Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Kvelling

kvell (kvɛl) Slang. v.i./to be extraordinarily pleased; esp., to be bursting with pride, as over one’s family. From the Yiddish kveln, be delighted; compare to Middle High German, German quellen to well up, gush.

Well, that is how I felt when I walked into the gallery building and saw the exhibition title along with one of the two signature images on the wall high above the beautifully framed, laid out, and designed exhibition. It was quite rewarding to see my three decades of hard work recognized. And it was very nice to be among the greats who proceeded me at the Museum of American Bird Art. Those include artist Robert Verity Clem, friend and field guide artist David Sibley, friend and colleague Kevin Schafer, artist Lars Jonsson, the incomparable and whimsical Charley Harper, and John James Audubon himself. Nice company. 🙂

Thanks a stack to Museum of American Bird Art director Amy Montague for her invite and for putting the exhibit together on such short notice. Kudos and thanks as well to museum staff members Sharon, Tammis, and Steve for all of their help during our visit. And a big thanks as well to volunteer Shawn Carey for his help and for all the work that he does for Mass Audubon. Shawn is quite a talented photographer; you can see his work here.

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

BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris

Though you missed the opening, all are invited to visit the exhibition at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon (193 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. 1-781-821-8853.) The 35 framed-print exhibition, that is being sponsored in part by Canon USA/Explorers of Light, will run from September 29, 2013 – January 12, 2014. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Click here for additional details.

Notes on the Venue

Thanks to museum director Amy Montague for sharing the following:

Mildred Morse Allen, artist and maker of natural history films, gave her 121-acre property to Mass Audubon as a bequest. I stayed in the estate house, her former home that was built in 1916 and renovated in 1998. It was quite comfortable. The beautiful gallery building, built in 1938 of stucco, served at Mildred Morse Allen’s painting studio.

This dahlia image was created with the hand held Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/2.8 in Av mode. One row below and two sensors to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Catching Up I

In the Learning About and Working With a New Lens: the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, my favorite image was the third one, the red and yellow dahlia with the offset bud. I love the combination of the red and yellow and love that the
bud, being a bit closer to me than the flower itself, was rendered slightly out of focus.

My second favorite was the first one, the green bud with the purple trim and the white/pink flower background with just the right amount of detail.

Catching Up II

In the Big Bird feature here, I liked them all but my favorite was the third one, the tight vertical Ostrich portrait.

Catching Up III

Answers to the Image Quiz in the World’s Most Beautiful Crane Species? blog post here.

#1: With focus on the crane that was farthest away, why was there enough depth-of-field (at only f/6.3) to render the closer cranes sharp?

A: depth of field increases as the distance to the subject increases. The group of cranes was far away.

#2: With small areas of white in the frame, why didn’t the +2/3 stop exposure compensation burn the highlights?

A: Early morning light is very soft and the image averaged to a light tone….

#3: Why Tv mode?

A: So that, in combination with either ISO Safety Shift (that I use) or Auto ISO, I could quickly and easily set a minimum acceptable shutter speed, one that would be fast enough to ensure the creation of a sharp image.

Coastal Carolina Camera Club Meeting: A Bird Photographer’s Story

I will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 8, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for the Coastal Carolina Camera Club. This event, which will be held in the Fellowship Hall, Shallotte Presbyterian Church, 5070 M H Rourk Drive, Shallotte, NC 28470, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Huntington Beach State Park In-the-Field Workshop: Tuesday, October 8, 2013: $250

In conjunction with the program above, I will be conducting an In-the-Field Workshop at Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet, SC from 7-11am.

Bird photography enthusiasts will be able to take advantage of Morris’ expertise in a hands-on, in-the-field workshop at one of the most popular locations for viewing birds, Huntington Beach State Park. Class size is limited to 12 so that everyone will receive lots of personal attention. In the workshop, you will learn: how to get the right exposure every time with digital, how to get closer to your subjects without scaring them, how to choose the best perspective, flight photography tips and techniques, gear handling and tripod tips and techniques, and how to see, understand, and use the light effectively.

Register now by calling Jim at the office at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

Holland Heating Up

Signed up another Happy Camper today; pending the arrival of the promised checks, we now have seven folks for the Touch of Holland Tulip IPT. Click here and scroll down for details.

Bosque IPTs

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please click here and scroll down.

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

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

Amazon

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

Typos

On all blog posts, 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 Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the lion’s nose active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

On the Kill

Mid-morning on our third day at Ngorongoro Crater we came upon two big male lions devouring a full grown Wildebeest. It was a tough situation with lots of grasses between us on the subject. We got lucky for an instant as seen above when this big guy stood up to pull apart its breakfast.

This image was created with the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens hand held at 24mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/20. Central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the closest hyena and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Patient Hyenas

For this image I reached for the 24-105 in order to create the scene-setting image. Twenty-two Spotted Hyenas waited patiently for the lions to finish their meals. First one lion left. The moment that the second lion left the hyenas charged in to fight over the left-overs. One of the big lions can be see on the kill on the left side of the frame.

This image was created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the ribs active, of course, at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Aftermath

Once the hyenas moved in we were treated to 10 minutes of great action photography as the scavengers ripped and tore and fought and ran off with their prizes. Using the bump the focus techniques that I had learned while editing Jim Neiger’s great new e-Guide, “Flight Plan” helped me make lots of sharp images of the running Spotted Hyenas. Click here to learn more about “Flight Plan.”

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Holland Heating Up

Pending the arrival of promised checks, we now have six folks for the Touch of Holland Tulip IPT. Click here and scroll down for details.

Bosque IPTs

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please click here and scroll down.

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

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

Amazon

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

Typos

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

This image of a courting group of Grey-crowned Cranes was created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 1250 Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Tv mode in very early morning light. Two sensors to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the base of the wing of the bird with its wings raised, active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Grey-crowned Crane

From the moment that I saw my first Grey-crowned Crane, on safari with Todd Gustafson, Patty Ardoin, her late husband Wes, and many others, probably in 2001, I fell in love. When I visited Tanzania fairly regularly, we did see this species fairly often, but they were somewhat hard to come by in the winter months. On the Summer Safari last August they were abundant, and best of all, they were flying around and dancing and courting. That made for exciting times at Ngorongoro Crater. I can’t wait to get back next year.

Image Quiz

#1: With focus on the crane that was farthest away, why was there enough depth-of-field (at only f/6.3) to render the closer cranes sharp?
#2: With small areas of white in the frame, why didn’t the +2/3 stop exposure compensation burn the highlights?
#3: Why Tv mode?

This image of a landing Grey-crowned Crane was created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode in early morning light. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF just caught the base of the bird’s neck, active–of course–at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. See the animated GIF below for the before and after comparison.

World’s Most Beautiful Crane Species?

With their grey body feathers, reddish brown flight feathers, soft white wing coverts with a faint yellow wash to them, red wattles, white face ovals with the red accent above it, black caps, light blue irises, and their amazing gold crests, it is hard to image a more beautiful crane species.

If you have photographed a more beautiful crane species, we would love to hear from you.

The Image Optimization

After leveling and color correcting the TIFF that had been converted in Canon Digital Photo Professional (see our DPP Conversion Guide here), I cleaned up the background. Most of the distracting dark spots were zebra poop. As usual, clean-up was done with the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and a series of small Quick Masks. I ran my NIK 50-50 only on the bird after selecting it with the Quick Selection Tool.

All of the above is detailed in our Digital Basics File. Digital Basics is an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips including Digital Eye Doctor techniques, several different ways of expanding canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, creating and using time-saving Actions, and tons more.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Flight Plan

After spending more than two months (part time) editing Jim Neiger’s great new e-Guide, Flight Plan, I learned a ton about flight photography. His explanation of the bumping the focus technique finally sunk in. Using this technique has improved my flight photography by leaps and bounds, especially when doing flight photography with an f/4 super-telephoto lens and the 2X III tele-converter (as above in the landing crane image). I remember bumping the focus as I tracked the crane on final approach and was thrilled with the sharpness of the two keepers from the short series.

You learn more about Flight Plan here or order a copy by clicking here.

First Flight Plan Feedback

Markus Jais’s paraphrased Bulletin #449 comment:

September 27, 2013 at 2:20 am

Bought Jim’s birds in flight e-guide yesterday and already read parts of it. Absolutely fantastic. The best resource out there on photographing birds in flight. Anyone interested in improving their flight photography must(!) read this. Many lessons are also helpful for other subjects like running mammals or swimming ducks. The tips on hand holding are fantastic. I often handhold my new EF 4/200-400L IS 1.4x (e.g. for marmots, swimming geese, etc) because I am faster and more flexible than with a tripod.

Many thanks to you and Jim for publishing this. I will recommend this to anyone who asks me about photographing birds in flight.

Markus

Holland Heating Up

Pending the arrival of promised checks, we now have six folks for the Touch of Holland Tulip IPT. Click here and scroll down for details.

Bosque IPTs

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please click here and scroll down.

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

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

Amazon

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

Typos

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

Sandesh Kadur on location with one of his big lenses.

Meet the National Geographic Explorer/Filmmaker

Sandesh Kadur is an award-winning wildlife photographer and cinematographer with a passion for natural history. His photographs have been published widely in books and magazines, while his documentaries on subjects ranging from cobras to elephants have been aired worldwide on the BBC, Discovery, and National Geographic networks. Over the years Kadur’s work has garnered many top awards, including the CIWEM Environmental Photographer Award, Nature’s Best Award, BBC Camera-trap Award, and International Conservation Photographer Award, and has twice been nominated for a Green Oscar at Wildscreen. He is an associate fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) and the International Environmental Photographers Association (IEPA), and serves as board member for the International Association of Wildlife Filmmakers. A few years ago he founded Felis Creations, a media and visual arts company that focuses on creating content that inspires conservation.

I had the pleasure of meeting a young Indian photographer in June of 2012, National Geographic videographer Sandesh Kadur (say “sun-DAYSH) on a familiarization tour of Trinidad and Tobago. Sandesh impressed me in a number of ways, especially with how he dealt with the loss of his one and only checked bag by American Airlines. It was obvious to all that the young man had a great attitude. And he blew everyone away when he shared short video presentations of his work with Tigers at Kaziranga, the Serengeti of India. Part I here, part II here. They are both worth a click just to hear his voice.

BAA is honored to have Sandesh as one of the six judges for our 2nd International Bird Photography Competition. Click here to visit the competition page.

This is the cover of Sandesh’s new book, Himalaya, Mountains of Light (with author Kamal Bawa)

Himalaya, Mountains of Light

Congrats to Sandesh on the recent publication of “Himalaya, Mountains of Light,” (with co-author Kamal Bawa), a remarkable new book on the wildlife of the Eastern Himalayas. The book explores how our ignorance and sometimes indifference is creating change in the life and landscapes of the region, which are as diverse, spectacular, and fragile as the mountains themselves. Even today these mountains hold many mysteries: unnamed species, primeval cultures, and the promise of cures to heal humanity.

You can see and hear “Impact Himalaya,” the BBC World News interview of Sandesh and Dr. Bawa by clicking here.

Learn more about the book here.

The cover image. Courtesy and copyright Sandesh Kadur.

Sandesh Kadur Upcoming East Coast Events

Washington D.C, September 25, 2013. The International League of Conservation Photographers and Blue Frontier Present “In the Spotlight: Sandesh Kadur- Into the Unseen Himalaya.” Click here for complete details.

New York, NY, October 15-20, 2013. Wildlife Conservation Film Festival. Opening reception: October 15, 6:30 PM – 11:00pm, Voce Di, Soho, NYC. Click here for complete details and scroll down to the Series 8 films on October 19 info on Sandesh’s two presentations, “Return of the Clouded Leopard” and “Northeastern Diaries: Chapter 1 – Kaziranga, Land of the Rhino and Tiger.”

New York, NY. October 30, 2013 at 7pm. “Ignorance” with Jane Alexander, Kamal Bawa, and Sandesh Kadur. Click here for more details.

HVPN Fall Conference, Fishkill, NY

Both Denise Ippolito and I will be presenting at the Hudson Valley Photographic Network’s Fall Conference, September 28, 2013 at the Ramada Inn in Fishkill, NY. Here is the schedule:
9:00 -10:15am: Bloomin’ Ideas–Denise Ippolito
10:30am till 12:30pm: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography–Arthur Morris
1:30-2:45pm: Pleasing Blurs: artie and denise
3:00 to 5:00pm: The Art and Business of Fine Art Landscape Photography–Joe Brady

Click here for complete details. Click here to register. My portion of the program is free and open to the public thanks to Canon. The whole day including lunch is only $35.00.

Exhibition Opening, American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon, Canton, MA: September 29, 2013

BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris

All are invited to the exhibition opening at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon at 1pm on Sunday, September 29, 2013. (963 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. 1-781-821-8853.) The exhibition, which is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light, will run from September 29, 2013 – January 12, 2014. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

35 framed images. Denise Ippolito and I will be there and hope that you will be too. Click here for additional details.

Expanding Your Creative Vision Nature Photography Seminar

Sept 30, 2013 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Canton, MA.

Sponsored by Mass Audubon/Museum of American Bird Art

Non-members: $89.00/Members: $79.00

Click here to register

Spend an amazing day with Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito in a full day nature photography seminar. Learn more about Denise on her website; be sure to visit her beautiful image galleries. You know me. 🙂 If you live within 3 hours of Boston and love photographing nature this experience is not to be missed. Artie will be doing a Tuesday night program for Mass Audubon. Both events will held be in conjunction with the opening of a 35-image exhibition of his work at the Museum of American Bird Art on Sunday, September 29, 2013. See details above.

Schedule:

9:00 to 10:45am: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ART Style – Artie Morris
10:45 to 11:00am: break
11:00 to 12:00 noon: Blooming Ideas – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 to 2:00pm: Refining Your Photographic Vision: Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30: Pro Gear Handling Tips – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45: break
2:45 to 3:45: Creating Pleasing Blur – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito s
3:45 to 5pm: Image Critiquing. Registrants will be asked to submit no more than three 1400 (wide) or 1050 (tall) sharpened JPEGs via e-mail 2-4 weeks before the seminar. At least one image from each participant will be selected for review.

Click here to register

Mass Audubon Special Event: A Bird Photographer’s Story

I will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 1, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for Mass Audubon. This event, which will be held at the auditorium, Canton High School, 900 Washington St, Canton MA 02021, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. The event is being hosted by The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon.

Click here for additional details.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Short Version.” NOV 30-DEC 2, 2013. 3-FULL DAYS: $1199. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:30 pm on 11/29. Limit: 12.

If you will be spending Thanksgiving with your family please click here and scroll down for complete details on the short version Bosque IPT.

Typos

On all blog posts, 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 Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 467mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed in Manual Mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the purple flowers and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Just So You Know I/Windblown II

During the Mini-Flower Seminar that denise Ippoltio and I did in conjunction with the Swan Island Dahlia Farm IPT, we noticed that over time my laptop had developed a large red cast. Many of denise’s high key flower images with pure white backgrounds looked fine on the screen but looked downright pink on my laptop. When I got home I calibrated my laptop with the Gregtag Macbeth Eye-One Match 3 device that I had used regularly for years but had been neglecting recently… That device is no longer being produced but you can find a good one here.

As posted originally in September 16, 2013 blog post here, the image above was a bit too dark and too BLUE, with too much BLUE in the GREENs. Once my laptop was re-calibrated I re-worked the image as denise suggested and removed the dust spots as suggested by Doug West.

Just So You Know

Just so you know, the exposure was 15 seconds at f/45; I told you that it was dark! Just so you know, the image above is one of my all-time favorite Family Jewels images.

Just So You Know/Digital Exposure

In the same blog post (here) I asked, referring to the two pink, single dahlia bloom images, one made in soft early morning light, the other made with the flower diffused and the background sunlit:

In the sunlit image, how did I know before I pressed the shutter button to add 2/3 stop of light to the exposure?

Why did I need to add 2 1/3 stops of light when I shaded the flower?

As far as the first question, “In the sunlit image, how did I know before I pressed the shutter button to add 2/3 stop of light to the exposure?,” nobody who answered understood the concepts:

When the sun is bright, the camera is pretty smart. When the light is soft or when it is cloudy, the meters are dumb. The lighter the overall tonality of the image and the softer the light, the dumber the camera’s meter is.

Looking at the first flower image, the one lit by the sun, my thinking went like this: I have a light-toned subject set against a middle-toned background. In full sun the metered exposure would be perfect for Canon cameras, perhaps -1/3 stop for Nikon cameras. But, it was not full sun, it was soft, early light. So I added 2/3 stop of light to the exposure and nailed the histogram on my first attempt.

Considering the second flower image, the one with the flower shaded by a large diffuser and the background still it by the sun, Doug Schurman had a pretty good handle on things when he wrote, “In the second photo now the flower has less light but your diffuser is only affecting the flower and not the background. As a result now the background has become brighter relative to the flower. This makes the meter over correct on exposure even more than the first. So you have to add even more light to get the flower to come out correctly.

Since the background was not affected by the diffuser it comes out much brighter in the second photo.”

He did not, however, factor in or mention the soft light. Had the image been created in harsh light, at 10:00am for example, it would not have been possible to get a good exposure on the background without burning out (over-exposing) the background.

APB II Free Excerpt

Here is a free excerpt from The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II) that covers the basics noted above:

With digital photography taking the world by storm, the need for photographers to have a complete understanding of exposure theory—as they did when using color slide film—no longer exists. They can simply make an image, check and evaluate the resulting histogram, adjust the exposure if need be, and then produce perfect exposure after perfect exposure as long as the light level remains constant. The only problem with that plan occurs when you are faced with a once-in-a-lifetime situation that lasts only a few seconds. When you have only one chance to get it right, you had best get it right. In addition, if you do blow the highlights you may lose a great pose here and there before you get the exposure right. And if you underexpose considerably for whatever reason you increase digital noise and greatly reduce the amount of color information contained in your files. To make things easier for everyone, I have revamped and simplified my method of teaching exposure on IPTs and at seminars. If you would like to gain a complete understanding of exposure theory—and I recommend that all serious photographers do just that—please see Chapter Three in The Art of Bird Photography: The Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques.

Exposure Simplified

Here are the basics:

Get in the habit of working in Av mode and adjusting the exposure suggested by your camera’s evaluative or matrix meter reading by dialing in exposure compensation. If the background tonality is changing constantly, learn to work in Manual Mode and to adjust your exposure via the analog exposure scale in the viewfinder. By doing so and then checking the histogram, you will always have the correct exposure for the subject regardless of the tonality of the background (as long as the light level remains constant). When the sun is at full strength, that is, on a clear day at least an hour after sunrise or at least an hour before sunset, your camera’s evaluative or matrix meter is smart. It is rare in these conditions that you will need to compensate more than 1/3 stop in either direction. When you are working in the shade, or when it is cloudy or overcast, or when the sun is at less than full strength, then your camera’s evaluative or matrix meter is dumb. You will need to help it out in order to get the exposure that you want. The closer your scene is to white, the more you will need to help the meter by adding light to the suggested exposure.

1. If the sun is at full strength and what you see in your viewfinder averages to a middle-tone or lighter and there are no white or bright highlights, you can use the metered exposure.
2. If the sun is at full strength and what you see in your viewfinder averages to darker than a middle-tone and there are no white or bright highlights, you can use the metered exposure less 1/3 stop.
3. If there are bright or white highlights in #1 or # 2, use 1/3 stop less light than recommended above.
4. If you are working in the shade, if it is cloudy or overcast, or if the sun is at less than full strength and what you see in the viewfinder averages to a middletone, the best exposure will always be either the metered exposure or the metered exposure + 1/3 stop.
5. If you are working in the shade, if it is cloudy or overcast, or if the sun is at less than full strength and what you see in the viewfinder averages to lighter than a middle-tone, you will need to add light to the metered exposure to come up with a pleasing exposure. The lighter the scene, the more light you need to add. For scenes a bit lighter than a middle tone, add 2/3 stop of light. For images well brighter than a middle tone, add 1 full stop of light. For images that average to white, add 1 1/3 stops of light. In white-out conditions add 2 full stops of light.
6. If you are working in the shade, if it is cloudy or overcast, or if the sun is at less than full strength and what you see in the viewfinder averages to darker than a middle-tone, use the metered exposure if there are no bright or white highlights. With bright or white highlights, use -1/3 stop. Because of the wordy qualifications that needed to be included above, the principles may seem more complex than they really are. To simplify things even further, consider the following:

Situation #1- Sun at full strength, middle tone or brighter: 0.
Situation #2- Sun at full strength, darker than a middle tone: -1/3.
Situation #3- Sun at full strength, bright highlights against a middle-toned background: -1/3; against a dark background: -2/3.
Situation #4- Sun at less than full strength: 0 or +1/3.
Situation #5- Sun at less than full strength, lighter than a middle tone: +2/3. Sun at less than full strength, well brighter than a middle tone: +1. Sun at less than full strength, white: +1 1/3. White-out conditions: +2.
Situation #6- Sun at less than full strength, darker than a middle-tone: 0.

In the 39 examples that follow, we shall walk you through the reasoning for each exposure choice. By studying these examples and the captions that accompany each of the images, you can learn to apply this rather simple system quickly and easily.

Note: everything above applies to most Canon digital camera bodies. Most Nikon digital camera bodies will–on average–need 1/3 stop less light across the board and often 2/3 of a stop or more less light in Situation #3.

The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II on CD only: 916 pages, 900+ images each with our legendary BAA educational captions) is the digital follow-up to the classic The Art of Bird Photography: The Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques. . Aside from the invaluable information on exposure and histograms, there is a wealth of info on a variety of additional topics germane to your photography. Those include a chapter on Advanced Composition and Image Design, an “It Ain’t Just Birds” “section, a Flash Simplified section, a chapter on Advanced Sharpness Techniques & Creating Pleasing Blurs, and a “Practicalities” chapter that includes a detailed section on setting up your backyard for bird photography as well as sections on photographing on safari and on the tundra.

You can save $10 by ordering the two book bundle here.

Card design by & all images courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito.

Camargue & Provence France IPT: June 25- July 2nd, 2014/6 1/2 days of photography: $6995 (Limit: 10 photographers)

Co-leaders: Arthur Morris & Denise Ippolito. Though it is expected to fill quickly, this workshop needs a minimum of 6 to run.

The centerpiece of this workshop will be four sessions photographing the beautiful Camargue horses mostly running in the water or on the beach. There is a wonderful natural bird park in Camargue where we will photograph flamingos and other birds for four evenings in the usually gorgeous light. The flamingos fly in to feed each evening and we should have multiple opportunities to capture images of them in flight.

After our first four magical days we will visit several different and interesting locations sites during the trip and will spend part of a day at the market in Arles. An evening shoot in Avignon to photograph the bridge and the magical blue sky should be exciting! In addition, the lavender fields should be at peak bloom during our stay with fields of poppies everywhere as we make our way to the lavender fields. This is a wonderful opportunity to combine travel photography with stallions, birds, flowers, and lots more.

Click here for complete details and schedule.

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both.

Snow Goose composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. 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 applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

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.

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

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

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 8) 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.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

Typos

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

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!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

Guest Blog Post

Check out my guest blog post, “Which telephoto lenses do I bring? Traveling with big glass and more” on the Canon Digital Learning Center here.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 467mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed in Manual Mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the purple flowers and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Windblown

This image was created at 6:48am on a dark, cloudy morning on the recently-concluded (that being yesterday) Swan Island Dahlia Farm Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART IPT. I worked from the office porch to get a bit of elevation. I used Live View for the live RGB histogram that reflects the RAW file. Note: the histogram that you can see on the rear LCD after you create an image reflects the embedded JPEG and is thus more contrasty. Let us know in what way the differences in the two histograms would influence flower photography. Please be specific.

There was a nice breeze when I made the image. Not a strong wind, just a nice breeze.

Exposure Data?

What was the shutter speed? What was the aperture.

Whaddya Think?

Do you like the dahila blur image above? Voice your opinion. Either way, be sure to let us know why or why not. What is your favorite part of the image? Is there anything that you do not like about it? Be sure to view the larger image.

Canon 200-400mm with Internal 1.4X Extender

The reach and versatility of the 200-400 allowed me to frame this image precisely as I wanted to. I used the 200-400 for about 40% of my work at the Dahlia Farm. Lots more images and learning coming soon.

The image above was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place), the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (at 784mm), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/9. Central sensor/AI Servo-Expand (by neccesity)/Rear Focus just to our left of the flower center and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

…..

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place), the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (at 784mm), and the and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/40 sec. at f/9. Central sensor/AI Servo-Expand (by neccesity)/Rear Focus just to our left of the flower center and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Poor Teaching Technique By Me

In the September 12, 2013 blog post, “The Color of Light” here, I posted, referring to the two images immediately above:

The Two Exposures

For the image made in early morning sunshine, I added 2/3 stop of light to the exposure. This yielded a perfect histogram. For the second image, made in the shade of the large diffuser, I needed to add 2 1/3 stops of light to achieve a perfect histogram.

Why did I add 2/3 stops of light to the image made in early morning light?

Why did I need to add 2 1/3 stops of light when I shaded the flower?

How many stops different were the resulting exposures?

Several folks easily calculated the 3-stop difference in exposure (1/40, 1/80. 1/160, 1/320). As far as the two exposure compensations were concerned, several folks gave the stock answers: to get a good histogram. They did their best.

Shame on me for not asking the questions that I wanted to ask, ones that might have elicited the answers I was looking for. So here is a second chance:

In the sunlit image, how did I know before I pressed the shutter button to add 2/3 stop of light to the exposure?

Why did I need to add 2 1/3 stops of light when I shaded the flower?

Card design by & all images courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito.

Camargue & Provence France IPT: June 25- July 2nd, 2014/6 1/2 days of photography: $6995 (Limit: 10 photographers)

Co-leaders: Arthur Morris & Denise Ippolito. Though it is expected to fill quickly, this workshop needs a minimum of 6 to run.

The centerpiece of this workshop will be four sessions photographing the beautiful Camargue horses mostly running in the water or on the beach. There is a wonderful natural bird park in Camargue where we will photograph flamingos and other birds for four evenings in the usually gorgeous light. The flamingos fly in to feed each evening and we should have multiple opportunities to capture images of them in flight.

After our first four magical days we will visit several different and interesting locations sites during the trip and will spend part of a day at the market in Arles. An evening shoot in Avignon to photograph the bridge and the magical blue sky should be exciting! In addition, the lavender fields should be at peak bloom during our stay with fields of poppies everywhere as we make our way to the lavender fields. This is a wonderful opportunity to combine travel photography with stallions, birds, flowers, and lots more.

Click here for complete details and schedule.

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both.

Snow Goose composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. 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 applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

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.

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

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

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 8) 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.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

Typos

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

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!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

The image above was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place), the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (at 784mm), and the and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/9. Central sensor/AI Servo-Expand (by neccesity)/Rear Focus just to our left of the flower center and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Color of Light

This image was created in very early morning light on the first day of the sold out Swan Island Dahlia Farm Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART IPT. Portland, Oregon is famous for its clouds and drizzle but so far it has been clear blue skies with high temps in the mid-90s each afternoon. We have a wonderful group of folks. Each is a Happy Camper. All are both eager to learn and highly skilled. They are applying what we are teaching and producing gorgeous images to be shared during our working lunches at the wonderful Hayden Grill.

Back to the image. I was in love with the image above, with the glorious, richly-colored light that I saw both through the viewfinder and on the rear LCD screen. None-the-less, I decided to hold up a large diffuser to shade the subject. The much higher key image below was the result.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place), the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter) (at 784mm), and the and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/40 sec. at f/9. Central sensor/AI Servo-Expand (by neccesity)/Rear Focus just to our left of the flower center and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Two Exposures

For the image made in early morning sunshine, I added 2/3 stop of light to the exposure. This yielded a perfect histogram. For the second image, made in the shade of the large diffuser, I needed to add 2 1/3 stops of light to achieve a perfect histogram.

Why did I add 2/3 stops of light to the image made in early morning light?

Why did I need to add 2 1/3 stops of light when I shaded the flower?

How many stops different were the resulting exposures?

The Sharpness Technique

Both images were created with the 2-second timer and Live View. Why was this mandatory for the 2nd image but not for the first?

Your Favorite Light?

Do you prefer the first image, the one made in early morning light or do you prefer the higher key image made with the flower shaded? Be sure to let us know why.

The 200-400 with Internal TC

Though I am making lots of images with both the 100mm f/2.8L IS and 180mm f/3.5 macro lenses, I am glad, as above, to have the the 2-4 along for its ability to isolate single flowers.

Card design by & all images courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito.

Camargue & Provence France IPT: June 25- July 2nd, 2014/6 1/2 days of photography: $6995 (Limit: 10 photographers)

Co-leaders: Arthur Morris & Denise Ippolito. Though it is expected to fill quickly, this workshop needs a minimum of 6 to run.

The centerpiece of this workshop will be four sessions photographing the beautiful Camargue horses mostly running in the water or on the beach. There is a wonderful natural bird park in Camargue where we will photograph flamingos and other birds for four evenings in the usually gorgeous light. The flamingos fly in to feed each evening and we should have multiple opportunities to capture images of them in flight.

After our first four magical days we will visit several different and interesting locations sites during the trip and will spend part of a day at the market in Arles. An evening shoot in Avignon to photograph the bridge and the magical blue sky should be exciting! In addition, the lavender fields should be at peak bloom during our stay with fields of poppies everywhere as we make our way to the lavender fields. This is a wonderful opportunity to combine travel photography with stallions, birds, flowers, and lots more.

Click here for complete details and schedule.

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both.

Snow Goose composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. 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 applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

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.

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

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

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 8) 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.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

Typos

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

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!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

This sharp, well exposed, but otherwise piss-poor image was created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 6400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/8 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Leopard I

Breakfast Meat Miracle

As first described in the August 9th blog post https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2013/08/09/leopard-and-internet-miracles/, the mother Leopard had her prey high in the sausage tree and was buried behind a wall of tangled branches. None-the-less we were excited to be able to find a small opening with a relatively clean view of her beautiful face even though we could not see the Thompson’s Gazelle at all.

Why Piss-Poor?

Too many branches. Too much foreground and background clutter. Sure, that’s what was, but photographing what is does not always make a good image; sometimes reality is simply not beautiful.

This image was created after mother leopard dragged her prey half way down the tree with the Todd-Pod supported Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor (Surround)/AI Servo Rear Focus on the Leopard’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Leopard II

Shocked

My safari van-mates and I were shocked when the mother leopard picked up the tommy, carried it halfway down the tree, and sat on a relatively clear branch. We moved the van forward and well closer to the gorgeous, powerful animal. And made a series of images similar to the one above.

This image was created with the Todd-Pod supported Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor (Surround)/AI Servo Rear Focus on the Leopard’s face and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Leopard III

Thinking More Clearly

I was so excited that I was not thinking clearly. While the 2nd series of images was nice, the pose regal, the exposure was good, and I had not cut off the tail, the big problems were that the background was less than ideal and the large knot in the branch was blocking the view of the prey’s face. Once I saw the problems, directing the driver to drive forward and turn left on the intersecting road we were afforded a clean and clear look at both the animal and the gazelle.

This vertical image was created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/8 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the Leopard’s face and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Leopard IV

Tighter For More Impact

After creating a long series of images similar to the previous image I went back to the 2X and created a variety of tight images featuring the Leopard and its prey. An out-of-focus branch that intersected with the Leopard’s head was removed using Denise Ippolito’s Protective Cloning on a Layer as described in detail in Digital Basics. Digital Basics is an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips including Digital Eye Doctor techniques, several different ways of expanding canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, creating and using time-saving Actions, and tons more.

This image was also created with the Todd-pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual Mode. One sensor above and three to the left of the Central sensor Surround AI Servo/Rear Focus on the Leopard’s cheek active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Leopard V

What Do You Do When the Subject Moves?

What do you do when the subject moves? Have the driver move the van to a better vantage point. That’s why they call it a van….

Your Favorite?

Which of the six images above do you think is the strongest image? Please use the numbered image designations–Leopard I, Leopard II, etc. Be sure to let us know why.

The Mini-Flower Photography Seminar, Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm, Canby Oregon

As part of the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013 (sold out; see here for details), denise and I will be presenting a 1/2-Day Mini-Flower Photography Seminar. Folks wishing to register for the mini seminar only may do so for only $49.

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the morning seminar with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

To register for the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

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

BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris

All are invited to the exhibition opening at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon at 1pm on Sunday, September 28, 2013. (963 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. 1-781-821-8853.) The exhibition, which is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light, will run from September 29, 2013 – January 12, 2014. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

35 framed images. Denise Ippolito and I will be there and hope that you will be too. Click here for additional details.

Expanding Your Creative Vision Nature Photography Seminar

Sept 30, 2013 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Canton, MA.

Sponsored by Mass Audubon/Museum of American Bird Art

Non-members: $89.00/Members: $79.00

Click here to register

Spend an amazing day with Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito in a full day nature photography seminar. Learn more about Denise on her website; be sure to visit her beautiful image galleries. You know me. 🙂 If you live withing 3 hours of Boston and love photographing nature this experience is not to be missed. Artie will be doing a Tuesday night program for Mass Audubon. Both events will held be in conjunction with the opening of a 35-image exhibition of his work at the Museum of American Bird Art on Sunday, September 29, 2013. See details above.

Schedule:

9:00 to 10:45am: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ART Style – Artie Morris
10:45 to 11:00am: break
11:00 to 12:00 noon: Blooming Ideas – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 to 2:00pm: Refining Your Photographic Vision: Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30: Pro Gear Handling Tips – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45: break
2:45 to 3:45: Creating Pleasing Blur – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito s
3:45 to 5pm: Image Critiquing. Registrants will be asked to submit no more than three 1400 (wide) or 1050 (tall) sharpened JPEGs via e-mail 2-4 weeks before the seminar. At least one image from each participant will be selected for review.

Click here to register

Mass Audubon Special Event: A Bird Photographer’s Story

I will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 1, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for Mass Audubon. This event, which will be held at the auditorium, Canton High School, 900 Washington St, Canton MA 02021, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. The event is being hosted by The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon.

Click here for additional details.

Typos

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

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!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

The images for this 3-frame in-camera Art Vivid HDR were created with the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens hand held at 24mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: the base exposure was 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode (then +/- two stops). Central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the closest zebra and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Special Handling Required

Whenever I see a stormy sky, I immediately think HDR. In-camera Art Vivid HDR with my 5D III in particular. And when there is a herd of Burchell’s Zebras in the foreground, that goes double. With the 5D Mark III, the in-camera HDR feature is an attractive one especially for HDR-lazy folks like me. To create the image above I went with a relatively wide aperture in hopes that the resulting relatively fast shutter speed would prevent the out-lining that occurs when subjects move during the creation of the frames. Here that strategy worked.

There was one big problem with this image. In the out-of-camera JPEG, the brightest areas of the sky were over-exposed. Whether you are creating in-camera HDRs with your 5D Mark III or creating them in post processing with either Photomatix or NIK HDR Efex Pro, this is a common problem that makes zero sense to me. It would seem that since you have one image in the 3-frame HDR series that is severely under-exposed with no flashing highlights that either the camera or the software would do what it is supposed to do: combine the images to yield a single high dynamic range image with detail in both the deepest shadows and the brightest highlights. With the two well respected programs mentioned above, this can sometimes be achieved with careful tweaking. But again, it makes no sense to me that simply processing the three images in either of them yields an image with over-exposed highlights.

This is the darkest image in the series. It pays to set Save Source IMGs to All images and to save the three RAW files in each series when you are picking your keepers in case you need one or more of them as I did here….

Saving the Highlights

It would seem a simple matter to convert the dark image, drag the HDR image on a Layer on top of the dark image, add a Layer Mask, and use a soft brush at 50% opacity to paint in the properly exposed sky. If you think that as I did, you are over-looking one important fact: as noted many times on the blog and as covered in detail in the 5D Mark III User’s Guide, the final HDR JPEG is cropped from what you see in the viewfinder; you need to remember to frame wider when creating in-camera HDRs.

What to do? I did drag a layer with the HDR image on top of the darker image but then I had to re-size the top layer to match the bottom layer. I did this by activating the Transform Tool and reducing the size of the top layer. I made sure to hold the Shift key when I dragged in the corner love handles to make sure that the layer was not distorted. It took a few tries but by first reducing the Opacity of the top Layer and then setting it back to 100% and toggling the Layer visibility eyeball on and often success took only a few minutes. Then it was just a matter of using a soft brush at 50% opacity to paint in the properly exposed sky as needed.

All of the above as detailed in our Digital Basics File. Digital Basics is an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips including Digital Eye Doctor techniques, several different ways of expanding canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, creating and using time-saving Actions, and tons more.

5D Mark III In-camera HDR Feature

I would keep my 5D Mark III for this feature alone as the EOS-1D X does not have it. It is way too much fun and offers lots of options. Of the 5 HDR styles, my favorite is Art Vivid. In the EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide I share with you my preferred settings along with several ways to access and to utilize this great feature. Not to mention everything that I know about the great AF system including my customized AF Case for birds in flight. And my comments on every menu item and custom function that I use. If you own a 5D Mark III and do not own and study our User’s Guide you are really putting yourself behind the eight ball.

The Mini-Flower Photography Seminar, Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm, Canby Oregon

As part of the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013 (sold out; see here for details), denise and I will be presenting a 1/2-Day Mini-Flower Photography Seminar. Folks wishing to register for the mini seminar only may do so for only $49.

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the morning seminar with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

To register for the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

HVPN Fall Conference, Fishkill, NY

Both Denise Ippolito and I will be presenting at the Hudson Valley Photographic Network’s Fall Conference, September 28, 2013 at the Ramada Inn in Fishkill, NY. Here is the schedule:
9:00 -10:15am: Bloomin’ Ideas–Denise Ippolito
10:30am till 12:30pm: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography–Arthur Morris
1:30-2:45pm: Pleasing Blurs: artie and denise
3:00 to 5:00pm: The Art and Business of Fine Art Landscape Photography–Joe Brady

Click here for complete details. Click here to register. My portion of the program is free and open to the public thanks to Canon. The whole day including lunch is only $35.00.

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

BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris

All are invited to the exhibition opening at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon at 1pm on Sunday, September 28, 2013. (963 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. 1-781-821-8853.) The exhibition, which is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light, will run from September 29, 2013 – January 12, 2014. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

35 framed images. Denise Ippolito and I will be there and hope that you will be too. Click here for additional details.

Expanding Your Creative Vision Nature Photography Seminar

Sept 30, 2013 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Canton, MA.

Sponsored by Mass Audubon/Museum of American Bird Art

Non-members: $89.00/Members: $79.00

Click here to register

Spend an amazing day with Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito in a full day nature photography seminar. Learn more about Denise on her website; be sure to visit her beautiful image galleries. You know me. 🙂 If you live withing 3 hours of Boston and love photographing nature this experience is not to be missed. Artie will be doing a Tuesday night program for Mass Audubon. Both events will held be in conjunction with the opening of a 35-image exhibition of his work at the Museum of American Bird Art on Sunday, September 29, 2013. See details above.

Schedule:

9:00 to 10:45am: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ART Style – Artie Morris
10:45 to 11:00am: break
11:00 to 12:00 noon: Blooming Ideas – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 to 2:00pm: Refining Your Photographic Vision: Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30: Pro Gear Handling Tips – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45: break
2:45 to 3:45: Creating Pleasing Blur – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito s
3:45 to 5pm: Image Critiquing. Registrants will be asked to submit no more than three 1400 (wide) or 1050 (tall) sharpened JPEGs via e-mail 2-4 weeks before the seminar. At least one image from each participant will be selected for review.

Click here to register

Mass Audubon Special Event: A Bird Photographer’s Story

I will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 1, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for Mass Audubon. This event, which will be held at the auditorium, Canton High School, 900 Washington St, Canton MA 02021, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. The event is being hosted by The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon.

Click here for additional details.

Coastal Carolina Camera Club Meeting : A Bird Photographer’s Story

I will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 8, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for the Coastal Carolina Camera Club. This event, which will be held in the Fellowship Hall, Shallotte Presbyterian Church, 5070 M H Rourk Drive, Shallotte, NC 28470, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. Click here for more information.

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Click here and scroll down to register

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both. The Artie Morris presentation, “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” (9:00 – 10:45am) is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A.

Shooters Gallery Photography Program

October 20, 2013. Salem, CT

Click here to register.

Artie Morris & Denise Ippolito
Date: Sunday – October 20, 2013: Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Salem Gardner Lake Firehouse Hall, 429 Old Colchester Road, Salem, CT 06420
Admission Fee: The Artie Morris presentation from 9:00am until 10:45am is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A. The presentation by Artie and Denise from 11:00am until 4:00pm is $40.00 (Lunch & morning coffee included)
Host Organization: Shooters Gallery Photography Group

9:00 to 10:45 – “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” – Artie Morris (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
10:45 TO 11:00: Break
11:00 to 12:00 – “Blooming Ideas” – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 – “Refining Your Photographic Vision” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30 – “Pro Gear Handling Tips” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:00 – “Creating Pleasing Blurs” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito

Click here to register.

Typos

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

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!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 381mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop; 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. With the bird angling towards me the eye was on the same plane as the side of the breast. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross Whole Bird Portrait

Waved Albatross Portrait

Creating a whole bird portrait of a single bird of this species that shows the feet well is a difficult assignment. I was photographing birds in flight when I saw this guy clambering over the rocks towards the edge of the cliff from which he eventually took flight.

This tight head shot of a Waved Albatross was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/200 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the base of the bird’s large bill active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross Tight Head Portrait

Full Frame Head Portrait

Creating a nearly full frame head portrait is actually a lot easier than creating a whole bird portrait that shows the feet. Here I went with the 600/2X III TC combo but I made similar portraits with various iterations of the 200-400. For the image above I sat behind my lowered tripod to effectively move the background farther away from the subject and thus render it more out of focus.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s neck right below the bill ase of the bird’s large bill active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross/Raised Eyebrows

The Vertical Raised Eyebrow Shot

At times during the courtship display dance either bird may raise its eyebrows dramatically. This usually occurs before they begin bill-clacking. Needless to say it is quite the interesting look.

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 225mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop; 1/640 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. One sensor down and two to the left of the Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the top of the breast of the bird on our left active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross Courtship Dance

The “I Should Have Done Video Courtship Image”

This is just a moment in time in the amazingly intricate courtship dance. The dance includes many identifiable segments that vary depending on the ages of the birds involved and the number of years they have been together as a mated pair. When I return in July 2015 I am finally, definitely going to shoot some video of the courtship dance.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 232mm), the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/160 sec. at f/16. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo-Expand/Rear Focus AF where the pattern begins active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross Namesake Pattern Image

The Namesake Pattern Image

Waved Albatross gets its name from the intricate wavy patterning on the feathers in the area of the forward part of the back and the and the spot where the neck and breast meet. Whenever doing tight feather pattern images be sure to stop down to at least f/16; the closer you are to minimum focusing distance the more you need to stop down to ensure sufficient depth-of-field.

The superb close focus of the 200-400 (MFD = 2 meters or 6.6 feet made it the perfect lens to use for this image. I was quickly able to sit down close to the bird that was close to the path. By getting low, I was able to come up with a much nicer background than had I been standing behind the 600 II/2X III combo. It would have been either difficult or impossible to get the big lens into position to make a similar image. In various situations the smaller size and the compact build of the 2-4 are huge pluses.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s tongue active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Waved Albatross Open Wide!

Open Wide

Just an instant before the birds begin rapidly clacking their bills they open there mouth as wide as possible for just an instant. It took me many attempts to get this one just right. Fortunately this pair was an amorous one.

The Lessons

Study the behavior of your subjects. Choose and use a variety of lenses and accessories so that you have the right tool for the job in your hand. Vary your perspectives. Choose effective focal lengths that will enable you to fulfill your creative vision. When repetitive action is difficult to photograph think video. And that goes double in very low light or in very harsh light.

The Best?

Take a moment to leave a comment here and let us know which image you think is the best of the lot. Be sure to let us know the reasons for your pick.

The Mini-Flower Photography Seminar, Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm, Canby Oregon

As part of the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013 (1 slot left; see here for details), denise and I will be presenting a 1/2-Day Mini-Flower Photography Seminar. Folks wishing to register for the mini seminar only may do so for only $49.

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the morning seminar with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

To register for the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar call Jim between Monday and Thursday or on Friday morning at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

All images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ippolito. Click for a larger version.

Just one slot left!

A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013: 5 FULL DAYS: $1649. Limit 16, Openings: 1.

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby Oregon (just south of Portland) for a great learning and photography experience. Swan Island features more than 40 acres with over 350 varieties of dahlias in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes, making it one of the largest growers in the United States.

Daily Photo Schedule

We will enjoy four morning (7:00am till 10:30am) and five afternoon (3:30pm till 6pm) photography sessions. While we will do most of our photography at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm, we will also visit the Portland Rose Garden and/or the Portland Japanese Garden on this IPT. The in-the-field instruction will include seeing the situation, the use of selective focus, creative use of depth of field, histogram and exposure guidance, designing creative images, choosing your background, isolating your subject, lens options, and the use of reflectors and diffusers. Our field sessions will include challenging photography assignments geared to make you think creatively. Both personalized and small group instruction will be provided. All times are tentative and subject to change based on the weather and on local conditions.

Seminar Morning: Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the seminar portion of the IPT with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

The group will have lunch together daily. All are invited to bring their laptops for image sharing. We hope that you can join us for an intense five days of learning and some of the best flower photography to be had in North America.

Deposit Info and Cancellation Policies:

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

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. We will be short-handed in the office until January 21 so please leave a message and we will call you back. 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

Typos

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

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LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.