Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Image #1 was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D MIII (since replaced by the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 400. Evaluative metering at +1 stop: 1/6 sec. at f/5.6 in Av Mode. One Shot shutter button AF, turn off AF, and recompose. The old days for sure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version.

Morro Bay Photo Expo

My two program yesterday at the Morro Bay Photo Expo were exceedingly well received. There were 208 folks at the morning seminar which included Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography, Composition and Image Design, and Getting Close. About 60 folks attended the Photoshop for Nature Photographers program that afternoon. My stand-up schtick was very sharp in the morning and the folks responded quite well to pretty much every joke with several attendees actually rolling in the aisles laughing. “Liar!” The afternoon session was much more informal and folks were so into learning that I did not even consider taking the scheduled break.

If you are involved with a photography group or club that has an annual event that could attract 150 or so folks and would love a great keynote presenter please shoot me an and we can see if Canon would be willing to sponsor my appearance as they did so generously both for the F3C event in Naples last weekend and for this weekend’s gig as well. Aside from the humor folks will learn a ton :).

Oldies But Goodies #1

Here are two from January 25, 2009. Image #1 above was created at 6:46 am, image #2 below at 6:41 am, and image #3 at the bottom at 6:47 am. You can learn a ton by studying the exposure data for each image. Questions are welcome.

Image #2 was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 120mm) and the Canon EOS-1D MIII (since replaced by the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1.3 seconds at f/6.3 in Av mode. One Shot shutter button AF, turn off AF, and recompose. The old days for sure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version.

Please take a moment and let us know which of the three images you like best, and why.

Image #1 was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D MIII (since replaced by the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 1600. Evaluative metering at +1 stop: 1/30 sec. at f/5.6 in Av Mode. One Shot shutter button AF, turn off AF, and recompose. The old days for sure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of gear that I used to create the image 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.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 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. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.

LAX Travel Adventures

When I checked in on-line on Thursday afternoon for my Friday flights to the west coast, I made sure to check the box for flight delay notification and entered my samandmayasgrandpa e-mail address. For most early morning flights I stay at the Orlando Courtyard Marriott the night before. You can leave your vehicle there for up to two weeks with no charge. So that is what I did yesterday. I got on line early this morning and voila, nothing from American Airlines. All good.

I finished re-packing and got on the 7am shuttle. With three checked bags I tipped the driver a five dollar bill. I was scheduled to fly first class to LA at 9am on American, continue on to Santa Barbara on a puddle jumper, also on AA, and then rent a car–I use and love National after having switched a year ago from Avis, and then drive to Los Osos. I would arrive just in time for the opening reception of the Morro Bay Photo Expo where I will be presenting all day Saturday and leading a Master Class/In-the-Field workshop on Sunday morning, all that thanks to the generosity of Canon USA/Explorers of Light. At curbside check-in at MCO (Orlando airport) I learned that the LA flight was delayed 2 1/2 hours. That would result in my missing my flight to Santa Barbara and missing the reception…. On to Plan B.

The porter brought my stuff inside–another five dollar tip thank you very much, and I explored several possibilities with the agent who was very helpful. The solution was for me to fly to LA on Delta’s 8:30am flight. Best news: they had a first class seat for me. That would get me into LA in more than enough time to make my flight to Santa Barbara, grab the car, and drive down to Los Osos for the reception. Now I needed to get my three checked bags over to Delta to check in. The agent grabbed a porter who was also very nice. And also very helpful as you will see in a minute. As check-in time on Delta was getting close–there is a 45 minute cutoff, the porter suggested that I rush ahead of him and said that he would catch up with all my bags, both checked and carry-ons. Not to worry, he did and I checked in on time.

The porter was nice enough to stay with me till the process was complete. I did not notice that Delta had checked my bags only to LAX. Had he not noticed, I would likely have continued on to Santa Barbara while my bags were going round and round on a carousel in LA. Ten bucks for him. I even had time to stop in the book store and grab yet another John Sandford airport novel in his Prey series. I’ve already started “Broken Prey.” The guy can wrtie! I am sitting up front on the Delta flight and for the first time ever, am online in the air. For only $12.95. Man, you gotta love being addicted…. This is the first time that I have ever posted anything from 35,000 feet!

Why the big tips? I have a theory and it has worked perfectly to date. Whenever I fly I tip the baggage folks and drivers generously to ensure good luck and safe flying. As I said, my system has a perfect record of getting me safely to my location. And if my flight crashes, what good would the extra five or ten bucks do me? I will let you know if it worked this time :).

For greater appreciation of the compostie image, click on the photo; then click on the larger version to close it.

Last Second Morro Bay IPT Miracles

When I was sending BAA Bulletin #404 yesterday I updated the IPT page as I always do. I almost deleted the Morro Bay IPT from the top of the list–there were 9 of the 10 slots filled–but thought what the heck, so I left it. Along with my cell phone number. Last night in the motel I got a call from a Martin Lord. He will be joining the group in Morro Bay on Sunday night for the introductory slide program.

But wait, it gets even better. When I got on line this morning there was an e-mail from old friend and client Jean-Luc Valliant. He will also be joining the IPT. As it says on the web site, BAA always reserves the right to exceed the posted limit by one.

BAA Bulletin #404

BAA Bulletin #404 is on-line and can best be viewed here.

• MY THOUGHTS ON THE Canon EOS-5D Mark III
• THE CONTEST IS BOILING HOT!
• GEAR FOR SALE/PRICE REDUCED
• A VERY NICE e-MAIL
• B&H LINKS OF NOTE
• B&H CANON SPECIALS
• IPT UPDATES

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

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.

Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter

I subscribe to the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter on all BIRDS AS ART computers, office and laptop. Why? Tim has been the Photoshop guru for nature photographers for well more than a decade. His eNewsletters are filled with great info and tips. The last few have featured questions on what a RAW file is and is not, how color space affects RAW files (hint: it does not!), and how color space and color profiles affect your prints. I almost forgot; the e-newsletter includes links to Tim’s blog posts of interest and to upcoming teaching gigs. See below for my very favorite recent e-newsletter feature.

You can sign up to receive Tim’s missives on a regular basis by clicking here.

Note: Tim has been a guest co-leader on several BAA IPTs. He is a skilled instructor with a subtle sense of humor that always leaves me in stitches.

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Ten Absolutely Free Photoshop 6 Video Tutorials!

This from Tim’s March 22 e-newsletter:

Tim’s Grey’s Top Ten Favorite New Features in Photoshop CS6 Beta

Adobe has announced the public availability of Photoshop CS6 Beta, which offers an advance look at some cool new features.

To help photographers gain a sense of what they can expect from the new update, I’ve put together (with the help of my friends at video2brain) a free (yes, free!) video training course highlighting my top ten favorite new features in Photoshop CS6 Beta. I won’t simply list out my top ten new features, but will show you how they can be put to use, so you’ll get a better idea of all Photoshop CS6 Beta has to offer.

You can read a bit of background on this free new video course in my latest blog post here.

And you can view the video course, called “Photoshop CS6 Beta: Tim Grey’s Top 10” through my video2brain online store here.

I hope you enjoy this free video course. And of course, you can bet that as soon as a full and final updated release of Photoshop comes out, I’ll be ready with new video training courses to help you make the most of your digital photos. Stay tuned! Thank you, Tim Grey

Tutorials

Below, in descending order, are Tim’s top ten CS-6 features. I have not looked at them all yet but I am sure that my #1 fave would be the Content-Aware Move Tool and my #2 (or possibly tied for #1) would be the Improved Patch Tool. Heck, Digital Basics folks and blog and Bulletin regulars know how much I love the old Patch Tool.

The length of each video follows the title. And here is the best news of all: not only does Tim describe the new features in each video but he teaches us how to use them. Thanks Tim!

#10: Paragraph and Character Styles (04:57)
#9: Panel Updates (01:42)
#8: Auto Brightness/Contrast (01:32)
#7: Auto Curves and Levels (01:40)
#6: Perspective Crop Tool (03:10)
#5: Sample Size for Magic Wand (03:18)
#4: Crop Tool Overhaul (03:45)
#3: Content-Aware Move Tool (04:04)
#2: Improved Patch Tool (02:52)
#1: Oil Paint Filter (03:59)

Again, you need to click here to access the free video tutorials. After you’ve viewed them all let us know which new feature would be your #1 CS-6 favorite. And why.

B & H Canon Specials

Click here to learn of the fantastic Canon lens & Speedlite Double Instant Rebates. The double rebates kick in only when an item is bundled with one of three selected Canon dSLR bodies including the EOS-7D and the EOS-5D MII a(the latter saved my butt in Antarctica!) Included are lots of my favorite lenses: the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM AF zoom lens (save $220), my beloved Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto zoom lens (save $400!), the EF 300mm f/4.0L IS USM AF lens–great for birds and butterflies with a 7D (save $180), the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM AF lens–I sent mine to Morro Bay for the California poppies (save $180), and two old faves of mine, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS zoom lens (save $220) and my old “toy lens”, the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Autofocus Lens (save $180).

These offers expire at the end of the week and will not be extended so best to act now to take advantage of some great savings.

Upcoming B&H Passover Closing

Those wishing to earn contest entry credits with their B&H purchases–B&H is the principal contest sponsor–please note:

B&H will be closed Friday April 6th in observance of Passover and will reopen on Sunday April 15th at 10:00AM EST. Orders must be placed by 4:00PM EST on Thursday April 5th in order to ship before the Holiday. Orders placed after this time will ship when they reopen. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patronage.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Thanks a stack to all who have used our 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.

This image of a breeding plumage Roseate Spoonbill was created at 7:55 am with the with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stops as framed: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus on the bird’s lower breast active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. This bird had sneaked out of the mangroves to my right; I would have missed the shot had James not alerted me. Thanks Froggie!

A Bad Morning on the Hooptie Deux is Still a Pretty Darned Good Morning

By the time that I got to the dock with the repair gear James was already there; he had jury-rigged a repair with a plastic bag and some zipper wax and limped back to the boat ramp. In short order the job was done. I loaded my gear and we were underway. It was a clear morning with a breeze from the southeast. The wind was from the perfect direction for flight photography but as the sun rose the breeze freshened to about 20 knots. Instead of landing on the flat in front of us as we had so carefully planned the spoonies and large numbers of White Ibises landed in the more sheltered cove to our left where we were unable to get our lenses on them. So we settled for a great morning of flight photography albeit without as many chances for Roesate Spoonbills as you would expect on a typical late March morning.

This tight-in-the-frame flight image of a Roseate Spoonbill was created at 8:35am with the with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light blue sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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.

This image was a result of my taking a more aggressive approach to flight and action photography; in the past, I would have passed on this opportunity figuring that I would not be able to fit the whole bird in the frame. See here for details on that. I will share the original with you in the next blog post. I moved the bird back in the frame using APTATS II techniques and darkened the sky using Viveza with Control Points.

This breeding plumage Brown Pelican image was created at 8:44am with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light blue sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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 the wind direction is right and the pelicans are coming in with their landing gear down, press and hold the shutter button to ensure a variety of poses. Detail Extractor and Tonal Contrast both at 50% with NIK Color Efex Pro on the bird only (selected with the Quick Selection Tool).

This incoming American Oystercatcher was photographed at 9:12am with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the light blue sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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.

This species almost always alerts you to their presence with their strident flight calls. As is usual this bird, one of a fly-by pair, announced itself long before flying into photographic range. Long lens flight photography tip: make sure that your distance range limit switch is set to far focus only so that the lens does not have to search all the way down to minimum focusing distance. This drastically reduces the time needed for initial focusing acquisition.

This small-in-the-frame/environmental image was created at 7:46am with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the sky (-1 stop as framed): 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus on the White Ibis and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

I was set up for early morning flight photography when I noticed the ibis walking by the lone spoonbill. I rear focused on the ibis, swung the lens to the left, and when the compositional balance was pretty close to perfect fired off two frames. The Small-in-the-Frame/Environmental category is one of the weakest in the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. The deadline is coming up soon; If you have some great small in the frame habitat images be sure to enter for a chance at some of the great prizes in the $22,000+ prize pool and lots of honor and glory as well :). For lots more info see “The Contest Heats Up.” Item 1 here.

This image of a breeding plumage Brown Pelican carrying nesting material was created at 8:13am with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops off the very light blue sky: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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.

About half the flying pelicans were carrying nesting material and with the south/southeast wind flight photography was superb. By studying the exposure data and the time that each image was made you can learn that as the morning wore on it was correct to add less and less light to the exposure reading off the sky.

Comments Welcome

Please feel free to leave a comment on all or any of the above. If you have a favorite, be sure to let us know why you like it.

James Shadle and the Hooptie Deux

I am always amazed when folks who visit Florida for the express purpose of photographing Roseate Spoonbill go home disappointed. To say that Ding Darling ain’t what it used to be is a vast understatement…. If you want to photograph lots of spoonbills all that you need to do is spend a few days with James Shadle on his photo-customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. Click here and scroll down for complete details and to see some of James’ incredible images from Alafia Banks.

James’ “In the Field Workshops” is the original Tampa Bay nature photography (by boat) workshop and tour leader. He has an exciting list of locations that will give you the opportunity to create incredible images of dramatic behavior and stunning plumages. He knows the bay better than anyone as he has been doing it longer than anyone and as the images show, he knows how to make great pictures and can teach you to do the same. James owns and operates a 20′ tri-toon boat (The Hooptie Deux) that has been customized specifically for photography workshops. It’s roomy, comfortable, and stable. The boat is equipped with a quiet and environmentally friendly E-Tec outboard motor. It also has a powerful, silent, electric trolling motor with wireless remote control. The boat can be configured with no top for on-board photography or with a bimini top to provide shelter from sun and rain. Refreshments are available at all times.

Call or e-mail in advance to inquire about dates and rates. You can get in touch with James for additional info or to schedule a Custom Workshop or Tour via e-mail, by cell phone at (813) 363-2854 or on his home phone (early evenings best) at (813-689-5307). If by cell phone it is best to call back rather than to leave a message.

If you plan on joining James make sure to read “Hooptie Deux Practicalities” by scrolling down here.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of gear that I used to create the image 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.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
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. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.

This image, a pleasing blur of the sharply rendered leg of a tame Great Blue Heron, was created at Blind Pass Beach on the SW FLA IPT by Clemens van der Werf with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/15 sec. at f22 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus on the bird’s leg and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version. Image copyright 2012 and courtesy of Clemens van der Werf.

Teaching and Learning Creativity; A Great Example

As regular readers know, I am very proud of my friend and student Clemens van der Werf. Aside from being a super-nice guy Clemens is a mega-serious student of bird and nature photography. He has been on a zillion IPTs during the past two years. And he is headed back to Homer, AL today to join Robert O’Toole on another Bald Eagle trip, his second. Clemens’ work has been featured in several blog posts including Mystery Photographer and Skill Level Revealed, IPT Student Getting Too Good? Part I With Image Critiques, and IPT Student Getting Too Good? Part II With Image Critiques. The latter two posts feature 5 of Clemens’ best Bear Boat images with critiques on an additional 27. Studying good critiques is a great way to learn. If you are inspired to join me on the Bear Boat trip this July see item three below.

In Part I above I wrote, “The short story is that Clemens has been on virtually every IPT since attending the 2010 SW FLA IPT (now twice). He has been on the Homer IPT, the Bosque IPT (now twice), the San Diego IPT, the JBWR/Nickerson IPT, and most recently he attended the 2011 Bear Boat IPT. Prior to his first IPT he had photographed only sailboats, his dogs, and his daughter. His skills have improved steadily. The problem is that he is getting too good. His Coastal Brown Bear images from the recently concluded Photo-Cruise reflect continuing growth in all areas of his photography. His exposures are pretty much perfect, he has perfected his sharpness techniques, and he makes all the obvious images. But his biggest area of improvement has been in seeing and creating new and different images.

It was on the 2010 Bsoque IPT that Clemens was first exposed to blurs. The very talented Denise Ippolito was along. It was a slow morning. Just past the Chupadera Deck I stopped the group and got out with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. Everyone including Clemens looked at me like I was nuts. “There are no birds. Why are we stopping here?” My eye had been attracted to a tall stand of orange-red vegetation. I set a low ISO, picked a slow shutter speed in Tv Mode, added 1 1/3 stops of light, and began creating hand held vertical pan blurs. When I shared them on the back of the camera with the group–you gotta love the immediacy of digital capture–most folks joined in the fun. Denise also ledby example Before long most everyone was experimenting with pan blurs, zoom blurs, jiggle blurs, and flame blurs. Everyone including Clemens. And the look on his face made it clear that he was hooked on blurs.

That brings us to today’s image. Here once again the student has taken what he’s learned, applied it to a new situation, and created something very special. Clemens converted the image to black and white with NIK’s killer Silver Efex Pro plug-in. And he has entered it in the 2012 Veolia BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition in the Black and White category. Good luck Clemens! (It will not be long until Clemens garners his first BBC honors.)

If you’d like to learn to create pleasing blurs, check out A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. We cover dozens of different techniques that you can learn and use; Clemens’ image here is a moving water blur.

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TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

The deadline (March 31, 2012) for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition is fast approaching. Enter now and get your images uploaded for a chance a the $22,000 worth of great prizes. And lots of prestige.

Here are the contest categories:

1. Bird Portraits (images that show the whole bird)
2. Tight Portraits and Body Parts (head shots, feather detail, and more)
3. Flight (dramatic images of birds in flight)
4. Small in the frame/Environmental (images of a bird or flocks of birds in their natural habitat)
5. Pleasing Blurs (pleasingly blurred images of a bird or a flock of birds; images in this category must be created in-camera.)
6. Action (Photographs of a bird or birds in action)
7. Behavior (Images that exhibit interesting avian behavior)
8. Hand of Man (the composition must include man-made elements)
9. Digital Creations (anything goes including the use of filters and effects as long as there is a bird or birds in the image)
10. Youth (images submitted by young photographers born on or after March 31, 1994)
11. Captive including zoos (photographs of captive, zoo, pet, or rehab birds)

SELECTED IPT INFO

Join me this summer and live on a boat for six full and two half days of Coastal Brown (Grizzly) Bear photography. At close range. Live your dream. Great food too! Images copyright Arthur Morris & Robert O’Toole. If you are seriously interested please e-mail for itinerary and additional details.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6699. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

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.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of gear that I used to create the image 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.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.

Oldie But Goodie

While searching online for information on the recent death of my old friend Bob Elliot Kutner the other day (scroll down here for info on that), I came across an old (2005) interview that I did for James Morrissey for The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum and wanted to share an adapted and somewhat updated version here with you. You can find the original interview by James along with four images here.

Artist Showcase: Artie Morris by James Morrissey

About Artie Morris

JM: Can you tell me about yourself?

AM: I had a very nice childhood. I did not realize how messed up my childhood was until I was an adult 🙂 When I was a kid, I had a whole lot of fun.

I had no early photographic interests. My parents had no interest in nature. I lived in Brooklyn. When I was a young boy, my great aunt Alice and my great uncle Frank would go to Keyport, New Jersey where my great grandma Smith lived. By the time, I was 12 or 13 I would go by myself to Keyport with my Alice and Frank to a Great Grandma Smith’s home. I would collect butterflies, bugs, and box turtles. I used to cut the huge lawn. This was my first experience in nature. I would have told you that bird watching was for sissies when I was young.

JM: What brought you to photography then?

AM: I had two daughters by my first marriage and I wanted to take pictures of them… I purchased a Canon AE-1 and was doing snap shots of the kids and some scenics when I went on vacation. I shot perhaps 10 rolls of film during the first few years that I owned the camera. People had told me in the past, when I was in Junior HS, that I was artistically talented, but I had pretty much ignored it; whatever talent I had had lain dormant within me. In 1976, when I was in my early 30s, I started birding as a means of exercise as my knees were shot and my back was not in great shape.

I was inspired by a fellow named Bob Elliot Kutner from the South Shore Audubon Society in Long Island, NY. He was infectiously enthusiastic. He met a bunch of teachers from my school–including my late-wife Elaine Belsky-Morris and invited himself to our school and did an assembly program with his back-yard movies of Warblers. They were terrible, but he was so into it that it rubbed off. I wound up doing a few field trips with him, and that is how I got started.

JM: So your photographic education started well after you were a professional with the NYC Board of Education?

AM: Yes. I had the camera, but rarely used it. Early on I was influenced by two local guys – Tom Davis, who is dead, and an older Eastern European man named Tony Manzoni. They were both into photography. Tom was a recluse – 6′ 9”, 149 lbs. One time he took out his book of ‘baby pictures.’ They were juvenile shorebirds; he called them his “babies.” After I went to a slide show by Toni Manzoni, I said, “I can do that.” Then, I went out and purchased the Canon 400 f/4.5 FD lens.

Birding was something that developed in me over time after many seeds had been planted in my brain. The first seed was planted by Elliot Kutner, and the next by Tom Davis. I used to work at a pool club in Brooklyn and I would see Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets fishing. After seven years I was getting bored with just birding and took up photography as the next step.

My first marriage–to Dana–ended in 1985 after 18 years. We had two beautiful daughters – Jennifer and Alissa. Soon after my divorce, I married Elaine Belsky, a fellow teacher who had been my best friend for 15 years. I talked her into getting out of teaching in 1992. We got a sabbatical from the board of education, bought a small motor home, and drove twice around North America. Being married to Elaine was like being in heaven. After the sabbatical we returned home on June 30, 1993. If anyone had told me that she was going to find a lump in her left breast the next day and that she would be dead in 15 months, I would have fallen off my chair laughing. I would have said, “I am Artie Morris and this does not happen to me. I am blessed with complete happiness.” That is, however, exactly what happened. It was an horrific blow to me. Elaine died peacefully at home on November 20, 1994. I was a huge mess for seven years.

Ten days after Elaine died, I flew to Bosque Del Apache NWR in New Mexico and began the long, slow process of healing. It took me more than 7 years to get to the point where I could look back and think about how wonderful she was without crying. It was hard for a long time. Once I began doing The Work of Byron Katie I realized however that I had actively chosen to be a martyr. I was doing my best…. Doing the work brought me to peace over Elaine’s death.

A few years after Elaine’s passing I moved from Deltona, FL down to Indian Lake Estates. In about 1998 I hired my older daughter Jennifer as the Executive Director of BIRDS AS ART; her husband, Erik, works as a biologist at a nearby state park. They are the proud parents of my first two grandchildren.

JM: How do you feel that Elaine’s death affected your photography?

AM: Elaine had great confidence that I would succeed as a professional photographer. Many wives might say, “Oh my God, he is crazy. He gets up at 5 in the morning and stays out all day. He is nuts.” Elaine would say, “My Arthur. He gets up at 4 in the morning and he works so hard, and he stays out all day and photographs. He is going to be the best bird photographer in the world some day.” Her support meant the world to me. She was the first person to tell me, “You are good, you are handsome, you are loyal, you are loving, and you are smart.” I have done a lot of work since then and learned that I am all of those things and more.

JM: A lot of people never get to that point.

AM: I have done a lot of great self-help stuff. There is a great book entitled “Seeing Your Life Through New Eyes.” In addition, as I mentioned above, I have studied The Work of Byron Katie; her program, “Loving What Is” helped me find a great degree of peace.

JM: What drives you?

AM: Primarily, the fact that bird photography is fun. It is what I love to do. On another level, I have realized that my father influenced me positively in a convoluted way. He was a WWII veteran who had been severely injured on Okinawa; he lost his right arm and his left hung by a thread at one point. He spent 19 months in the hospital. He was bitter about his war injuries and we did not have a good relationship. He rarely had anything nice to say to me as I was growing up. I sometimes say somewhat jokingly that the nicest thing that he ever said to me was “Take out the damned garbage.” I didn’t realize how deeply this affected me until I was in my forties.

Why did I want to be the best teacher in the district? Why would I rather have died than lose a game of 3-man basketball? Why did I practice golf for 12 hours every day while playing on my college team? With everything that I have ever done, I have been driven to push myself to the max. In middle adulthood I realized that all along I had been trying to get people to say the nice things about me that my father never could or did. A few years before his death, I wrote him and thanked him for withholding praise, for being responsible for so much of my success. I thanked him for being a mean son of a bitch. My sister Arna read the letter to him and told me that he had a huge smile on his face. My Dad never quit. He worked in the same luggage store for more than 30 years and wound up as the manager. Many folks would have simply stayed home and collected their disability payments. I know that I got my determination from him. He was well respected in the industry. Stamps were his hobby. I can remember seeing him in the basement holding up the little squares of perforated paper and examining them with a magnifier. When I turned to photography and found myself sitting for hours on end editing slides with a loupe I chuckled at the similarities.

I am now at the point that I know I have an incredibly wonderful life. I don’t have the need for approval or the need for people to say nice things about me. When it happens though, it is certainly a nice part of the job.

Part of me is still driven to prove Elaine right. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I felt that I got ripped off in that I had no great talent. I would listen to Simon and Garfunkel singing some great song, or I would go to a show and watch talented people perform. I was envious. I wished that I had a talent. I started doing bird photography in 1983 and soon afterwards began doing slideshows. I would click up one of my images onto the screen, and people would ooh and ah. It was amazing; I was able to move people. I started adding humor to my shows. Since then, I have done more than 250 programs. When people marvel at my images or laugh at my jokes, it sure feels good.

JM: What kind of slideshows were these?

AM: As you know, I am a Canon contract photographer, an Explorer of Light. It is a wonderful program and they are quite generous to a large number of photographers worldwide. People call me up and say, “We would like you to speak at this or that festival or event.” I offer a variety of photography how-to and general interest programs. As long as we get 100 folks in the room Canon sponsors these speaking engagements. When people ask me how it all got started I trace it all back to the first slideshow I did in 1985 for the Queens County Bird Club. I got paid 10 dollars. Every bit of networking can be traced to that first show. It just grew.

At some point I began adding humor to my shows. One time, I spoke before 700 or 800 people in Cape May, NJ, Paul Kerlinger, the director of Cape May Bird Observatory, got up and said, “This is Artie Morris. It is hard to tell if he is one of the best bird photographers in the world or a standup comedian.” It helped that I had had a few whiskey sours before that program…. Now, I have spoken several times to audiences of between 400 and 700 people and have always found them to be enthralled with both the photographs and with the spiel. It was great to discover that I had had these gifts. And it was quite a thrill that to discover them rather late in life.

JM: I would imagine that you always had to be on stage when you were a teacher.

AM: To a degree teachers are on stage, but teaching was less satisfying and was much harder work, much harder than photography. The first 6 or 7 years I did not know what I was doing. For the 10 years after that I was a great teacher, but for the last 6 or 7 years I was burned out. Now I speak at a lot of birding and photography festivals. I get paid for these appearances and speaking has become an important part of my business. In addition to my honorarium, I have a sales table for the books, prints and photo accessories that we peddle. And I always get a plane ticket and a motel room for a few nights. Speaking engagements have become a great source of income for me, and I enjoy doing them immensely.

Tours are another facet of my business that I thoroughly enjoy. At a NANPA conference I once heard my friend John Shaw say, “If you think that you are going to make any decent money leading tours, forget it.” But he talks about it in terms of leading a tour for a big tour company and getting a free trip and $150-$200 a day. The trips are good ones and he gets to make lots of great images, but the money is simply not there. Not to worry, John Shaw is one of the world’s great nature photographers and he makes money in other ways.

Now, there is no question about it, if you go on one of those expensive tours they can take you to great places, places where I could not go because of the complex logistics involved. You are, however, paying those big tour companies for a large color catalog and a staff of 25 people. If you were going to Bosque with me you will learn a hell of a lot more from me than you would by joining a glitzy company tour. I put my heart and soul into my IPTs (Instructional Photo Tours). Ellen Anon, a very competent instructor and Photoshop expert, helped me out for years and now Robert O’Toole, a talented young photographer from LA helps me out on others. I have an amazing amount of repeat business. 50-60% of the folks that join us wind up coming back for more. If you are getting people back, it means that they are loving the experience and that you are doing things right.

I push myself because I love what I do. I am a people-person and I enjoy photographing with others. I would rather photograph with a group than by myself.

JM: This makes you very different from a lot of other nature photographers.

AM: Yes, I know. A lot of photographers need solitude. I don’t even like photographing by myself. I almost never do it.

Another thing about my chosen profession is that the schedule can be somewhat grueling. The way things worked out, I had been killing myself with Oreo cookies for 40 years (and doing a great job of it!) I met a doctor from San Diego who changed my life by getting me on a program of good nutrition, exercise, and a healthier lifestyle. I have been following this program for 15 years now; working with Dr. Cliff Oliver has enabled me to maintain a grueling pace.

Another big factor in my success has been my determination (thanks Dad!) It is the number one factor – even above self-promotion and the quality of my images. If you believe you can do it, then you can and will do it. Many people say “Oh, it is so hard to break into professional photography.” I say “Good. Fine. Keep on believing that.”

Another thing in the same vein: People read the original “The Art of Bird Photography,” and say, “Oh. I am going to find out how Art photographs birds.” People who like basket weaving might say, “Oh, look, here’s Millie Thompson’s book on the best basket weaving techniques.” Instead, folks need to look into the hearts and souls of those who have achieved great success. In every case they will find that those who have made it were driven to succeed and that they worked very hard to achieve that success.

JM: I know that when I learn more about the individual it does amazing things for me in terms of appreciating their work and their success.

AM: That makes sense to me. I forgot to mention that whenever I push the shutter button I do it to create something beautiful, something dramatic. The greatest compliment that you can get is when others are moved by your work. I never push the shutter button thinking, “This will be good for a two-page spread because they will have room for text.” I never shoot for the market. I make images to please myself. Looking at the overall picture, it makes me laugh: I am just a regular Jewish kid from Brooklyn. I don’t have any more talent than the next person. I just like to work hard and have been doing that for nearly three decades now.

JM: You have had such longevity. You are doing something right – I am not sure if you even know what it is.

AM: Oh, I know what it is. Busting my hump and working hard. That’s all it is. That, and loving what I do. Why do I love the birds so much? I don’t know for sure. They are free, they can fly, and they are colorful. There are so many species (identification is often a challenge) and lots of great behaviors to learn about and photograph. They migrate incredible distances, even the tiniest ones. Those are all the standard answers, but what matters to me is that they have gotten into my heart and into my soul. It is my passion to be out with them. I went out with a friend to DeSoto yesterday morning. I came home and processed the pictures. I said, “Oh My God. I made so many great pictures – and in only two hours. Photographing birds is a kick and I just love it.

I have been so, so blessed. I am going to Galapagos next week for the first time. I am starting to like the international trips. I lead most of them for others and don’t make a cent. I do get to go to great places, and I strive to make the trips educational for the participants. I am returning to the Galapagos next year and will visit Antarctica for the first time in 2007.

Added note: my trips to the Galapagos, to Antarctica, to Midway, the Wild Britain cruise that I did a few years back, my trips to Africa, to Norway, and most recently to Japan have all been among the great highlights of my life.

I’d be glad to answer any questions below.

These two sea eagles–Steller’s on our left, White-tailed on our right–were photographed on the sea ice from the boat at Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the snow: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus on an eye of the White-tailed Sea-Eagle and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version. There are two important lessons that we can learn from this image: Even though I stopped down only one stop, from f.5.6 to f/8, there was sufficient depth-of-field to cover the Steller’s. Why? Because these are large birds that were a good distance from the camera. In this situation, at 36 meters, you have 14 1/2 inches of depth-of-field behind the point of focus. Contrast that with less than 1/2 inch of depth-of-field had the birds been at the minimum focus distance of 6 meters. Depth-of-field increases dramatically as subject to camera distance increases. You can learn a ton by visiting one of the many on line depth-of-field calculators. I use DOFMaster. With the larger Steller’s only a few inches behind the smaller white-tailed the birds look roughly the same size. In fact Steller’s averages about 20% larger and heavier than White-tailed with the females of both species being well larger than the males.

BOYS AND GIRLS AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES

Many of you are trying to help us but are screwing up unintentionally. Please read on for the whole story….

In July 2010, less than two years ago, BIRDS AS ART became a B&H affiliate. We asked folks to consider making their lens, camera, and photographic accessory purchases through B&H using either our main link or specific links to various products. We suggested that doing so would be a great way to thank us for the free information that we have been providing on the blog and in Bulletins for many years. And to thanks me for the hundreds of gear-related, photo-related questions that I answer personally via e-mail every year. It is my firm belief that the topics, tutorials, and information in the blog and Bulletins–all dealing with nature photography, and all free–are unmatched anywhere. I quite literally put in at least twenty hours a week on the blog, and most Bulletins, in addition, takes 8-16 hours to create.

I will admit at times to feel overwhelmed by my desire to create new and exciting blog posts and Bulletin features on a near-daily basis, and to feeling crushed at times by the number of folks writing to request information or have their questions answered. Though I am sure that I miss an e-mail on occasion, such instances are very rare. We do ask that folks write only with new questions that have not been answered previously on the blog, in Bulletins, or in ABP, in ABP II, or in Digital Basics, and that they try a quick search before writing.

At times I have considered going to a pay as you ask system for those wishing e-mail answers, or a shareware payment for the blog and the Bulletins–pay something if you wish–all donations accepted. But I have always resisted, preferring instead to keep everything totally free.

Many folks have kindly used our B&H links. We thank them for the patronage and greatly appreciate the 3% that we receive from B&H. Our commissions have ranged from pennies on small accessories (21 cents on a AA battery case) to $416.97 on the purchase of a Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens for $13,899.00 less than a week ago–thanks you very much for that one! Wow, the price on that lens has gone way up. No matter the size of our commissions all BAA B&H purchases are greatly appreciated at this end. And you will simply not find better prices or more reliable service anywhere: order by 4pm for same day shipment and an easy 30-day return policy. In business since 1973 B&H is simply the world’s leading retailer of imaging products. As for those low prices, when I order an item through the Explorers of Light program I get it for 10% off low dealer price. The low dealer price is the B&H price. That should tell you something.

Now here is what we have discovered recently: many folks, wishing to earn free entries into the BAA 1st International Bird Photography Competition, are sending us B&H receipts and asking for their free contest entries. The only problem is that they have not begun their searches with our track-able BAA/B&H affiliate link. And they have not use one of the track-able specific product links that grave most every Bulletin and blog post. Folks send us the B&H receipt that they received via e-mail. Jim checks the transaction reports and is unable to match the purchase. Then he e-mails back letting folks know of their error. Then the folks write back and say, “Sorry–my bad.”

If you wish to thank us by making your B&H purchases via a BAA/B&H affiliate link, you can click here to ensure that your purchases are tracked to BAA.

Or you can use this link:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=6633&KBID=7226

Or you can click on any one of the B&H logo links that are found all over the web site and the blog. They look like this:

B&H PHOTO VIDEO [Not a valid template]

If you have a specific product in mind, you can use one of the product specific links that can be found on the blog or in Bulletins both in our legendary educational captions or in the Shopper’s Guide features near or at the bottom of each blog post or Bulletin. Note: to check and make sure that you are using a valid BAA/B&H link hold your cursor over the link and check out the URL in the bottom left of your browser window. It should always end in 7226, our B&H affiliate code number. If you make a purchase from a link without the 7226 appendage, you are not making a BAA/B&H purchase. Not to worry: once you get to the B&H web site you will no longer see the 7226 code. The order is tracked to BAA invisibly.

Lastly you can e-mail me and let me know which product you will be buying. I will shoot you back the correct link asap.

Best of all, you still have two weeks to earn free entries into the contest with your major purchases. See here for payment options and here for complete details.

Much appreciated.

ps: If you purchase a new lens or camera body from B&H using a BAA/B&H link you can further help us out by ordering the additional stuff that you need from us at BIRDS AS ART. These items might include the right Gitzo Tripod for you, a Mongoose M3.6 or a Wimberley V2 head, LensCoats or LegCoats, camera plates or lens plates and replacement feet, flash brackets, flash cards, and lots more. Your BAA Online Store purchases are always appreciate.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of gear that I used to create the image 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.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (hand held at 115mm), and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode.

Having Fun With a Fun Image or Creating a Photo Illustration?

The image above was created from the image below; it took me about 30 minutes in Photoshop. I covered most of the extraneous birds in the front of the frame with several fairly large Quick Masks. Additional clean-up work was done with a series of smaller Quick Masks. Several of the Quick Masks needed to be warped. Most of them had Layer Masks added so that I could fine tune the coverage. In addition I used the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp Tool. The basics of quick masking and image clean-up are covered in detail in our Digital Basics File. Advanced Quick Masking is covered in detail in Robert O’Toole’s APTATS I.

What Do You Think?

In addition to removing the extra birds in front of the flock I made two other significant changes to the image. If you can spot them let us know by leaving a comment.

Was I having fun with a fun image or creating a photo illustration?

In your eyes is the optimized image a photograph?

If you had the skills would you have done what I did? Why or why not?

Remember: be nice. 🙂

My Comments on Your Comments.

Still catching up. I finally had some time tonight to comment on the comments at the St. Andrews Bay/Best Day Ever? post here. Stop by and learn which of the five images was my favorite.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #401 On-line

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #401 is on-line now and can best be viewed in spectacular white on black format by clicking here.

Here are the features:

• THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES: HOMEWARD BOUND
• JAPAN IPT REPORT: PART III/THE WHOOPER SWANS
• THE BLOG IS THE BOMB
• SELECTED e-MAILS
• GEAR EVALUATION: THE CANON 300MM F/2.8L IS II LENS
• NIK Color Efex Pro
• IPT UPDATES

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

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images 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 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 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:

And from the BAA On-line Store:

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin 32gb e-Film Pro Compact Flash Card. My Delkin cards are fast and dependable.

This incoming Red-crowned Crane was photographed at the Akan Crane Center with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop off the snow: 1/3200 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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, more spectacular version. To learn what others thought of this image check out “Inbound 747.”

Gear Evaluation: the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II

As regular readers know, I have–thanks to the kindness of the folks at Canon Professional Services (CPS)–especially Paul Ng, been field testing the same Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II for more than two months. I first used it on my amazing Cheeseman’s Southern Oceans trip, then on the SW FLA IPT, and finally on the Japan IPT. It will be returned by Fed-X the afternoon that I get back to the office on March 13th. 🙂

I have long given the 300 f/2.8 lenses short shrift. In the original The Art of Bird Photography I wrote something to the effect that the 300 f/2.8s were favored by many of the world’s best raptor photographers but that I saw little need for one. In the all new follow-up, The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only), I totally ignored these lenses but did include a few Homer eagle images made with one that I had borrowed from CPS. The images above and below show the incredible potential of the 300 f/2.8L IS lens/1.4X III TC as a flight photography combination.

This head shot of a point-blank fly-by Red-crowned Crane image was also created at the Akan Crane Center with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the snow: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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, more spectacular version.

On my Antarctica trip the 300 IS II with the 2X III teleconverter served as my long lens (see the image immediately below) and I used it a lot with and without the 1.4X III TC both on landings and on Zodiac cruises. Carrying it on the long hikes was a pleasure when compared to the long lenses I am used to carrying…. I used the lens sparingly on the SW FLA IPT but my erstwhile assistant Tim Kaufman made a killer image of a Great Blue Heron in flight with a large southern whiting in its bill with it while toting the lens for me at Blind Pass Beach. You can see that spectacular image here.

This Macaroni Penguin preening its mate was photographed at Hercules Bay, South Georgia, with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 2X III teleconverter, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. This is one of my favorite images from the trip. The birds were so tame that I rarely if ever felt limited with my longest effective telephoto length of “only” 780mm (300mm X 2 X 1.3). An upper left-hand sensor was chosen manually: AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

When I sent the image above to Christopher Robinson, editor of Outdoor Photographer, as part of a submission for an article on pros’ favorite Canon lenses, he commented via e-mail, “By the way…your Macaroni Penguin image, in particular, is incredible. I think it shows the sharpness of that lens better than anything I’ve seen. It’s an awesome lens and in your hands one can see why it’s so highly prized.” And that with the 2X III TC!

That’s me hand holding the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens with the 1.4X TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV body alongside the fishing pier at the eastern end of Sanibel, FL. Photo copyright and courtesy of Peter Kes.

What’s To Like?

What can I say. The lens is incredibly sharp. Sharp wide open. Sharp edge to edge. Sharp with the 1.4X And yes, sharp with the 2X. When I do everything right–which is often with this lens in my hands–the images seem to leap off the computer screen. At A.B pounds, the lens is just light enough (5.19 pounds, 13% lighter than its predecessor) to hand hold for extended periods of time even though I have had some problems with my shoulders for the past few years. When Peter Kes made the image of me above we were photographing Red-breasted Mergansers swimming and diving. For more than two hours. I held the lens elevated for extended periods of time. When I got back to the motel and took off my sweatshirt I could barely lift my arms; I was very much in pain. It was sort of like what I did by swimming too many laps when my pool was finished…. By the next morning I was fine. On the sea eagle boat trips in Rausu I made sure to rest the lens on the gunnels when I was not actively photographing; having a nice neutral rest position when hand holding relatively heavy gear is always best.

With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, the lens is very fast. There were times on each trip that I was able to keep photographing in low light without going to crazy-high ISOs. Another benefit of all that speed is being able to work with either teleconverter and still have all AF points active. The lens is very versatile as it offers three focal lengths: 300mm, 420mm (with the 1.4X III TC), and 600mm (with the 2X III TC). I have not worked hand held with the 2X much but with enough shutter speed I am sure that competent folks would be able to create sharp action and flight images. For static work, however, it makes sense to be on a sturdy tripod like the Gitzo 3530 LS topped by a Mongoose M3.6, the latter was absolutely made for the 300 2.8 lenses.

This immature Whooper Swan head portrait was created at Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, Japan with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5 in Av mode. Central Sensor/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, more spectacular version. When using shorter focal lengths than I normally do it is important for me to get low. That often means not being lazy, kneeling, sitting on the ground, and getting down, dirty, and prone. For this image I simply bent over a bit as the Whooper Swans are big birds.

Idiosyncracies

All four of the Series II telephoto lenses have three Image Stabilization modes: IS 1, IS 2, and IS 3. Here’s what Canon has to say about each:

• IS Mode 1: Corrects vibrations in all directions. It is mainly effective for shooting still subjects.
• IS 2 Mode: Corrects vertical camera shake during following shots (i.e., panning) in a horizontal direction, and corrects horizontal camera shake during following (i.e., panning) in a vertical direction. That means that if you hold the camera on end IS2 will realize what you are doing and stabilize in the correct manner.
• IS 3 Mode: Corrects vibration only during exposure. During panning shots, corrects vibration in only one direction same as IS mode 2. They continue: Since camera shake is stabilized only during exposure, following a subject is easier such as when shooting a fast and irregularly moving player during sports photography.

With previous generation super-telephoto lenses I have advised that folks set IS Mode 2 and leave it whether hand holding or working on a tripod and whether photographing stationary or moving subjects.

On our first day photographing the Snow Monkeys I learned that the Series II super-telephoto lenses are completely different animals. When I set IS 2 Mode and pressed the shutter button while working on a tripod the image jumped all over the place. I thought that the lens might be defective right out of the box…. So I tried IS Mode 3 and all was well with the world. Since then I have left the camera on IS Mode 3 all the time both on a tripod and hand holding and been perfectly happy. If I were photographing a static subject hand held I would try to remember to switch to IS Mode 1. And then to switch back to IS Mode 3.

This Snow Monkey image was created at Jigokudani Yaenkoen Nagano Prefecture, Japan with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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 I saw this monkey sitting in a tree I ran up the ramp to get in position taking Kevin Watson along with me. I quickly made about seven images once I got set up and only one had a good head angle. Then the monkey jumped onto the somewhat less natural railing…. It was at the monkey park that I first learned that when working off a tripod it is best to be in IS Mode 3 with the new Series III super-telephotos.

I have not yet had the opportunity to test the new 4-stop IS system at very slow shutter speeds but I will assume that it will perform as well as it does on the 800mm f/5.6 L IS. (Note: I strongly advise turning IS off when working on a tripod with exposure times of 1/2 second or longer.)

This Black-browed Albatross head portrait was created at New Island, the Falklands with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Two upper-right Sensors/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, more spectacular version. I have found that when on a tripod IS Mode 3 is best at all times. Perhaps despite the official word…

The location of the AF/MF and the limit range switches is odd and takes some getting used to. On the 300 IS II these switches are located to the behind the tripod collar while on all other Canon lenses that I am familiar with they are located in front of the tripod collar. I still reach to the traditional spot when I want go from full focusing range to limited focusing range as is recommended for flight photography; initial AF acquisition is much faster when the lens does not have to search all the way back to the minimum focusing distance.

This Whooper Swan in flight against the distant mountain was photographed at Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, Japan in early morning light with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Expand AF points left and right as noted in the Mark IV User’s Guide. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version. Here I have stopped down two full stops from wide open and set IS Mode 3 for hand held flight photography.

A final thought from me: for folks with 1.6X crop factor bodies like the EOS-7D and the EOS-50D the 300 2.8 II would not be a bad workhorse lens for bird photography. They would enjoy effective focal lengths of 672 mm with a 1.4X and 960 mm with the 2X TC….

My Only Wish

In an ideal world the tripod collar would be removable making the lens just a bit easier to hand hold. At my age every ounce matters!

Wrong Again?

Though it happens rarely, I never mind admitting that I was wrong. Again. The 300 f/2.8L IS lens is a superb tool for bird photography; it is light enough for most folks to hand hold, it is fast, it is versatile, and it produces stunningly sharp images with incredible fine detail.

This Steller’s Sea Eagle was photographed in the pre-dawn light at Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/4.5 in Tv mode with IS Safety Shift as detailed in the Mark IV User’s Guide. Central Sensor/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, more spectacular version. I suggested to the group that they try my pre-dawn, 1/500 second/+1 in Tv Mode/Auto ISO trick. Here, it worked to perfection.

Canon’s Overview of the 300mm f/2.8L IS II Lens

A worthy successor to the popular Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS, the all-new Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM super telephoto lens is lightweight, weighing approximately 13% less than its predecessor, yet offers faster operation, improved image stabilization and superior optics. Incorporating Fluorite elements for improved image quality and reduced chromatic aberration plus a number of advanced coatings to minimize ghosting, flaring, and with a newly developed Fluorine coating that keeps soiling, smears and fingerprints to a minimum, the EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM is ready to deliver spectacular images in an instant. With a third Image Stabilization mode (Mode 3) that activates IS only when the shutter button is fully pressed, and giving the equivalent effect of a shutter speed four stops faster, the EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM allows for easy panning and is ideally positioned for professional action photography. The EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM also features a new security slot for wire-type security locks.

You can find links to more info here.

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

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the image above. 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 lens. The 300 f/2.8 L IS II with the 1.4X III TC is a killer flight combination.
1.4X III TC. The new Series III 1.4X was designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.

This image of a young Red-crowned Crane was created at the Akan Crane Center, Hokkaido, Japan on March 4, 2012 with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (hand held at 98mm), and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/3200 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/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.

Crane Park Clear Morning Lessons

Once we got to the two crane parks we had two lousy mornings. Why? It was clear as a bell with bright sun and blue skies. The Akan Crane Center where this image was created does not open till 8am. When we arrived we noted that the birds were 100% sidelit. Not my cup or tea at all. The next morning we got up way early in hope of photographing backlit cranes flying into the fields. It was -16 Celsius, about 3 degrees above zero Fahrenheit. We set up at the Tsurui Itoh Sanctuary only to learn that the birds do not fly in till mid morning…. As you will see in coming blog posts we killed on the sunny afternoons.

Today is March 6th. We woke up to three inches of fresh snow. It is still falling. We are excited and will be heading to Tsurui Itoh at 8:30am.

The young crane in the image above was photographed at 12:40pm in very bright overcast light on our first day at Akan.

The optimized image is below.

Red-crowned Crane in flight above ridge, Akan Crane Center, Hokkaido, Japan. This is the optimized version.

Many Lessons: How Would Your Optimize This Image?

Here’s what I did beginning in Photoshop CS-5:

I converted the image in ACR moving the Recovery Slider a bit to the right to ensure that I had know RGB values great than 230 and then set the black points by holding down the ALT key and moving it to the right until I noticed some speckling on the white field and backed off. All as detailed in Digital Basics.

Next I needed to move the bird away from the frame edge. I hit Control A, Control J placing the entire image on its own layer. Then I hit V for the Move Tool. I moved the bird (and the ridge below) to the right. Then I used a large Clone Stamp Tool to erase the faint edge where the two slightly different tonalities of sky met. This is the most basic of the many tutorials in Robert O’Toole’s APTATS II.

(This amazing CD covers the following topics in detail with numerous screen captures: Composition Correction: Increase Lead Room Without Cropping/Basic, Composition Correction: Increase Lead Room Without Cropping/Intermediate, Composition Correction: Increase Space Near a Frame Edge/Advanced, Super-Fast Element Removal: Basic, Super-Fast Element Removal Plus Composition Improvement, Gradient Background Blur, Mask Blending for Mega-Depth-of-Field, Selective Highlight Detail Enhancement, Selective Noise Reduction and Sharpening, Selective Sharpening with Finely Detailed Edges, and his killer Average Blur Color Balance Trick. Robert teaches you to create actions for most of the above techniques to speed up your workflow even more. This CD is only for serious Photoshop folks who wish to learn advanced techniques; some study will be required.)

Once I moved the bird to our left the primary tips on the layer below showed through. They were removed with multiple passes of a 60% hard Clone Stamp Tool followed by Patch Tool clean-up to restore detail in the repaired areas. The same techniques were used to remove the primaries of the second crane on the left frame-edge. Again, all as detailed in Digital Basics.

Once clean-up was complete I painted a Quick Mask of the ridge and ran a 35% Gaussian Blur to soften the details and then increased the saturation of the ridge only (Control U) and painted the effect from the sky after applying a regular Layer Mask. The basics of Quick Masking and Layer Masking are detailed in Digital Basics; the advanced Quick Masking techniques that I use on more than 50% of my images are covered in detail with screen captures in Robert’s APTATS I CD.

I increased Contrast globally in NIK’s Viveza and boosted Brightness as there as well. Then I used the Quick Selection Tool to select the black portions of the secondary feathers, the head, and the legs. I put the selection on its own layer and ran a 100% Tonal Contrast filter from NIK Color Efex Pro on that layer only. Then I selected the whites using Select/Color Range and applied at 20% round of Detail Extractor (again from NIK Color Efex Pro). The final touch was selectively sharpening the crane’s head and face with a Contrast Mask (Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0).

The entire image optimization process took less than ten minutes. It took a lot longer to write it in a clear, easy to understand style (almost 1 1/2 hours) than to do it!

Take a Moment

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know what you think of the final image and let me know if you have any questions on the image optimization process.

NIK

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.

NIK Creative Efex Collection

NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks.

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

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images 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 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2X III teleconverter. I also use it a lot–as I did for the image of the eagle with fish–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.