks. If we have a cloudy morning we will get to photograph Harbor Seals. You will learn to get the right exposure every time, to see the best situation, to think like a pro, to create sharp, pleasing images, and to understand the joint effects of light and wind on the birds. All in a small group with tons of individual attention.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance will be due no later than January 7, 2014. The balance is alo 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.

If you are planning to register please shoot me an e-mail.

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

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Important Contest News

Contest Deadlines Extended!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
New Entry Deadline: January 31, 2014; see additional details below

With so many folks signing up at the last minute and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) has been extended until January 31, 2014 and the deadline for uploading 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.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 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 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 Amazing Streak Continues; I Gotta be Nuts. 🙂

Today’s blog post marks 44 days in a row with a new post, a new record by far that should continue 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 image was created at the west jetty at Shinnecock Inlet, Hampton Bays, Long Island, NY with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, 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 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/10 in Av mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s neck active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1

Not A Snowy Owl I

I landed at Islip on Tuesday about 10 minutes early and was soon picked up by my little sister Arna who picked me up and took me to my Mom’s house. Arna lives with Mom. It was bitter cold. Mom was of course glad to see me. I had lunch and headed out to the Shinnecock Inlet Jetty. As I was in a hurry I did not dress properly; no long johns, not lined jeans. No cold weather face mask. With the temperature at 10 degrees and wind gusts of 35 mph from the west that did not work out to well….

I photographed this drake Black Scoter while half-hiding behind a large jetty rock. I converted the RAW file in DPP, pulled the Curve up to lighten it up, ran about a 40% layer of NIK Detail Extractor on the bird only, cleaned up the specular highighs, and applied a Contrast Mask to the face only for quasi-sharpening. Click here to learn why I do 99.9% of my conversions in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional.

This image was created from the original optimized image above. See below for details.

Bird Removal

To eliminate the out-of-focus Surf Scoter I used one of techniques described in detail in APTATS II. The whole thing took less than a minute. Order APTATS II by phone and mention this blog post and Jim or Jennifer will be glad to apply a $10 discount.

The Impossible Bill Color

In life, the bill of a drake Surf Scoter looks positively bright orange, especially in late afternoon sun. When captured digitally, the bill looks positively bright yellow. With the first two images I did my best to get the bill color right using various Color Balance and Selective Color tricks but was only able to succeed to some degree…. The upper and central parts of the bill still look way too yellow. See the solution immediately below.

The bill color here looks natural to me, pretty much as I saw it in the field…. See more below.

Solving the Bill Color Problem

To solve the bill color problem I converted the RAW file in ACR and adjusted various Yellow and Orange sliders on the HSL tab–Hue, Saturation, Luminance. It was the first ACR conversion that I have done in about a year. The blue in this image are not as pleasing or natural as the blues in the DPP-converted image; I should have done some color correction work.

Image Questions

Do you like the image with the Surf Scoter or without the Surf Scoter? If you have any ideas on how to get the bill color right in DPP I would love to hear them.

DPP RAW Conversions

I use DPP to convert all of my Canon RAW files. To learn why I switched from ACR to DPP for my RAW conversions see our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

The San Diego Short-Notice Small Group IPT. January 15-17, 3-Full Days: $1049. Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Limit 6/Openings: 1.

There is now a single opening due to a late cancellation.
Please call or e-mail for late registration discount information.

We will get to photograph the California race of Brown Pelican in flight, resting, preening, cleaning their bill pouches, and talking to their neighbors by tossing their bills high in the air. The afternoon sessions will feature Marbled Godwits, several gull species, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks. If we have a cloudy morning we will get to photograph Harbor Seals. You will learn to get the right exposure every time, to see the best situation, to think like a pro, to create sharp, pleasing images, and to understand the joint effects of light and wind on the birds. All in a small group with tons of individual attention.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance will be due no later than January 7, 2014. The balance is alo 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.

If you are planning to register please shoot me an e-mail.

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

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Important Contest News

Contest Deadlines Extended!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
New Entry Deadline: January 31, 2014; see additional details below

With so many folks signing up at the last minute and with so many folks having trouble uploading their images due to server overload the deadline for entering the contest (registering and paying) has been extended until January 31, 2014 and the deadline for uploading 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.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 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 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 Amazing Streak Continues; I Gotta be Nuts. 🙂

Today’s blog post marks 42 days in a row with a new post, a new record by far that should continue 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!

Snowy Owl: the Long Island quarry… This image created on a December trip to Long Island several years back with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced for me by the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR ). ISO 400. Evaluative metering + 1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/400 sec. at f/10 in Av mode.

Long Island/San Diego Trip Gear Bag

I am in the Orlando Airport Courtyard Marriott headed to MCO in about and hour for my flight to Long Island’s Islip Airport. You gotta love Southwest Airlines. I will be visiting my Mom in Holbrook, seeing younger daughter Alissa’s family, my two sisters, watching the NFL playoffs next weekend, and getting out in search of Snowy Owl, Glaucous Gull, and adult and first cycle Kumlien’s Iceland Gull. On January 13th I continue on to San Diego’s Lindberg Field to visit friend Cliff Oliver and many of my favorite San Diego photography hotspots. My flights back home are on Saturday, January 18th.

Important gear decisions must be made Whenever you travel and getting ready for this trip was no exception. It was very cold on the way to the airport. I can’t wait to get to Long Island this afternoon where the high temps should be in the mid-teens. Brrrr.

Well, I am at the gate now. I am not sure how I got signed up for TSA Pre-Check, but it is total luxury. Short line if any, leave computer and liquids in laptop bag and leave your shoes on. Perhaps it is because I am signed up for Global Entry… Not sure but it is a great service.

All of my gear is packed up in 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 the LensCoat. My favorite pattern is Hardwood Snow.

Think Tank Bags

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

Here’s what in the 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.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens: this lens should be great on the cliffs of Lajolla both for perched pelicans and for birds in flight.

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.

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.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens: this was on the only close call. I will not be using it at all on Long Island but it can be great in LaJolla if you are lucky enough to get the right winds in the morning. After much procrastination, I decided to bring one of my very favorite lenses.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens: this, my favorite B-roll all purpose short lens is another that I do not leave home without.

Two Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera bodies. With my focus mainly on birds on these two trips I opted to lighten the load by leaving my Canon EOS 5D Mark III at home to save a bit of weight.

Three Canon 1.4x EF Extenders III (Teleconverters); with my track record of having dropped one of these in the Pacific Ocean from the LaJolla Cliffs I decided to bring three of these valuable accessories. I use one often with each of the 3 telephotos that I have on this trip.

Two Canon 2x EF Extendesr III (teleconverters): on this trip the 2X will be on the 600 II during all searches for Snowy Owl. I will of course have a 1.4X III TC at hand in case I come across a tame owl or two.

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 easily into my big Think Rolling bag that came to 43 1/4 pounds on the bathroom scale.

My Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod and my Mongoose M3.6 head are in my checked bag along with the hoods of the 3 telephoto lenses. 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, and my latest airport novel; I buy them from the Lake Wales Public Library for a buck each. The vest will be invaluable both on the beaches of Long Island and the cliffs of LaJolla.

My laptop bag is packed to the gills with various items and tips the scale right at about 20 pounds. They just changed my gate…. Finally done! Boarding in 12 minutes.

The LaJolla cliffs in pre-dawn. This image was created with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens and the EOS-1D s (now replaced by the amazing Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at zero to avoid blinkies in the breaking waves: 20 seconds at f/18 in the pitch dark in Av mode. Focus by faint street light…. Sometimes you need to tote an extra piece of gear in hopes of replicating a single image. That is the case here with the Giottos’ tiny ballhead–I simply could not have made the image above without it.

San Diego Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the San Diego Site Guide; it’s the next best thing to being on an IPT. Nearly 30 years of San Diego bird photography revealed in one fell swoop.

Join me in San Diego for three great days of photography and learning. Click on the image to better enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Short-Notice Small Group IPT. January 15-17, 3-Full Days: $1049. Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Limit 6/Openings: 1.

There is now a single opening due to a late cancellation.
Please call or e-mail for late registration discount information.

We will get to photograph the California race of Brown Pelican in flight, resting, preening, cleaning their bill pouches, and talking to their neighbors by tossing their bills high in the air. The afternoon sessions will feature Marbled Godwits, several gull species, and Wood and Ring-necked Ducks. If we have a cloudy morning we will get to photograph Harbor Seals. You will learn to get the right exposure every time, to see the best situation, to think like a pro, to create sharp, pleasing images, and to understand the joint effects of light and wind on the birds. All in a small group with tons of individual attention.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance will be due no later than January 7, 2014. The balance is alo 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.

If you are planning to register please shoot me an e-mail.

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

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
This Bulletin took about 12 hours to prepare

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 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 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 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.