Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Caroni Swamp Adventure

The alarm was set for 2:50am. By 3:35 we were in the vans headed for the dock. By 4:30am, Lester, our boatman, guided us through the narrow canals spotting snakes and nightjars in the blackness with a powerful spotlight. The plastic bags came out as a brief squall passed. Well before dawn Lester had positioned the boat square to a reddening eastern sky.

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens(hand held at 85mm) and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 200. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/15 sec. at f/3.5 in Tv mode. I was set up for blast off blurs but figured I could make a sharp image at 1/5 by using good sharpness technique with such a short focal length. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

As light levels increased we could see hundreds of Scarlet Ibises on their red mangrove roost island looking like a scattering of rubies on green felt.

This image was created with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/30 sec. at f/2.8 in Manual mode. Again, it was imperative to use my very best sharpness techniques in order to create a sharp image, this time at 1/30 sec. with the 300mm. Four-stop IS helps too! Right Hand (Surround)Sensor/Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

When they blasted off, most of us were a bit unprepared….

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens(hand held at 102mm) and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/60 sec. at f/2.8 in Tv mode. At the very least I should have been at 1/30 sec. with auto ISO; that would have put me at 1/30 sec. at ISO 800…. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

We spent the next few hours cruising the canals for wildlife. Lester was quite skilled at spotting well-camouflaged Common Potoo and Cook’s Tree Boa.

This Common Potoo was photographed with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. Yes. You read that correct. 1/25 second. You gotta love 4-stop IS. Right of center sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

When we all spotted a Yellow Oriole entering its nest we backed the boat off, tied up to a tree, and waited patiently. It turned out to be our best photographic opportunity but for the ibises. Between the potoo and the oriole we enjoyed an amazingly sumptuous and delicious breakfast of salted cod fish salad, hard-boiled egg, hot ratatouille and eggplant melange. With coffee and tea. All served on real china with fine silverware thanks to the great staff at Asa Wright Nature Center.

This Yellow Oriole at the nest was photographed with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. Left side (Surround) sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

After three great days in Trinidad we are off for Tobago and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.

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 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lensI finally broke down and purchased my own copy of this great flight photography and general purpose lens.
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. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

You Be the Judge Voting: Digital

Public voting in the incredible Digital category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition will be closed at approximately 10am on Tuesday June 5, 2012. Thanks to the many who have voted and shared their thoughts with the group.

“Under the Pier.” Image copyright 2012: Arthur Morris/www.BIRDSASART.com. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 160mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/32 in Manual mode. Upper Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version of this image. In the original image the “light at the end of the tunnel” was hugely over-exposed. With the tripod locked up I created a second, identically framed image three stops darker and used a regular Layer Mask to paint in the detail as Tim described as the “third option” in his guest blog post “Dealing With Contrast” here.

For the image above it was important to expose for the under-pier detail if you would. To do that meant burning out the light at the end of the tunnel as described above. Before I made even a single image I made sure that I was exactly centered under the pier. Then I dug all three legs of my Gizo GT3532 LS CF Tripodas deeply into the sand as I could. Next I rotated the lens in the tripod collar, used the Double Bubble Level in the camera’s hot shoe to ensure that the pier was indeed square to the world, and then tightened all both the horizontal and vertical pan tripod controls. All this to ensure that the light image and the dark image would align perfectly in Photoshop. Once the Layer masking work was done it was time to bring the image into NIK Color Efex Pro and do some magic.

Is It Magic?

My work in NIK took less than 30 seconds. If I wished to replicate my work, it would take about 10 seconds as I saved my recipe. Once I brought the image into Color Efex Pro 4 I added the Tonal Contrast Filter at 100% and actually moved the Midtones and Shadows sliders 10 points to the right to increase the effect. Then I clicked on +Add Filter, added the White Neutralizer Filter, and reduced its opacity by clicking on the arrow in front of the words Control Points at the bottom of the filer panel, and moved the Opacity slider back to 40%. Then I hit +Add Filter and added the Details Extractor Filter and reduced its opacity to 50%. You can of course adjust each of the sliders to your personal taste depending on the image and the look you are trying to create.

I think that you will agree that the Color Efex Pro 4 work here was indeed magical.

If you like what you did and wish to save your steps simply click on the Save Recipe Button (next to the +Add Filter button), type in a descriptive name, and hit OK. I named this one: TC/M&SH+10-40%WN-DEXTR50%.

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 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
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. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

You Be The Judge: Digital

Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter

Several times a week I get an “Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter” on my personal laptop. Though I am very, very busy I often find the topics so interesting and relevant that I read the whole thing, study it carefully, and save it in a “Tim Grey Speaks” folder. Tim has been a good friend for years and has been the Photoshop Guru for a lot longer than that. His knowledge of Photoshop is encyclopedic, he is a skilled teacher and speaker, and his extremely dry sense of humor will leave you smiling. If I were you, I would subscribe. See item last.

ps: Tim has co-led several BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours with me; I need to invite him to another.

Everything below the image is Tim speaking. Thanks Tim for letting me share this with the group here.

“Under the Pier.” Image copyright 2012: Arthur Morris/www.BIRDSASART.com. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 160mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/32 in Manual mode. Upper Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version of this image. In the original image the “light at the end of the tunnel” was huge over-exposed. With the tripod locked up I created a second identically framed image three stops darker and used a regular Layer Mask to paint in the detail as Tim describes below as the “third option.” There will be lots more on the creation of this image in a blog post soon.

Guest Blog Post by Tim Grey/Photographer, Author, Educator

New Video Title: “Photoshop CS6: New Features Workshop”

I’m happy to announce that my latest video training title is now available, helping you get a detailed look at all of the new features in Photoshop CS6. And if you order this week, you can get 20% off this new title. Simply enter PNEW20 in the Coupon Code field during checkout from my video2brain online store. You can get started here.

Today’s Question: Dealing with Contrast

I would like to ask you about your views on using the HDR [high dynamic range] method versus takeing a single undexposed photo in order to capture highlights and then post edit it to get a proper exposure? I find photos made by the HDR method a bit dull, while those with added presets or adjusted a bit cartoonish and sureal. On the other hand, following a method of underexposing photo and then post edit it I found to get better results to my liking. What are your experiences?

Tim’s Answer

The underlying issue here is how to deal with a scene that exhibits high contrast, and of course there are several possible ways to approach such a scene.

The first (and perhaps more “traditional”) method of dealing with a high contrast scene is to do your best to achieve a single good exposure. That often means trying to retain highlight detail, but in some cases you might want to expose for the shadows to retain good detail there, even though that means you’ll have highlights that are blown-out. Think, for example, of a high-key portrait, where lost highlights aren’t a problem. If you do underexpose in order to retain highlight detail, just keep in mind that underexposure can lead to noise. If you later brighten up shadow details that had been underexposed, you’ll likely be making the noise (the lack of information, in effect) more visible, which can lead to image quality problems (even with the use of noise-reduction software).

A common solution to dealing with a scene exhibiting high contrast is to take the HDR approach. This involves capturing multiple images (preferably with a tripod) at different exposure settings (preferably by adjusting only shutter speed) so that through those multiple captures you cover the full dynamic range of the scene. You can then use Photoshop (via HDR Pro) or other software (such as Photomatix) to assemble those images into a single result. This enables you to compress the tonal range from a high-contrast scene into a single photo, which at least based on current image sensor technology wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

There is also a third option available to you in such a situation, which is to capture two images and blend them together into a single composite exposure. One exposure should be for the brighter areas of the image, and the other for the darker areas of the image. You don’t necessarily need to cover the full range of tonal values in the scene with these two exposures. Instead, you can typically divide the image into to sections (the sky versus the foreground, for example) and capture an exposure ideally suited for each of those areas. You can then blend the two exposures into a single composite image that provides you with the intended result. This is similar in concept to using a graduated split neutral density filter during the capture, but with much greater control over the process.

I use all three of these methods under different circumstances. I agree that HDR images can often look a bit “flat” since the tonal range is being compressed, and can look a bit cartoonish when pushed too far in post-processing. But sometimes I like the look you get with HDR processing, so I do use it from time to time.

In other cases I’m simply trying to achieve something that looks more realistic for a scene that exhibits a high dynamic range, and in those cases I’ll often blend two exposures together. And sometimes I just accept the limitations of my camera and capture a single exposure, even though detail will be lost in the shadows or highlights (depending on my exposure).

I encourage you to try all three of these methods to get a better sense of what’s possible. But I also encourage you to listen to your instinct as a photographer. If you’re generally not pleased with the results of an HDR capture, don’t take that approach just because it has become a popular solution. I believe you’ll be happiest with the final photo if you feel good about the approach you’re taking. First and foremost you should focus on creating a photograph that you’re happy with. If others enjoy it as well, that’s a bonus.

You can learn more about high dynamic range imaging in an article from the Autumn 2011 issue of Digital Darkroom Quarterly. If you’re not already a subscriber you can sign up for a subscription starting with the Autumn 2011 issue through my online store here.

Tell Your Friends…

Recommend the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter to your photographer friends by pointing them here.

Tim Grey

Photographer, Author, Educator, Friend

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 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb. I cannot wait to get to Morro Bay.

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….
GT3532 LS. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

These copulating Western Gulls were photographed with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. One sensor below the Central Sensor/Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. With RGB values as high as 252 my WHITEs were a bit brighter than I would have liked with my 5D Mark III so I needed to run a Linear Burn on them and followed that up with a good dose of Detail Extractor from NIK Color Efex Pro–the latter on the top of the bird’s head only revealed with an Inverse or Hide-All Layer Mask. Some fancy Digital Eye Doctor work brought the image to life. Detail on all but Detail Extractor may be found in our Digital Basics File . Digital Basics is a PDF that is sent via e-mail. It contains my complete digital workflow as well as dozens of great Photoshop tips. Most folks feel that it is the best $20 that they ever spent on photography. NIK Color Efex Pro and More As regular readers know NIK’s Color Efex Pro 4 is now an integral part of my workflow. You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

Delkin’s New 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards

“Darn. I left my new cards on the desk in the motel room. Bummer. But I have some of my older Delkin 32gb 450X cards, the red, white, and blue ones, the ones with the paint completely worn off them” I said to Denise Ippolito as we gathered our gear and prepared to head down the hills to the cliffs where we had photographed several Western Gulls on nests when arrived in San Diego almost a week ago.

We were just getting ready to leave for Torrey Pines State Reserve to try for Peregrine Falcons in flight when Denise called softly to me, “Artie.” I glanced to my right and saw that the two adult gulls at the end of the cliff were getting ready to mate. I hustled over and we both began to make images rapidly as the pre-copulatory stand turned into the real thing. Though I rarely hold the hammer down this situation called for making lots of images in a short time. It would be better to try and make as many images as possible than to pick and choose so I held the shutter button down. Problem. The buffer filled quickly and I kept having to wait for it to clear. Denise on the other hand kept blasting away nonstop…. It was then that I realized that I had one of the older 450X Delkin cards in my camera while she had one of Delkin’s new 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards in her 5D Mark III.

When I first got my 5DIII I had had lots of problems with the buffer filling even when I was not rapid-firing. Until I got my hands on one of Delkin’s 700 cards. Since then it had been smooth sailing even when I held the shutter button down. When the dust cleared Denise told me that she was amazed that she had not filled the buffer even though she had taken more than 200 images in just a few minutes. And with the new cards downloading the images with Downloader Pro and Delkin’s Express Card 54 reader in the PCMCIA slot was super-fast as well.

Right after I got my two 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards I became confused when I saw that Delkin had released a series of new 1000X CompactFlash UDMA 7 enabled cards that were roughly $60 to $90 more expensive than the 700X cards. A quick call to Alan Parry, my main man at Delkin, revealed that the 1000X cards were overkill for even the fastest digital cameras with the largest image files; the 1000X cards are designed for folks shooting serious video.

As you can see below Delkin flash cards are dependable! I look forward to wearing the paint off my two new 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro cards. If you own or will be purchasing a Canon EOS-5D Mark III, will be the first on your block with a 1DX, or own one of the newer faster cameras with large image files you can get yourself some of the new Delkin700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards here. We carry them in the 16, 32, and 64MB sizes. If you are doing serious video we can have the 1000X cards on their way to you same day. They come in 16, 32, 64, and 128MB sizes. As for the “I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket” way of thinking, most flash cards are lost when you are changing cards. It is a lot easier to keep track of one card than to keep track of multiple cards. And in 11 years of digital photography all with Delkin flash cards I have never lost a single image to card failure.

After several years of hard use I wore the paint off both of my 32GB 450X cards. They still function perfectly so I keep them around as back-ups or to loan to folks who run out of storage in the field. But after losing some great chances to a filled buffer yesterday I will make sure to have a 700X card in my 5D Mark III 100% of the time.

Canon EOS-1DX

B&H is now accepting pre-orders for the long awaited Canon EOS-1DX professional digital camera body. As much as I love my 5D III I cannot–like many of you–wait to get my hands on the new camera. If you would like to get one in your hands as soon as possible please use this and only this link: Canon EOS-1DX. As soon as you get your receipt from B&H forward it to me via e-mail so that I can pass it along to my contact at B&H who will expedite your order. As there will be huge demand for the 1DX there is no way to tell how long it will be till you get yours but I and Yechiel Orgel will do our best to get one to you asap. If you are able to get one from another source it is easy to cancel your B&H order; your credit card is not charged until your order is shipped.

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 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lensI finally broke down and purchased my own copy of this great flight photography and general purpose lens.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Except when I need extreme focal length, I have been using my 5D III on the 800 a ton. And loving it.

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….
GT3532 LS. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
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.

Congrats to Jenaya Launstein—14 years old. Her image, “Merlin on fence post” is the frst prize winner in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Nikkor 200-400 f/4 ED VR lens with the Nikon D300 and the TC-14EII teleconverter (on a beanbag at 550mm). ISO 400: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the spectacular larger version.

Merlin on fence post: Jenaya Launstein—14 years old

Jenaya’s image was voted first by the contest judges in the Youth category receiving 19 out of a possible 25 points. It just edged out Jef Pattyn’s hovering Kestrel image which scored 18 points. All of the judges loved the perfect rule-of-thirds image design, the soft light, the colors and texture of the grasses, the exceptional sharpness, and the perfect head turn.

From Jenaya:

In December, 2011 my dad and I took an evening drive in search of wildlife to photograph near our home in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada. We spotted a raptor on a post in a nearby field. We quickly whipped our heads around to see and realized that it was a male Merlin! I am really glad I got this image because he was so beautiful and we don’t see these guys too often around here!

Congratulations to Jef Pattyn–11 years old. His “Kestrel hovering” was awarded second prize in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens at 400mm with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 full stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version.

Kestrel hovering, Jef Pattyn

Jef’s Kestrel was voted second by the contest judges in the Youth category. It received 18 out of a possible 25 points. The sharpness, the beautiful underwing detail, the hunting pose, and the framing make this image special.

From Jef:

I went with my brother and Dad to Zeeland in The Netherlands; my Dad had heard that there were several Short-eared Owls seen in the open fields around the village of Haamstede. While looking for the owls, this Kestrel came close to the road hovering in search of mice. We approached slowly and used our car as a hide. The Kestrel was not disturbed at all.

Congratulations again to Jef Pattyn–11 years old. His “Jabiru Stork silhouette” was awarded third prize in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens (hand held at 10mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 6400: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version.

From Jef:

In the summer of 2011, my family went to Brazil and visited the Pantanal to search for its spectacular wildlife. At the end of our boat on August 12 we got back to our lodge after sunset. To our delight there was a couple of Jabiru storks on the bank of the river. There was almost no light bu it was possible to make create silhouetted images against the fading light of the setting sun.

The judges liked the sunset colors, the composition and sharpness, and the strip of trees at the bottom that frame the image. Julie Zickefoose called this one “Tiki God Storks.”

Congrats!

Congrats to all who placed images in the top ten in the Youth category. You can see all ten honored images here. 58 images made the next to last cut. Only ten went to the judges. Getting to the final round is quite an accomplishment. Prizes (see below) will be shipped once all the winners are announced as several folks had more than one top three images. Be sure to patronize our sponsors; without them, this contest would not exist. There will be more educational stuff from the Contest coming soon.

You Be the Judge: Youth

The judging for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition is complete. All of the judges including me were stunned by the quality of the images. We will be posting all of the images that were sent to the judges. Each of you will have a chance to judge the images. Please read the directions below carefully. Your votes will not determine the winning images but it will be fun to see how everyone’s votes compare to the votes of the judges.

Below are the ten images in the Youth category that were sent to the five judges: Darrell Gulin, Chris Van Rooyen, Julie Zickefoose, Tim Laman (who filled in for a honey-mooning Andy Rouse), and yours truly. Here is another big time thank you to Darrell, Chris, Julie, and Tim. And a big time thanks also to Peter Kes and Denise Ippolito for helping me choose the images that were sent to the judges. We worked very hard for nearly three full days to get from more than 5500 images down to the final 163.

The Youth category is for images created by young photographers born on or after March 31, 1994. Fewer images were entered in this category than in any other category. Before you vote, please click on each image to 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:

Hyacinth Macaws on fence: 5
Hawk Owl vertical: 4
Snowy Owl pano: 3
Merlin on fence post: 2
Emu laughing: 1

The “Sample Vote” values above are for illustrative purposes only. Please do not let the sample vote or the vote’s of others influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. You can make your life easier by cut and pasting the name of each image that you wish to vote for. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites.

If you wish to comment on any or all of the images that you voted for, 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.

A tally of the public vote along with the actual winning images for each category will be announced approximately 48 hours after each posting.

Jabiru Stork silhouette

Kestrel hovering

Black-headed Gull braking in flight

Hyacinth Macaws on fence

Hawk Owl vertical

Snowy Owl pano

Merlin on fence post

Emu laughing

Short-eared Owl on post vertical

Great Grey Owl on post

Captive Category Voting Analysis and Related Comments

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

1-Toucan: 23
2-Philippine Eagle: 21
3-Great Horned Owl on curved branch: 18
4-Red-tailed Hawk: 17
T5-Bald Eagle screaming: 16
T5-Flamingo head & neck: 16
T5-Flamingo legs with shadow: 16
8-Barred Owl sleeping: 11
T9-Waterfowl Sleeping: 9
T9-Great Horned Owl vertical: 9

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

1-Toucan: 444
2-Philippine Eagle: 429
3-Red-tailed Hawk: 285
4-Great Horned Owl vertical: 175
5-Flamingo head & neck: 151
6-Waterfowl Sleeping: 140
7-Bald Eagle screaming: 134
8-Great Horned Owl on curved branch: 133
9-Flamingo legs with shadow: 108
10-Barred Owl sleeping: 86

The images below are presented in the order of the judges’ placement as above along with my comments.

Toco Toucan, Image copyright 2102: Stan Hoyt

The toucan image above was a narrow winner in both the public and the Judges’ voting. The bright colors, black background, tight composition, and wire-cage eye highlight caught everyones’ eye. That said a slightly wider crop, a bit of bill clean-up, and a Linear Burn on the WHITEs would have made this one even stronger. Darkening and evening out the background and selectively applying Noise Reduction and a Surface Blur there would have done the same. None-the-less the graphic impact of this image won the day.

Philippine Eagle, Image copyright 2012: Alain Pascua. Before and after animated GIF.

The regal and powerful Philippine Eagle image featuring this majestic bird’s spectacular raised crest was runner-up in both voting categories. With some Photoshop work that would include background smoothing and bill clean-up (both allowed by the lenient competition rules) this image might have overtaken the toucan image for first place; unusually light areas of background will almost always draw the viewer’s attention away from the subject as the whitish circles did here…. For the background clean-up Denise Ippolito (thank you very much Lady D) used a reduced opacity Clone Stamp Tool, the Patch Tool, and an inverse layer mask and selectively ran Noise Reduction on only the background. I added a bit of bill clean-up to produce the “after” image in the animated GIF above. All as described in detail in Digital Basics.

Great Horned Owl on curved branch, Image copyright 2012: Eric A. Rosen.

This image–by a very small margin–did well better in the judges’ voting than in the pubic voting. I loved the rolling hills, the killer clouds, and those huge talons but especially the creativity that went into the design of the image. Selectively lightening the subject would have improved this one.

Red-tailed Hawk

This very strong and sharp image with the killer wing position suffered only from the the dark above/light below background with the strong line of demarcation between the two. Images with dark above/light below motifs almost always have a strike against them as the light area dominates and draws the viewer’s eye. Fourth place with the judges and third place with the public represents another strong correlation in the voting, a clear indication that the cream has risen to the top in this category.

Bald Eagle screaming, Image copyright 2012: Paul Klenck. Canon 50D and tripod-mounted Canon 300/2.8 + 1.4x. f5 at 1/160, ISO 200.

Flamingo head and neck

Flamingo legs with shadow before and after

The three images above finished in a tie for 5th place in the judge’s voting. “Bald Eagle screaming” (7th in the public vote) is a powerful image with a sweet background and a good head angle. Bringing up a bit more detail in the WHITEs on the top of the head would have improved it. This image and many Bald Eagle images in the contest seemed to suffer a bit of prejudice with the official judges perhaps because they have been seeing too many good photos of this species in recent year. “Flamingo head and neck” (5th in the public vote) is an elegant and beautifully designed zoo shot; the curve of the neck captivated everyone. “Flamingo legs with shadow” (9th in the public voting despite some ardent supporters) did the same by way of the wonderfully creative image design. Both Denise and I felt that it too could have been greatly improved within the rules. For the after image I cleaning and blackened the shadow, cleaned up the substrate, and reduced the contrast as seen in the animated GIF above. Clean-up and contrast adjustments as described in detail in Digital Basics.

Barred Owl sleeping

“Barred Owl sleeping” placed 8th in the official voting and 10th in the public voting. Those sky blue eyelids make this peaceful a joy to behold. A bit darker overall with a bit more contrast would have improved this one.

– Waterfowl sleeping

Great Horned Owl vertical

The two images above tied for 9th in the judges’ standings. Many (including me) loved the colors and the soft tones in “Waterfowl sleeping” (a stronger 6th in the public voting). I am pretty sure that some of the judges felt as I did that this one was a bit tight in the frame and that the steep angle of declination to the subject detracted somewhat. “Great Horned Owl vertical” is a pretty much perfect image; I could not think of a single way to improve it. It is nicely framed, the light is sweet, the green background and the mossy perch are killer, the open bill is a plus, and those huge talons rock. It suffered only from the strong competition and, as with the screaming Bald Eagle, perhaps from a bit of judicial prejudice; this is a commonly photographed rehab species. On second thought, a bit more room all around would have yielded a more pleasing image.

Comments Welcome

Your comments on the images, on my analysis, or the voting are of course welcome. Again we ask those who had honored images to leave a comment letting us know their name, which image or images are theirs, the location, and the gear that they used.

B&H Double Rebates Include the 5D Mark III

Click here. Select one of four current Canon camera bodies–both the EOS-5D Mark III and the EOS-7D are in the group. Add a lens–there are 30 in the group, a Series III teleconverter, or a Speedlite, and enjoy large double rebates. The lenses include lots of my favorites: the 70-200mm f/4 L IS, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, the circle lens, the 180 macro, and the 300mm f/4L IS. You can check the specs on all Canon telephoto lenses here. This double rebate offer expires on April 2, 2012.

Nikon Dslr + Lens Bundle Rebates

Click here for details. Offer includes the brand new D3200 and the D7000.

Contest Concerns…

Calvin (no last name) posted the comment below at yesterday’s hugely popular “You be the Judge: Captive” blog post here. (Voting will be open till 8am eastern time on Friday, 5/18/12 so it is not too late to join the fun and see how you do compared to the judges.)

“Does anyone else think that the contest (would) have been much more fair if all 5 of the judges had an opportunity to judge all the images, instead of just the 10 images that were chosen by Arthur Morris and 2 other people?“

Here is my answer: Calvin, The contest might possibly have been a bit more fair had we sent all 5,500 images to our four professional judges. The problem is that they all would have quit immediately. They are busy folks who kindly agreed to help with the final judging. They each spent a total of between 1 1/2 and 3 hours of their valuable time to carefully consider the 10-20 images in each of the 11 categories. All major contests have initial rounds of judging by a small group of involved folks. The panel of big-name judges never get to see the vast majority of entered images. In short, your implied suggestion is both impractical and unworkable.

It took Peter Kes, Denise Ippolito, and me nearly three full 8-hour days of hard work to choose the images that went to the judges. As I wrote elsewhere, this process was an extremely difficult one. To be fair to the panel of judges, we decided to send no more than twenty images forward in each of the eleven categories. In some categories–including the Captive category–getting down to twenty or less was fairly easy. In the more popular categories like Portraits, Action, Flight, and Behavior, getting down to 20 was wrenchingly difficult. At times I felt like a very cruel America’s Got Talent judge. As we got close to 20, we compared the strengths and weaknesses of some of the images while others clearly merited being included in the final group. If even one of us liked an image for the finals, it was included. As we deleted and refined our choices, we would often say, “This is an excellent image. If it were to be awarded a prize, would you be proud of our choice?” If all of us answered “No,” that image would be eliminated.

You mentioned “10 images” but in fact 163 of the 5,500 entered images went to the judges. A quick analysis of the public voting would seem to indicate that the initial selection process worked extremely well as all but 1 of the 10 images have garnered at least a single first place vote while two of the images are run-away points leaders. It will be interesting to see how the public evaluation compares to the actual picks of the judges: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd….

Interestingly enough, Calvin did not enter the contest nor did he take the five minutes to judge the presented images….

Do take a moment to leave a comment and answer Calvin’s original question: “Does anyone else think that the contest would have been much more fair if all 5 of the judges had an opportunity to judge all the images, instead of just the 10 images that were chosen by Arthur Morris and 2 other people?”

Mette’s Comment

Mette (first name or last?) posted the following:

T(o)ucan 5
Flamingo 4

“(I) can’t mark the other photos because they are not up to my standards. I would love to (see) the the photos that didn’t make it if these did.“

Interestingly enough, Mette did not enter the contest. Quite obviously, the rest of the group does not agree with Mette’s assessment. Please take a moment to let Mette know what you think of her comment. As I do not want to influence your responses, I will be sharing my thoughts on her comment later on.

To Be Honest

To be honest, I seriously considered deleting both of the comments above. Each was up for moderation; they needed to be approved by me in order to be visible. Like it or not there is no freedom of speech on my blog.

I was reading an article in Sports Illustrated yesterday by SI Editor Terry McDonnell in which he quoted SI Senior Writer Micheal Farber: “”But shining a light is never a bad thing, no matter what is illuminated.” Instantly it became clear to me that I should share both Calvin’s and Mette’s comments with the group. So that is what I did.

Those who enjoy any type of sports would surely enjoy reading “In My Tribe”; you can access the entire article by clicking here. There is lots of outstanding writing in Sports Illustrated and the article ranks right up there with the best.

This adult male Purple Martin was photographed at Bay City, Oregon with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at +2 1/3 stops as framed: 1/320 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode in early morning light on a clear day at 8:05am. I pushed the exposure as far to the right as possible without getting any blinkies in the sky or on the post to ensure maximum detail in the dark glossy feathers. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger, sharper version. (Some of the images posted here suffer from Word Press compression when viewed at the smaller size.)

Tualatin River Bird Festival

Thanks to the generosity of Canon USA/Explorers of Light who sponsored my visit I enjoyed a wonderful long weekend in Tigard, Oregon. BAA fan and new friend Doug Schurman picked me up at the Portland Airport early on Thursday evening. He drove us to Tillamook, OR so that we could scout for the Sunday morning in-the-field workshop. Morro Bay IPT veteran Don Nelson our guide and my host for the weekend met us at 6:30 am on Thursday. Our first and best stop was at a unique Purple Martin colony on the bay at Bay City, OR just north of Tillamook. We returned on Sunday morning by bus to the delight of the 15 participants.

All three of my programs were well-received and the audiences were large, warm, and attentive. Thanks to Norman Penner for inviting me and to Canon EoL’s Steve Inglima for approving the trip. Both Doug and Don treated me like royalty and their kindnesses were greatly appreciated. It is nice to feel like King for a Weekend every now and then.

This adult male Purple Martin on the same piling was photographed at Bay City, Oregon with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at +3 stops off the sky: 1/320 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. This image was created on Thursday at 7:54 am when a cloud briefly covered the sun. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

Which Do You Like Best?

Which of the two images above do you prefer, the first image made in early morning light or the second made in white sky conditions. Please let us know why.

This image of the colony was created with the Canon 24-105mm L IS lens hand held at 24mm and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/11. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger, sharper version.

Purple Martin Magic

The rather dilapidated colony at Bay City, OR was perfect for early morning photography as the pilings were right on sun angle and there were several fairly decent thin perches provided by the rotting pilings. In 28 years of bird photography I had never previously enjoyed photographing this species on halfway decent perches.

This yawning adult female Purple Martin was photographed at Bay City, Oregon with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at +2 stops as framed: 1/320 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode in early morning light on a clear day at 7:40am. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger, sharper version. (Some of the images posted here suffer from Word Press compression when viewed at the smaller size.)

I loved the yawn and the erect posture of this female.

This pair of Purple Martins was photographed sitting atop there decrepit nest box with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at +1 1/3 stops as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode in morning light on a clear day at 8:19am. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger, sharper version. (Some of the images posted here suffer from Word Press compression when viewed at the smaller size.)

It can never hurt to make images of interesting situations rather than creating only images that feature single birds set against clean backgrounds. Though the nest boxes were in need of repair the birds loved them and Don told me that the colony produces lots of young each year.

B&H Double Rebates Include the 5D Mark III

Click here. Select one of four current Canon camera bodies–both the EOS-5D Mark III and the EOS-7D are in the group. Add a lens–there are 30 in the group, a Series III teleconverter, or a Speedlite, and enjoy large double rebates. The lenses include lots of my favorites: the 70-200mm f/4 L IS, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, the circle lens, the 180 macro, and the 300mm f/4L IS. You can check the specs on all Canon telephoto lenses here. This double rebate offer expires on April 2, 2012.

Nikon Dslr + Lens Bundle Rebates

Click here for details. Offer includes the brand new D3200 and the D7000.

Shopper’s Guide.

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Below is a list of the gear talked about in this blog 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.

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 24-105mm L IS lens. I never head into the field without this versatile B-roll lens in my X-trahand vest.
Canon EF 1.4X III TC. This new TC is designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. The very best professional digital camera body that I have ever used.

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 GT3530LS Tripod. This one 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.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
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.

This Japanese Red-crowned Crane image was created at Tsurui Itoh Sanctuary, Hokkaido, Japan with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. Central sensor (expand left and right) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

Nature’s Best Image Quiz

Please let me know which if any of the four images presented here you would enter in the Nature’s Best Contest. And which you would not enter. And in either case, why. The deadline was yesterday, May 7. I completed two entries, 40 images in all. No spoilers please. 🙂

BTW, these are the categories: African Wildlife, Animal Antics, Art in Nature, Birds, Endangered Species, Landscape, Oceans, People in Nature, Plant Life, Power of Nature, Small World, Wildlife, Zoos and Aquariums. Learn more about the categories by scrolling down here.

After seeing an Andy Rouse image of a Sally Lightfoot crab on black lava rock surrounded by a blurred wave (in his book, Concepts of Nature, I was determined to try something similar (and perhaps better) on my next Galapagos visit. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2 stops off the crab on the black rock alone: 1/30 sec. at f/9. (I knew that I would need to underexpose quite a bit to avoid losing detail in the white water of the breaking waves; I needed to check the histogram a few times to get it right.) For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

Join me on the world’s best Galapagos Photo-Cruise/July 2-16, 20i3. Two full weeks +, world’s best guide and itinerary. Click here and scroll down for details.

This image was created at Lower Klamath NWR, CA with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/15 sec. at f/18. Click on the image to see a larger version.

I lucked out on my visit to Klamath last February; snow brought tens of thousands of light and dark geese to the refuge.

This image–of a flock of Sanderlings with a single Dunlin and a single peep–was created at Cupsogue Beach, Long Island, NY with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. 45-point AI Servo AF. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Can you spot the two odd-ball species?

More luck here. Had it been a clear morning, I would have gone home empty-handed.

B&H Double Rebates Include the 5D Mark III

Click here. Select one of four current Canon camera bodies–both the EOS-5D Mark III and the EOS-7D are in the group. Add a lens–there are 30 in the group, a Series III teleconverter, or a Speedlite, and enjoy large double rebates. The lenses include lots of my favorites: the 70-200mm f/4 L IS, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, the circle lens, the 180 macro, and the 300mm f/4L IS. You can check the specs on all Canon telephoto lenses here. This double rebate offer expires on April 2, 2012.

Nikon Dslr + Lens Bundle Rebates

Click here for details. Offer includes the brand new D3200 and the D7000.

Shopper’s Guide.

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Below is a list of the gear talked about in this blog 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-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. The very best professional digital camera body that I have ever used.

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….
GT3532 LS. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
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.