Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

An old friend from Cape May, NJ, actually a repatriated Brit named Richard Crossley, one of the premier birders in North America, forwarded the e-mail below to me and I thought that it would be a good thing to share it with the group. Richard is the author of the ground-breaking Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds. You can learn more or purchase a copy here.

The more folks out birding and photographing, the greater the chances of us realizing our conservation goals. This is a scan of a film original most likely created with the old FD 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and a Canon T-90. On Fuji Velvia. Lake Woodrfuff NRW, Deland, FL.

Pledge to Fledge

A small group,headed by GBI, the Global Birding Initiative, has been working to put together a new birding initiative. The goal is to popularize birding. Conservation comes with numbers! We believe the best way to do this is to ask birders to spread the word to non-birders and take them out birding. We’’re going to dedicate two weekends a year and encourage birders to take a neighbor, a friend, family member, a local kid or anybody else out birding and thus ‘fledging’ a new birder! Participants can then share their stories, photos and videos with others on our social media sites. The kick-off weekend is set for August 24-26th 2012.

The Pledge to Fledge website launched recently and could use your help. Please join our movement, take the pledge, and make a difference! To learn more or make the pledge, click here.

My Thoughts

Wow! This sounds like a great plan. I will be home that weekend and plan to get together with my grandson Sam and a group of his friends and take them out for something rare for me: a morning of birding. Visit the website and join in the effort. Heck, you could probably bring along a lens without getting in any trouble.

This is another old film scan. Those hands belong to skilled avian artist Julie Zickefoose who kindly served as one of the judges for the BAA 1st International Bird Photography Competition.

Teaching Children About Birds

If you bring some kids birding the best way to get them hooked it to provide some sketch pads and soft pencils. I did that in my classroom and had the kids sketch from projected slides of birds. I was blown away by the stuff they produced. These experiences let to two Ranger Rick feature articles, an Impact II grant, and an article in Bird Watcher’s Digest entitled “Teaching Children About Birds.” The late co-publisher and co-founder Bill Thompson II called it the best thing that they had ever published.

B&H Event Space Event of Note

Denise Ippolito and I will be doing a program on Creating Pleasing Blurs at the B&H super-store in Manhattan on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Best news: it’s free. Worst news: only 80 folks can attend and you must register in advance. Learn more or register by clicking here.

New York City Weekend Nature Photography Seminar December 8-9, 2012; denise and artie

Details for this great weekend seminar are available here. Do consider joining Denise Ippolito and me for a great learning experience. Do click on the link to see many of Denise’s incredible tree and flower images. Camera club discounts available; see the details at the link.

Camera Club Discounts

You can save $20 per person on the seminar registration if your photo club promotes the event. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Jim and ask him to forward the Sponsoring Club note.

On an IPT we will teach you to work in Manual mode and get the right exposure for bright white subjects like this Snow Goose. Every time. We will teach you to read the wind and the light and understand how–in combination–they affect flight photography.

Samuel Mulder on Why an IPT?

Samuel Mulder attended the 2007 Bosque IPT. I came across his review recently and wanted to share it with you here. His unsolicited review says it all. It is remarkably accurate and five years later it is still relevant. The 2007 season at Bosque was a very poor one; photographic conditions were less than ideal. On each and every IPT, I and my co-leaders do our very best to make the trip as rewarding and as productive as possible. Each of us puts our heart and soul into them. Most folks are very appreciative of our efforts. On rare occasions, someone heads home dissatisfied. I used to take things like that personally, but over the years have grown to realize that in most cases, the problems were more about them than about me. Folks who arrived happy generally headed home happy, and folks who were bitter and unhappy when they arrived generally went home bitter and unhappy. Fortunately, over the past dozen years very few folks who have traveled with us fit into that last group. The bottom line is that I am always proud of my efforts while leading BAA IPTs. I am confident in my abilities as a teacher and as a photographer; I do not need positive feedback to know that I have done a good job, but positive feedback as well as constructive criticism is always received with a smile. On rare occasion, however, I receive a note or an e-mail that puts a bigger-than-usual smile on my face. Samuel’s unsolicited review, which appears below, is right at the top of that category.

On an IPT we will have the group in the right spot at the right time. With eighteen years of experience at Bosque I know the place better than anyone. Every time that we make a move we will explain why. You do need to be prepared to move quickly without speeding on the refuge roads or on Highway 1.

Review of BIRDS AS ART IPT: Bosque 2007 by Samuel Mulder

A while back, I asked for online advice about attending a photographic workshop. In response to all of those who helped me then and to help those trying to make similar decisions, I thought it would be good to write a review of the experience. I should note that this review represents only one individual experience on one particular tour. I’m sure other workshop leaders are very good and—as this is my only tour experience—I am not comparing this particular workshop or workshop leader to any other workshop or leader.

Reason for going: my lack of experience

In my mind, there are two good, equally legitimate reasons for going on a photo workshop. The first is to have an expert guide who can teach you about a location that you have a strong interest in and to insure that you get the best photos possible. The second is to learn and grow as a photographer. My interest was completely the second. The workshop that I choose was in a location that I was very familiar with and where I had spent a fair amount of time shooting. Bosque is an hour and a half away and I’d been there every month for the past year. I was completely focused on learning as much as possible, even at the expense of missing some nice shots, secure in the knowledge that I could come back anytime and put what I’d learned into practice. Many of the participants in the workshop seemed to be more interested in the first reason. I think that is very reasonable, and would consider joining a workshop if I were going to a once-in-a-lifetime destination and wanted to insure that I made the most of it.

The participants

The participants were an interesting group. I was surprised, as I’d expected mostly beginners. Instead, many of the participants were frequent workshop attendees and were very experienced. I would guess that the majority of the participants were retired and enjoying photography as a hobby. I was definitely one of the youngest and least experienced attendees. This worked out well for me as I was able to watch and learn from the participants as well as from the instructors.

One of my main questions before going had been about equipment. My longest lens is the 100-400. Sure enough, almost everyone else had a 500 or 600mm lens (I think there was one Nikon guy using an 80-400). Not only are these lenses longer to start with, they also take tele-converters. As it turns out, this wasn’t a huge deal.

Everyone was extremely friendly and I enjoyed the conversation both at meals and in the field. It was fun talking to people who shared a passion, and I can see why some attend these workshops for the social aspect. People were also generous and some equipment was shared (thanks to Malcolm for the chance to try out a 300/2.8 and 2x converter and to Artie for the loan of the 3-stop neutral density filter).

Classroom Learning

We essentially had two shooting sessions each day, a morning session and a late-afternoon session. In the middle of the day and sometimes in the evening, we had sessions with a projector in town. I would say that the field and classroom sessions were about equally educationally.

The most educational classroom session for me was the photo critique. Having my own photos critiqued was helpful, but more in a re-affirming way than a revelatory way. I had spent a lot of time thinking about my own photos and had a pretty good sense of the strengths and weaknesses. Art was able to point out a few issues that I hadn’t considered and I was able to dramatically improve at least one of the images using a crop that he suggested. My photos weren’t that great, but I at least had some ideas about why they weren’t that great. The more useful part of the evening though was the critique of other’s photos. I was able to compare my first impressions of a photo on the screen with Artie’s impression (and comments by the other instructors). This was very educational and I learned a lot about minor things that can greatly improve or hurt a photo. Almost all of the images presented were of high quality, so the comments were generally about subtleties.

The second most useful classroom session was watching Art go through his images from the morning and make a selection. Seeing Artie’s RAW files, unedited and un-culled was very educational and something I’d have never been able to do outside the workshop. After selecting one photo he proceeded to go through his processing routine. His environment is fairly different than mine; he uses Windows and BreezeBrowser and I use Mac and Lightroom but I was still able to learn a lot about the thinking that goes into editing an image.

The other extensive classroom session was a photoshop session by one of the c0-leaders who was a Photoshop wizard and able to work magic on the photos. This was less interesting to me as I work with computers in my day job and just don’t have much interest in this type of processing and optimization. The slide programs that Art showed of his own work were amazing and his commentary entertaining and insightful. One mid-day we were treated to a presentation by Andy Rouse, a UK photographer whose work I was not familiar with. I’ve since ordered most of his books; he really blew me away. Andy then spent the afternoon/evening shooting session with us.

On an IPT We will teach you to create pleasing blurs. We will teach you to anticipate the blast-offs and to know which way the birds will fly.

In-the-Field Instruction

Shooting in the field on this kind of tour allows you to get as much or as little as you want out of it. At the extreme end, some of the participants seemed to just set up and do their own thing at each place that we stopped, more or less ignoring the instructors. At the other end of the spectrum, I typically stuck to Artie like glue. He would say “I think we should be 40 yards that way for the best light angle” and start walking and I’d immediately pack up and go with him. Most of the other participants stayed put. This highlights an important point. I want to thank those who advised me not to rent a longer lens for the workshop. Even though I was one of the only ones without a big gun, the flexibility of having lighter equipment that I was familiar with allowed me to focus on the instructors and on learning as much as possible from them. I may have missed some nice shots (or had to crop a little more), but I think I also learned more than I would have if I were constantly grappling with an unfamiliar big rig.

All of the instructors were photographing but were good about moving about among the participants and answering questions and offering advice. I learned a lot in the field about situational awareness… watching the light and wind conditions and recognizing changing situations. I also started using manual exposure for the first time and really got to see when it made sense. Artie and the other instructors were quick to point out good opportunities. They were very sensitive towards those of us with shorter lenses and offered alternative advice about positioning and good shots to us. Artie also encouraged us to experiment with more artistic shots (blurs and such). I have not been a big fan of them in the past, but figured I might as well try it out. I came away happy with several blurred shots that I never would have taken before. Art was also very accommodating to people with different interests. For example, on the last day everyone was heading back into Socorro to shoot wigeons on a pond there and I expressed an interest in staying on the refuge. The wigeons were great, but we’d done them the day before and I have a real passion for the refuge. Artie responded by asking Jim Neiger to stay behind and work with a couple of us while the main group went into town. This brings up an important point: all of the instructors on the workshop were amazing. Jim was someone whose work I’d admired on the various forums for a long time and who I’d consider doing a workshop with based on his flight shots.

Value

The pace of the workshop was just about right for me with plenty of learning opportunities interspersed with chances to try things out on my own. I’m not sure how much better personalized instruction would have been as I pretty much had Artie’s attention any time I wanted it and was able to benefit by learning from different instructors with different styles. I would point out that at least this particular workshop was geared at intermediate photographers. I would recommend knowing how to work the camera and reading some books (and visiting the various forums) before signing up. An IPT is probably not the best place to be fumbling around trying to figure out how to use the camera… Comparing the cost to something like a college course, on a per hour basis, the workshop is very reasonable and the caliber of the instructors can’t be found in your local community college. For me the tradeoff came down to workshop versus more equipment. I think I made the right choice and it is one I will make again. This definitely won’t be my last workshop. I grew more as a photographer in three days than I had in the previous year. I hope this is helpful and didn’t sound too much like an advertisement. I did thoroughly enjoy myself and highly recommend the experience.

On an IPT we will teach you to work in Manual mode and get the right exposure for lighter than middle-toned subjects like this adult Sandhill Crane and will explain the intricacies of photographing single cranes in flight.

My Comments on Samuel’s Review

Thanks a ton Samuel for your insightful comments; they are greatly appreciated. I could not have written anything myself that so well highlighted all of the important things that we try to accomplish on each IPT. One excellent point that Samuel makes is that to get the most from any photography tour participants should stay close to one of the instructors most of the time and ask lots of questions. Though I always stress that point on each IPT I am sometimes lonely in the field. In addition, I often edit my work at lunch and encourage folks to gather around while we are waiting for our orders. Many folks realize the huge value in that and gather around while waiting for their burgers and fajitas.

Oh, I almost forget: you will have lots of chances to make some great images.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings 5.

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 18 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 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.

The cast of co-leaders includes Denise Ippolito, Jim Heupel, and Mike Hannisian.

Do consider joining me at one of my soul places.

Flight Category Voting Analysis and Related Comments

Totals of the Judges’ Votes (each of 5 judges awarded each image 1-5 points):

1-Pallid Harrier looking back by Kiran Poonacha: 23
2-Bald Eagle in snow storm by Yves Guillot: 22
3-Arctic Tern kiting by Amir Ayalon: 20
T4-Scissor-tailed Flycatcher by James Fuller: 19
T4-Short Eared Owl by David Leroy: 19
T4-American Oystercatcher by Robert Rommel: 19
T4-Malachite Kingfisher with prey by Basie van Zyl: 19
T8-Great Grey Owl braking by Marcello Libra: 18
T8-Bald Eagle taking flight by Clemens van der Werf: 18
T8-Harrier landing by Kiran Poonacha: 18
T8-Osprey touching down by Arash Hazeghi: 18
T8-Whistling Duck quartet by Arash Hazeghi: 14
T8-Hummingbird at flower by Keith Kennedy: 13
T13-Weaver approaching nest by Bjorn Olesen: 13
T13-Forster’s Tern vertical by Arash Hazeghi: 13
T16-Burrowing Owl by Tin Man Lee: 12
T16-Long-billed Curlew by Gaurav Mittal: 12
18-Great Egret taking flight by Clemens van der Werf: 11
19-Bald Eagle vertical by Giulio Zanni: 11

Public Voting Totals (each of you was asked to vote your five favorite images 1-5 points with 5 being your favorite):

1-Pallid Harrier looking back by Kiran Poonacha: 164
2-Great Grey Owl braking by Marcello Libra: 118
3–Weaver approaching nest by Bjorn Olesen: 108
4-Malachite Kingfisher with prey by Basie van Zyl: 103
5-Arctic Tern kiting by Amir Ayalon: 86
6-Scissor-tailed Flycatcher by James Fuller: 76
7-Bald Eagle in snow storm by Yves Guillot: 73
8-Osprey touching down by Arash Hazeghi: 60
9-Harrier landing by Kiran Poonacha: 56
10-Whistling Duck quartet by Arash Hazeghi: 46
11-Bald Eagle vertical by Giulio Zanni: 26
12-Hummingbird at flower by Keith Kennedy: 23
13-Burrowing Owl by Tin Man Lee: 20
14-Great Egret taking flight by Clemens van der Werf: 12
15-Short Eared Owl by David Leroy: 9
16-American Oystercatcher by Robert Rommel: 9
17-Long-billed Curlew by Gaurav Mittal: 8
18-Bald Eagle taking flight by Clemens van der Werf: 4
19-Forster’s Tern vertical by Arash Hazeghi: 4

Analysis of the Voting

As expected, Pallid Harrier looking back was the clear winner with both the the judge’s and the public. That said, any one of a dozen of the fine images here would have made wonderful first place choices. With 626 images entered, this was a hugely popular category. And probably the strongest category yet. The 19 images that you got to consider revealed the great the strength of this category. As usual there was some strong correlation between the two votes: Arctic Tern kiting at 3/5, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at T-4/6, and Malachite Kingfisher with prey T4/4 for example. And as usual there were some seemingly inexplicable results such as American Oystercatcher T4/16 and Short Eared Owl T4/15. The one incontrovertible fact is that there was a slew of outstanding images in the flight category. Kudos to Kiran Poonahca with two highly placed images, Clemens van der Werf with two more, and Arash Harzeghi with three. In retrospect, Whistling Duck quartet (T8/10) might very well have been the most under-rated image….

The images below appear in the order of finish as per the judge’s voting.

Pallid Harrier looking back by Kiran Poonacha

The lovely out of focus background, the foreground grasses, the incredible sharpness, a pleasing image design, and the spectacular over-the-shoulder screaming pose with the bird braking in full downstroke with a perfect head angle and a spread tail all helped to put this one on top of a strong collection of flight images.

Bald Eagle in snow storm by Yves Guillot

Razor-sharp focus on the eye, the perfect subject-to-imaging sensor orientation, the lovely wings up/feet down landing pose, excellent underwing detail, the bird’s intense stare, and all that snow combine to make this a powerful and artistic image.

Arctic Tern kiting by Amir Ayalon

I have photographed a lot of Arctic Terns and seen a lot of great images of them over the past three decades, but this beautifully symmetric image that features soft light, a perfect exposure, the fanned tail, a sweet background, and excellent sharpness is the best by far.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher by James Fuller

A stunning and colorful songbird in flight. Sharp. Angling slightly toward the viewer. Sweet light and background. All good!

Short Eared Owl by David Leroy

A great bird with razor-sharp focus on those yellow eyes, a powerful incoming flight pose, and a background with varying tonalities that match the subject perfectly this image is a stunner.

American Oystercatcher by Robert Rommel

This superb image features a killer wing position, sweet light, perfect exposure and sharpness, lots of interesting habitat, the trailing water droplets, and just the right head turn towards us.

Malachite Kingfisher with prey by Basie van Zyl

This spectacular capture features a colorful bird, an incredible turning pose, a perfect head angle, a really cool prey item–does anyone know what it is?, those tiny hanging feet, and a lovely background. A nice crop from our left would have strengthened it quite a bit for two reasons: the light blue area upper left draws the eye and all that room behind the bird does not add anything to an otherwise fabulous capture.

Great Grey Owl braking by Marcello Libra

Spectacular bird and pose. Sharp with a good exposure. Having the bird higher in the frame would have been a stronger option.

Bald Eagle taking flight by Clemens van der Werf

The ridge line and the flying snow and dirt are the strengths of this image that also features excellent sharpness, detail in the whites and the blacks, and a very pleasing image design.

Harrier landing by Kiran Poonacha

A sweet landing pose with the feet down and the tail up. Lovely soft brown tones. From the moment that I saw this one I felt that it could have benefited from a bit more contrast via a Curves adjustment.

Osprey touching down by Arash Hazeghi

Sharp. Perfect timing. Exposure right on. And a spectacular pose combine to make this image special.

Whistling Duck quartet by Arash Hazeghi

Absolutely perfect framing and exposure with four amazingly perfect wing positions.

Hummingbird at flower by Keith Kennedy

A well lit, well posed hummer set against a pleasing background with some nice flowers. And I like the bird’s rather inquisitive look. Does anyone know the species?

Weaver approaching nest by Bjorn Olesen

Lovely wing position, image design, and the curved grass in the bird’s beak all add interest as does the inclusion of the nest. Overall this one could have gone a bit lighter. The dark area at the top of the frame detracts a bit. Lastly a bit of selective sharpening of the nest would have improved the photo.

Forster’s Tern vertical by Arash Hazeghi

Crisp and clean with detailed whites, a wicked vertical pose, and exquisite sharpness. And the open bill is a big plus.

Burrowing Owl by Tin Man Lee

A wicked pose and a good exposure. A bit of selective sharpening of the face and a Gaussian blur of the area below the bird and a small crop from the bottom would have improved an already fine image.

Long-billed Curlew by Gaurav Mittal

With the bird well back in the frame, the lovely wings-up pose, a nice background, and an excellent exposure this one works for me.

Great Egret taking flight by Clemens van der Werf

The luscious yellow pre-dawn light, the wings-down pose, and the take-off splash are all pluses here.

Bald Eagle vertical by Giulio Zanni

That this spectacular image finished last in the judge’s vote shows the great strength of the images in this category. It was not many years ago that a nearly identical image was honored in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition.

Can’t Fit the Bird in the Frame; What to Do?

This image of a just-out-of-the-nest Tricolored Heron was created on the Hooptie Deux with James Shadle with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central sensor/Expand AF area/AI Servo Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

Can’t Fit the Bird in the Frame; What to Do?

You are wading in thigh-deep 87 degree water with your big lens on a tripod. Avery nice just fledged Tricolored Heron lands too close to you on a fairly decent perch with a distant background. But you can’t fit the whole bird in a vertical frame. What do you do? Create two originals and plan on creating a stitched vertical panorama. Frame 1 is above. Frame 2 is below.

Same gear. Same exposure. Just point the lens down. Central sensor/Expand AF area/AI Servo Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

The Problem

Though it is not easily seen until you bring the two images into Photoshop, this bird, like most birds on a perch, was not staying completely still as landscapes usually do. With landscapes or stock still birds you can simply hit File/Automate/Photomerge, select the two (or more) images, select Reposition Only, and hit OK. But with the bird moving a bit it is usually better to take another tack. And that is what I did here.

I selected the head and upper neck from frame 1 using the Rectangular Marquee Tool and put the selection on its own Layer. With frame two I expanded canvas vertically using the Crop Tool and then used the Move Tool (V) to bring the head Layer from Frame 1 onto Frame 2, hit Control T, and zoomed in to the spot where the necks from each frame met. The I used the Transform and Warp commands so that the two necks meshed perfectly. Last, I added a regular Layer Mask and erased the lower part of the head Layer leaving only what I needed. The final image is below.

This is the stitched panorama that I created by hand from the two images above. Tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central sensor/Expand AF area/AI Servo Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

I opted to go with a skinny vertical crop to fit the shape of the bird. Using the Warp and Transform commands are described in detail in APTATS I. Advanced Layer Masking Techniques are described in APTATS II. Much of what is discussed above (including Layer Masks for Idiots and several ways of expanding canvas) is detailed in Digital Basics along with my complete Digital Workflow and dozens of great Photoshop tips.

Captain Froggie

To learn more about getting out to Alafia Banks with James Shadle scroll down here or click here or here.

IPT Updates

Click here for the current IPT schedule. Click here for info on the August BAA Photo-Tour to Nickerson Beach, Long Island and the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR, NY and lots of great images from both Nickerson and JBWR. There is just one spot left.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb.

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….
Gizo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime.
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.

Image Stabilization Settings: A Whole New World

Thanks to all who commented on my question. Several folks came up with the right answer. Want to learn more? See the comments here.

You Be the Judge: Flight

Voting in the Flight category is still open. Voting will end early on Tuesday morning, July 17, 2012. If you would like to chime in and vote click here.

Small in the Frame Category Voting Analysis and Related Comments

Totals of the Judges’ Votes (each of 5 judges awarded each image 1-5 points):

1-Bear & Wagtail by Arnfinn Johansen: 22
2-Bearded Tit on Reed by Jeroen Stel: 20
3-Oxpecker on Cape Buffalo by Isak Pretorius: 19
4-Swan-scape by Paul Conor McKenzie: 18
T5-Coot Silhouette by Kaustubh Deshpande: 16
T5-Herons and Falls by Matt Hansen: 16
7-Stilt in Mangroves by Paul Klenck: 15
T8-Flamingo Patterns by Paul Conor McKenzie 14
T8-Sunbird on Blossom by Isak Pretorius: 14
T8-Bird-scape by Jessica Yarnell: 14
T8-Savannah Sparrow Singing by Aidan Briggs: 14
T8-Cattle Egret Mist by Giovanni Frescura: 14
T13-Flamingo Aerial by Sallie Jo Perraglia: 13
T13-Bramblings & Siskins by Gail Lynn Foster: 13
T13-White-Eye in Canopy by Ron Horbinski: 13
T16-Heron Silhouette by William Joseph Campanellie: 12
T16-African White Pelicans Fishing by Vladimir Michael Kogan 12
18-Eagle Silhouette by Blake Shaw:: 11
19-Heavenly Cormorant by Ron Henderson: 11

Public Voting Totals (each of you was asked to vote your five favorite images 1-5 points with 5 being your favorite):

1-Heron Silhouette by William Joseph Campanellie: 211
2-Bear & Wagtail by Arnfinn Johansen: 149
3-Bearded Tit on Reed by Jeroen Stel: 123
4-Herons and Falls by Matt Hansen: 110
5-Swan-scape by Paul Conor McKenzie: 86
6-Savannah Sparrow Singing by Aidan Briggs: 64
7-Heavenly Cormorant by Ron Henderson: 63
8-Cattle Egret Mist by Giovanni Frescura: 61
9-Oxpecker on Cape Buffalo by Isak Pretorius: 52
10-Coot Silhouette by Kaustubh Deshpande: 45
11-Flamingo Aerial by Sallie Jo Perraglia: 32
12-Bird-scape by Jessica Yarnell: 22
13-Sunbird on Blossom by Isak Pretorius: 19
14-Flamingo Patterns by Paul Conor McKenzie: 18
15-Stilt in Mangroves by Paul Klenck: 16
16-Eagle Silhouette by Blake Shaw: 12
17-Bramblings & Siskins by Gail Lynn Foster: 8
18-African White Pelicans Fishing by Vladimir Michael Kogan: 4
19-White-Eye in Canopy by Ron Horbinski: 0

Analysis of the Voting

I was surprised that the “Bear & Wagtail” image did not carry the day in this very strong category. There was some strong correlation with 1/2 in the judge’s vote finishing 2/3 in the public vote and “Herons and Falls” finishing 6/4. With regards to runaway public vote favorite “Heron Silhouette” (T16/1) perhaps the judges were bit jaded by seeing so many great silhouettes over the years…. Kudos nonetheless to Joe Campanellie for topping the public vote with his very fine image. As many of you have been at times in other categories, I was somewhat mystified as to why “Flamingo Aerial” did not do better with both the judge’s panel and the public vote.

With 422 images entered in this popular category and only 19 sent to the judges everyone here deserves a big tip of the cap. Thanks a stack to all who chimed in. I will try to finish uo the tight category before I get on the bear boat on Wednesday. At that point, there will be only two categories left. I will be back in the office on August 2nd.

Bear & Wagtail by Arnfinn Johansen

There is a lot that makes this image very special. First and most importantly, you could not have placed the bird in a better spot, right in front of the huge, hulking bear’s face with a lovely background of yellow grasses. Though only small details, the bird’s raised wings and hanging feet and the bear’s open jaw and his seemingly evil glare all add immensely to the image. The soft light allowed for a perfect exposure that reveals all the detail in the bear’s coat. The out-of-focus tree trunks in the upper right balance nicely with the delicate bush in the lower left. Add the perfect framing and you surely have a winner.

Bearded Tit on Reed by Jeroen Stel

The curved reed, the sweet out-of-focus background, the bird’s perfect pose (especially the down-cocked tail), just the right head angle, the bit of snow on the bill tip, and the stunning image design combined to make this a small-in-the-frame jewel.

Oxpecker on Cape Buffalo by Isak Pretorius

The perfect subject-to-imaging-sensor orientation (square in this case), the bright colors of the oxpecker’s bill and eye, the pleasing image design with the bird well back in the frame, the lovely two-toned background, the soft early morning light, and the dozens of tiny flies all added to the success of this image.

Swan-scape by Paul Conor McKenzie

The musical arrangement of the swans, the magical light on the distant mountains spilling onto the lake, the mystical stand of trees, and the contrast between the black water and the white swans make this one very powerful and beautiful photograph.

Coot Silhouette by Kaustubh Deshpande

Another musical and pleasing arrangement of the birds, the curve of the branch, the striking silhouette presentation with still a hint of the coots white bills, and 9 1/2 out of ten very good head angles left a smile on most folks’ faces.

Herons and Falls by Matt Hansen

The slow shutter speed water is superb, as is the image design and the placement of the single heron atop the rock, so nicely set against the white water. The 2nd heron here being somewhat lost in the background actually detracts rather than adds to an overall pleasing scene.

Stilt in Mangroves by Paul Klenck

This lovely image pretty much defines the category. The centered composition works well here because the habitat is so strong. Exposure and framing are excellent. The lone problem is that the bird’s right leg is totally hidden by a branch or root. The reflection adds to the peaceful mood.

Flamingo Patterns by Paul Conor McKenzie

A very nice pure pattern shot where the varying densities of birds helps to lead the viewer’s eye around the frame.

Sunbird on Blossom by Isak Pretorius

A lovely bird on a nice flower. Just the right shutter speed for the rain streaks. A perfect exposure that–what looks like the help of fill flash–yielded nice detail in the dark tones, a pleasing image design with the subject in the lower left corner, and the perfect head angle that shows that long bill perfectly. All good!

Bird-scape by Jessica Yarnell

This image features a large gathering of birds: Wood Storks, Sandhill Cranes, and a variety of herons, egrets, cormorants, and ducks. The trees are nicely framed and it seems as if each bird is in just the right spot in the frame.

Savannah Sparrow Singing by Aidan Briggs

This is another image that might be used to define the category with the Savannah Sparrow singing it’s heart out from the vegetation that it calls home. Both the sharpness and the rule-of-thirds composition are additional pluses.

Cattle Egret Mist by Giovanni Frescura

This mystical image features great light and a lyrical arrangement of the subjects.

Flamingo Aerial by Sallie Jo Perraglia

The curved shoreline, the varied tones and textures, the super-sharp birds, and especially the shadows of the flamingos made this one very special for me. Eliminating the very few birds and shadows that intersected the frame-edges would have strengthened this fine image.

Bramblings & Siskins by Gail Lynn Foster

This whimsical high key motif is a delight to the eye. Great timing of the shutter release assured a very cool composition. It suffers from a bit too much contrast.

White-Eye in Canopy by Ron Horbinski

The image design and the light coming through the large leaves are the strengths of this image. A nice dose of flash on the bird would have improved this one immensely.

Heron Silhouette by William Joseph Campanellie

Small in the frame subjects in vertical compositions need to be tucked into the corner of the frame just at the Great Blue here is. Sharp with a beautiful sunset. I would not have been surprised if this one placed well higher.

African White Pelicans Fishing by Vladimir Michael Kogan

Whether created from an aircraft or a high cliff aerial views are always intriguing. Add in some pink light and a pleasing image design and the result is a very strong image.

Eagle Silhouette by Blake Shaw

Clean, simple, and striking with a perfect head angle. A bit of a crop from our right would have tightened up the composition.

Heavenly Cormorant by Ron Henderson

The lovely light here created a mystical mood. A healthy crop from the bottom would have tightened up the composition nicely and gotten rid of the large smudge below and to our left of the bird. Does all that extra space below the bird add anything to the image? That is a question that we all need to get in the habit of asking both in the field and at the computer.

New York City Weekend Nature Photography Seminar December 8-9, 2012

Details for this great weekend seminar are available here. Do consider joining Denise Ippolito and me for a great learning experience. Do click on the link to see many of Denise’s incredible tree and flower images. Camera club discounts available; see the details at the link.

5D Mark III Guide Pre-publication Version Still Discounted

Click here for details. When the guide is complete it will sell for $50. Folks who purchase now will receive the final version and any updates for no additional charge so ordering now is a win-win proposition. If you click on the link above you will see that the list of items not yet covered is continues to shrink….

I spent the better part of Tuesday and today working on the 5D III UG; when I am done, the price goes to $50. Buy now to save! The more I study this camera the more I learn how complex it is. Rudy Winston at Canon has been a huge help and so as Denise who helped me with the section on Multiple Exposures today. I still have some work to do.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR Photo-Tour August 15-17, 2012: Room only for one more!

Nickerson Beach/JBWR Photo-Tour August 15-17, 2012: $999. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory slide program: Tuesday August 14 at 7pm.

Please call us at 863-692-0906 to register. For more info and a collection of images click here.

You Be the Judge: Flight

As regular readers know, the judging for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition has been complete for some time. All of the judges including me were stunned by the quality of the images. We have been and will continue to be posting all of the images that were sent to the judges category by category. Each of you will have a chance to judge each category. Please read the directions below carefully. Your votes will not determine the winning images but it (usually) has been and will continue to be fun to see how everyone’s votes compare to the votes of the judges. So far the top pick of the public vote has matched the top pick of the judge’s panel in several categories and I think that that may be the case here despite there being so many strong images.

With 626 images entered, this was a hugely popular category. The 19 images sent to the five judges show the strength of the category. Here is yet another big time thank you to Darrell, Chris, Julie, and Tim. And a big time thanks also to Peter Kes and Denise Ippolito for pitching in during the first rounds of image selection. We worked very hard for nearly three full days to get from more than 5500 images down to the final 163.

Here we were looking for dramatic images of birds in flight.

Before you vote, please be sure to click on each image so that you can view it at full size. Then pick your five favorites and vote them 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 with 5 being your very favorite. Like this:

Roseate Spoonbills squabbling: 5
Siskins fighting: 4
Snowy Egrets midair combat: 3
Great Crested Grebe displaying: 2
Common Tern feeding chick: 1

Please do not let the votes of others or the names assigned to the images influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites. As you will see there are a great many dramatic images here.

Please Note

If you wish to comment on any or all of the images, please do so below your five voting lines; this will make tallying the votes easier. Votes cast by those who fail to follow the formatting directions will be relegated to the Trash Bin.

The voting will be closed in about two days and the actual winning images for this category will be posted soon thereafter. A tally of the public vote along with my analysis and comments will follow.

Thanks for voting and please remember to breathe deeply and have fun. The two remaining categories will be covered when I return home from my upcoming bear boat trip in early August and the overall winner will be announced soon thereafter. Sorry for the added suspense. 🙂

Pallid Harrier looking back

Harrier landing

Bald Eagle taking flight

Great Egret taking flight

Arctic Tern kiting

Malachite Kingfisher with prey

Weaver approaching nest

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Short Eared Owl

Burrowing Owl

American Oystercatcher

Bald Eagle in snow storm

Long-billed Curlew

Bald Eagle vertical

Osprey touching down

Whistling Duck quartet

Forster’s Tern vertical

Great Grey Owl braking

Hummingbird at flower

Scott Whittle, photo-birder supreme.

My Introduction to Photo-birding

In early June, Denise Ippolito and I visited Trinidad and Tobago thanks to the generosity of the folks at Caligo Ventures. (You can learn more about the trip and about visiting Asa Wright Nature Centre here, here, and below. On the trip we met a young man named Scott Whittle. Scott was very personable and obviously a skilled birder. Never without his binoculars. But strangely for a birder, never without his 400mm lens, 7D, and flash. And never with a tripod.

Scott would photograph birds that seemed a mile away to me. He would photograph birds from the window of our bus. Even when it was moving. He would photograph birds on the way to dinner. And I suspect, on the way to the john. My curiosity aroused, I had several nice talks with Scott as most everything that he did seemed foreign to me. It did not take long for me to get it. Scott’s primary interest was in documenting bird species and refining his ID skills. I asked Scott to write a guest blog post on photo-birding. His efforts are below. Tanks a stack Scott!

Just for the record books, with my big lens and 28 years of experience I did not make a single image of the four species that appear here. Scott’s hand holding, anywhere/anytime approach not only enabled him to create lots of ID and small-in-the-frame habitat type images but to create many superb images as well.

Tufted Coquette, male feeding at flower. Trinidad. Image copyright 2012: Scott Whittle. Hand held Canon 400mm f/5.6L and the Canon EOS-7D. Fill flash with the Canon 580 EX Speedlite with a Better Beamer.

Scott Whittle: Photo-birder

When I first started birding, not so long ago, I came to it as a professional portrait and event photographer with many years of experience. When birding, I started using a camera almost as soon as I started using binoculars. The camera let me document and share what I was seeing and rapidly accelerated my learning process. If I was unsure of an ID, I could check the photo. If I wanted to take a closer look at plumages and behavior, I could do the same. The camera could take a momentary encounter with a bird and extend it for as long as I cared to look. Labeling my photos later on made for a second round of identification challenges that often had me looking at Sibley or other field-guides or asking an expert.

I took the utility of the camera to an extreme in my second year of birding when I did a Big Year in New York State. As a beginner, I knew my word wouldn’t carry much weight; but my photos would. So I set out on a 44,000 mile excursion within the borders of the Empire State over the course of the year, photographing every species and audio-recording those I couldn’t see. At the end of the year I had set a new state record with 350 birds found. And 349 of them were either photographed or recorded. Some of you may enjoy the whole Big Year story on my blog here.

Now I live in Cape May and my rig is even more useful. I find I’m joined by a number of both local experts and visiting birders who have taken up digital cameras in the same way Audubon took up his shotgun over 150 years ago. We are collectors; we are photo-birders.

Like Audubon, I think that many of us strive for art in our images (often much less successfully!), but we also look for opportunities to learn and document what we see. The new breed of affordable and relatively lightweight digital cameras are well-suited to this task. Most photo-birders carry a version of what pro bird photographers might consider a “second” setup…that is, a body like the Canon 7D or Nikon d7000, and one of a handful of fast-focusing, moderate telephotos like the Canon 300mm f/4 L IS, the Nikkor 300mm f/4 VR, the Canon 400mm f/5.6, or the Canon 100-400mm f/5.6. In Cape May, the favored setup (and the one I currently carry) is the Canon 7D with the Canon 400mm f/5.6. We do a lot of birds in flight in Cape May. For your bang-for-the-buck this setup is unrivaled. It is nearly as good at locking focus on small flying birds (read warblers and swallows) as setups that cost three times as much and is capable of pro-level captures with a little careful handling. It’s also light enough to carry all day without objection and the cost of this type of rig makes sense to me considering the plummeting market for selling photographs of birds.

In some ways, what I am doing is the antithesis of “traditional” bird photography. Many professional bird photographers strive for “perfect” plumages (usually adult breeding males), “perfect” perches (ie. a single stick), and “perfect” backgrounds (more often than not, a blurred swatch of color). Several years ago I started calling these images “bird porn”. Just like a Playboy centerfold you have technically perfect, striking images that are a lot of fun (and work) to create. And just like Playboy photos, they are pretty far from the reality of how birds appear in everyday encounters. In contrast, I get as excited by a photo of a molting juvenile or an odd female as I do by one of a striking male…sometimes more so.

Finding images of non-breeding birds can be challenging. I’m co-authouring a book on warbler identification entitled “Warblers in Real Life” with expert photo-birder Tom Stephenson. It will be published this spring by Princeton University Press. I think that he and I would both agree that we’re far more interested in the drab fall birds than the bright spring males. In fact, I often identify these confusing fall plumages as “good” plumages–more challenging, more fun to look at, and more educational. In the process of writing the book we did a lot of searching for images online; when you want, say, an underside shot of a bird, the best pool of photos come from amateurs–photo-birders if you will–because most pros will throw such images out!

From the beginning I’ve been told by birders and photographers alike, “You have to choose one or the other…birding or photography.” Perhaps. Or perhaps not. But I think there’s an important and rapidly growing group that doesn’t feel the need to choose, a group that has found that the camera can both enhance their field experiences and improve their identification skills immensely. In addition, they still enjoy the challenge of capturing birds beautifully. Some of these people are truly expert birders whose birding skills are in the A and A+ categories. Many of them are producing fantastic images, often as a result of always being armed with a camera. It’s an exciting and dynamic group, and I’m happy to count myself in it; we are the photo-birders.

Ruby Topaz, Trinidad. Image copyright 2012: Scott Whittle. Hand held Canon 400mm f/5.6L and the Canon EOS-7D. Fill flash with the Canon 580 EX Speedlite with a Better Beamer.

I saw this species when the group visited the hummingbird paradise that is the home of Theo Ferguson. But never made an image….

Bridled Tern, Tobago. Image copyright 2012: Scott Whittle. Hand held Canon 400mm f/5.6L and the Canon EOS-7D. Fill flash with the Canon 580 EX Speedlite with a Better Beamer.

Scott created this image on the boat trip to Little Tobago Island to try for tropicbirds.

Barred Antshrike, Trinidad. Image copyright 2012: Scott Whittle. Hand held Canon 400mm f/5.6L and the Canon EOS-7D. Fill flash with the Canon 580 EX Speedlite with a Better Beamer.

Scott photographed this species from the veranda at Asa Wright; I never saw it.

Caligo Ventures

If you would like to stay at the avian-rich Asa Wright Nature Centre or visit Trinidad and Tobago you need to get in touch with the great folks at Caligo Ventures. They handle all North American bookings for the charming and legendary lodge located on a 2,000 acre tract of rainforest high in the Arima Valley of the Trinidad’s Northern Range. You can contact them here.

Gatorland Photo Contest

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Gatorland Photo Contest

You don’t have to be a pro photographer with expensive equipment to get a great picture at Gatorland, and they are giving you a chance to prove it. Gatorland is proud to announce the Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest. It will run from Friday July 1, 2012 through Friday, November 30, 2012. The contest is open to all photographers ages 18 and over except for those individuals affiliated with Gatorland, including stockholders, directors, employees, interns, volunteers, and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses). All photographs submitted must have been taken at Gatorland by the entrant within the past year (after July 1, 2011).

Entry Fee:

There is an entry fee of $5 per image. There is no limit to the number of images that may be submitted. The entry fee must be may be paid online at the Gatorland Web Store here.

Prizes:

The prizes for each of the three (3) Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest categories are:

1st Place – $200 + 2 Annual Passes ($287.98 value)

2nd Place – $100 + Annual Pass ($143.99 value)

3rd Place – $50 + Single Day Pass ($72.99 value)

Categories:

The three (3) Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest categories are detailed below:

Birds

This category is reserved for images of our feathered friends, both native and exotic. Gatorland is home to over 22 different species of wild Florida birds, as well as exotic species such as Emus, Macaws, Parrots, Peacocks, and Flamingos. Whether it’s one bird or a whole flock… if it has feathers it belongs here!

Reptiles

What would a Gatorland Photo Contest be without gators? This category is not just for Gatorland’s namesake alligators, but all reptiles found within the park including crocodiles, caimen, lizards, snakes, and turtles.

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This image of a yawning American Alligator was created at Gatorland at 4:38 pm on 7-7-2012 with the Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Sensor two to the left of center and one down–Expand AF area/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. I was standing in the shade of the big tower chatting with Denise Ippolito and her Out-of-the-Box co-Moderator Cheryl Slechta when I noticed this gator’s mouth begin to open imperceptibly. “Get ready” I shouted. With the animal in the sun I knew that I had enough shutter speed to go to f/8. After two frames I realized that I had been at +2/3. Without bothering to check the histogram or check for blinkies I went to zero. As it turned out, -1/3 would have been best as I need to move the Recovery Slider to 40 to eliminate the red warning blinkies in ACR.

Gatorland

This general category includes everything found at Gatorland except for birds and reptiles. Whether its animals, insects, plants, landscapes, architecture, or shows… this is the place for it!

Image Requirements:

All photographs submitted must have been taken at Gatorland by the entrant within the past year (after July 1, 2011). For a photo in which a person is prominent and recognizable, you must secure a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent, and provide it to Gatorland upon request. The only exceptions to this requirement are those images that feature Gatorland employees. Photographs submitted that contain Gatorland employees do not require a model release for the employee.

All entries must be submitted in digital high quality JPG format. File size for each image must be less than 10 MB. Scanned slides or prints are acceptable.
Minor digital enhancement for cropping, red-eye removal, sharpening, brightness, contrast, and slight color adjustment are permitted, but images that have been excessively manipulated will be disqualified. Image entries may be submitted in color or black and white, and in either a landscape or portrait format. No watermarks, signatures, copyright info, borders or frames are permitted on images.

How to enter:

For your convenience, photographs may be submitted by email at publicrelations@gatorland.com. We will also accept digital images on CD submitted through the mail.
Please be sure to include the following information with all submissions:

Photographer Name, Address, Contact Phone, Email Address, and Entry Fee Order Confirmation

Please include the file name(s) for each image you will be submitting as well as the Category (Birds, Reptiles, Gatorland) for each. Please send all mail entries to: Gatorland Photo Contest 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL. 32837. Gatorland is not responsible for any entries not received or lost in transit. CD’s received will not be returned. Only digital images will be accepted, sorry no prints or slides!

By entering the contest, winning entrants grant Gatorland the non-exclusive right to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of their photographs,, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for the purpose of advertising and promoting Gatorland and future contests. Any photograph reproduced will include (whenever possible) a photographer credit. Gatorland will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses as described above.

Judging:

Submissions will be judged on content, clarity, composition and that special quality that makes an image a winner! Finalists will be notified of their status by Friday January 4, 2013, and the winners will be announced on the Gatorland Web Site. (www.gatorland.com)

You Be the Judge: Small in the Frame

As regular readers know, the judging for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition has been complete for some time. All of the judges including me were stunned by the quality of the images. We have been and will continue to be posting all of the images that were sent to the judges category by category. Each of you will have a chance to judge each category. Please read the directions below carefully. Your votes will not determine the winning images but it has been and will continue to be fun to see how everyone’s votes compare to the votes of the judges. So far the top pick of the public vote has matched the top pick of the judge’s panel in three of the six categories. I am betting that they match up perfectly in Small in the Frame.

With 422 images, this was a popular category. The 19 images sent to the five judges showed the strength of the category. Here is yet another big time thank you to Darrell, Chris, Julie, and Tim. And a big time thanks also to Peter Kes and Denise Ippolito for pitching in during the first rounds of image selection. We worked very hard for nearly three full days to get from more than 5500 images down to the final 163.

From the rules: Small in the Frame/Environmental category: images of a bird or flocks of birds in their natural habitat.

Before you vote, please sure to click on each image so that you can view it at full size. Then pick your five favorites and vote them 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 with 5 being your very favorite. Like this:

Roseate Spoonbills squabbling: 5
Siskins fighting: 4
Snowy Egrets midair combat: 3
Great Crested Grebe displaying: 2
Common Tern feeding chick: 1

The “Sample Vote” above is for illustrative purposes only. Please do not let the sample vote, the votes of others, or the names assigned to the images influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites. As you will see there are a great many dramatic images here.

Please Note

If you wish to comment on any or all of the images, please do so below your five voting lines; this will make tallying the votes easier. Votes cast by those who fail to follow the formatting directions will be relegated to the Trash Bin.

The voting will be closed in about two days and the actual winning images for this category will be posted soon thereafter. A tally of the public vote along with my analysis and comments will follow.

Thanks for voting and please remember to breathe deeply and have fun.

Heron Silhouette

Bear & Wagtail

African White Pelicans Fishing

Herons and Falls

Coot Silhouette

Heavenly Cormorant

Flamingo Aerial

Stilt in Mangroves

Savannah Sparrow Singing

Eagle Silhouette

Bearded Tit on Reed

Bird-scape

Bramblings & Siskins

Oxpecker on Cape Buffalo

Sunbird on Blossom

Swan-scape

Flamingo Patterns

White-Eye in Canopy

Cattle Egret Mist