July 27th, 2018 Stuff
I’ve cut back a bit on my long walks to give my knee a chance to calm down. On Thursday, I finally got some solid work done on my A Bird Photographer’s Story Memphis keynote program.
Long Island Small Group Instruction
I will be returning to my old haunts on Long Island from 15-27 August, prime time for bird photography. The schedules below may be expanded based on demand.
Skimmer Sessions
Join me at Nickerson Beach to photograph Black Skimmers and lots more. Gull predation of young skimmers is likely. With full frame bodies, a minimum of a 500mm lens with TCs is recommended. 400mm OK with crop factor bodies.
Skimmer Mornings: AUG 16 & 17, 2018. 5:30 – 9:00am plus a working brunch: $375/session. Limit 4.
Skimmer Afternoons (usually best for flight): AUG 16 & 17, 2018. 5:00pm till sunset: $250/session. Limit 4.
Please inquire e-mail for multiple session discounts.
Shorebird Sessions
Join me at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR on the ideal tides to photograph southbound migrant juvenile shorebirds. With full frame bodies, a minimum of a 500mm lens with TCs is recommended. 400mm OK with crop factor bodies.
Important note: The Shorebird Mornings are dependent on suitable water levels at the East Pond. If the pond is flooded, the sessions will be conducted at Nickerson Beach.
Shorebird Mornings: AUG 24 & 25, 2018. 6:00 – 9:30am plus a working brunch: $375/session. Limit 4.
Please inquire via e-mail for multiple session discounts.
To register, please call Jim or Jen with your credit card in hand: 863-692-0906. I hope that you can join me.
PHOTOEXPO 2018
If you missed the PHOTOEXPO 2018 announcement and live anywhere within driving or flying distance of Memphis, TN, click here for the info. I have rides to Beale Street for both nights. If you are attending, please stop by the BAA table for a handshake and a hug.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Recent Sales
NANPA President Don Carter sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low-by-far price of $525 the first day it was listed. Yours truly sold his like-new Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens for $699 in late June.
Ray Maynard sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in near-mint condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $2349.000 and a Canon 2X III teleconverter in near-mint condition for $285.00 both in mid-July.
Bill Ketterer sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the lowest ever BAA price of $3399.00 in early June.
Jim Keener sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in near-mint condition for $3,999.00 the first day it was listed.
Ray Maynard sold his Canon 1.4X III teleconverter in near-mint condition for the low price of $299.00 in late June, 2018.
Randall Ennis sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $849.00 in late June.
Joel Williams sold his Sony Vario-Tessar T FE 16-35 f/4 ZA OSS lens in like-new condition for $629 (was $749) in late June, 2018.
Joel Williams also sold his Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR lens in like-new condition for $749 (was $949) in April 2018.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for a very fair $848.00 in late June, 2018.
Top BAA used gear seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1349.00 the first day it was listed in late June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $999.00 (was $1149.00) in mid-June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1099.00 in early June.
Not-So-New Listing
Canon EF Canon 100-400 L IS II USM Lens
I am offering a used Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order — I had to send it to Canon twice to restore smooth zooming — for $1399.00. The sale includes the original product box, the front and rear lens caps, the carrying case and strap, the manual, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses. Your new lens will not ship until your check clears.
Please get in touch with artie via e-mail or on his cell phone at 863-221-2372 (Eastern time). Please leave a message if no answer.
Y’all know how much I loved and now miss this amazingly versatile lens. artie
Price Drops
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens
Price Reduced $200 on July 27, 2018.
Pierre Williot is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition in perfect working order with just a few blemishes for the BAA record-low-by-$1000 price of $$3999.00 (was $4199.00). The sale includes a LensCoat, the lens trunk, a low foot, the Canon 52mm Drop-In Circular Polarizer Filter (PL-C 52), the leather front lens cover, the rear cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses.
Please get in touch with Pierre via e-mail.
The 600 f/4 lenses are ideal for those who do birds and wildlife. This lens is the original (heavier) version of the Canon 600 IS. The lighter 600mm f/4L IS sells new at B&H for $11,499.00. Pierre’s lens is a great buy for a young, eager, relatively strong nature photographer who would like to save $7,300.00. The original 600 IS served as my workhorse super-telephoto lens for more than a decade. artie
Canon EOS 5DS R mega mega-pixel dSLR
Price Reduced $200 on July 8, 2018 and another $200 on July 27.
Pierre Williot is offering a Canon EOS 5DS R in like-new condition for a BAA record-low by far $1999.00 (was $2399.00). A screen protector was applied to the rear LCD as it came out of the box. The sale includes the front cap, the camera strap, a Vello Battery Grip, the battery charger, USB cable,the Instruction Manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is included. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Pierre via e-mail or by text message to 1-716-481-7158 (Eastern Time Zone).
Without an anti-aliasing filter, the 5DS R will–for those with good sharpness techniques–produce large high-quality image files that feature hard to believe detail. You have seen the amazing 100% crops showing fine-feather detail in many older blog posts. And it is not bad for flight photography either! artie
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Hard to Find Nikon Stuff Available Now
Steve Elkins has several Nikon D850s in stock right now. In addition, he just received a Nikkor AF-S 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR Lens! E-mail Steve about a special deal on the big Nikon zoom lens that — like its Canon counterpart, the EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with Internal Extender 1.4x lens — is especially great for trips to Africa, the Southern Ocean, or the Galapagos.
Booking.Com
Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on July 25 at Indian Lake Estates with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 155mm) and my back-up Nikon D850. ISO 6400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/160 sec. at f/8. NATURAL AUTO WB at 7:50pm.
D-25/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the leaf that intersected with the top of the piling.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #1: Plant growing on pier piling with sky reflections
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Tenacity. Simplicity.
I first noticed this plant about two weeks ago on one of my many health walks. I like walking on and near the pier as there are lots of birds around. I thought that it was neat that the plant had taken root on a piling that was left over from the old pier that was destroyed by a hurricane several years ago. I photographed the scene on several occasions experimenting with both horizontal and vertical motifs but the whitish sky reflections ruined all of the images. While walking right at sunset on Wednesday past (there was some heavy clouds on the western horizon) I noticed that the water was mostly black with just a smattering of sky reflections. So I made a few images. Image #1, with the red base of the stem and the single red leaf showing well was my favorite.
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This image was created on July 25 at Indian Lake Estates with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 155mm) and my back-up Nikon D850. ISO 6400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/160 sec. at f/8. NATURAL AUTO WB at 7:50pm just after sunset (I believe).
D-25/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the leaf that intersected with the top of the piling.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #2: Plant growing on pier piling with sky reflections removed and the water darkened
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Plant ID?
If you can identify the plant, please do leave a comment.
Image #2
The NEF (RAW) file for Image #1 was converted in ACR. I cleaned-up a bit of bird poop and a dead insect on the piling and then ran Neat Image Noise Reduction on the whole image. After I saved the master file, I decided to create a second version. For Image #2 I cleaned up all but one of the sky reflections in the water using the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, Content Aware Fill, and finally the Clone Stamp Tool. Then I darkened the water with a Curves adjustment on a Layer first being sure to pin the Curve for the mid-tones and the highlights and pulling the dark tones down. I left the single reflection so that folks would know for sure that the background was still water and not black velvet. 🙂
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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.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
Your guessed it, everything mentioned above and tons more is 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. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. 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.
The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):
- The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
- The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.
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.
Though I have become more proficient converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw, I continue to optimize my Canon image in DPP 4. You can learn how and why I converted (and still convert) nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 The RAW conversions for all three of today’s featured images was straightforward once I entered my camera/ISO specific recipes (as detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide). You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.
Neat Image Noise Reduction
Next I duplicated the Background layer and ran a quick and dirty Neat Image noise reduction on the whole image. I still use the original version not V8.
D850 High ISO Noise
As with my 5D Mark IV bodies, the high ISO noise with the D805s is not bad at all and quite manageable as you can see by taking a close look at the animated GIF above. You can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best, Image # 1 or Image #2? Be sure to let us know why.
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
July 26th, 2018 On Your Bucket List?
If you are a nature photographer and the Galapagos is on your bucket list, please read everything in the trip announcement below carefully. Right now only two folks are signed up. I need to have eight more deposits (likely by the end of September) for the trip to run. If the trip needs to be cancelled, your “non-refundable deposit” will of course be returned. If the trip does go, it will very likely be my last-ever Galapagos trip. IPT veterans, couples, BPN members, and folks registering with one or more friends are invited to e-mail for discount info.
Ikea Warning
On May 10, after visiting two Ikea stores in two different states I went online and ordered a bed and two very nice cabinets. Delivery was promised several times greatly inconveniencing Jim when they never showed up. Finally in mid-June the order was delivered. But. One of the cartons was severely damaged. The driver suggested that it was best to refuse the shipment and return everything. So that is what Jim did. It is now July 26. Amy has literally spent spent more than 20 hours waiting for their customer service (customer dis-service?) to pick up. Several times it was promised that a supervisor would call. That never happened. Last night Amy waited more than an hour to talk to an agent and then another hour to speak to a supervisor. He said, “Your stuff will be there on August 8.” Amy asked, “Are you positive?” He said, “No. The delivery company never let us (Ikea) know that the shipment was damaged.” (We had been doing that for well more than a month.) Then he hung up on Amy.
We will be cancelling the order this morning.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience
July 23-06 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 or 13 photographers plus the leader. This trip needs ten clients to run. All deposits and payments will be returned in the unlikely event that the trip does not run.
This trip is THE best Galapagos Photo-Cruise in the world. By far. No one else offers a trip that visits the top three world-class landings twice each. What does this trip offer? The world’s best Galapagos guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), a great crew, and me, with ten Galapagos Photo-cruises under my belt. Pre-trip gear suggestions and advice and twice-daily, pre-landing, location-specific briefings. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea! Do know that there are one-week Galapagos trips (six full and two half- days on the boat “from $9995”! (If you think I am exaggerating, click here.) Thus, this trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations? And why not visit the three very best spots twice each?
The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island — including Darwin Bay (almost surely twice!) and Prince Phillips Steps, Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross (almost surely twice!), and Gardner Bay — each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises and Darwin’s Finches, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour (almost surely twice) for nesting Blue-footed Boobies and both frigatebird species in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas and seabirds, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus lots more.
There will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny middays for those like me who wish to partake. (The park service does not approve our second visits to the same great locations until right before the trip; we have never been turned down. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5+ hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with many thousands dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me.
Note that some of the walks are on the difficult side. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400mm lens. In the past, I have taken a longer lens ashore on most landings as they better fit my style. In 2017 I took the then brand-new Canon 400mm DO lens and the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS II lens (with both teleconverters). In 2019 I anticipate taking at least my Nikon 200-500 and my 80-400 VR. Along with the 24-120.
The Logistics
SUN July 21, 2019: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that you do not miss the boat.
MON July 22, 2019: Introductory sessions.
TUES July 23, 2019: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2017 trip some folks made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!
TUES: August 6, 2019: We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.
Most will fly home on the early morning of August 7 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the August 6).
$14,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $5,000 is not due until 12/1/18. The final payment of $4,499 per person will be due on 3/1/19.
Again, this trip needs ten participants to run so please do not book your flights until you learn that we are good to go. Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.
Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and an $800/person cash tip for the crew and the guide to be shared by our guide and the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.
The Itinerary
Sunday, July 21, 2019: Fly to Guayaquil arriving a day early to ensure that you do not miss the boat.
Monday, July 22, 2019: Introductory sessions.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2017 trip some folks made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!
On the Boat
Day 1: Tuesday, July 23, PM North Seymour
Day 2: Wednesday, July 24, Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, PM Prince Phillips´ Steps
Day 3: Thursday, July 25, Marchena: AM Playa Negra, PM Navigation to Isabela
Day 4: Friday, July 26, Isabela: AM Punta Albemarle, PM Punta Vicente Roca
Day 5: Saturday, July 27, AM Fernandina: Punta Espinoza, PM Isabela: Bahía Urbina
Day 6: Sunday, July 28, Isabela: AM Elizabeth Bay, PM Punta Moreno
Day 7: Monday, July 29, Floreana: AM Post Office Bay, PM Punta Cormorant
Day 8: Tuesday, July 30, Santa Cruz: AM Highlands and Lunch, PM free time in the city with internet access.
Day 9: Wednesday, July 31, Española: AM Gardner Bay, PM Punta Suárez
Day 10: Thursday, August 01, Española: AM Punta Suarez, PM Navigation to San Cristóbal
Day 11: Friday, August 02, San Cristóbal. AM Isa Lobos (only until 9 am), PM Punta Pitt
Day 12: Saturday, August 03, AM Santa Fe, PM South Plaza
Day 13: Sunday, August 04, Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, Navigation to Santiago
Day 14: Monday, August 05, AM James Bay, PM Rábida
Day 15: Tuesday, August 06, North Seymour from 06 to 09 am. We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019: Fly home.
I hope that you can join us on what will surely be a rich and rewarding photographic experience.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
July 25th, 2018 Stuff
I spent four hours on the phone yesterday getting our three ATT e-mail addresses to work … I have been averaging walking about 5 1/2 miles a day for the past few days.
PHOTOEXPO 2018
If you missed the PHOTOEXPO 2018 announcement and live anywhere within driving or flying distance of Memphis, TN, click here for the info. I have rides to Beale Street for both nights. If you are attending, please stop by the BAA table for a handshake and a hug.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Recent Sales
NANPA President Don Carter sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low-by-far price of $525 the first day it was listed. Yours truly sold his like-new Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens for $699 in late June.
Ray Maynard sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in near-mint condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $2349.000 and a Canon 2X III teleconverter in near-mint condition for $285.00 both in mid-July.
Bill Ketterer sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for the lowest ever BAA price of $3399.00 in early June.
Jim Keener sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in near-mint condition for $3,999.00 the first day it was listed.
Ray Maynard sold his Canon 1.4X III teleconverter in near-mint condition for the low price of $299.00 in late June, 2018.
Randall Ennis sold his Canon EOS-1D Mark IV in excellent condition for $849.00 in late June.
Joel Williams sold his Sony Vario-Tessar T FE 16-35 f/4 ZA OSS lens in like-new condition for $629 (was $749) in late June, 2018.
Joel Williams also sold his Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR lens in like-new condition for $749 (was $949) in April 2018.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for a very fair $848.00 in late June, 2018.
Top BAA used gear seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1349.00 the first day it was listed in late June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark III body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $999.00 (was $1149.00) in mid-June.
Jim Keener sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low price of $1099.00 in early June.
New Listing
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM
Julie Brown is offering a Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099. The sale includes the lens trunk, the front leather cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, and insured shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Julie via e-mail or by phone at 1-317-294-3040 (before 10pm Eastern Time).
The older version of the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS is a super-sharp lens that is great for hand held flight and action photography and great as well with both teleconverters for portraits and for flight. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. Julie’s excellent lens is priced to sell. artie
Great Buy!
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM Lens
IPT veteran Bill Wingfield is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens in excellent to near-mint condition for $1049.00. The sale includes the zippered lens case, the front and rear lens caps, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bill via e-mail or by phone at 1-843-729-6670 (Eastern time zone).
I owned and used this incredibly versatile lens for birds and wildlife and landscapes and Urbex for many years with both the 1.4X and the 2X teleconverters. It was great indoors for events like granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals. And I used the original version to create several of the images featured in today’s blog post. artie
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Via e-mail from Gary Meyer
Thanks for posting instructions on where to get the Nikon D850 quickly. Bedford shipped mine the same day. Wow, you sure got good connections!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on the 2011 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT with the hand held Canon 100-400mm L IS lens (the much-maligned original version) and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode on a sunny morning.
Image #1: Blue-footed Booby dancing
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Blue-Footed Booby
There are several great bird species to photograph in the Galapagos. Those include Waved Albatross — we visit them twice — Nazca Booby –they occur on several islands, Red-billed Tropicbird — photographable on three of our landings, and the elegant Swallow-tailed Gull. But my favorite species by far is Blue-footed Booby. A glance at today’s featured images will give you a good idea why.
Consider the EXIF …
As you read the image captions, note the great range of focal lengths used to create images of the same subject. Note the range of the exposure compensations (ECs). And note that some of the images were made in Av mode, most in Manual mode, and one in Tv mode. Along the way, for each, be sure to ask yourself “Why?” Note also the fomrats — horizontal or vertical, the image designs and the backgrounds. There is a lot to take in a a lot to learn.
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This image was created on the 2005 (yes, 2005!) Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens (the original IS version) at 145mm and the EOS-1D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/100 sec. at f/8 in Av mode late on a very cloudy morning.
Image #2: Blue-footed Booby eggs in nest
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My First!
This, the first image of Blue-footed Booby that I ever made, has long had a special place in my heart.
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This image was created on the 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime with the hand held Canon 400mm f/4L IS II DO lens and the EOS-5D Mark IV. ISO 2500. Evaluative metering +1 stop off the gray sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode.
Image #3: Blue-footed Booby diving
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Diving Blue-footed Boobies
Blue-footed Boobies have the unfortunate habit of turing their heads slightly away from the line of their bodies as they dive. I was fortunate to get this one diving at an angle right toward me and fortunate to get a sharp image with the nice mangrove background.
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This image was created on the 2011 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the hand held Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (at 165mm) and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/4. AWB on a cloudy-bright mid-morning.
Image #4: Blue-footed Booby perched on rock
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Zodiac Cruising
We do several sessions from zodiacs with hand held gear. The skilled panga drivers consistently get us in great position to make good photographs. At times the folks on one side of the zodiac can kneel while the rest of the gang photographs over their heads. At times, the zodiac driver turns the boat around to give everyone good chances.
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This image was created on the 2013 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the tripod/Mongoose mounted Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS with Internal TC (at 274mm) and the EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/6.3. AWB on a cloudy morning.
Image #5: Blue-footed Booby adult brooding two chicks
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Isla Lobos
We make an early morning landing at Isla Lobos on each trip. There are always lots of frigatebirds and sea lions and Sally Lightfoot Crabs to photograph. Depending on the availability of fish and other local factors, some years are nesting Blue-footed Booby bonanzas. Others are not. The beauty of my itinerary is that we get to photograph nesting Blue-footed Boobies on many landings.
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This image was created on the 2013 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the tripod/Mongoose mounted Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS with Internal TC (at 540mm) and the EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/8 as it got a lot brighter.
Image #6: Blue-footed Booby/two chicks in a different nest!
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Going Long
Though you can make a zillion great images with only an 80-400, a 100-400 or, even a 70-200 with TCs, I like to have the capability to go to a longer focal length when needed. That is why I will be taking my Nikon 200-500 on this trip. It does well with the TC-E 14. When I used Canon I always brought something long with me: the 800mm f/5.6, the 500 F/4, or at the least, either the 300 f/2.8L IS II or the 400mm f/4IS DO. Always with both teleconverters. I am not even thinking of bring my Nikon 600 on this trip …
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This image was created on the 2013 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the tripod/Mongoose mounted Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS with Internal TC and an external 1.4X TC (at 737mm) and the EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/9 on a cloudy bright morning.
Image #7: Blue-footed Booby on rock with large chick begging
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North Seymour
We visit North Seymour twice. There are always nesting Blue-footed Boobies along lots of nesting frigatebirds. And there is almost always lots of excellent flight photography.
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This image was created on the 2008 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the hand held Canon 100-400mm L IS lens (the much maligned original version) with the 1.4XII TC (at 560mm) and the EOS-40D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/125 sec. at f/8 on a cloudy morning.
Image #8: Blue-footed Booby feet
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Foot Fetish
The birds are so, so tame that thinking “tight feet shots” is an excellent choice. The shade of the blue feet varies tremendously. The feet of the bird in Image #8 are surely at the top end of the range as far as hue and luminosity. They glowed!
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This image was created on the 2010 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the hand held Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens (at 70mm) with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/30 sec. at f/20 in Tv mode. AWB on a cloudy morning.
Image #9: Blue-footed Boobies diving during feeding spree/blur
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Blue-footed Booby Feeding Sprees
Most years we encounter several Blue-footed Booby feeding sprees while Zodiac cruising in the mouths of lagoons. We get to photograph single birds diving with the longer focal lengths. Going wider allows you to include larger groups of diving birds. I have never made a wide photograph that captures the frenetic scene with hundreds of birds circling and diving. Video with a short zoom lens like the Canon 24-105 II or the Nikon 24-120 might be the way to go …
What was my big error with Image #9?
Study the EXIF and let us know what you think was the big error in my choice of settings with Image #9.
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This image was created on the 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime with the hand held Canon 100-400mm L IS II zoom lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode on a sunny morning.
Image #10: Blue-footed Booby chick/head portrait
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Getting Down on the Ground
At age 72, I do not get down on the ground as often as I used to. Older folks will understand fully. But I made an exception for this image to come up with a pleasing background.
TC Question
Why did I have the TC mounted on the 100-400 II if I wound up at only 358mm?
Bokeh Question
Bokeh refers to the quality of an out-of-focus background. Which of today’s images has the worst Bokeh?
Image Clean-up Question
In which image did I do the most background clean-up? Why did you make your choice?
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s ten featured images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
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Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
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