This image of a three Maasai Giraffes was created with BLUBB-supported Canon EOS-1D X and the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal extender in place at 307mm). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/7.1. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the face of the center giraffe and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

2-4 Giraffes

The Maasai Giraffes were one of my very favorite summer safari subjects. They are tall, elegant, and beautiful. With everyone hot for the big cats they are often overlooked. With their large size the 200-400 with or without the TC in place was my most-used lens. We found this group, actually there were five in all, just two minutes after leaving our mobile tented camp near the Mara River in the Serengeti.

If you look carefully at the shooting data, you might ask, as folks often do, “Why did you have the TC in place if you were working at only 307mm, well within the range of the 200-400 alone?” The answer in most cases is that I want to be able to zoom in instantly should the need arise. Here, that was really not a factor but with such a beautiful arrangement of animals I did not want to miss my chance. The truth is that I probably did not realize that I was working so wide :). In any case, the optics of the new internal TC are so, so good that the sharpness of the resulting images is never an issue.

Anyway, 3 giraffes is between 2 and 4 giraffes….

Tanzania Summer Safari 2014

Having been to Africa 7 times in all I must say that the recently concluded summer safari was my favorite ever. As you will see in the coming blog posts and Bulletins the entire two weeks consisted of one miracle after another. If you are seriously interested in joining us, do shoot me an e-mail. Todd, Denise Ippolito, and I will be co-leading. It will run in roughly the same time frame, beginning in early August and ending in mid-August. Dates TBA.

Announcing 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.

Full Day Creative Nature Photography Seminar, Chattanooga, TN, October 12, 2013

Join Denise Ippolito and me on Saturday, October 12, 2013 in Chattanooga, TN for a great day of fun and learning. Learn to improve your photography skills, your skill at designing images in the field, and your creative vision. Click here and scroll down to register and here to learn more about the presenters.

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/Opening 8.

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.

They are both very excited about photographing at this new location which boasts 4,500 old cars on 34 acres mostly along wooded trails. The property is usually closed on Sundays but the owner is graciously allowing two small groups private access that day; we are thrilled to be one of them!

Bring your tripod and a variety of lenses from fish eye through 70-200mm at least. Folks who assemble their HDR images on their computers will learn the steps needed to create the very best originals. Folks using Canon or Nikon cameras that create in-camera HDRs will receive guidance as to exactly how best to do that. Folks with the Canon 5D Mark III will learn our favorite in-camera HDR settings. All will receive in-the-field guidance on seeing the situation, choosing the best perspective, image design and composition, setting up their gear, and getting the right exposure. Bring your old jeans and dirty sneakers and prepare to roll up your sleeves!

To register, call BIRDS AS ART at 863-692-0906, or, send a personal check for $250 made out to “Arthur Morris” to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, or, send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@att.net. In the latter two cases be sure to note that your payment is for the Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop and be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and phone number. We hope that you can join us.

Pullman Yards

Folks who sign up for the Chattanooga seminar and the Old Car City workshop will be invited to join us for a free session at a semi-secret location in Atlanta, Georgia for a morning of UrbEx photography.

Click here to learn more about UrbEx photography.

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 Great African Bedspread Mystery

It was our next to last day at the wonderful Seronera Serengeti Lodge where we had been consistently killing the Leopards (at least in a figurative photographic sense). I walked into my room, put some of my gear down here and there, and was puzzled when I noted that the bedspread on my bed was missing…. And then I noticed some black marks on the exposed top sheet. We had driven through some burned areas but I had no idea how any of the ash had gotten on my gear, nor did I remember putting anything down on the end of the bed. So I became even more puzzled.

Next I went to the open suitcase on the other bed to grab a handful of cashews from my stash. One intact bag remained but the open bag of nuts that had been in the plastic supermarket bag was gone. Then I looked down and saw that the opened, yellow, 500 gram bag that the cashew nuts had come in was on the floor. Torn and empty. With a few cashew crumbs scattered about. “Man, I thought, that is not like the wonderful room attendants at any of the places we have visited. Who would think that one of them would stoop to stealing a guest’s cashew nuts?”

I walked back to my bed and took a closer look at the black discolorations on the sheet. Could they be small footprints? Just then a breeze ruffled the curtains. I glanced to my left and remembered that I had hung some laundry on the balcony railing but had forgotten to close and lock the door. Mystery solved. The Olive Baboons had raided my room. (It is doubtful that the much smaller Vervet Monkeys could have carried off the bedspread.)

When we check out the next day, I confessed to the desk clerk. Her smile indicated that I was not the first to be victimized. When we returned to Seronera a week later for a single night on our way to Ngorongoro Crater I was delighted to learn that a search of the area behind my room had turned up the missing bedspread none-the-worse-for-wear.

This screaming Olive Baboon image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 311mm) and the and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6. One sensor to the right of the central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the near haunches of the baboon active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. As you might imagine I was glad that I was not in the room when the baboons visited.

Image and 200-400 Comments

This guy was flying as he was involved in a running battle with another baboon. Working low from the open window in my row on the right side of the safari van I struggled to keep the AF sensor on the subject. I was lucky that the near haunches were on the same plane as the baboons eyes. I should have changed the aperture to f/4. Why? How do you think that I wound up at f/5.6 (instead of at f/4)?

As regular readers know the 200-400 is an amazingly versatile lens that is ideal for photographing wildlife in action. I will be working on a Focus On Feature for the Canon Digital Learning Center this weekend. I will of course provide a link here once this illustrated piece is published.

The Canon Digital Learning Center (CDLC) and the CDLC Blog

Like the BAA Blog, both the Canon Digital Learning Center website and the CDLC blog provide a wealth of free information for serious photographers looking to improve their skills and their understanding of their gear. The latter of course can only lead to better images. You can access the Canon Digital Learning Center website here. There are always lots of links to great features on the home page. At present these include Technical Advisor Rudy Winston’s “Quick Tips: Photographing Fireworks,” “The Basics of Time Lapse Photography” a Vincent Laforet video, “Rhythm of Life” with the Cinema EOS C500 and Cinema Lenses, a video feature with cinematographer Steven Poster, links to various Live Learning events, and lots more.

You can access the CDLC Blog here. Current features include Rudy Winston’s “Which lens do I need? Calculating lens and image sizes: Parts I & II”, his “A trip down memory lane with the EOS 7D and EOS 70D” that features some of his excellent photography, and “Adding a Magnification Button location on the EOS-1D C and 5D Mark III with Custom Controls” by Brent Ramsey. By following one of the links in Rudy’s 7D retrospective I found a great piece: “Behind the scenes of “Handmade” with the EOS 70D in which cinematographer Nobuyuki Yanagibashi talks about how he utilized the EOS 70D’s autofocus features to create his film Handmade.”

The best news of all: I will be doing a guest blog post soon. The topic? What lenses to I bring on big international nature and wildlife trips? I will of course provide the link here when this illustrated article is published.

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. 🙂

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 Maasai Giraffe image was created with the BLUBB-supported Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at at 448mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/11. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the giraffe’s head and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. The grasslands surrounding our mobile tented camp in the Serengeti were wondrously beautiful. Pretty much all 14 of us on the photographic safari agreed that the seemingly endless grasslands were our favorite habitat type as they so typified what one thinks of when the word Africa comes to mind. Here, the acacia tree and a scattering of Wildebeest on the horizon complete the picture.

43 Hours Door to Door, With a Bad Head Cold; You Gotta Love It!

I awoke on Thursday and Friday past with just a hint of a sore throat. I pretty much beat that, but it turned into a case of the sniffles. I awoke at 3:30am Monday morning Tanzania time (that’s 8:30pm on Sunday night on the east coast) at the Beautiful African Tulip Hotel to finish packing and head to the Kilamanjaro Airport for my flight to Dar es Salaam. I was picked up at 5am (10pm Saturday night Florida time) so we will start the door to door clock running there.

My Precision Air flight (advice: if they survive likely bankruptcy, never fly Precision Air) was late so my 8 hour layover turned into a 6 hour layover. I had scheduled a day room for $150 and the to and from airport transfers for another $120. Throw in the brutal Dar traffic and a stop at the pharmacy to pick up some antihistamines) $48 US please) and I got to enjoy 1 hour and 40 minutes of very expensive R&R.

Next was Dar to Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia (3 hours) followed by a 2 1/2 hour layover. By now my head cold was raging and my nose was literally running like a leaky faucet despite my having taken on antihistamine tablet. Then it was Addis to Rome (5 hours, 10 minutes), and hour plus on the ground to refuel, and then the long leg, 10 hours and 5 minutes into Washington’s Dulles airport. I really felt like crap on the Addis to Rome leg and on our descent, I got to enjoy some severe sinus/ear pain in my right ear. In spite of that, I managed to sleep about 3 1/2 hours. I still felt like crap as we took off again, bolstered by some nose drops from a kindly ans sympathetic flight attendant. Amazingly, I slept five straight hours and felt pretty good upon awakening as the antihistamine had kicked in and the nose drops have helped as well.

But there were still 7+ hours to go to get to the US. I had some cashews for dinner, I guess it was dinner, and got back to sleep for another two hours. Then I watched the brilliant My Cousin Vinny for perhaps the fiftieth time, had some more cashews, and napped again. Then it was the silly and predictable Harrison Ford flick, “The Volcano.” 90 minutes later I was on the ground in DC. I quickly made my way through customs with the help of Global Entry and picked up and re-checked my bags.

I typed this blog post while in the United Club at Dulles awaiting my 12:30pm flight to Orlando. Jim is picking me up a bit before 3pm. With our customary stops at Publix and Junior’s Fish Store in Lake Wales I should be home right about 5pm. Was it worth it? Stay tuned for lots of great new Africa images on the blog and in the coming Bulletins. I think that the answer will be fairly obvious.

This African Elephant image was created at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania with the BLUBB-supported Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6. One sensor below the Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the head of the tree rubbing elephant active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Having the 200-400 with arm’s reach of the 600 made wider creating habitat images like this one a snap.

Your Fave?

Which of the two habitat-type images above is your favorite, and why?

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.

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.

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.

Day 7 Morning Dry Landing at Peurto Velasco Ebarra, Floreana: Part I

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Tortoises

All of the images in this blog post were made with the amazingly versatile Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender with and without the TC in place. The Tortoise Center at Puerto Velasco Ebarra, Floreana is a virtual outdoor zoo where a variety of rescued Galapagos Tortoises are kept for educational purposes in a large, natural enclosure. All of the tortoise images here are of the same captive animal and all were made while I was standing or sitting within the confines of a 6 foot diameter circle. To create the wide image above I zoomed out to 200mm and had my back against a large feed container. The distance to the subject was 5.3 meters.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Turning the Zoom Ring

Without moving my tripod—I was still exactly 5.13 meters from the tortoise–I simply turned the zoom ring counter-clockwise with my left hand to the 300mm mark. I did not of course need to look at the zoom setting; I simply turned the ring to achieve the desired framing. Throughout the trip I was continually amazed at how having the ability to zoom in or out made photography so much easier than when working with a fixed focal length lens. You will on occasion still clip a wingtip or cut off the end of a tail when you try to get a bit greedy, but the number of such occurrences will be greatly reduced. One thing is for sure: you will quickly learn to have your left hand on the zoom ring at all times.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Human Zoomin’

Human zooming, moving towards or away from the subject still works well even with an incredibly versatile zoom lens like the Canon 200-400. For the image above I took two steps towards the subject pulled out the front leg of my Gitzo 3532LS carbon fiber tripod for a lower angle of declination to the subject, turned the rig in the tripod collar to vertical, and racked the lens back out to 200mm.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (this time with the internal TC in place at at 560mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/100 sec. at f/5.6. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoise’s left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Amazing Versatility of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender

Once the tortoise raised its head I knew that I wanted to try for some tight head portraits so I took the time to lower my tripod and sit behind it. I pushed down the lever to engage the internal 1.4X TC, zoomed to the 400mm mark, and went to work. Take a moment to look at and consider the amazingly versatile framing options available with the new 200-400 with the built in TC.

In the next blog post I will share some images of other subjects made on our morning landing at Puerto Velasco Ebarra on Floreana Island.

Welcome to Borrow Lenses.com/The Newest BIRDS AS ART Affiliate Sponsor

Renting a lens for a big trip or to learn if the lens if right for you has always been a great plan. On IPTs we have been renting big lenses for probably two decades. But our choices have been and are extremely limited and we never have any Nikon lenses to rent. Borrow Lenses, US-based in San Carlos, CA, is a first class outfit that carries a huge selection of the latest greatest camera, video, audio, lighting, computer, and photography gear. All can be rented for a reasonable fee and delivered to your location with or without insurance.

Please consider supporting our efforts here and with our free BAA Bulletins by renting from Borrow Lenses when the need arises. Click on the banner below to open a whole new world.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

Bucket List?

If visiting the Galapagos is on your bucket list and you are a happy camper who is serious about joining us on our July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail and ask to be placed on the interested list. There simply is no better Galapagos Photo Tour.

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.

Day 6 Mid-morning Panga Ride: Elizabeth Bay, Isabela

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (270mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -+1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode. Three sensors below the central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the flock in the water active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Cloudy Bright Rocks/But Not on this Panga Ride!

After our early morning zodiac photo session at Punta Mangle, Fernandina, we did a short navigation across the Bolivar Channel to Elizabeth Bay, Santiago and enjoyed a late breakfast en route. One of the huge benefits of visiting the Galapagos from mid-June through August is that the weather is usually overcast during that period; nothing kills good nature photography in tropical regions faster than blue skies and clear, sunny days. We did enjoy some beautiful light in the early morning and late afternoon hours but for the most part we enjoyed the cloudy bright conditions that make photographing all day long a pleasure. On my photo-cruise two years ago we suffered from way too much sun and many of our morning landings were over by 9:30am.

In any case, the sun was out pretty strong when we did our panga cruise at Elizabeth Bay; this made photography extremely challenging. The image above of a large Galapagos Shearwater feeding aggregation was created in bright sun. We made sure to position the zodiac so that the birds were right down sun angle, in other words, so that our shadows were pointed directly at the spree.

These frolicking sea lions were photographed with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 80mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv mode. Three sensors down from the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF just caught the flipper of the left hand sea lion and was of course active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

Still Room at the Inn for the 70-200II

While the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender turned out to be my favorite and deadliest lens for zodiac photography there was still lots of room at the inn for the relatively old 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. When I needed to work wider than 200mm I went to my dependably sharp intermediate telephoto lens; the versatile 70-200 II is one of my all-time favorite lenses and is a perfect companion for the 200-400 for zodiac and general nature photography.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 165mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Two sensors above and two to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the wall between the two birds on our left active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

AI Servo AF Active at the Moment of Exposure

Sharp-eyed readers will note that the each and every one of the images made from a zodiac was created with AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Why? Because the boat is always moving; the only way to achieve accurate focus is to use AI Servo AF. If you attempt to use One-Shot AF (S or Single Servo in Nikon) none of your images will be sharp; accurate focus will always be thrown off. Studious readers have heard the same tune from me often when it comes to hand holding even when you are on land. With intermediate and super-telephoto lenses the swaying motion of your body and even your breathing will be enough to prevent you from making the sharp images that you want if you insist on using One-Shot AF.

In the image above, I replaced the head of the bird on our right (poor head angle) with the head of the same bird from the previous frame (perfect head angle). To do this I painted a Quick Mask of the bird’s head, put it on its own layer (Q, B, Q, Control J), and moved it (V) into the image I was optimizing. I fine-tuned the replacement head with a Regular Layer Mask.

The Best Image?

Which of the 3 images above do you like best? Do let us know why.

Bucket List?

If visiting the Galapagos is on your bucket list and you are a happy camper who is serious about joining us on our July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail and ask to be placed on the interested list. There simply is no better Galapagos Photo Tour.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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 typing in the little white box 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 by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 640: 1/640 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. By a wide margin, this was, for me, the very best image made on the trip by anyone. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

A Fine Young Photographer: Paul Pinto Jr.

It was an incredible treat meeting and working with Paul Pinto Jr on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT. Paul Jr. was accompanied by his Dad, Paul Sr. On day 2, I had thought that Paul Jr. was about 16 or 17. He was so mature. And though it was his first time using a long lens–he rented a 500 II from BAA–he handled his gear like a 20-year veteran. And he asked questions, listened, and soaked up the information just as I did 30 years ago. I ran into someone last week who knew me back then. His comment:” God, he never shut up. Artie would ask questions until you begged for mercy.” I always made it a point to try and learn as much as possible from folks that were smarter and more experienced than I. And I continue to do that to this day.

Paul Jr.’s image above, of an adult Great Black-backed Gull capturing a fledgling Common Tern, is simply superb. Note that the baby tern was biting the gull on the neck as he snapped the shutter. And yes, the gull ate the whole thing.

This image of an American Oystercatcher in fresh juvenal plumage was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 400: 1/640 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. As I say here everyday, getting the right exposure with digital is child’s play: simply adjust your histogram until it shows data in the right-most histogram box…. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

From Paul

I am 13 years old and I live in Easton CT with my mom, dad, and 11 year old sister Gianna. I will be starting Chase Collegiate, an independent day school as a freshman in September. My interests outside of photography are salt water aquariums, horseback riding, and sports. I have been photographing for a little over a year and will be studying photography at Chase with Lincoln Turner.

This Common Tern image was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 400: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. I had previously mentioned that 1/2000 f/8 with ISO 400 was a great place to start when photographing white birds in full sun. Paul was right on those numbers here. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

The Much-Maligned Canon EOS-7D

All are invited to visit or re-visit Dan Cadieux’s wonderful guest blog post, “How Dan Cadieux Masters Canon EOS-7D Image Files.”

This Black Skimmer flock blur image was created by Paul Pinto Jr. on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens and the Canon EOS 7D . ISO 200: Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/15 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv Mode. I taught. Paul listened. Paul executed and came up with a lovely image. Image courtesy of and copyright 2103: Paul Pinto Jr.

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of Paul’s four images above is your favorite. And why.

This image of Paul Pinto Jr. at work was created at Nickerson Beach, Long Island NY on the recently concluded Nickerson Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-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 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320sec. at f/11 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on Paul’s face and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. You can see that Paul Jr. is serious about his photography. All he needs is a Mongoose M3.6….

Traveling

Please know that I will be traveling to and from Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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. You know me. 🙂 Learn more about Denise on her website; be sure to visit her beautiful image galleries. 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 be in conjunction with the opening of a 35-image gallery exhibit of his work at the Museum of American Bird Art on Sunday, September 29, 2013. All details to follow.

Schedule:

9:00 to 10:45am: Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ARTStyle – 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.

Shooters Gallery Photography Group 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)

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

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.

Sandhill Crane 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 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 on August 8th, 2013 with the Todd Pod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/160 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 Miracle

The safari has been going fantastically well. On the morning of August 8 we left the lodge at 6am our gear loaded in five open roofed vans set up with three roof hatches. We were in search of the Leopard family. Veteran driver spotted one of the 7-month old cubs high in a tree. It was un-photographable. Next Jamesie spotted the other cub in a tree. Some folks photographed this animal though the situation was less than ideal. Then moments later Nico spotted the mother high in a tree with an Thompson’s Gazelle. We got in position and made a few bad images, tight shots with a big branch right across the animal’s chest.

After 15 minutes the big lady cat lifted her prey, climbed halfway down the tree, and posed on the perfect branch. It was something that you could not have even dreamed of…. All of the vans were skillfully positioned. We spent the next three hours and a good part of the afternoon game drive photographing the family. Though I have zillions of keeper images that show all each of the Leopards chowing down on their meal, the image above was, with momma’s regal pose, my very favorite.

Internet Miracle

On the first day of the safari Todd handed me what looked like a large thumb drive with the word airtel on it. It took me a while to figure out how to use it but now I have internet anywhere in Tanzania, even in the most remote sections of the country. It is of course slow, but it is internet. Thus, I am able to publish this blog post from Seronera Lodge in the Serengeti. Amazing.

The Exposure

In the low light I advised folks to strive to have some blinkies in the white sky to ensure a good exposure for the Leopards. That is exactly what I did here.

The Image Optimization

After adding a strip of canvas along the bottom and bringing the stub of branch in from another image in the series on its own layer, I used the Quick Selection Tool to select the subject and then my favorite NIK Color Effects Pro recipe: 50% Tonal Contrast and 50% Detail Extractor. That was reduced by about half by cutting the Opacity back to 50%. Then I selected the head, again using the Quick Selection Tool, and sharpened it with a Contrast Mask: Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0.

Complete details on all of the above may be found 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.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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 typing in the little white box 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.

Blue Himalayan Poppies??? A Guest Blog Post by Denise Ippolito

This image of a Himalayan Blue Poppy was created by Denise Ippolito with the hand held Canon 100mm macro lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito

Finding What Inspires Me

By Denise Ippolito

When I get to a location to photograph flowers it is important to focus on which flowers I will be photographing. After I scope out those that initially appeal to me I begin to carefully consider the lighting, color, texture and shape of my flower as well as the available backgrounds. I will then go in for a closer look. I am searching for an element that will catch my eye; a curled petal, an interesting texture, a water droplet, or even where the spot where the stem meets the blossom. Once I find my subject I try to capture it in a way that appeals to me. It is most important to me that I like the final image; I don’t try to conform to someone else’s idea of what a flower image should look like. I never worry about whether or not an image will sell. I concentrate on trying to make the one component that originally drew me in to stand out in a special way. Next, I decide on my perspective.

For the opening image here, I was not able to find a pleasing background so I filled the frame with the flower. This is something I do often when I am unable to use the available backgrounds to my benefit. Once I decide to fill the frame I concentrate on where to place my focal point; for this poppy image I chose the point where the stem met the flower as my main point of interest.

This image of a Himalayan Blue Poppy was created by Denise Ippolito with the hand held Canon 100mm macro lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito

Backgrounds for Flower Photography

I often like to use surrounding flowers as artistic backdrops. Sometimes adding a flower in juxtaposition can add to the overall image design. I may also think about simply using only the color of somewhat distant flowers as my background. I decide whether to completely blur the background or to create a more detailed textured look. For the above image I used a very shallow depth of field to create the soft painterly look. Hand holding my camera allows me the flexibility needed to create pleasing compositions. Even when I decide to use a tripod I will first hand hold my camera to find a pleasing design.

This image of a Himalayan Blue Poppy was created by Denise Ippolito with the hand held Canon 100mm macro lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito

Fractalius and Flowers

Here, with a more traditional view of the flower center, I went with some Fractalius to spice things up. Denise is co-author of Fractastic. Learn more here; order your copy here.

This image of a Himalayan Blue Poppy was created by Denise Ippolito with the hand held Canon 100mm macro lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Denise Ippolito

Texture Overlays with Flowers

The background in the original image had numerous distracting elements. Rather than cleaning them up with traditional Photoshop techniques,I chose a somewhat more artistic route here and went with a texture overlay. Adding texture is just one of the dozens of topics covered in Denise’s great eGuide, “A Guide to Creative Filters and Effects.” You can learn more or order your copy here. There is additional info on texture overlays in her “Bloomin’ Ideas” here.

Summing Up

Often one small element will be enough to get my creative juices flowing. I need to be inspired by what I photograph. If I have no interest in what I see I can’t be creative. Find what inspires you and then create images that you like.

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to let us know which of the four Blue Poppy images above is your favorite. Be sure to let us know why.

Blue Poppy

In late spring 1922, legendary mountaineer George Leigh Mallory led a British Himalayan expedition on a failed attempt to reach the summit of the then-unconquered Mount Everest. Blue Poppy was discovered on the trip. Learn more about Blue Poppy at Wikipedia here.

Flower Location Creative Photography Workshops & Seminars

All of these images were created at Longwood Gardens, near Kennett Square, PA on one of Denise’s Workshop/Seminar combos. Learn more about her workshops here.

Like Flower Photography?

If you like photographing flowers, be sure to see the “Creative Flower Photography” blog post here.

Denise Ippolito. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Tom Cucharo/BREA Photos

Denise Ippolito

The formerly camera shy Denise Ippolito came out of hiding recently to pose for head shots. They were skillfully executed by Tom Chucharo when Denise traveled to Hamden, CT for a program. As far as I am concerned, she has no reason to hide. Who knows what the future will bring?

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

Nature Photographer Magazine

Denise’s guest blog post was adapted and expanded from the article that appears in the current issue of Nature Photographer Magazine. My article, “Flower Photography,” also appears in the Summer 2013 issue of Nature Photographer along with more than a dozen great articles including “Lessons from Home” by Joe McDonald, “Flash Strategies for Nature Photographers” by John and Barbara Gerlach, and “Wildlife Photography in our National Parks” by Weldon Lee. All issues include a fine selection of image’s by Nature Photographer Field Contributors.

Nature Photographer Magazine is available at selected bookstores and newsstands, by subscription, as a PDF, and in an expanded form as an iPad APP. Note: The Summer 2013 issue is not yet on the website.

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippolito & 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.

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

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

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. 🙂

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!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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.

Galapagos/Day 4 Afternoon Panga Ride at Punta Vincente Roca, Isabela

This Brown Noddy image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 350mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 3200. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the side of the bird’s breast directly below the 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.

Common Compositional Misunderstandings

When viewing an image like the one above, many folks will say, “The bird is too centered.” They say this either because the bird’s head is centered or because they want to apply the Rule of Thirds to all images. With field guide portraits like this, it is usually best to leave 3-4 times as much room from the tip of the bird’s bill (or in this case from the front of the bird’s breast) to the frame edge than from the tip of the tail to the opposite frame edge. In this image there is actually 11 times as much room from the front of the bird’s breast to the frame edge than from the tip of the tail to the opposite frame edge. Ideally I should have moved the active sensor one or two sensors to the left of the central sensor but I was finding that in this low light/low contrast situation that the central sensor was having an easier time AF-ing than any of the outer sensors.

Here, a big crop from the front would have put the bird’s eyes near a Rule of Thirds spot but I liked all of the cliff face habitat so I pretty much left the image design as is.

This Galapagos Sea Lion pup was photographed with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 316mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 3200. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/640 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF just caught the tip of the sea 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.

Sea Lion Image Design

With the image above, central sensor Surround worked just fine whether the pup was looking to my left or to my right. If it was looking to my right and I kept the central sensor on the face, it would have yielded a nice field guide type portrait. When the animal looked to my left, as in this image, a pleasing composition resulted with the animal on the right side of the frame looking to my left. I did lots of color balance work to remove the blue cast that resulted from the animal being in the shade: first I ran a 75% Average Blur Color Balance adjustment and then de-saturated the BLUE channel. I executed a small crop for the right and below to tighten up the image design.

This 3-frame in-camera Art Vivid HDR image was created with the hand held Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF Lens(at 47mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/5 in Av mode (+/-2 stops). Two sensors below the central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

5D III Art Vivid HDRs

I love creating HDR images but I am a very lazy man when it comes to assembling them in Photomatix. With the 5D Mark III you can create HDR images in camera. The result is a 61-mb JPEG. Just be sure to open the JPEG and save it as a TIFF and you will not run into any image quality problems.

I love the look of the Art Vivid style as seen above here. At times I use Natural. For whatever reason, you need a lot more plus compensation when creating Art Vivid HDRs than when creating Natural HDRs. I usually de-saturate the Art Vivid images about 10 points. The one thing that I know for sure is that creating them is great fun.

Note that the auto-align feature on the 5D III does a great job of aligning the three images even when you are working from a gently rocking boat so long as you are not trying to use an excessively slow shutter speed. You can, therefore, get away with hand holding in a variety of situations.

This 3-frame in-camera Art Vivid HDR image was created with the hand held Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF Lens(at 47mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/5 in Av mode (+/-2 stops). Two sensors below the central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Samba

The motor sailing yacht Samba was our home for two great weeks. The crew is wonderful and helpful. And the chef, Angel, is, as I have mentioned here before, beyond superb. Just before I began working to finish this blog post we had the most amazing lunch: fresh tuna three ways: sashimi, tartare, and seared each with its own set of savory sauces and flavors. Everyone ate until sated. That Angel pulled himself out of poverty, became a seaman, and then discovered and refined his love of cooking with formal training makes his meals that much more memorable.

The Strongest Image?

Which of the four images above do you think is the strongest? Do let us know why you made your pick.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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 typing in the little white box 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.

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #445

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #445 is online and can be accessed here. As usual it is jam-packed with tons of great images and lots of great info including a summary review of the new 200-400.

• Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender
• Galapagos Photo-Cruise Report
• Bucket List: the July 2015 Galapagos Photo-Cruise
• The BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Contest
• Fractastic
• Affiliate Links
• Used Camera Gear
• IPT Info

This image was created at Nickerson Beach, Long Island NY on the recently concluded Nickerson Beach Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT with the tripod-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 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/500 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. This is recently fledged juvenile Common Tern. With the super abundance of baitfish right off the beach this was a hugely productive breeding season for Nickerson’s Common Terns.

This Image

For me, this seemingly simple image epitomizes the BIRDS AS ART style. Handsome bird, lovely Atlantic Ocean on a cloudy day background, a nice image design with textbook placement: thee times as much room in front of the bird than behind the bird and twice as much room above the subject than below, and sharp with a perfect head angle.

Lots of time and effort went into creating this image. On the last morning of the IPT, a cold morning with blustery northeast winds, I counseled those in the group with long lenses to face away from the colony, get low, and be patient. Lots of young terns flew in and waited patiently for the adults to come in to feed them. Most begged incessantly at every bird that flew by. To create this image I lay flat behind my tripod with the legs splayed. Getting the subject on the edge of a sand ridge was key to the artistic success of the image as it provided the distant background and offered a decent look at the feet only slightly nestled down in the soft sand.

Denise Ippolito, working with her new favorite rig, the 300 f/2.8L IS, a 2X TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV, created lots of great flight and feeding images with her wider view and more responsive AF. I went for the tight portraits. And Paul Pinto Jr, all of 13 years old, nailed the image of the trip when a Great Black-backed Gull swooped down and grabbed a young Common Tern right in front of the group that he was with about 60 feet to our right. I will be speaking more of this fine young photographer in a future blog post and sharing some of his images as well.

The Problem

Towards the end of the great Galapagos Photo-Cruise I began noticing AF problems with the 600 II/2X III combo with one of my 1D X bodies, especially in low light/low contrast situations. At first I passed these problems off as normal. When the problems continued and actually got worse over time on the recently concluded Nickerson Beach Baby Beach Nesting Birds IPT I remembered a thread that I had seen in the BPN Gear Forum thread here about a 1D X recall. When I was making the images featured in the “Oh Baby; Thanks Pat!” blog post of July 27th, the AF problems exacerbated; even when I placed the active sensor on a chick’s eye, AF simply would not lock on. For the third image in that post I was forced to go to Manual focus. Why? Even when I pre-focusd manually before attempting rear focus AF, the system would hunt and hunt and hunt some more without acquiring focus.

It was then that everything came into sharp focus (at least in my head). I had followed the link to the formal Canon announcement here, but though both of my 1D X bodies were in the affected group I chose to live by the old adage; if it ain’t broke; don’t fix it.

When I revisited the Canon site yesterday, here is what I found:

Product Advisory

This notice is to proactively inform our customers of the details of the phenomena described below along with Canon’s support actions. Because we value the trust our customers have placed in us, we are dedicated to continuously improving product quality and delivering industry-leading service and support. We offer our sincerest apologies to any customer who may be inconvenienced.

Affected Products

EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera
EOS-1D C Cinema EOS Camera

Phenomena

In some units of the models listed below, there is a possibility that the following phenomena may occur due to wear caused by insufficient lubrication within the camera’s driving mechanism.

1. AF searches but does not lock in on the subject. (Caused by minute particles produced by wear mentioned above.)
2. The image shown in the viewfinder is “blurry” or “not steady”. (Occurs if wear progresses.)

Info on how to tell if your 1D X is in the affected group follows.

One of my cameras has apparently progressed to stage 1. And the 2nd one is also in the affected group but has not yet exhibited any symptoms. On Friday past when I finally figured things out, I was in a quandary: I did not have enough time to get the cameras to the Jamesburg Repair Facility to have the recall service performed and get them back before I left for my Africa trip this coming Thursday. So I did what most folks would do when facing such a dilemma. I ordered two brand new 1D X bodies for the trip. I will have my two original 1D X bodies serviced and sell them both when I get back from the Tanzania trip. If you are interested in purchasing one or both of my 1D X bodies for a fair price, please shoot me an e-mail.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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 typing in the little white box 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.