Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Congratulations to Lou Coetzer, of Pretoria, South Africa. His image, Jacana chick on Lily-leaf, was awarded first prize in the Portrait Category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Nikkor 600mm f/4 VR with the TCE 2.0X converter and the Nikon D4. ISO 1000. EV -0.7: 1/3200 sec. at f/8 on custom-mounted Wimberley V-2 head. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy it in its full glory.

First Place: Jacana chick on Lily-leaf, Lou Coetzer

From Lou: African Jacana chicks are precocial; they are up and about and fend for themselves right after hatching. While leading photographic safaris in April 2012 on the Chobe River, Northern Botswana, I was able to keep an eye on a stretch of water that we call “Jacana Alley” because of the abundance of African Jacanas. We had been watching a male sitting on a nest for several days waiting for the chicks to hatch. As we neared the nest on a still morning I was greeted by the amazing sight of 3 tiny, one-day old chicks running around on their own with no adult in sight. Such young chicks are rarely left out in the open….

One chick was separated from the other two and was working very hard to get back to its family. Attempting to make its way to the safety of a large reed bed it stopped on a water lily leaf for a moment, halted by a stretch of open water. As it contemplated its next move it looked straight at me for just a moment.
Then, out of the blue, the male jacana landed close to the chicks, called them to him, tucked them under his wings, and disappeared deep into the reed bed.

Almost without exception, everyone who has seen this image has been blown away by the killer sweet light, the killer-perfect reflection–I’ve never seen such a still morning, the sharpness, the beautiful lily pad, the impeccable composition, and the too-cute chick staring right down the lens barrel.

Congratulations to Kiran Poonacha of Bangalore, India. His image, Short-toed Snake Eagle with snake, was awarded second prize in the Portrait Category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon EOS-1D Mark IV with the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens and the 1.4 X TC with a bean bag Bean Bag rested on SUV window. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy it in its full glory.

2nd Place: Short-toed Snake Eagle with snake, Kiran Poonacha

From Kiran: As I was looking for raptors to photograph in the Karnataka grasslands on the outskirts of Bangalore. I saw this Short-toed Snake Eagle looking for food. I thought I might as well wait as there was not much activity going on. Luck being on my side he swooped down and got hold of a Checkered Keelback snake. Usually he would bite down on the snake and swallow it, but instead he decided to carry his prey to an anthill and then kill it. After a struggle the snake gave in and the bird made a successful kill. While the fight was on I moved in with my SUV as birds are not very shy when approached in a vehicle. After the eagle made the kill it took a break to look around if any other bird or animal was around to steal its food. At that moment I noticed a pair of mating dragonfly enter the frame and created a burst of images.

Wow! This image has is all: a beautiful bird on a lovely and unique perch; a lead grey background; some tiny flowers; the snake wrapped around the bird’s far leg, its bloodied head below; and the raptor’s yellow eye staring; soft, sweet light. All nicely framed by some out-of-focus vegetation.

Congratulations to Judd Patterson of Palmetto Bay, FL. His image, Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), was awarded third place in the Portrait Category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon EOS-5D Mark II with the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens, 550 EX Speedlite, Gitzo tripod. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy it in its full glory.

Third Place: Resplendent Quetzal, Judd Patterson

From Judd: I had flown south into the “tropics” but now I was at nearly 10,000 ft in the cloud forest in the Savegre Valley, Costa Rica. The weather was decidedly cool, like a crisp fall morning in the Rocky Mountains. I knew that these birds nested in this particular valley, but I needed a little luck to find the right spot. In front of me was a marvelous tree full of small-fruited avocados, the perfect attractant. As the morning dawned several Resplendent Quetzals, surely one of the world’s most spectacular birds appeared in the tree and were gorging on the fruit. As I looked over the lichen-encrusted branches, I could hardly believe my good fortune in finding such a fitting scene for this gorgeous bird.

There is not a lot to say here with an absolutely stunning bird in an absolutely stunning setting. In nice, soft light. I love the pose, the killer tail, and especially how the greens and plum colors on the avocado fruits match the colors of the bird.

Congrats!

Congrats to the three winning photographers and to those who created the eleven other spectacular images that made it to the final round of judging. Getting a single image to the final round is a great accomplishment. 1153 images entered, this category was, as expected, hugely popular, the most popular by far. And as many noted, many of the 14 images that went to the judges are beyond spectacular.

The prizes (see below) will be shipped once the Grand Prize winner is announced; several folks had more than one top three image. Be sure to patronize our sponsors; without them, this contest would not exist. There will be more educational stuff from this category very coming soon.

This sunflower multiple exposure image was created on Denise Ippolito’s A Creative Adventure sunflower workshop in Newton, NJ this past Saturday. I used my favorite new macro lens, the 500 f/L IS II: Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/13 sec. at f/16 in Av mode. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the flower center and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

Sunflower Multi-Magic and Sherb

The 5D Mark III was one of the stars of the morning on Denise’s workshop. Everyone enjoyed the Multiple Exposure feature. Several folks put cards in our 5D IIIs and had a blast. And the Nikon folks–including several who had never tried the technique–were inspired to use the multiple exposure feature on their cameras. Denise was able to help the Nikon folks out. Things are a bit more complex with Nikon than with the 5D III. You can see several of Denise’s sunflower Multis here. Denise, who is co-leading the Nickerson Beach IPT with me this morning–we leave in 15 minutes!), presented a truly superb introductory slide lecture for the group last night and blew everyone away with great images and a great spiel. You can learn more about her workshop offerings here.

For the image above I tried something new. I set the camera up for a 5-frame Multiple Exposure. For the first four frames I rotated the camera slightly in the tripod collar. For the last frame, I did not rotate the lens but I defocused the image quite a bit by turning the manual focusing ring. (Remember, I use Rear Focus.)

In sum, I created a four-frame multiple exposure with a sharp/soft focus on top.

You can learn how I set up for Multiple Exposures in the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. in our 5D III User’s Guide here. The guide, still in progress (save $10) includes everything that I know about the camera and it’s great but complex autofocus system.

Sherb

It was a pleasure seeing Sherb Naulty again after so many years. We met at the opening of my Canon Explorers of Light-sponsored exhibit at the National Zoo in Washington, DC: “On a Wing and a Prayer;The Migratory Birds of North America.” My understanding is that because of budget cuts the exhibit still hangs today. There are 60 images in three groups of twenty in different locations. If you know that to be true, please let us know by leaving a comment. Soon after the opening I worked with Sherb on an advertising gig.

Sherb signed up for Denise’s workshop after seeing the notice in the last BAA Notes. Always smiling (and eager to learn more), he is the epitome of a Happy Camper. He had so much fun learning about the EOS-5D Mark III. that he upgraded his 5D the very next day and kindly used our B&H affiliate link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847545-REG/Canon_5260B002_EOS_5D_Mark_III.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226. Note that when you click on the link all reference to BAA(the “/BI/6633/KBID/7226” suffix) disappears. Not to worry, the order will be tracked to us.

When I asked Sherb about his first name he wrote, “Sherb is short for Sherburne! It was between George and Sherburne. It was my grandfather’s middle name. My full name is Sherburne Fairfax Naulty; quite a collection!! True story, when I was about 11 or 12 my mom asked me if I wanted to change my name. Apparently the pediatrician had given her a really hard time about naming me what she did. Have never been in a situation where there were 2 Sherb’s. Enjoy, Sherb

Delkin 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards

You can learn more about Delkin’s new 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards by clicking here and learn why the 1000X cards are overkill for still photographers. These cards are as important to my 5DIII as the batteries in the vertical battery grip!

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 500mm f/4L IS II lensI decided to leave the 800 at home for the bear boat trip and quickly fell in love with the 500 II for its light weight, great versatility, and four-stop IS. A complete review will be coming soon.
1.4X III TC The latest version of the 1.4X TC is designed to work best with the Series II Super-telephoto lenses.
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.