July 11th, 2021 What’s Up?
On Saturday morning, I photographed a just-opened Scarlet Hibiscus blossom in our butterfly garden in the backyard. I worked very tight doing the flower center, and came up with a single image that I like.
As I am getting tired of sending out twenty or more e-mails each time that the Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info group gets a new member, I decided to create a compilation of all the topics that have been discussed as of 10 July 2021 so that I can send a single PDF. I began yesterday and it will be a lot more work than I had thought. I created and sent the Butt Removal Technique e-mail to the many who commented on the Divide and Conquer Technique Revealed in a Free Excerpt. Clean-up By Popular Demand. And One Bird Butt Too Many blog post here.
Today, Sunday 11 July, is looking like another butterfly garden morning as it is partly cloudy and very still here at ILE just before 7:00am. I will continue working on the a1 compilation and hope to get a bit more work done on my 2020 tax return. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes 196 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail
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This image was created on 12 May 2021 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. While flat on my belly in wet, sandy mud, I used the Panning Ground Pod-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 640. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:50am on a mostly sunny morning.
Wide AF with Bird-Eye/Face Detection set, performed perfectly as seen in the screen capture below.
Image #1: Adult Dunlin molting into breeding plumage — preening after bath
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Anything Major?
Before scrolling down to Image #1B, the AF screen capture that shows the original, enlarge the image above and see if you can find any evidence of major Photoshop work …
An Image Design Multiple Choice Question
With regards to the placement of the bird in the frame:
- a- the bird is perfectly positioned.
- b- the image would be improved if the bird were in the dead center.
- c- the bird is on the wrong side of the frame; it should have been placed on the left side of the photo.
Why I Was Flat On My Belly
With several Dunlin foraging right in front of me, I was working off the rear screen while seated with the lens on the Panning Ground Pod But when two of the birds began preening, I decided to bite the bullet and get down and dirty so that I would have better control of framing and so that I would be able to go vertical if needed. I think that this was the last time that I got down in the mud, preferring now to stay cleaner and drier by sitting and working off the tilted monitor (rear screen) on the back of the camera.
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Click on the screen capture to enlarge it so that you can better see the pink OvExp warnings on the bird’s chin.
Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the Adult Dunlin molting into breeding plumage — preening after bath image
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Dead Solid Perfect Exposure
Note the tiny area of over-exposed pixels on the feathers of the chin denoted by the pink OvExp warnings. With only 133 OvExp pixels out of 51,000,000, this is dead-solid perfect exposure.
RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …
Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are completely bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact. Convincingly.
The RawDigger (pink) Adapted Histogram
In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me as I have struggled with R5 exposures and learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.
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RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
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The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.
The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.
We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.
The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.
If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.
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Image #1B: AF Point screen capture Adult Dunlin molting into breeding plumage — preening after bath image
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Quite Amazing!
Here, the a1’s Bird-Eye/Face Detection AF nailed the bird’s eye even though the eye was completely closed. In the SONY a1 Setup and Info e-mails, I detail the four AF methods that I use, in what situations each performs best, and how to toggle through the four choices almost instantly.
Replacing the Eye
Replacing an eye is relatively simple. I created a Quick Mask of the eye and some surrounding feathers from a very sharp image of the same bird with its eye open. I used the Move Tool to roughly position the eye over the closed eye. Then I reduced the opacity of the layer with the new eye, positioned it perfectly over the squinting eye, and brought the Opacity back up to 100%. Then I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted away some of the surrounding feathers.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
Use of the Photoshop tools and techniques mentioned above for the eye replacement along with dozens of other great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts, are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
July 10th, 2021 What’s Up?
I headed out early on Friday morning to photograph the Alligatorlily blossom that I had found late on Thursday afternoon. Read all about it below. I finished and distributed SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes e-mail #21: Memory Cards and Lots More, worked on some images, and answered lots of e-mails. Long-ago IPT veteran Keith Kennedy wrote in response: Absolutely great information. I am calling Jim in a few minutes to order a couple of Delkin cards. Your timely email has saved me a ton of money! Many thanks.. In the same vein, John LeClair e-mailed this: Well, e-mail #21 alone was worth the price of admission! After receiving my a1 settings along with detailed instructions on how to copy them to her SONY a1, Pamela Viale chimed in with Artie, This email group has been such a boon to me! Thank you so much!
Thanks for all the comments on the blog yesterday. Those who left a comment on the Divide and Conquer Technique Revealed in a Free Excerpt. Clean-up By Popular Demand. And One Bird Butt Too Many blog post here, will receive an e-mail later today detailing exactly how I eliminated the extraneous tern butt in one fell swoop. I like this new approach to encouraging folks to leave a comment.
The forecast for this morning, Saturday 10 July 2021, is for early morning thunderstorms with a brisk wind from the northeast becoming cloudy with less wind later in the day. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
This blog post took two hours to prepare and makes 195 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail
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This image was created on 9 July 2021 near my home at ILE. While seated on wet grass, I used the Induro GIT 404XL/ Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. Aperture Priority (A) Mode -1/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/8 (stopped down two stops) with the 5-second self-timer. AWB at 7:26am in the shade with a bit of sunlight peeking through the tall vegetation.
Manual Focus with Focus Peaking all as detailed in the SONY a1 Info and Updates Group e-mails. The more I use this feature, the more I love it, and the better I get at it.
Image #1: Alligatorlily (Hymenocallis palmeri)
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If At First You Don’t Succeed …
I found my first-ever ILE Alligatorlily blossom on the afternoon of 4 July and photographed it the next morning. I was not thrilled with any of the results. I realized that I had been too low when working off the completely splayed tripod and the rear screen. I found another pristine blossom on Thursday afternoon two blocks from the first one so I headed out early to try again. Still sitting on the grass, I worked through the viewfinder from a higher perspective … The results were better.
Image #1 above was created with the naked 600mm f/4 lens at f/8.
The Challenges
With large flowers like Alligatorlilies (4-6 inches or more in diameter), there are many challenges:
- 1- Getting just enough depth-of-field without bringing up horrific background detail.
- 2- Choosing exactly where to focus.
- 3- Choosing the best perspective, both up and down and side to side … The latter determines how the various part of the flower are juxtaposed.
You can find an interesting article on the reproductive strategies of this plant on the Treasure Coast Native blog here.
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This image was also created on 9 July 2021 near my home at ILE. While seated on wet grass, I used the Induro GIT 404XL/ Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. Aperture Priority (A) mode at zero: 1/30 sec. at f/16 (stopped down three stops) with the 10-second self-timer. AWB at 7:32am in the shade with a bit of sunlight peeking through the tall vegetation.
Manual Focus with Focus Peaking all as detailed in the SONY a1 Info and Updates Group e-mails. The more I use this feature, the more I love it, and the better I get at it.
Image #2: Alligatorlily (Hymenocallis palmeri)
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Going Longer for Flowers
Looking for an even narrower angle of view, I added the 1.4X TC to the 600 f/4 and moved back only a foot or so. That is why the flower is so much larger in the frame. I was right about at the lenses minimum focusing distance (MFD) for both of today’s images.
Questions
1- Why did I use the 5-second timer for Image #1 and the 10-second timer for Image #2?
2- Why does Image #1 show a bit more depth of field than Image #2 even though it was made at a much wider aperture?
3- What might you discover when working at very small apertures like f/16?
4- Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Why?
All who leave a comment will receive an e-mail with the answers to the three questions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
July 9th, 2021 What’s Up?
Thursday was a relatively nice day with only a few sprinkles here and there. I photographed some wildflowers in the morning. I almost finished e-mail #21 (Memory Cards and More …) for the SONY Alpha a1 Info and Updates group.I will complete and distribute that this morning. The group has been growing pretty much daily as the world’s best camera for bird photography becomes more and more available. Better yet, no more EVF blackout!
The forecast for this morning, Friday 9 July 2021, is for partly cloudy with almost no wind, pretty much ideal for flower photography. I found another Alligatorlily last night and will try again … Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 194 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail
Image #1: The original for the Large Brown Pelican chick preening in nest image.
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The Original
This is the original for the Large Brown Pelican chick preening in nest image that was featured in the The JAX Colony is Not Just Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls blog post here.
Blog regular, David Policansky (AKA Dr. Fish), commented in part:
I too was instantly struck by the piece of dead grass in image 1. I’ve never seen you do that, Artie, but it’s the kind of thing I do all the time. And it doesn’t bother me at all. David
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART replied;
I decided that I should leave one section of grass so that it would not look too perfect 🙂. with love, artie
I do understand that some folks would prefer Image #1 (above) to Image #1A (below) as it is more natural.
In Response to Popular Demand
Anyhoo, I decided to create a perfectly clean version, Image #1A, immediately above. Such clean-ups are best done using the Divide and Conquer technique that was detailed in last version of Digital Basics but was inadvertently omitted from Digital Basics II. Though I use the Clone Stamp for the Divide, I would never use it to do the whole repair.
Since I just discovered that Divide and Conquer is not included in DB II, I decide to share the technique here, adapted from the last update to the original Digital Basics.
Divide and Conquer
Let’s say that you have a long branch in the background that needs to be removed. Best would be to use a Quick Mask, but in many instances there is simply not enough matching background with which to cover the distracting branch. The Patch Tool is greatly preferred to the Clone Stamp as the Patch Tool blends texture while the Clone Stamp copies texture-less color. It is often impossible to patch a long branch in one fell swoop, and if you try the Patch Tool on small sections of the branch, you will encounter terrible smudging. What to do? Divide and Conquer. By cutting the offending branch into two or more pieces, you can create manageable sections. Loggers cut a big tree trunk into sections that can be much more easily handled than the entire trunk. To cut up your distracting branch, use the Clone Stamp at 20% opacity. Note: if the tonality on one side of the branch is of a slightly different tonality or color than the other, be sure to work from both sides. Once you have cut the branch into manageable sections, you can use the Patch Tool to eliminate the remaining sections.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The Photoshop Tools used with all of my clean-up techniques along with dozens of other great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts, are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
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Image #2: The original for the Least Tern chick standing near a beach vegetation/new growth image
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One Bird Butt Too Many
I was a bit concerned that removing the rear end of the extraneous tern on the left frame-edge would require lots of time and effort, but I decided to try a single technique that might remove the extra bird butt in ten seconds. I was amazed when it worked perfectly. How did I do it? What technique or techniques would you have used?
Folks who leave a comment will receive the answer via e-mail detailing how I did the repair in one fell swoop.
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This image was created on 1 July 2021 on a beach near Jacksonville, Florida. While seated on dry sand and using the knee-pod technique, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1250. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:48am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly.
Image #2A: Royal Tern chick in beach grasses
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The Optimized Version
This is the optimized version of the Royal Tern chick in beach grasses image that originally appeared in the Add Green Whenever Possible … blog post here. I was stunned when the Photoshop Tool that I chose worked so effectively.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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