Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Amazing Streak Continues; What’s Wrong With Me? 🙂

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!

This image was created at Lisse, Holland with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head,the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens, Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (teleconverter) (at 278mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/22 in Manual mode. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus 1/3 of the way into the frame and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

What’s Weird???

What’s odd about the sharp image above?

This image was created at Lisse, Holland with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens, Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (teleconverter) (hand held at 280mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/45 in Manual mode. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus 1/3 of the way into the frame and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

What’s Weird???

What’s strange about the diagonal pan blur above?

Your Favorite?

Which image do you like best, the sharp image or the pan blur? Be sure to let us know why.

Tulip Field Painting

Click here to see the Tulip Field Painting blog post.

New Film Screenings: “The Wild Orchid Man In The Land Of The White Bear!”

Friend Darryl Saffer’s latest film, “The Wild Orchid Man In The Land Of The White Bear!” will be screening in the Sarasota, FL area during the next two weeks. Admission is free. DVDs will be available for a donation to the Sarasota Orchid Society for the Wild Orchid Man Films fund.

While on location with filmmaker Darryl Saffer near Churchill, Manitoba, artist and renowned orchid expert Stig Dalström, the Wild Orchid Man, met noted author and bird photographer William Burt. Stig was fascinated by the time Burt spent in getting a single photo of the very secretive birds featured in his books. His book, Rare and Elusive Birds of North America, (2001) took 20 years to complete. His photographs and articles have appeared in Audubon, National Wildlife, National Geographic and his photos have been covers for three issues of Smithsonian Magazines. Stig’s interview appears in “Wild Orchid Man In The Land Of The White Bear,” the third film in the Wild Orchid Man series following “Ghost Orchid Swamp” and “Mountains Of Amazonas.” While the Churchill area of Manitoba is noted for its polar bears, it is a major destination for birders and attracts over 250 species of birds during the nesting season. And of course, lots of orchids.

Here is the schedule:

Jan. 6th, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Special Screening at Selby Gardens, sponsored by the Sarasota Orchid Society
Jan. 17th, 7 p.m. Friday, The Landings
Jan. 25th, Saturday, Unitarian Universalist Church
Feb. 20th, Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance, Naples

Click here for additional details and contact info.

Stig Dalström, The Wild Orchid Man

Artist, botanist, author, and the noted curator of the Orchid Identification Center at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, Stig Dalström is recognized worldwide as an orchid expert. His lectures and field work have taken him from his Florida home to Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Thailand, his native Sweden, and recently, Bhutan.

Darryl Saffer, Documentary Filmmaker

Naturalist, composer, editor and principal of Studio Ray Productions in Sarasota, Florida, Darryl Saffer’s documentaries have focused on nature, wildlife, and emerging critical environmental issues. His films include “Amorphous titanum at Selby Gardens,” “Not Long Ago, Tanner’s Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Condemned,” and “Orca” among others.

You can learn more about Darryl and about Studio Ray Productions here.

Join Denise and me in Holland this spring!

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

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

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

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

For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two. If we get lucky, the big attraction should be gorgeous Purple Herons in flight at a breeding marsh. We would be photographing them from the roadside. And we might be able to find a few Great-crested Grebes at a location near Keukenhof.

You will learn to create tight abstracts, how to best use depth-of-field (or the lack thereof) to improve your flower photography, how to get the right exposure and make sharp images every time, how to see the shot, and how to choose the best perspective for a given situation. And you will of course learn to create a variety of pleasingly blurred flower images. If you bring a long lens, you will learn to use it effectively for flower photography. Denise’s two favorite flower lenses are the Canon 100mm macro and the Canon 24-105mm zoom. Mine are the Canon 180mm macro lens and the Canon 600mm f/4L IS II, both always on a tripod and both often used with extension tubes and/or the 1.4X teleconverters. Denise hand holds a great deal of the time. For flower field blurs denise uses the same lenses mentioned above. My favorite is the 70-200 often with a 1.4X TC but I use both the 24-105 and the 600 II as well. Both of us use and love the Canon EOS-5D Mark III for all of our flower photography. The in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features are a blast.

One of the great advantages of our trip is that we will be staying in a single, strategically located hotel that is quite excellent. Do note that all ground transfers to and from Schipol will be via hotel shuttle bus.

What’s included: Eight hotel nights. All ground transportation except for airport transfers as noted above. In-the-field instruction and small group image review and Photoshop sessions. All meals from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 8. The hotel we are staying in often offers both lunch and dinner buffets. The food is excellent. Whenever you order off the menu be it at the hotel or at one of the several fine-dining spots that we will be enjoying at various locations, only the cost of your main course is included. On these occasions the cost of soups, appetizers, salads, sodas and other beverages, alcoholic drinks and wine, bottled water, and desserts are not included. This is done in part in hopes that folks will be less inclined to enjoy an eight course dinner so that we can get to bed early. As with all A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours both the photo sessions and the days are long. Nothing that we do however will be demanding. Being able to sit down on the ground with your gear is, however, a huge plus. Anyone in halfway decent shape should be fine.

Snacks, personal items, phone calls, etc. are not included.

Beware of seemingly longer, slightly less expensive tours that include travel days and days sitting in the hotel doing nothing as part of the tour. In addition, other similar trips have you changing hotels needlessly. The cost of this years trip is a bit higher than last years to reflect our increased experience and the extra hotel night that is included. One final note on other similar trips: the instructors on this trip actually instruct. On other similar trips the instructors, though usually imminently qualified, serve for the most part as van drivers….

Happy Campers only please. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is required to hold your spot. The second payment of $2,000 due by October 30, 2013. The balance is due on January 15, 2014. Payments in full are of course welcome at any time. All payments including the deposit must be made by check made out to “Arthur Morris.” As life has a way of throwing an occasional curve ball our way, you are urged to purchase travel insurance within 15 days of our cashing your check. I use and recommend Travel Insurance Services. All payments are non-refundable unless the trip fills to capacity. In that case, all payments but your deposit will be refunded.

All checks should be made out to “Arthur Morris” and sent to: Arthur Morris, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Please fill out the paperwork here and include a signed copy with your deposit check.

For couples or friends signing up at the same time for the tulip trip, a $200/person discount will be applied to the final payment.

Click here for complete details and lots of wonderful images with our legendary educational captions. Click here and see item one for lots more tulip images.

An Amazing Streak

Today’s blog post marks 40 days in a row with a new post, a new record by far that should continue for at least another week or two. 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 vertical pan-blur was created at Bosque del Apache NWR with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (at 280mm), and the EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced for me by the Canon EOS-1D X . ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/15 sec. at f/4 in Tv mode. Central sensor/Rear Focus AF and pan vertically. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Soup from a Bosque Stone

On rare occasions, action can be on the slow side at Bosque del Apache, NWR in San Antonio, NM. And sometimes, there are just no birds to photograph. At these uncommon times folks should understand that there are a wealth of non-avian subjects at the refuge worthy of their time. Those include the young willows and stands of the invasive salt cedar that line the ditches. Both of these are ideal fodder for honing your vertical pan-blur techniques. The panning rate determines the degree of blurring but it is the timing of the shutter release that determines the image design. It takes practice to achieve the framing that you want but once you are in the field, digital is free so it is a good idea to experiment at length. It is likely that something like 1 out of every 10 images will look good on the back of your camera and for every 10 that look good on the back of your camera you might wind up with one very nice keeper, or better yet, a family jewel.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 98mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops as framed: 1/8 sec. at f/11 in Tv mode. Central sensor/Rear Focus AF on the photographer and pan vertically. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Blurring the Blurrer

On a rare not-so-great IPT morning Denise Ippolito and I stopped to teach the boys and girls how to create pleasing blurs. Everyone was working on vertical pan blurs of the young willows when BPN‘s Cheryl Slechta, a moderator in the Out-of-the Box Forum, where creativity reigns under Cheryl’s fine leadership, came by and shared her “Harold blur.” Everyone loved the image. .

We loved it so much that we got Bear Boat IPT veteran Harold Klein to pose for us. He was a great sport and his camouflage outfit was perfect. As always we encourage folks to create lots of images in hopes of getting one good one. I created about 25 Harold Blurs and kept only the one above….

This image was also created with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 98mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/2 sec. at f/14 in Tv mode. Central sensor/Rear Focus AF on the black stripe at the bottom and pan horizontally. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Bummin’ I

When the pre-dawn sky is spectacular but the birds are sleeping late creating pleasing blurs is always an option. Working on a tripod when creating pan blurs makes it easy to keep the straight lines straight and level. With the lower half of the frame here relatively dark (as compared to the sky) I did not add much light for fear of blowing out both the YELLOW and the RED channels. Again, the shutter speed and the panning rate determine the degree of blurring and the timing of the shutter release determines the framing.

This image was also created at Bosque del Apache NWR, this one with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 386mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 5000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/4 sec. at f/4 in in Tv Mode (with ISO Safety Shift). Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround–Rear Focus AF on the ridge and pan horizontally. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Bummin’ II

On some days there is beautiful color in the pre-dawn sky while it is still relatively pitch dark, far too early for the geese to fly out. Such was the case when I created the image above; note the ISO of 5000 with a shutter speed of only 1/4 second…. Bummin’ is a choice. 🙂 (The Work of Byron Katie.)

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

If you would like to learn more about creating pleasing blurs check out our A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

This 20,585 word, 271 page eGuide PDF is illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images. The book is laid out in landscape format to make for easy viewing and easy reading on any decent computer monitor.

We teach you many different ways to move your lens during the exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees and water and landscapes. We teach you to recognize situations where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind blurs, and moving water blurs. We teach you to create zoom-blurs both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in flight at his beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has developed.

With the advent of digital capture creating blurred images has become a great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun. Do know that over the past decade more and more prestigious contests that are looking away from traditional photography towards more out of the box stuff have chosen to honor a great many intentional blurs. While many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of being a sloppy photographer nothing could be further from the truth. In “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative self.

This in-camera Art Vivid HDR image was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 145mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/- 2 stops around 1/60 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Central sensor/Rear Focus AF on the nearest branch just above center and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Backlit Cottonwoods

Kudos and thanks again to the afore-mentioned Cheryl Slechta who has helped Denise and me out on several Bosque IPTs. On the 2012 IPT, most of the group was waiting for a big duck blast-off without much success. Cheryl went for a walk to see what she could see and came back to share some of her backlit cottonwood images. Several of us were really impressed. I advised folks with 5D Mark III bodies that using a tripod for creating any HDR images is the best plan as it assures accurate alignment of the images. As I usually do my favorites were Art Vivid captures and as usual, I brought the JPEG into Photoshop and reduced the Saturation about 10 points.

This Art Vivid in-camera HDR image was also created at Bosque del Apache NWR with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 282mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-2 stops around +1 2/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/7.1 in in Av Mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround–Rear Focus AF on the large cottonwood on the left and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Long Lenses for Landscapes

I love using long glass for landscape and scenic photography. Doing so enables you to extract the most interesting parts of the scene in a way that I wide angle lens cannot do. In addition, long effective focal lengths compress the elements in a composition making them appear closer to each other than they actually are. As the 282mm focal length used here did to the cottonwoods and the low mountains. I loved using my 200-400 at Bosque for both landscapes and the pre-dawn and sunrise fly-ins and fly-outs.

This in-camera Natural HDR image was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens (at 110mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/- 2 stops around +1 1/3 stops: 1/80 sec. at f/16 in Av mode. Central sensor/Rear Focus AF on the vegetation along the ditch 1/3 of the way into the frame and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Natural In-Camera HDRS

As regular readers know, I love and use the Art Vivid in-camera HDR style most of the time. But with the image above, it the JPEGs were looking way too YELLOW so I created a few with the Natural style and loved the results. My 50-50 NIK pre-set did wonders for this one as did the nice crop from the top and a 10-point increase in Saturation. I erased the 50-50 Tonal Contrast/Detail Extractor layer from the sky with a Regular Layer Mask.

5D Mark III User’s Guide

Learn everything that I know about my 5D Mark III in my 5D Mark III User’s Guide. Included are 5D III exposure fine points, handling the WHITEs, all top LCD and camera control buttons, the 5D Mark III drive modes, how to manually select an AF sensor, choosing an AF Area Selection Mode, Menu Item access, coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including the following: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (includes details on the custom setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation linked AF point (I love this feature on the 5D III!), Highlight alert, Histogram display, Auto rotate, Custom Shooting Mode set-up, Safety shift, using the Q button, and setting up rear focus. In addition you will learn my settings for both the In-camera HDR and the Multiple Exposure features. The guide is–of course–written in my informal, easy-to-follow style.

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the images above is your favorite and why you chose it.

The 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update is available as a stand alone purchase. See below for details.

The 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update

The 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update was sent on Tuesday to all the folks who have previously purchased our Bosque Site Guide. In this new, stand-alone guide I will enlighten you as to what’s new at the refuge and what’s old that works. Where should you be at dawn with a north wind? Which crane pool is better? What’s with that new pond? Where are the two best spots to be at sunset? Where should you be at 7:30am on a cloudy morning?

All of those questions are answered in detail in the new Quick Start Guide/Update. The Quick Start Guide contains a basic synopsis of the complete guide including the best pre-dawn strategies, the best crane pool strategies, the best afternoon strategies, and the best sunset strategies. Heck, BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. This new e-Guide includes 41 images, all but one created in 2013. Most are spectacular and inspiring, all include an educational caption designed to teach you to be in the right place at the right time in the right weather. Take advantage of my 20 years of experience at Bosque by getting yourself a copy of this great new guide right now.

If you own the Bosque Site Guide and did not receive the update please cut and paste (or screen capture) the top of the first page of your Bosque Site Guide into an e-mail and shoot it to Jim via e-mail with the words “2014 Bosque Update” cut and pasted into the Subject Line.

If you purchase our Bosque Site Guide ($50) today, you will receive the complete Bosque Site Guide in one e-mail, and then you will receive the 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update at no charge to you.

Save $25 on the Stand Alone “Bosque Quick Start Guide”

We are, as we did last year, offering the 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update as a stand-alone purchase for only $25. You can order your copy right now in the BAA Online Store by clicking here. Your PDF will be sent via e-mail.

Join Denise Ippolito and me for four great days of photography and learning at one of our soul places. Please click on the card to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2014 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). NOV 29-DEC 3, 2014. Totaling 4 FULL-DAYS: $1449. Leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/29.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 6th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/29 through 12/2), 4 morning (11/30 to 12/3) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/29, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

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

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

Join Denise Ippolito and me for two great days of photography, fun, and learning at one of our soul places. We will surely be taking you out of the box on this workshop. Please click on the card to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2014 A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART “Creative Photography Instructional Photo-Tour.” (IPT). NOV 24-25, 2014. 2-FULL DAYS: $729. Leaders: Denise Ippolito & Arthur Morris. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/23.

Get Out of Your Box!

The Creative Bosque IPT is perfect for folks who want to learn to think outside the box, to create new and different images. This workshop is the perfect add-on for folks who are planning on attending the Festival of the Cranes. Learn to unleash your creative juices at the wondrous Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio, New Mexico with two great leaders including the amazingly talented and creative Denise Ippolito. In-the-field instruction will include tips on gear set-up, on creating a variety of pleasing blurs, on getting the right exposure, and on designing pleasing images. And lots more. From vertical pan blurs to subject motion blurs to zoom blurs to multiple exposures we will cover it all. If conditions are perfect, we will not hesitate to take advantage of them to do some traditional bird photography. This workshop will include an inspirational introductory slide program on Sunday evening, 11/23, after dinner on your own, two morning and two afternoon photography sessions, all lunches, a digital workflow and Photoshop session after lunch on Monday, and an image critiquing session after lunch on Tuesday.

A $329 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

Bosque 2013 Kudos

From Brent Schoenfeld who attended with his friend Claudia, via e-mail:

You and Denise are an amazing team and it was a treasured experience to learn from and photograph with you both. You have gifted me a new ‘exposure’ discipline, which has catapulted me up to the level I’ve wanted to be at. I had seen the value before, largely from following your blog, and had started to embrace it, but with the workshop I find myself solidly and confidently established in a new and photographically more powerful place. Thank you for your blog, as well. It is a great learning tool. I hope to do more workshops with you two! Thanks for everything. Ciao for now, B.

From Gretchen Cole in an e-mail to the group:

Hello All, I finally have images ready to share. I am still thinking of the trip to Bosque and am so glad I could get signed on late and meet all of you. What a fun, energetic, and talented group. This was my very first trip to Bosque, and I know I will be back. It has grabbed me and I am already formulating a plan to return. This also was my very first bird photography experience and it was fantastic to have such good leaders willing to help and share their knowledge. Enjoy the holidays and I hope we meet again. Thanks again to Denise and Artie for sharing your knowledge without restraint 🙂 Gretchen

From Dave Klein via e-mail:

I wanted you to know that both you and Denise are icons in my photographic journey. What I liked about the workshop was the blending of styles you two represent: technical, compositional and creative. Your vast experience with Bosque told us when to be patient with a situation and let the photographic opportunity present itself and when to quickly move on to another when the circumstances weren’t in our favor. Thanks so much Artie for your dedication to your workshop participants and your readership. I feel privileged to say that I am both. Kind regards, Dave

From Sue Eberhart’s e-mail to the group:

Happy Day After Thanksgiving to all, The experience at Bosque, for me, was a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Before leaving home, I knew that it would be special trip but upon arrival and experiencing just a few minutes with all of you, I knew I was into something extraoidinary. The group’s passion and talent was infectious. As we know, the setting was so very special and the birds outdid themselves.

I am always looking for inspiration and I found all of you inspiring in many ways. Denise and Artie were always patient and willing to share their knowledge, techniques and skills. What more could one ask for? Snow? Yep, even that was arranged for and delivered. Attached are 5 of my best images. I can hardly wait to get home and begin to practice with our shorebirds but nothing will replicate the Bosque experience with all of you. Happy Holidays to you all and I hope we will meet again someday. Sue

From Carl Meisel via e-mail:

Thanks so much for allowing us to experience a once in a lifetime event. I had a great learning experience and am going home with myriads of keepers. I think we lucked out with the days we chose as we saw numerous blastoffs and beautiful sunsets. Thanks again. Carl–from the old Brooklyn neighborhood

Snow Geese, early morning fly-in, Bosque del Apache NWR, NM, with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens hand held at 70mm.

Small But Deadly: The 70-200mm Telephoto Zoom Lenses

When most folks think of lenses for bird photography, they usually think of one of the super-telephoto focal lengths: 500, 600, or 800mm. But there are many times when lenses in that class are simply not the right tool for the job. When you are working in close quarters, when you need to be able to handhold for flight or action, when you want to frame wide or vary your framing to include a group of birds or attractive habitat, or when your long lens is simply too long for the task, a short telephoto zoom lens is likely to be perfect. My very favorite short telephoto zoom range is 70-200mm because it offers me freedom, flexibility, and adaptability when I need it. I never make a trip without one in my Think Tank Rolling Bag.

Western Gull landing, LaJolla, CA with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 400mm.

I purchased the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM Telephoto Zoom lens just before an eagle trip to Alaska in 2005. Having never been before, I was somewhat skeptical when told that a 70-200 would be my most valuable lens on the trip, but that is exactly as it turned out. When feeding the eagles was still legal, the birds flew by at extremely close range. Though I had my 500mm f/4L IS along as well as a borrowed 300mm f/2.8 L IS, I rarely used them.

Laysan Albatross landing, Midway, with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 222mm.

At 2.9 lbs., the older f/2.8 L IS version was and is eminently hand-holdable. The physical length of the lens is 7 3/4 inches. And it is a lot cheaper than the Series II version–see below for detailson that one. The older version focuses down to 1.4 meters–a shade under 4 ft. 6 in. This lens performs extremely well as a 98-280mm f/4 zoom lens with the 1.4X teleconverter in place; this enhances the flexibility of this lens. Somewhat amazingly–there is a newer version–this lens is still in production today. Note: I always recommend removing the tripod collar if possible on lenses that you will be hand holding for flight and action photography.

Laysan Albatross, Midway, with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 280mm.

Several years ago an old friend purchased the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens and almost immediately began touting its virtues. At just 1.7 lbs. and only 6 5/8 inches in length, this smaller, lighter cousin of the heftier f/2.8 version made a lot of sense to me so I purchased one soon after trying it out at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The minimum focusing distance of the f/4 version is 1.2 meters–a bit more than 3 ft. 9 in.

Dalmatian Pelican landing, Lake Kerkini, Greece with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens hand held at 155mm.

For a few years I used and depended on the lighter f/4 version for bird and nature photography. I kept the the old f/2.8 L IS lens but pretty much used it mainly to photograph my granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals; when working indoors when the use of flash is prohibited the extra stop of light is much appreciated. The speed of the f/2.8 lens allows me a stop more shutter speed than if I were using the f/4 version without having to raise the ISO.

Dalmatian Pelican feather detail, Lake Kerkini, Greecewith the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 335mm.

On a Galapagos trip about 4 years ago friend Patrick Sparkman was raving about his new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. The new version of the f/2.8L IS lens weighs 3.29 pounds and has a great minimum focusing distance of 3.94 feet. What sold me was seeing the great flight images that Patrick made with his new toy and the older 2X II teleconverter. With the new 2X III TC that combo is even sharper. After getting the new 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens I quickly sold both my 70-200 f/4L IS and the older version of the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. Now I never leave home without my Series II 70-200mm f/2.8L IS….

As much as I love the latest version of the 70-200, the f/4 version is still an attractive option for folks looking to save weight and money. And with the continually improving high ISO performance (in terms of noise) of today’s digital camera bodies, the smaller lighter 70-200 makes even more sense….

Note: Nikon folks should be looking at the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens along with the Nikon TC-14E II 1.4x Teleconverter for D-AF-S & AF-I lenses only.

Now lets take a look at the various ways that I use my 70-200 IS lens. Most often I mount the lens to a camera body and hang it over my right shoulder via the Black Rapid RS-7 strap. Unless otherwise indicated the 1.4X III TC is in place giving me a range of from 98-280 mm with one of my full frame bodies. Most often I am using my 5D Mark III but if I expect lots of flight and action I will go to one of my 1d x bodies.

Red-tailed Tropicbirds displaying, Midway, with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 280mm.

If I am walking down a beach where the birds are not as likely to be close and there are lots of opportunities for flight photography I might have my 300 f/2.8L IS II lens on my shoulder as my auxiliary intermediate telephoto but then I will have the 70-200 in the large rear zipper pocket of my custom-designed Xtrahand Magnum Vest by Vested Interest so that I can grab it if I need a wider focal length. And the 24-105 L IS zoom lens is always in my vest as well.

At places like Bosque del Apache NWR in San Antonio, New Mexico where there is often a combination of great light, great scenery, and large groups of birds I will often handhold my 70-200 but I am just as likely to have it on my standard one-size-fits-most lasts a lifetime Gitzo 3532 LS Carbon Fiber model with a Mongoose M3.6.

My advice for creating pleasing and effective bird-scapes it is best to include a clean lower edge at the bottom of the frame, a bird-less strip of water or earth that will anchor your image. If there are birds on the ground or in the water, be sure to focus on the closest row of birds and lock that focus. That’s just another reason to use rear focus. If the birds are in the air, strive to focus on the closest birds in the flock. Activating your camera’s full array of focusing sensors will usually accomplish that. Practice zooming in and out with your rig mounted on the tripod so that you are able to frame your images accurately when there is a huge blast off in front of a glorious sunrise. And remember, it is always best to zoom a bit wider than you think is necessary when photographing groups of birds in flight….

Snow Geese in main pool, Bosque del Apache NWR, NM, 5-frame stitched pano with the tripod-mounted with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens.

At times I will handhold the 70-200 when creating images for a stitched panorama but it is almost always better to tripod-mount your lens for a variety of reasons: you can carefully level your rig to ensure square-to-the-world images; if you do not use rear focus you can use AF to focus and then easily turn the AF switch to M: and working on a tripod allows you to take your time and to carefully frame your images. That said, it is always best to frame well wider than you think when creating images for stitched panoramas. Doing so gives you margin for error when it comes to framing and cropping the final image. Be sure to overlap your images by about 30%. I stitch my panoramic images together in Photoshop CS-5 using File/Automate/Photomerge.

Snowy Egret in flight, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) hand held at 400mm.

On occasion I use the 70-200 to create zoom blurs especially of large groups of flowers or birds. I do this either handheld or with the lens on a tripod. I choose my lowest ISO and work in Manual mode so that the meter will not be fooled by the framing. I set a shutter speed of either 1/4 or 1/5 second and set the aperture to give me the correct exposure. I always depress the shutter button while zooming from long to wide even though I know that it does not matter if you zoom from wide to tight. It takes lots of practice. The results will vary so be sure to create lots of images and to check the results on the camera’s LCD.

Snowy Egret landing, Fort Desoto Park, near St. Petersburg, FL with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens hand held at 155mm.

On occasion, I like to walk down the beach with just a 70-200 on my shoulder and a 1.4X teleconverter in my pocket and see what I can do. But whether I am just out for a photographic stroll or have the tripod-mounted 600 f/4L IS II on my shoulder and a ton of gear in my vest, I will surely have a 70-200 along. Do the same, think wide, and keep your creative mind open and you too will soon learn that these short telephoto zoom lenses can fast become be an extremely versatile and productive tool in the right hands: yours.

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the images above you like the best and why you made your pick.

Questions on the various iterations of the 70-200 are of course welcome.

An Amazing Streak

Today’s blog post marks 38 days in a row with a new post, a new record by far that should continue for at least another week or two. 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!

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.

Important Contest Note

Jim Litzenberg will be on vacation until tomorrow, January 2, 2014; those who paid for the for the contest very recently should receive their payment confirmation e-mail from Jim some time on Thursday.

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 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.

An e-Mail From Tammis

On November 19, 2103 I received a very nice e-mail from Tammis Coffin, the Education Coordinator at the Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon/Connecting People & Nature through Art:

Artie,

I’m forwarding a feature about the Museum of American Bird Art that highlights your exhibition.

Visitors have responded enthusiastically to your work and it’s drawn in a lot of new faces. They express delight with your captions, your colors, the beauty, as well as the whimsy. We are fortunate to have your images here and to have learned from you over the course of your visit of several days. I want to thank you for your ideas for gallery activities. There have been some amazing child drawings of your egret, spoonbill, puffin, and many more, although few children have tackled the gannets.

I signed up for your blog and have been enjoying it immensely!

Because you mentioned the quality of Arni Cheatham’s work (Arni was one of the students in your seminar), we learned more about him and discovered that he won this year’s Boston’s Jazz Hero award. He’ll be projecting his bird images here in late April, while his jazz band improvises.

My best to you and to the wonderful Denise for the New Year!

Tammis

The Canton Monthly is a community magazine published by hibu Limited.

The Canton Monthly Feature Article

Below is the text of the feature article that appeared in the December 2013 issue of Canton Monthly.

Spread Your Wings
Museum of American Bird Art Makes a Nest in Canton
BIRDS AS ART

“Today, we continue to connect people to nature through art, using art to inspire and educate,” director Amy Montague said. The museum presents three to four exhibitions each year, with a wide range of artworks represented. An array of educational programs for all ages draws on the original art in the exhibitions and collections, as well as the varied habitats of the wildlife sanctuary. The museum’s current exhibition, “BIRDS AS ART,” is on display through Jan. 13, 2014.

The exhibition displays the bird photography of Arthur Morris, one of the world’s most renowned bird photographers. Museum visitors can stroll among the colorful, detailed and often whimsical images in the gallery. Arthur Morris has unparalleled technical and artistic expertise and design savvy; and he experiments widely. His photographs of birds call for patience, determination, luck and an understanding of bird behavior. Morris has won numerous national and international awards and is a Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus. Canon generously sponsored the exhibit. He leads instructional bird photography trips, writes an educational blog, and has also published several books including “The Art of Bird Photography” and an e-Book: “The Art of Bird Photography II.”

Visitors will see an Atlantic puffin peering straight towards the camera with tufts of grass in its orange beak, baby sandhill cranes hitching a ride on their mother’s back and “Blizzard in Blue,” a photograph that reveals hundreds of snow geese taking flight. “Gannets in Love” is the signature image for the show, and highlights the graceful curving profiles of a pair of seabirds passing a bright green piece of seaweed beak-to-beak.

“When I looked around for the best photographer to inaugurate the museum’s new name, only one person was mentioned time and time again: Arthur Morris,” Montague said. The current exhibit can be viewed every afternoon of the week, except Mondays, until Jan. 13. For more information, visit massaudubon.org/maba or call 781-821-8853.

Exhibition, American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon, Canton, MA

BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris

The 35-print exhibition will run through Sunday, January 12, 2014. If you have not visited yet, you still have two weeks to get there! The images hang at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon (193 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. 1-781-821-8853.) The exhibition was sponsored in part by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Click here for additional details. Learn more about the exhibit by clicking here.

Digitally-signed Fine Art Canvas prints of “Gannets in Love” are available in various sizes. Each print is skillfully produced by Canvas In Demand. Click here for sizes, pricing, and framing and additional information.

Fine Art Traditional Photographic Prints

All BIRDS AS ART images, both film and digital, are available as signed traditional photographic prints in a great variety of sizes. You may purchase an unframed print of any BAA image that you see on the web site, in a Bulletin, or on the Blog. Click here for sizes, pricing, and additional information.

Fine Art Digitally-Signed Canvas Prints

All BIRDS AS ART digital and some film-based images are available as digitally signed Fine Art Canvas Prints skillfully prepared by Canvas on Demand. Click here for sizes, pricing, and framing and additional information.

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. Click here for info on the just announced San Diego Short Notice IPT–only 1 slot left on that one. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

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

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

Amazon

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

Typos

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

This Herring Gull was photographed at Cupsogue Beach, Long Island, NY with the predecessor of the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, 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 (since replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Rear Focus AF as framed 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. Sitting behind my lowered tripod resulted in an intimate look to the image with a pleasing Atlantic Ocean background. Image A

Head Angle, Head Angle, Head Angle…

Many bird photographers are totally oblivious to head angle when they push the shutter button. Understanding what makes a good head angle is a complex issue that requires both common sense and study. Many folks assume incorrectly that having the bird’s head perfectly parallel to the imaging sensor is always the best head angle but this is true only 5-10% of the time….

Let’s cut to the chase: which image features the best head angle. And why?

Folks that photograph with me quickly notice that I almost always make images of static birds in 3-frame bursts. There are several reasons for this:

1-The frame-rate of the 1D X is so fast that it is hard to take 1 (or even 2) images when you press the shutter button.
2-Birds have a third eyelid called the nictitating membrane. This translucent membrane covers the eye several times a minute, just as when we blink. Having the nictitating membrane cover the eye of your subject most often ruins an image.
3-Birds are rarely completely still. Like me, they are constantly looking around. Thus, the head angle is often changing from moment to moment. Case in point: both images in this blog post were created in the same one-one hundredth of a second as follows: Date/Time: 2009:10:04 17:05:52. Rather than try to anticipate the perfect head angle I choose to make 3 or 4 images every time that I like a shot. This practically ensures a good head angle as it did here. The question remains, which head angle (HA) is best, A or B?

This, the same Herring Gull as above, was of course also photographed at Cupsogue Beach, Long Island, NY with the predecessor of the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, Mongoose M3.6 head, 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 (since replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image B

El Capitán…

My awareness of the importance of head angle probably came to fruit well more than two decades ago. On page 141 of the original “The Art of Bird Photography,” the classic how-to work on the subject, there are two images of a young Great Black-backed Gull, one with a good head angle and one with the head turned away. In various online forums I routinely–in an attempt to educate folks–busted them for poor head angles. At first the common reaction was “What is he talking about?” But over time, folks did learn and in the process I became known as “Captain of the Head Angle Police,” a title I wear proudly.

The very best way (aside from studying the images post here every day and in BAA Online Bulletins), is to study the “Head Angle Fine Points” tutorial that I started in August, 2010 in the Educational Resources (ER)Forum on BirdPhotographers/Net (BPN). You can read the entire thread here but beware, there are 383 comments…. Still, it represents a tremendous free learning opportunity for those who wish to improve their bird photography.

The funny thing is that when I comment on head angle now some folks respond by asking, “Who says that you are right? Did you make this stuff up?” My answers are always the same: “Me. And Yes.”

BPN’s Educational Resources (ER) Forum

The Educational Resources (ER) Forum on BPN is surely the most over-looked free nature photography resource on the web. And in recent years it has become even more neglected…. Check it out; you will be amazed at what you will find.

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

Only 1 Slot Left! Call or e-mail for Late Registration Discount info.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

Great Buy: Used Canon 800mm f/5/6L IS Lens for Sale

Friend and multiple IPT-veteran Monte Brown is offering his lightly used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in excellent condition for sale for $9,500. Purchase includes the lens case and hood, the 4th Generation Design Low Foot, the original foot, a LensCoat, the original invoice and the original Canon shipping carton. The lens was purchased new from B&H in April 2009 and was recently underwent a pre-sale clean and check by Canon. The buyer pays insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens sells new for $13,223.00 so you will save a bundle on a great lens. No need to ever use a 2X…

If interested you can contact Monte by phone at 1-765-744-1421 or via e-mail.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.

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.

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 leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.
Click here or scroll down for details

This Snow Geese 2-flock blur image was created at 10:28am on the December 1, 2013 at Bosque del Apache NWR with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the white sky: 1/30 sec. at f/11 in Manual Mode. Color temperature 7000K. Central sensor/AI Servo/Surround–Rear Focus AF as framed 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 extracted JPEG here accurately represents the original image capture. Please click on the image to see a larger version.

The Original

Above is a JPEG that represents the original capture. Note that +2 stops off the white sky was not nearly enough. Plus 3 would have been a lot better. I love that the closer birds were flying in one direction but that the more distant flock was flying opposite the direction of my pan.

Why do I wish that I had panned the camera up and left a bit more?

Version I Please click on the image to see a larger version.

First Try

Above is my first effort at optimizing this image. I used a good dose of NIK Detail Extractor and Tonal Contrast, probably about 25%. What did I not like about Verzion I?

Version II Please click on the image to see a larger version.

Second Try

When I re-did the image I cropped it a bit wider and did not use any NIK. When I compared Version II to Version I I liked the tighter crop and and the contrastier look of Version I. So back to work I went.

Version III Please click on the image to see a larger version.

Snow Goose Image Optimization/Need Your Help/Opinion

What do you think of Version III? Which version do you like best? Be sure to let us know why you like the one that you do. Which crop do you like best? Why? What would you have done differently? What do you think of the top of the tree in the lower right corner of the original?

If you would like to take a crack at optimizing this image shoot me an e-mail with the words “Snow Goose 2-Flock Blur” in the Subject line and I will send you the a full sized version of the image converted in DPP via e-mail. If you like your results you may send me a 1200 pixel wide sharpened JPEG by return e-mail.

The 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update is available as a stand alone purchase. See below for details.

The “2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update”

If you purchase our Bosque Site Guide ($50) today, you will receive the complete Bosque Site Guide in one e-mail, and then you will receive the 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update at no charge to you.

We are, as we did last year, offering the 2014 Bosque Quick Start Guide/Current Conditions Update as a stand-alone purchase for only $25. You can order your copy right now in the BAA Online Store by clicking here. Your PDF will be sent via e-mail.

Click here for lots more info on this new eGuide.

Bosque del Apache 2014 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). NOV 29-DEC 3, 2014. 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS: $1449. Leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/29.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 6th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/29 through 12/2), 4 morning (11/30 to 12/3) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/29, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

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

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

Bosque del Apache 2014 A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART “Creative Photography Instructional Photo-Tour.” (IPT). NOV 24-25, 2014. 2-FULL DAYS: $729. Leaders: Denise Ippolito & Arthur Morris. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/23.

Learn to unleash your creative juices at the wondrous Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio, New Mexico with two great leaders including the amazingly talented and creative Denise Ippolito. In-the-field instruction will include tips on gear set-up, on creating a variety of pleasing blurs, on getting the right exposure, and on designing pleasing images. And lots more. From vertical pan blurs to subject motion blurs to zoom blurs to multiple exposures we will cover it all. This workshop will include an inspirational introductory slide program on Sunday evening, 11/23 after dinner on your own, two morning and two afternoon photography sessions, all lunches, a digital workflow and Photoshop session after lunch on Monday, and an image critiquing session after lunch on Tuesday.

A $329 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. Click here for info on the just announced San Diego Short Notice IPT–only 1 slot left on that one. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

Great Buy: Used Canon 800mm f/5/6L IS Lens for Sale

Friend and multiple IPT-veteran Monte Brown is offering his lightly used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in excellent condition for sale for $9,500. Purchase includes the lens case and hood, the 4th Generation Design Low Foot, the original foot, a LensCoat, the original invoice and the original Canon shipping carton. The lens was purchased new from B&H in April 2009 and was recently underwent a pre-sale clean and check by Canon. The buyer pays insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens sells new for $13,223.00 so you will save a bundle on a great lens. No need to ever use a 2X…

If interested you can contact Monte by phone at 1-765-744-1421 or via e-mail.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.

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.

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 leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

Breathe deeply. Have fun. Love what is. Don’t take it personally. Happiness is a choice 🙂

Image Questions

Which is your favorite crane? Which is your favorite goose?

later and love, artie

Interesting Bosque Note

On my not-so-recent twentieth visit in late fall to the refuge (12 days of photography and teaching) I probably created at least 6,000 images. I just finished my fourth and final edit. Here is the tally: 429 RAW files, 12 in-camera HDR JPEGs, and 2 movie (.MOV) files kept. 85 images optimized so far. Keeper rate: 7.35%. I am a ruthless when it comes to editing. Now it is time to copy the Bosque 2013 to Transfer file to the Drobo system on the office computer.

This American Coot image was created from inside my rental vehicle on the 2013 Bosque IPT 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 stop as framed: 1/800 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF just behind the back of 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.

Even an Ugly Bird…

Ugly as a coot. Even an ugly bird can make for a beautiful image. Put that ugly bird in a nice setting–clean blue water here, add gorgeous late afternoon light, check for blinkies until you have a perfect exposure, and then create a sharp, well-composed photography. Convert the image in DPP and tidy up the bill shine and a few specular highlights in Photoshop. While you are there apply just a bit of Detail Extractor to the face and bill using a Hide-All Layer Mask and then paint in 100% Contrast Mask sharpening (15/65/0) on the face and 50% on the rest of the bird, again using a Hide-All Mask. Voila. You are good to go.

All of the above of course as described in detail in our 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, image clean-up techniques, Digital Eye Doctor, and tons more.

Client Richard Cornelius who was in the back seat with his borrowed Nikon 800mm lens also made some great images. As I remember he had one better than my image above. But I am scratching my head trying to figure out how it could have been better….

Image Questions

Why AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure?
Why -1 full stop of exposure compensation (EC)?
What two things having to do with the bird’s posture add to the strength of this image?
Why didn’t I put the central sensor on the coot’s eye?

Coming Tomorrow: The Bosque Current Conditions Site Guide Update

This year’s Bosque Current Conditions Site Guide Update will be announced tomorrow. It will also be offered as a stand-alone purchase. Details will be announced in less than 18 hours. 🙂

Bosque del Apache 2014 A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART “Creative Photography Instructional Photo-Tour.” (IPT). NOV 24-25, 2014. 2-FULL DAYS: $729. Leaders: Denise Ippolito & Arthur Morris. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/23.

Learn to unleash your creative juices at the wondrous Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio, New Mexico with two great leaders including the amazingly talented and creative Denise Ippolito. In-the-field instruction will include tips on gear set-up, on creating a variety of pleasing blurs, on getting the right exposure, and on designing pleasing images. And lots more. From vertical pan blurs to subject motion blurs to zoom blurs to multiple exposures we will cover it all. This workshop will include an inspirational introductory slide program on Sunday evening, 11/23 after dinner on your own, two morning and two afternoon photography sessions, all lunches, a digital workflow and Photoshop session after lunch on Monday, and an image critiquing session after lunch on Tuesday.

A $329 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

Bosque del Apache 2014 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). NOV 29-DEC 3, 2014. 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS: $1449. Leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:00pm on Sunday 11/29.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 6th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/29 through 12/2), 4 morning (11/30 to 12/3) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/29, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

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

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2014. 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.

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

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. Click here for info on the just announced San Diego Short Notice IPT–only 2 slots left on that one. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

Great Buy: Used Canon 800mm f/5/6L IS Lens for Sale

Friend and multiple IPT-veteran Monte Brown is offering his lightly used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in excellent condition for sale for $9,500. Purchase includes the lens case and hood, the 4th Generation Design Low Foot, the original foot, a LensCoat, the original invoice and the original Canon shipping carton. The lens was purchased new from B&H in April 2009 and was recently underwent a pre-sale clean and check by Canon. The buyer pays insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens sells new for $13,223.00 so you will save a bundle on a great lens. No need to ever use a 2X…

If interested you can contact Monte by phone at 1-765-744-1421 or via e-mail.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.

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.

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 leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens (at 85mm) and the Nikon D800 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). ISO 100. Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/4 sec. at f/22. White Balance: Fine Weather. Image #1 Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Andrew McLachlan Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Three Frosties

A Guest Blog Post by Andrew McLachlan

On the morning of December 14th, 2013 the temperature outside my home in south-central Ontario near the small town of Barrie was hovering around -26 degrees Celsius. That’s about -15 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s cold. When these frigid temperatures descend, my not-so-energy-efficient living room window becomes coated with a vast array of intricate frost patterns that often resemble etched glass. Each fall when I am preparing this window for the onset of winter I remove the screens entirely and store them in the shed out in the backyard. By doing so, I do not need to fiddle around with them in sub-zero temperatures when the frosties arrive.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens (at 75mm) and the Nikon D800 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). ISO 100. Matrix metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/4 sec. at f/16. White Balance: Fine Weather. Image #2 Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Andrew McLachlan Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Keeping the Frost Cold

Photographing frost patterns on window panes is not necessarily difficult, but making sense of the intricate patterns to create a pleasing image can, at times be a little challenging. I frame my compositions through the viewfinder and then activate the Live View function on the Nikon D800, zoom in on a section of frost, and manually fine-tune the focus. Then I turn off the Live View function and select the mirror-up feature. Next I trip the shutter once to raise the mirror and trip it a second time to take the photo. Please note that I frame and focus the images through a double pane window. When everything is set I open the inside window pane, make an image or two, and then shut the inside window. If I were to open the inside window first and perform the steps above, the warmer temperature inside the house would very quickly melt the frosty patterns away.

The lens that I used to create these iamge is the same AF-S NIKKOR 24–85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens that folks like to trash in their on-line reviews. As you can see by the images here, I do just fine with it. After temporarily rearranging the furniture, the two close-up views of the window frost, images #1 and #2, were created in the comfort of my living room, with the camera firmly mounted on a tripod. A cable release was used to trip the shutter.

This image was also created with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens (hand held at 46mm) and the Nikon D800 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Matrix metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/30 sec. at f/11. White Balance: Fine Weather. Image #3 Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Andrew McLachlan Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Pine Tree Reflection: Brrrr!

The vertical image above with the pine tree in the background was created hand held from outside my home looking back at the window with the 24–85mm’s Vibration Reduction feature turned on. The pine tree is a reflection.

The over-cast conditions gave a black and white appearance to the resulting images. To optimize each image minor adjustments were made during the Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) conversion. A bit of Detail Extractor from Nik Color Efex Pro was applied. All but the spruce tree reflection image (a slight crop) were straight out of the camera.

artie’s Comments

When I saw these fine images on Andrew’s blog I asked him immediately if he would like to go a guest blog post. He said yes. You can see more of Andrew’s fine work on his website here. Andrew is the author of A Photographer’s Guide To The Ontario Landscape, a great BAA eGuide. And along with Denise Ippolito and yours truly he is a co-creator of Fractastic,, another great eGuide the details the creative uses of the Reddfield Fractalius filter. Click here to learn more about or purchase Fractalius.

Andrew makes an important point about photographing patterns: you need to consider the shapes and lines carefully when designing the image. Just pointing and shooting just does not cut it no matter how amazing the patterns and the details. Andrew did a great job of framing each of the three images here.

I love that Andrew has made lots of great images with a lens that is routinely trashed by the internet experts. According to those knowledgeable folks none of my Canon lenses are sharp, none of my cameras are capable of focusing accurately, and it is not possible to create a sharp image with any teleconverter. You gotta love it.

Notice that Andrew was working in Av mode. In tomorrow’s killer educational blog post I lay waste to the myth that real photographers work in Manual mode all the time. Coming soon: “Manual… Av… Tv… Program… Which is The Best Shooting Mode?”

Image Questions

Why did Andrew go from ISO 100 to ISO 800 to create the last image?

Both Andrew and I feel that one of these three images is the strongest. Which one do you think is the best? Be sure to let us know why.

Reflections, and An Invitation

Those of you who missed my career celebration gallery in yesterday’s blog post may click here and then click on the gallery link to view it. Here’s the best news: after viewing the 120 images and picking your 5 or more favorites–most folks could not limit their choices to 5, you will not have to hit the back button 122 times to get back to the blog:). You will simply be able to click on the tab to the left of the slide program tab.

Thanks to those who pointed out the two doubles. They have been replaced. That means that there are 2 new images. Folks with eagle eyes and photographic memories may leave a comment here if they can identify one or both of the new images.

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.

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

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.

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. Click here for info on the just announced San Diego Short Notice IPT–only 2 slots left on that one. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

Great Buy: Used Canon 800mm f/5/6L IS Lens for Sale

Friend and multiple IPT-veteran Monte Brown is offering his lightly used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in excellent condition for sale for $9,500. Purchase includes the lens case and hood, the 4th Generation Design Low Foot, the original foot, a LensCoat, the original invoice and the original Canon shipping carton. The lens was purchased new from B&H in April 2009 and was recently underwent a pre-sale clean and check by Canon. The buyer pays insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens sells new for $13,223.00 so you will save a bundle on a great lens. No need to ever use a 2X…

If interested you can contact Monte by phone at 1-765-744-1421 or via e-mail.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.

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.

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 leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

Blog/Bulletin Browser Changes

Up until this afternoon, when you followed a link on the blog or in the Bulletins, the link was opened in the window you were working in; you were taken away from the blog. To get back to the blog you needed to hit the Back Button. Thanks to Denise Ippolito for pointing out a problem that involved getting back to the blog after viewing yesterday’s slide program. And thanks to Peter Kes for implementing the following change: when you click on a link, be it to see a gallery as many of you did yesterday, or to make a B&H or Amazon purchase, the new web page will open in a new tab. To get back to the blog just click on the tab to the left of the new tab. This should be much more convenient for the vast majority of you. Note: if you follow a link to another blog post that post will appear in the same tab. Simply hit the Back button to get back to the original blog post.

Amazing

There is lots of amazing stuff going on today at BIRDS AS ART.

After 14 straight days of swimming every day in my lap pool, I took today off. Amazing.

I will be taking my 15th straight ice bath at about 6:00pm today: I am up to 45 minutes in 58 degree F water. 🙂

The just-announced-the-other-day San Diego Short Notice IPT is nearly sold out. Just one spot left. See below for details. Amazing.

After promising to do so more than a year ago, I will be working on a post that will let you know when I use Manual mode, when I use Av mode, when I use Tv mode, and gasp–when I use Program mode. I hope to publish it no later than Monday.

Reflections, and An Invitation

Those of you who missed my career celebration gallery in yesterday’s blog post may click here and then click on the gallery link to view it. Here’s the best news: after viewing the 120 images and picking your 5 or more favorites–most folks could not limit their choices to 5, you will not have to hit the back button 122 times to get back to the blog:). You will simply be able to click on the tab to the left of the slide program tab.

Thanks to those who pointed out the two doubles. They have been replaced. That means that there are 2 new images. Folks with eagle eyes and photographic memories may leave a comment here if they can identify one or both of the new images.

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

Announcing 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.

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

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.

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. You will learn more about how to make great images on a BAA IPT than anywhere else on the planet. Click here for info on the Anhinga Trail IPT. Click here for info on the Estero Lagoon IPT. Click here for info on the just announced San Diego Short Notice IPT–only 2 slots left on that one. And click here to learn about the just-announced 2014 Bosque IPTs. You will find additional IPTs and general info here.

Great Buy: Used Canon 800mm f/5/6L IS Lens for Sale

Friend and multiple IPT-veteran Monte Brown is offering his lightly used Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens in excellent condition for sale for $9,500. Purchase includes the lens case and hood, the 4th Generation Design Low Foot, the original foot, a LensCoat, the original invoice and the original Canon shipping carton. The lens was purchased new from B&H in April 2009 and was recently underwent a pre-sale clean and check by Canon. The buyer pays insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The lens will be shipped only after your check clears.

The Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens sells new for $13,223.00 so you will save a bundle on a great lens. No need to ever use a 2X…

If interested you can contact Monte by phone at 1-765-744-1421 or via e-mail.

Last Year’s Grand Prize winning image by Lou Coetzer

Time is Running Out!
BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
The December 31, 2013 closing deadline is fast approaching.

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.

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 leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂