June 22nd, 2019 What’s Up?
I realized yesterday that my one hour ten, minute connection time in Chicago on the way to Edinburgh, Scotland for the 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites IPT was not a safe one. If my flight from Orlando to O’Hare was delayed at all and I missed my flight to EDI there would be dire consequences. I called United at 4:40am and was on hold for one and one-half hours listening to lousy music. I knew that there would be a $500 change fee plus any increase in the fare …
I was lucky to get a very nice agent named Tina. I explained the situation and mentioned that I had been on the phone for 90 minutes. She explained that it had been a very long night with bad weather (and other types of) delays around the world. She found my record and noted that there was an earlier flight that would be perfect for me. And that first class was available. Better yet, she said that she could make the change for no additional fee because I had been on the phone for so long. Hooray!
Used Gear Page
I was glad to learn of two recent sales yesterday:
John Armitage sold both his Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4299.00 and his Canon EOS-1D X Mark II in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $3699.00 within five days of listing them in mid-June 2019.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 4700) along with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5 - 5.6 IS STM lens (in mint condition) for the crazy-low price of only $999.00 within days of listing it in mid-June 2019.
Help Needed With Nikon D850
I found a nice toad on the pool deck yesterday. I grabbed my Sigma 150 macro and created a set up with a grey branch in the shade of my home. The toad was quite cooperative — read docile. I was using one of my original SONY 128gb cards. (Delkin did not begin making XQD cards until recently.) Try as I might, I could not get the card to read with SONY XQD reader (connected with the USB-c dongle). I put the card back into the D850 and it showed No card. I removed the card, blew on the contacts-end, rapped it on the table a few times, and put it back in the camera. It worked, so I thought that I was home free. But when I put the card back into the reader my MacBook Pro could not see the card despite numerous attempts that included re-booting the laptop several times.
I put the card back in the camera and once again was able to see the images. So I grabbed the cable and connected the camera to the laptop. The laptop did not see the camera.
Finally, here is my question: if you are attempting to download images from the camera, do you need to set any menu items? (Note: in general, downloading from the camera is not a good idea as it takes forever …)
Issue Solved Thanks to Bill (aka willyjay)!
See the comments below for the solution.
June 21st, 2019 What’s Up?
More of the same. But no rain on Thursday. I have not gone down to the lake as the fields are so wet that I’d be scared of getting stuck (again).
I hope to be making a second FlexShooter Pro video this morning if I can grab Jim before he heads out on his walk. It will cover some newly discovered fine points, photographing tall nests, mounting the camera body with short lenses, balance (non-) issues with shorter telephoto lenses, and a great tip for macro photographers.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
We currently have FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here. We now have BigFeet in stock for all popular Nikon and Canon telephoto lenses. The FLN-60 plates, custom designed for the Nikon 600 VR, arrived yesterday via DHL. All Bigfeet are priced at $109.00 plus the shipping. We hope to have them in the store soon.
The 2018 B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest Results
Thanks again to the great folks at B&H for their generosity. Thanks to all who voted here
Here are the results of the non-binding popular vote:
- Tied for first with 81 points each: Image #3: Wood Duck pair courting and Image #2: Snow Goose blast-off, Bosque del Apache NWR, NM.
- Third place with 61.5 points: Image #4: Painted Bunting displaying male.
- Fourth place with 45.5 points: Image #1: New Holland Honeyeater, Tasmania.
There was, however, only one judge for this contest. I am proud to announce the results as follows:
Tied for first: Image #4: Painted Bunting displaying male and Image #2: Snow Goose blast-off, Bosque del Apache NWR, NM. Chris Tricou and Krishna Prasad Kotti will each receive a $100 B&H gift certificate via e-mail.
Tied for third: Image #3: Wood Duck pair courting and Image #1: New Holland Honeyeater, Tasmania. Joe Sobelefsky and Paul Burdett will each receive a $50 B&H gift certificate via e-mail.
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This image was created by Chris Tricou with the mono-pod mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens with the Nikon crop factor body, the D500 dSLR. ISO 320: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.
Image #4: Painted Bunting displaying male
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Chris Tricou
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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Tied for First
Action poses of songbirds are rarer than hen’s teeth. Throw in one of North America’s most beautiful passerines and the fact that photographing small birds is a huge challenge and you have a winner. Not to mention the soft light and the sweet, out-of-focus background …
Tied for First
What can I say? I love blurs and I loved going to Bosque. Two of my Bosque images were honored in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. One was a blur.
In Krishna’s image I love the soft light, the two different degrees of blurring, and especially the clean lower edge. In A Guide to Pleasing Blurs (by Denise Ippolito and yours truly), I wrote something to this effect: When you get down to surreally low shutter speeds, below say 1/15 or 1/10sec., your keeper rate goes down dramatically but your chances of creating a contest-winner go up dramatically.
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This image was created by IPT veteran (and former BPN member) Joe Sobelefsky. He used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens with my favorite Canon body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV dSLR.. ISO 2000: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5. Processed in DPP4.
Image #3: Wood Duck pair courting
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Joe Sobelefsky
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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Tied for Third
Joe’s wonderful image was more than well-received in the popular vote where it tied for first. I love the soft light, lovely background, the intimacy, and the excellent use of available depth-of-field. For me, it is a bit tight in the frame.
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This image was created by BPN member Paul Burdett. He used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) with theC Canon crop factor body, the EOS 7D Mark II dSLR. ISO 640: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6.
Image #1: New Holland Honeyeater, Tasmania
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Paul Burdett
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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Tied for Third
I fell in love with this bird and this image the moment I saw it on BPN. It reminded me of some sort of breeding plumaged Yellow-rumped Warbler hybrid on steroids! The sharpness and the bird’s attitude add greatly to the success of this image.
One of the things that I love about BPN is seeing new birds and meeting photographers from around the world. Especially in the Avian Forum.
June 20th, 2019 What’s Up?
It is good to be home, eating well, back in the pool and working hard. It has been pouring here for several days with huge thunderstorms and torrential rains (interspersed with periods of bright sunshine). I fly to the UK next Wednesday evening for the 2019 Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites IPT.
Today’s featured image was created on the 2018 Fall DeSoto IPT; I will be announcing the 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets IPT here soon; it will take place in early to mid-October.
If you missed the Return-To-Bosque IPTs blog post, click here.
FlexShooter Pro Update
We currently have FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here.
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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
New Listings
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
Mansoor Assadi is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the low price of $6799.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, a LensCoat cover, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 1-415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto lens for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $9,499, you can save a cool ???? by grabbing Mansoor’s practically new lens now. The lighter 600 III goes for $12,999.00! artie
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Lens (The “old five”)
BAA Record-low Price!
John Nelson is offering a Canon 500mm f/4 IS USM lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2749.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk w/key, the front lens cover, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact John via e-mail or by phone at 1-516-477-3784 (Eastern time).
The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you don’t have the cash for a 500 II and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. A new 500 II sells right noe for $8,999.00; you can save a big bundle by grabbing John’s lens right now. artie
Price Reduction
Canon mount Zeiss Distagon T 15mm f/2.8 ZE Lens
Price Reduced $150.00 on June 20, 2019.
Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener is also offering a Canon mount Zeiss Distagon T 15mm f/2.8 ZE lens in like-new condition for the crazy low price of $799.00 (was $949.00). The sale includes the original box and packaging, the product booklet and blank warranty card, the front and rear lens caps, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears.
Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (9am-9pm Mountain time).
The Canon EF-mount Distagon T* 15mm f/2.8 ZE from ZEISS is a unique prime that is ideal for landscape, interior, and astrophotography applications. Its relatively bright f/2.8 maximum aperture is suitable for working in difficult lighting conditions while shooting handheld. A Distagon optical concept is used; this reduces field curvature and distortion for high overall sharpness and accurate rendering across the frame. The T* anti-reflective coating has been applied to individual elements and a lens hood is integrated into the lens’s design to control lens flare and ghosting. This ultra wide-angle prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount cameras, however, can also be used with APS-C (crop factor) models where it provides a 24mm equivalent focal length. B&H
This is a phenomenal buy on a primo architectural and astrophotography lens that normally sells for $2,950.00. Right now at B&H there is $1,071.00 in instant savings that brings the price down to $1879. That said, Jim’s lens is still the better buy! By far! Jim does not like haggling so he always prices his gear to sell quickly. 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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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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Snowy Egret striking: the Photo Mechanic screen capture for today’s featured image.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version and better enjoy the sharpness.
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The Photo Mechanic Screen Capture for Today’s Featured Image
As regular readers well know, Photo Mechanic is the linchpin of my digital workflow. With Photo Mechanic selecting my keepers is a lightning-fast process. And I am able to quickly zoom in to check for sharpness with all of my Nikon and Canon images. Note the pretty much perfect histogram and the very ugly splotches of mud in the original …
The Animated GIF
Take a few moments to check out the animated GIF above; it shows the before (with ugly mud and muck) and after (with sweet blue water) versions of today’s featured image.
My Two Favorite Backgrounds
In the original The Art of Bird Photography I wrote something to this effect: My two favorite backgrounds are still blue water and distant green vegetation, preferably lit by early morning light. Today’s image featured all of the above. But the splotches of ugly black mud and muck were never part of the plan …
Though it took me about 30 minutes, I was thrilled with the results. See the optimized image and learn how I did the clean-up in The Image Optimization item below.
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This image was created on the Fall 2018 DeSoto IPT on the morning of Septemeber 26, 2018. Standing at full height behind my tripod, I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode was perfect with the histogram pushed all the way to the right. AUTO1 WB at 7:41am on a clear morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
One to the right of center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s neck right on the same plane as the eye. (Note: today I would use d9 AF for images like this.)
Snowy Egret striking
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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The Optimized Image
Immediately above is the optimized image. As regular readers know, I would never even consider entering this image in a photo contest that prohibits image clean-up. And yes, I understand that some folks might consider the clean-up of today’s image a criminal act. I am fine with that. The original image is of a Snowy Egret striking and the optimized image is of a Snowy Egret striking. For me and my ethics, the natural history of the situation is the same. If you like ugly black muck and mud, I am fine with that. If your personal ethics do not allow for such clean-up as you strive to keep everything natural, I am fine with that.
For me, the simple fact is that the optimized image is far more beautiful than the original.
The Image Optimization
After converting the image in Capture One Pro 12 I brought the TIF into Photoshop for a bit of Eye Doctor work and the extensive image clean-up. For the latter, I used the Patch Tool, Content-Aware Fill, the Spot Healing Brush, and to a lesser degree, the Clone Stamp Tool. The most difficult work was in the areas that the muck and mud intersected with the bird. I used a series of small Quick Masks refined with Regular Layer Masks to ensure that the edges of the bird remained pristine. The process required lots of somewhat painstaking work, but for me, the results were well worth it.
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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)
Everything mentioned above (except for Capture One RAW conversions) and tons more — including all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — 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): Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
- 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 at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw, I continue to optimize my old Canon images 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).
More recently, I have begun converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One. Learn more about Capture One Pro 12 and Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Note: C-1 Pro 12 Works great with SONY ARW (RAW) files too!
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 edited by yours truly. Please use this link to purchase NeatImage.
To introduce folks to our MP.4 videos and the basics involved in applying more NeatImage noise reduction to the background and less on the subject, I’d be glad to send you a free copy of the Free Noise Reduction Basics MP.4 Video. Simply click to shoot me an e-mail to get your free copy.
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.
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 :).
June 19th, 2019 What’s Up?
After a delayed flight out of Thunder Bay on Monday, I was very lucky to just make my flight to Orlando. Traffic was horrific as Jim picked me up that evening so we stopped for a nice dinner at Carrabba’s to let the traffic ease a bit. We did not make it back to ILE until just before 10:00pm. I slept well that night. I got back in the pool on Tuesday afternoon. The trip to Basket Lake turned out to be a fabulous one with lots of great fishing and lots of eagle photography. In addition, we got to photograph a Spotted Sandpiper near its nest, some Ruffed Grouse — Anita got good photos of the tiny chicks, an uncharacteristically tame Painted Turtle, Common Mergansers, Mallards with ducklings, a few glorious sunrises, and some nice wildflowers including Pink Lady Slipper. Thanks a stack Anita!
I will be announcing the Fort DeSoto Fall Sandbar Secrets IPT soon.
FlexShooter Pro Update
We currently have FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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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Bosque del Apache 2019 IPTs
Notice the incredible variety of images that you can learn to make by developing your skills and your creative vision on a BAA IPT.
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2019 Bosque del Apache IPTs
Return to Bosque Reduced Rate Scouting IPT #1. NOV 26-28, 2019 — 3 FULL DAYS: $1199.00. Limit: 8. Introductory Meet and greet at 7pm on MON 25 NOV.
Return to Bosque IPT #2. NOV 29 (afternoon session thru DEC 4 (morning session) — 5 DAYS (4 full and two half): $2249.00. Limit: 10/Openings: 9. Introductory Meet and greet at 2:00pm on FRI 29 NOV.
I quit going to Bosque several years ago as conditions had worsened each year for several seasons running. My understanding is that things have improved dramatically in recent years. Photography-wise, I know Bosque better than anyone. Join me to learn how wind and sky conditions influence bird photography, how to create dramatic sunrise and sunset silhouettes, how to be in the right place at the right time, and how to create contest-winning blurs. As usual, you will learn to get the right exposure every time, to use your camera’s AF system to create pleasing, balanced image designs, and to improve your flight photography skills.
We should get to photograph many thousands of Snow Geese, more than a few blast-offs, some Ross’s Geese, and lots of Sandhill Cranes in the water, taking flight and flying. Depending on local conditions we may get to shoot some ducks: point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck. With any luck, we might enjoy sunrises and sunsets that leave you in tears. 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. Join me to learn to think like a pro and to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather. Every time we make a move, I will let you know why. When you get home, applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.
I go with one registrant. Lunch is included on all full days of each workshop.
Free Morning Session
Sign up for either IPT and enjoy a free morning session on Friday, 29 NOV.
$500 Multiple IPT Discount
Join me for both IPTs and we will be glad to apply a $500 multiple IPT discount.
To Register
To register, send your non-refundable $500 deposit — check made out to BIRDS AS ART — via US Mail to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Or call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 to put your non-refundable deposit on a credit card. Balances must be paid in full by check no later than three months before the IPT. If you cancel, all but your deposit will be refunded only if the IPT sells out.
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.
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 :).
June 17th, 2019 What’s Up?
We had a great early morning of fishing and some pretty good eagle photography on Sunday morning. I caught my biggest Walleye, about 24 inches. On this lake, all Walleye over 18″ must be released as they are the breeding females. It is after 6pm and I still have not started packing yet … We leave Basket Lake for the Dryden Airport at about 5am so I had better get packin’.
Jim is picking me up at MCO at about 5:30pm if all goes well.
I will be announcing the Fort DeSoto Fall Sandbar Secrets IPT and one or two Bosque IPTs soon.
FlexShooter Pro Update
We currently have FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 June 15, 2019 from a small boat on Basket Lake. Again, I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 500. Matrix metering plus 2/3 stop off the low blue sky: 1/6400 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 7:15am on a clear morning.
Center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) was active at the moment of exposure. See the screen captures above for the locations of the array.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Bald Eagle top shot
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Flight Poses and Wings Positions
Banking flight images offer spectacular views of the dorsal wing surfaces of birds in flight. As long as the subject is not too close, they are easy to create working in horizontal format. If you start clipping wings, it is best to turn the camera on end and create vertical originals. Note: doing so successfully will take considerable practice.
After viewing the original for this image — the lower of the two images in the screen capture composite below, note how superbly a sharp D850 image stands up to a relatively large crop.
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Location of the array in a sharp two-frame sequence
Note the piss-poor placement of the AF array in each image … Keep reading to learn where the array should have been positioned.
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Flight Photography Basics
For flight photography, Canon users are advised to use center Surround. Nikon users are advised to use center Group (grp). And SONY users will likely opt for center Zone. In all cases, feel free to experiment with the AF mode to see what works best for you.
I always set the limit range switch on a telephoto lens to “not Full” and recommend that you do the same. This prevents the lens from having to search down to the minimum focusing distance and shortens the time needed to acquire focus acquisition. When hand holding, be sure to get your left hand well out on the lens barrel. Strive to find a sturdy balanced stance. Be aware of sky conditions and the effects of wind direction and strength on flying birds. As a general rule, you want the sun right behind you and the wind from somewhere behind you. Pure wind against sun conditions are difficult at best if you are attempting to photographs birds in flight as birds will always fly, land, and take off into the wind.
AF Placement Advice
It sounds so simple, “Place and keep the AF point or array on the bird’s head, neck, or upper breast.” In reality, it is relatively simple for those who practice a lot, have excellent hand-eye coordination, and superior strength and stamina. For the rest of us, accomplishing this task is — as you can see in the dual screen capture above, often easier said than done. As we age, the task becomes even more difficult. And if you are in a rocking boa, placing and keeping the AF point or the array on the bird’s head, neck, or upper breast can be a huge challenge.
In the screen capture above note how poorly I did at keeping the array on the bird’s head, neck, or upper breast … But Nikon Group AF for only for birds in flight and in action is quite astounding as the birds in both of my images are razor sharp on the eye …Go figure.
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This image was also created on June 15, 2019, from a small boat on Basket Lake, this one by my Basket Lake host and good friend, Anita North. She used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and her Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering plus 1 2/3s stops off grey sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 8:12am on a now partly cloudy morning.
Center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) was active at the moment of exposure.
Vertical banking Bald Eagle
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Vertical Bank Shots from Horizontal Originals
When you have a horizontal top shot with the bird nicely angled in the frame adding canvas top and bottom and cropping to 2X3 to create a vertical bank shot is a good option. Here Anita used the Content-Aware Fill option in Photoshop to create here vertical bank shot. For my image, I repositioned the bird in the lower of the two frames in the screen capture using techniques from APTATS I & II.
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.
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 :).
June 15th, 2019 What’s Up
Yesterday, Friday, June 14, was my 73rd birthday. We caught lots of Walleye and had a great dinner of ribs and coleslaw. Wind against sun both morning and afternoon pretty much put the kibosh on eagle photography. Today, Saturday, June 15 was simply fantastic for the eagles with a perfect east breeze. I kept 27. I deleted dozens of sharp, perfectly exposed eagle shots only because I had ones that were marginally better. As noted below, the Nikon D850/500 PF combo is simply deadly on birds in flight.
I am thinking about packing as I fly back to Orlando on Monday, only to be heading for Scotland and the UK just nine days after I get back home. I love photographing birds and nature.
Coming Soon
I will be announcing the Fort DeSoto Fall Sandbar Secrets IPT and one or two Bosque IPTs soon.
FlexShooter Pro Update
We currently have FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here.
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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
New Listings
Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II Lens
John Armitage is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4299.00. The sale includes the rear cap, the lens strap, the lens trunk, the original shipping box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact John via e-mail or by phone at 1-970-250-6080 (Mountain time).
I owned and used the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is. razor sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. artie
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
John Armitage is also offering a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $3699.00. The shutter count is <36,000. The sale includes the front cap, the battery charger, three batteries, a 64GB SanDisk CFast 2.0 Card along with the card reader, the strap, the original product box, the interface cable (the cable protector is missing), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact John via e-mail or by phone at 1-970-250-6080 (Mountain time).
The 1DX Mark II is Canon’s rugged, blazingly fast professional digital camera body. It features an amazing AF system and high-quality image files with great dynamic range. It was long the choice of Arash Hazeghi, and of many other of the world’s premier birds in flight photographers. artie
Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II Lens
Eric Karl is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens in near-mint condition for a very low $4399.00. The sale includes the tough front lens cover, the rear cap, the lens strap, the lens trunk, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Eric via e-mail.
I owned and used the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is. razor sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. 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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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.
Working Tight
One of the huge advantages shared by the SONY 100-400 and the Canon 100-400 II is the .98 meter (3 foot, 2.7 inch) close focus. When working very tight it is very important to remember stop down in most situations. Note that for the toe-fetish image I went all the way down to f/16.
Mirrorless or Not?
When you look through the viewfinder of a Canon or Nikon dSLR at an avian subject, you are actually seeing the bird in life. Yes, its image is reflected off a mirror (I think), but you are actually seeing the bird. In life. When you look through the viewfinder of a mirrorless camera body, you are seeing pixels, just as when you are looking at a modern TV. It simply ain’t the same. If your exposure it too bright, you will not see much at all. That is always disconcerting to me (until I get down to the correct ISO).
As dust-spotting is a serious problem with mirrorless bodies you need to be sure the wind is behind you and that you work quickly when changing lenses or adding or subtracting TCs. Ergonomically, all of the mirrorless bodies that I have tried including the SONY, are quite small and have never been quite comfortable with any of them. I have long appreciated the size and heft of a dSLR. Heck, over the past almost 36 years I have gotten quite used to that feel. While folks have long been preaching the light weight of mirrorless rigs as a huge advantage, I just have not seen it; several ounces with the bodies and the same with most of the lenses, even the 100-400s. And the new SONY 600mm f/4 is less than an ounce lighter than the Canon 600 III … I will admit that the SONY AF system is fantastic, but there is a steep AF learning curve with SONY and it does take time to figure it out and become comfortable and proficient using it.
If I had gone all in from the start with SONY, I am sure that I would be a lot more proficient using it and would be a lot happier with the results. That said, I like my a7R iii images better than I liked my a9 images. The problem for me is that I love both the image quality and the color of my Nikon D850 images.
Capture One for SONY
Using the Color Editor while converting each of today’s featured SONY images allowed me to create the look that I wanted, enhancing the CYAN tones of the Gulf of Mexico in image #1 and fine-tuning the REDs and YELLOWs in Image #2.
SONY and Me
Right now the bottom line for me is that I will be holding onto my SONY 100-400 and my a7R iii. I am currently up in the air on my a9; I would not mind trying it on those speeding bullets in the UK — Atlantic Puffins in flight. As regular readers know I love the SONY stuff for close work (see Image #1) especially in low light where it shines because of the ease of determining the best exposure using the Zebra feature. And at times, the 100-400 at 100mm or so can help me with scenics (as in Image #2) and bird-scapes.
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This image was created on June 13, 2019 from a small boat on Basket Lake. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering plus 1/3 stop off the low blue sky: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 7:10pm on a clear afternoon.
One left of center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s flank right on the same plane as the bird’s eye.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #3: Bald Eagle striking fish
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Nikon and Me
At present, the main reason that I am not going all-in on SONY is the Nikon D850/500mm PF combination. It is much lighter (at about 1 1/2 pounds) than the new SONY 200-600. It is absolutely deadly for flight photography. And I do quite well on static subjects with the TC-E14. I often find myself going with the 500 PF over the tripod-mounted 600 VR because it is so much lighter, because I can hand hold it easily, and because I am much more mobile in the field. In the past week I have created more than a thousand images of Bald Eagles diving and in flight with the D850/500mm PF combo. I can count the number of unsharp images on the fingers of one hand. So the bottom line for me at this time is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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This image was created at LaJolla, CA by good friend Patrick Sparkman. He used the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the high mega-pixel Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/200 sec. at f/2.8.
Expand Flexible spot on the front of the bird’s neck was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #4: Western Gull in pre-dawn light
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SONY and Patrick Sparkman
Patrick fell in love with SONY instantly. He sold all of his Nikon gear immediately and went all-in on SONY. His kit includes the a9, the a7R iii, the 100-400 GM, the 400mm f/2.8 GM, and the 90mm macro. He is #1 on the list for the new SONY 600mm f/4 and will be getting the first one that Bedford’s receives on August 2, 2019. That thanks to Steve Elkins. Patrick quickly embraced the SONY mirrorless process and with lots of study and experimentation and by putting his quick, technically-oriented mind to work, has developed dozens of great SONY tips and menu settings that make the cameras much more functional than when it comes out of the box. He is working on a SONY video tutorial for the a9 and the a7 Riii.
As regular readers know Patrick is a skilled photographer and the BIRDS AS ART technical advisor.
SONY and You
There are thousands of nature photographers including many hundreds if not thousands of bird photographers. SONY may very well be the best system for you. Consider what you learn here on the blog. Talk to other photographers in the field. Search out the folks on BPN using SONY and ask them questions. Peruse the SONY images that you see online.
Your Favorite?
Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s four images is your favorite. Be sure to let us know why you made your choice. (It’s fine if you pick Patrick’s image. 🙂
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
As with all of my images for the past three months or so, both of today’s images were optimized beautifully and quickly in Capture One Pro 12. When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in C-1 Pro 12, I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehenisve The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
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.
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 :).
June 14th, 2019 What’s Up
We had a great Thursday afternoon with loads of Walleye including some fairly large ones and tons of flying and diving eagle images with 37 keepers for me on a sunny, windy afternoon.
Thanks to those who commented on the Red Knot Three Ways blog post here.
Coming Soon
I will be announcing the Fort DeSoto Fall Sandbar Secrets IPT and one or two Bosque IPTs soon.
Important SONY Stuff
Since the two new SONY lenses were announced several days ago, many folks have written asking a variety of questions. I am hoping to answer them all below and shed additional light on the two new OSS lenses.
If you decide to purchase, please use either my B&H links or get in touch with Steve Elkins at Bedford’s (as below) to save a few bucks.
Questions and comments are of course welcome.
FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens
Longtime followers know for sure that I have never been a huge fan of the 400mm. f/2.8 lenses for bird photography as you do not get enough focal length bang for your bucks even with the 2X TC. I have used and loved my 600mm f/4 lenses ever since I abandoned my much-beloved Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS many years ago. With Canon, I was comfortable with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III teleconverters. With my Nikon 600 VR I use only the TC-E14. I sold my TC-E17 ii and have not been able to unload the TC-E20 iii which in my opinion is a real clunker. Do note however, I did make some sharp images with each of those; it is the consistency that was lacking …
If you are a serious bird photographer who is in love with and committed to SONY, and is physically able to travel with 600mm f/4 and use it comfortably in the field, then I consider the FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens a necessity. Patrick Sparkman meets all of the above conditions: he is #1 on the Bedford’s list. Steve Elkins is expecting Bedford’s first delivery in early August. If you fit the bill you should pre-order yours right now either through Steve or using my B&H link:
FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens
The sooner you order the less you will have to wait.
Several folks asked if the SONY 600 f/4 is a game changer for me. It is not. I am neither in love with nor committed to the SONY system. Learn why I am not yet committed to SONY in the revelatory SONY and Me blog post coming soon.
The new FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens weighs 6.7 pounds. The current Nikon 600 VR weighs a relative ton at 8.4 pounds. The Canon 600 II weighs in at 8.65. pounds while the brand new Canon 600 III tips the scales at 6.71 pounds, virtually the same as the new SONY 600. All of these lenses are more than capable of producing sharp images with their respective 1.4 teleconverters. I am, however, positive that the new SONY 600 will produce sharp images with the 2X TC at least on a par with the results I got at 1200mm with my Canon gear. I could never get confident with my Nikon six with either the 1.7X II or the 2X III TCs.
So, considering that the SONY 600 is a hefty 1.4 pounds lighter than my Nikon 600 VR and would allow me to get back to working successfully at 1200mm, many folks would ask “Why doesn’t artie make the complete switch to SONY? With regards only to the lens, understand that I am not capable of hand holding either the Nikon 600 or the SONY 600 so the weight difference is not a huge issue to me right now. I still need to be on a tripod. As for my not being completely sold on SONY, see the aforementioned revelatory SONY and Me blog post coming soon.
Please, please pretty please, if you do pre-order, please remember to use either my B&H link or to get in touch with Steve Elkins at Bedford’s. Those who do either will qualify for a free copy of Patrick Sparkman’s SONY a7R iii/a9 Video Guide. It will likely sell for $50.00.
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens
Sony also announced/released info on the new Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens.
First some facts. Despite that white finish, this lens is not part of Sony’s high-end G Master (GM) series of lenses. It is on the heavy side at 4.67 pounds it still compares favorably with the Nikon 200-500 VR at 5.1 pounds while offering an additional 100mm of reach. Compare this new SONY lens to similar stuff from Sigma and Tamron. Though I have seen sharp images with both the Nikon-mount and Canon-mount versions of the off-brand lenses on various IPTs, I have never been a big fan of lenses like the Sigma 150-600mm Sports or the Tamron 150-600mm G2 as they are large and clunky and on the borderline of not being hand holdable for some folks. Worst of all is each of these lenses changes length when you zoom in or out. To its credit, the SONY 200-600mm’s zoom is internal — the lens stays the same length when you zoom to different focal lengths. In addition, I have never been a fan of variable aperture lenses like the new SONY — f/5.6-6.3 … The minimum focusing distance of 7.9 feet is impressive at 600mm.
Sony claims that when the a9 is paired with the new lens it is capable of focusing and tracking subjects at 20fps. I am not buying that as my understanding is that when you are in C (Continuous) AF mode (as opposed to One-Shot), the maximum fps will drop to 15fps. That is still quite impressive but not the full 20fps. Might I be wrong? Very much so. Don’t forget that this is a relatively slow lens (again at f/5.6-6.3) and that. That this is an economical and versatile lens that might be perfect for some SONY folks, I do not see myself ever owning it. Especially if I wind up eventually owning the FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens. Why? Because I believe that the SONY 100-400 GM OSS is a much better fit with less overlap than the new Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens.
As with most things SONY, this lens just might be perfect for you and for other SONY folks who neither have the funds to purchase the new SONY 600mm f/4 nor the strength to manage it in the field. I did love my Nikon 2-5 until I got my 500 PF.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 :).
June 12th, 2019 What’s Up
We had the perfect morning on Wednesday. It began with a dead battery in the boat. While Anita went back to get the charger, I cast from the dock and hooked a nice pike on a lure — my favorite way to fish for them, and lost it at the boat. In the meantime, it was about 3 degrees C (37.5 degrees F) with a brisk NW wind! I was freezing. As Anita had to attend a Moose conservation meeting in Dryden, we only fished until 8:30am. We did not catch a Walleye and we did not catch a Northern Pike. On the way home, Anita was backing the boat away from the shore when she suddenly said, “We are sinking; we will never get home.” As it turned out, the bilge pump handled the momentary flooding in less than a minute. As I said, a perfect morning. Seriously, you gotta love days like those once in a while.
We did kill on Bald Eagle flight and diving photography on Tuesday afternoon and Anita and right-hand man Lorne caught their limits of Walleye. I caught one small one.
An Abundance of Riches
Multiple IPT veteran David Hollander and his wife Krista will be joining us in the UK as will newbie Carsten, a Nikon-shooter from Denmark.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 May 19, 2019 on the DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering as framed at about +1 1/3 stops: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 6:16pm on a then very hazy afternoon.
I focused on the closest bird with center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF and then locked focus by pressing and hodling the AF-On button, recomposed, and made the image.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #1: Red Knot — small flock feeding in the surf
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Why Did I Have to Lock Focus?
Why did I have to lock focus? When you are pohtographing a group of birds, it is almost always best to focus on the closest bird. With this image, that is the bird in the front right. So what was the problem? I wanted that bird in the lower right corner of the frame, but none of the AF points could be placed on on that particular bird — the AF coverage was not wide enough. So I set up my D850 to lock focus with the AF-On button so that I can succeed in situations where I need to tuck the main subject into a corner of the frame. Then as noted above, you focus, press and hold the AF-On button to lock focus, recompose, and press the shutter button.
I just love the rather musical arrangement of the birds in this one. I did eliminate three knots that either merged with another bird or otherwise broke up the pattern and the rhythm.
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This image was also created on May 19, 2019 on the DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT. For this one I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 1250. Matrix metering as framed at about +1 1/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 6:38pm as a faint sun brokie through the haze.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Center Group (grp) AF/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered just behind the right-hand bird’s neck (as originally framed).
Image #2: Red Knots foraging
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Red Knot Plumages
The knot on our right has pretty much finished molting into its handsome alternate (breeding) plumage. As the feather edgings wear a bit, the pattern on the upperparts will become even more dramatic. After breeding above the arctic circle in June, these same feathers will be worn and ratty and the bird begins to molt into basic (non-breeding or winter) plumage. By fall, they will sport a coat of feathers that features on plain grey upperpart. They will wear those until the next spring when they begin the molt to alternate plumage. The bird on our left is a bird-of-the-year — note the retained median coverts that still have remnants of the whitish fringing characteristic of juvenile plumage. It is just beginning to grow some adult breeding plumage feathers. Most first-year birds will not complete this molt until at least their second year.
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This image was created on the 2019 DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT on the morning of May 8. Standing at full height behind my tripod in a foot of water, I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 500. Matrix metering at about +1 2/3 stops: 1/50 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode was perfect with the histogram pushed all the way to the right. AUTO1 WB at 7:15am on a cloudy morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
One below center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed.
Image #3: Red Knot flock/flight blur
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Pleasing Knot Flock Blur
I am not sure how I wound up at 1/50 second as I would usually make images like these at 1/15 or 1/30 second. After converting the image in Capture One Pro 12 and bringing it into Photoshop, I was wishing that the foreground seaweed splotches were more blurred. So I selected only the foreground, went Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, played around with the slider, and was very happy with the result.
Your Favorite?
Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s three images is your favorite. Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
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.
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 :).
June 12th, 2019
Two Canon 600mm f/4L IS III Lenses in Stock Right Now!
Bedford’s has two almost-impossible-to-get-your-hands on Canon EF 600mm F/4L IS USM III lenses in stock right now. If you have been trying to get one, you can have it tomorrow. You will enjoy both the BIRDSASART discount and free overnight shipping (to all US addresses). Best would be to contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or by calling him or messaging him on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time). Be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it at checkout.
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.
June 10th, 2019 What’s Up?
We have been getting up at about 4am and out on the lake for sunrise at about 5am. The weather has been extremely variable: on Saturday it was 88 degrees and sunny and still. The black flies were killing our ankles. On Sunday morning we fished through rain and high winds and being underdressed, we froze. We’ve had some nice sunrises and lots of good Bald Eagle flight photography. Northern Pike has a reputation as having too many bones but when cleaned correctly, its firm flesh is far tastier than that of the more popular Walleye. I have been chowing down on pike fillets every day — fried gently in butter with salt and pepper.
We spent a good two hours on Monday afternoon photographing the nicest Pink Lady Slipper that we could find.
An Abundance of Riches
Multiple IPT veteran David Hollander will be joining us in the UK. In addition, a gentleman from Denmark may also be signing up as well.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 June 10, 2019, from a small fishing boat on Basket Lake near Dryden in northern Ontario, CA. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. Auto ISO: 400: 1/6400 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual Mode was an inadvertent 2/3 stop underexposure — I accidentally rolled the shutter speed wheel two clicks … AUTO1 WB at 7:36am on a clear morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. As origially framed, the array was centered well above and well behind the head yet the eye is dead razor sharp.
Bald Eagle wings up flight
Click on the image to enjoy a large version.
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Underexposed RAW File Conversion Workflow Tip
With properly exposed images, I always work first on the WHITEs. With underexposed images, like today’s featured image, I always begin with the Exposure slider. Capture One Pro 12 did a great job with this underexposed D850 image — the conversion was so clean that the image did not need any noise reduction other than the D850 defaults. Once I brightened the image I used my standard trick of comparing the As Shot White Balance with the Click White Balance and winding up somewhere in between. As Shot was 6052 and Click White Balance was 4064. I opted for K 5268; this made the sky a delightful BLUE.
Why So Pleasing?
When we looked at this image on my laptop, both Anita North and I went “Oooh!”
For me it shines because of the great wing position — both wings are fully raised and the near-underwing perfectly lit. That due to the fact that the bird was dead-on sun angle when the image was created. This one is a small crop from the rear and from below.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
As with all of my images for the past three months or so, both of today’s images were optimized beautifully and quickly in Capture One Pro 12. When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in C-1 Pro 12, I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehenisve The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
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.
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 :).
June 8th, 2019 What’s Up?
On Friday evening we limited out on Walleye. On Saturday morning we caught zero Walleye but did great with Northern Pike. I was thrilled with the 6-pounder that I landed on a blue and white Daredevil spoon. We spent an hour gently pursuing a pair of Common Mergansers and though we got within point-blank range, I doubt that I made a single keeper. With their dark greenish-black heads and gleaming white breasts, they are a very difficult avian subject.
On Saturday afternoon I enjoyed my first Walleye meal, deliciously prepared on the grill by Lorne Van Patter, Anita’s friend of more than 60 years. Lorne is also her right-hand man at Basket Lake. I am looking forward to lots more.
My Final Offer: Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased Again!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $4,000.00.
The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday, June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday, July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000.00 to $4000.00. Click here and scroll down a bit for complete details. Please e-mail for additional information.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 June 7, 2019 from a small fishing boat on a lake near Dryden in northern Ontario, CA. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. Auto ISO: 800. Matrix metering as framed at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S with Nikon, TV with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 6:50am on a relatively clear morning with some light clouds on the eastern horizon.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Two up and two to the left of center D-9 Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected point was on the shaded right flank of the cow about 1/2 way down the snout.
Image #1: Moose cow with calf
Click on the image to enjoy a large version.
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First Morning Mooses Miracle …
Anita North has been visiting Basket Lake for more than 60 years. Her Dad, Eric North, was a logging bush camp foreman and a Moose Whisperer. On her visit, when she was only six years old, her Dad, using only his own voice, called in several bulls and cows. She has been in awe of these amazingly huge majestic animals ever since. A very rustic Basket Lake Camp was opened by Anita’s parents in 1962. For decades Moose were a common sight in the bays of the lake where they fed on aquatic vegetation. Breeding success was excellent. Anita visited every year during her 25-year career as a neurosurgeon. On her 2010 visit, she saw zero Moose. When the same thing happened in 2011 she became alarmed and contacted the Minister of Natural Resources. “Don’t worry, it is a natural fluctuation.” By 2014 when the problem became too obvious to be ignored, the government reduced the number of Moose tags allotted to hunters. The Moose calf-kill continued unabated and today, hunters are still allowed to shoot the calves despite the precipitous declines. Additional factors in these declining populations include global warming, habitat destruction, parasites & ticks, illegal hunting (poaching), chemical spraying by the forest industry, increased predation by bears and wolves that use newly-created logging roads to get around, higher powered rifles and better scopes, and electronic Moose calls among many others. In 2014, 3621 adult Moose and 1,429 calves were legally shot and killed by hunters in Ontario …
Since Anita began photographing nature about five years ago, she had seen a grand total of two Moose (and one calf) on the lake despite having spent most of each summer at Basket Lake for the past decade. As the Moose at Basket Lake are exceedingly shy, Anita had never enjoyed a single good photographic opportunity. She began working tirelessly on Moose conservation in 2016 when she set up the North Wildlife Foundation. In 2017 she teamed up with the Wildland Chapter of CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society), to set up The Moose Project while backing up her words with sizeable donations. Her efforts have been primarily directed at eliminating the hunting of Moose calves. To protect Moose habitat, she has been working with the two major logging companies to limit road access into clearcut wilderness areas. She feels that if somebody doesn’t do something major soon, the Moose populations in northern Ontario will suffer the same fate as the next-to-nothing Moose populations in the US midwest. In the past twenty years, Area 5, which encompasses Basket Lake, has gone from having the most Moose in the province to having the fewest Moose in the province.
On my first morning at Basket Lake, we approached Weedy Point to fish for Walleye. I saw the back of a very large animal above the brush and said to Anita “I think that I saw a Moose.” She later admitted thinking, “He was a large tree stump. What the heck would a guy from Brooklyn know about Moose?” Five minutes later while concentrating on fishing, I heard Anita’s D-850 going off. I looked up to see the mom and calf in today’s two featured images. We wound up spending more than 20 minutes photographing mom with her month-old calf.
It is easy to understand why Anita cried tears of joy when the momma Moose finally led her calf into the woods.
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This image was also created on June 7, 2019 from a small fishing boat on a lake near Dryden in northern Ontario, CA. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. Auto ISO: 2200. Matrix metering as framed +1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S with Nikon, TV with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:01am on a then cloudy morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Two up and two to the left of center D-9 Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected point was on the shaded right flank of the cow about 1/2 way down the snout.
Image #2: Moose cow with calf
Click on the image to enjoy a large version.
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The Stronger Image?
Which of today’s featured images do you feel is the stronger of the two? Please let us know why you made your choice. Feel free to comment on the image design, the quality and the direction of the light, the background, and anything else that floats your boat.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
|
The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
As with all of my images for the past three months or so, both of today’s images were optimized beautifully and quickly in Capture One Pro 12. When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in C-1 Pro 12, I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehenisve The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
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.
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 :).
June 7th, 2019 What’s Up?
My 17 1/2 hour travel day was relatively uneventful except for the exhaustion. My first morning in northern Ontario was filled with a mother and baby Moose, Walleye, Northern Pike, nesting Herring Gull, and fishing Bald Eagles. Only nine 1/2 more days to go.
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FlexShooter Pro
You can order your FlexShooter Pro from the BAA Online Store right now for $599.00 plus the shipping by clicking here, or by phone (on weekdays) at 863-692-0906.
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FlexShooter Pro Comments
Via e-mail from Peter Llewellyn
Hi Artie,
I received a FlexShooter Pro head from the first batch and must tell you it is the best tripod head I have ever used. It is way better than Wimberley V2 and the RRS gimbal (both of which I have used in the past). It will now be the only tripod head I will ever use. I’m looking forward to getting the Setting up a Tripod in Your Vehicle video. Thanks so much for offering that free to the folks who have purchased a FlexShooter Pro from you.
As a professional photographer for over 35 years (like yourself), primarily in sports photography but more recently wildlife and natural history subjects, I have used many types of tripod heads, including the Wimberley, RRS PG-02 gimbal, and the original Arca Swiss ballhead to name a few. Since having the FlexShooter for a little over two weeks I am completely blown away for the following reasons:
- It is easy to set up and use the Nikon 600mm and 500mm and the Nikon 200-400 f4 VR zoom as well.
- Now I only need one head – there is no need for a second unit for short lens work; that is great when traveling by air.
- It is light in weight – especially as compared to the RRS Gimbal (and that’s much appreciated by us older folks).
- There is no creep after setting up on a subject. No head that I have ever used before stays exactly where you point it while you are locking it down. With the Arca Swiss ballhead, it would often take several tries loosening and tightening the unit before my subject would actually be framed as I wanted.
I am sure that as people try my head more orders will be coming from north of the border.
All the best, Peter
If you are among the first on your block to be using this great new head we would love to hear from you. Positives and negatives and questions are all welcome via e-mail.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
A very few FlexShooter Pro heads are still in stock here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We have sold 36 of the first forty that we received — all to positive reviews — and are expecting 20 more next week. We have the correct BigFoot plate available for all lenses but for the Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens. — see below for info on that. If you try to place an order in the BAA Online Store and it shows as back-ordered, please call Jim on Monday at 863-692-0906 to place your order and ensure getting one from our third batch.
As most of you know, I am now using the FlexShooter Pro for 100% of my tripod-mounted photography. See here and here to learn more. Or see the video here.
My plan is to do a second informational FlexShooter Pro video in Ontario with additional tips.
Last week I got my hands on the prototype for the new FLN-60 Bigfoot for the Nikon 600 VR. It is long enough to balance the 600 alone with any Nikon camera body and the best news is that the Wimberley F-1 Flash Bracket fits perfectly and mounts easily. I will post a photo here soon. We will have them in stock in about three weeks.
Warning
Do NOT click on the link below unless you have some time to do some serious surfing and a willingness to be moved by the incredible photos and stories.
D-Day by Robert Capa/from TIME — 100 Photographs — The Most Influential Images of All Time
Below is an excerpt from the the amazing collection here. Many of the images are accompanied by entirely captivating, interesting, moving, and amazing accounts. More than a few — including the image above — are accompanied by powerful videos.
It was the invasion to save civilization, and LIFE’s Robert Capa was there, the only still photographer to wade with the 34,250 troops onto Omaha Beach during the D-Day landing. His photographs—infused with jarring movement from the center of that brutal assault—gave the public an American soldier’s view of the dangers of war. The soldier, in this case, was Private First Class Huston Riley, who after the Nazis shelled his landing craft jumped into water so deep that he had to walk along the bottom until he could hold his breath no more. When he activated his Navy M-26 belt life preservers and floated to the surface, Riley became a target for the guns and artillery shells mowing down his comrades. Struck several times, the 22-year-old soldier took about half an hour to reach the Normandy shore. Capa took this photo of him in the surf and then with the assistance of a sergeant helped Riley, who later recalled thinking, “What the hell is this guy doing here? I can’t believe it. Here’s a cameraman on the shore.” Capa spent an hour and a half under fire as men around him died. A courier then transported his four rolls of film to LIFE’s London offices, and the magazine’s general manager stopped the presses to get them into the June 19 issue. Most of the film, though, showed no images after processing, and only some frames survived. The remaining images have a grainy, blurry look that gives them the frenetic feel of the action, a quality that has come to define our collective memory of that epic clash.
June 6th, 2019 What’s Up?
Me. Early. Very early on Thursday June 6. I fly to Toronto at 7:00am today. After a nearly five-hour layover, I continue on to Thunder Bay, Ontario (YQT) and then finally and hopefully board the one hour flight to Dryden (YHD). I am scheduled to arrive at 5:10am Central time. Total time in the air will be less than six hours but this will be a very long travel day. I should have good internet every day and will be back in the office on June 18. Jim and Jen will be around for those who need help with their orders or with IPT deposits.
My Active Release Therapy chiropractor TJ McKeon, told me about a nice Northern Mockingbird nest in his neighbor’s azalea bush. While I rarely if ever photograph songbird nests, I did visit twice. For close work, the SONY rig is unmatched. Photos soon.
Bad Luck and Trouble
Bad Luck and Trouble is the eleventh book in the Jack Reacher series written by Lee Child. It was published in 2007 and is written in the third person. The title is derived from the song lyrics by singer Albert King “Born Under a Bad Sign”. As I have long been a huge Jack Reacher fan, I thought that the book title would make a good title for today’s blog post.
Do understand that when the tiny meteorite struck, it had been a very long time since I pointed a long lens at the sun … As you will learn below, the accident was a total fluke. The lens was repaired quickly by NPS and has been back in action for a while.
My Final Offer: Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased Again!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $4,000.00.
The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000.00 to $4000.00. Click here and scroll down a bit for complete details. Please e-mail for additional information.
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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
Very Recent Sales
After being patient for many months, Allen Dale sold his Canon 300mm f/4 L IS USM lens in near-mint for a BAA record-low $624.00 in early June, 2019.
Peter Noyes sold his Sony Alpha a9 (ILCE 9) Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in like-new condition for the crazy low price of $2698.00 the first day of listing.
Eric Chen sold his Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with internal Extender 1.4X lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price by far of $6999.00 within days of listing.
Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 IS L II lens in excellent plus condition for $899.00 and the Canon 1.4X III/2X III/Extension Tube Bundle for $598.00 both shortly after these items were listed in May 2019.
New Listings
Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon
Sheldon Goldstein, multiple IPT participant, is offering a Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon in like-new condition for $725.00. The sale includes a Wimberley P-30 plate, the lens cap, the rear cap, the protective case, carrying straps for the lens and case, the Sigma USB Dock UD-2 for firmware updates, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower 48 US addresses. Your lens will ship after your check clears unless another payment method is used.
Please contact Shelly via e-mail or by phone at 1-646-423-0392 (Eastern time).
I have seen many sharp and wonderful images created with this versatile lens on several IPTs. artie
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
Sheldon Goldstein, multiple IPT participant, is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens in like-new condition, for $750.00. The sale includes a Wimberley P-30 mount, the lens cap, the rear cap, the protective case, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower 48 US addresses. Your lens will ship after your check clears unless another payment method is used.
Please contact Shelly via e-mail or by phone at 1-646-423-0392 (Eastern time).
I put the 400 f/5.6 lens on the map back in the mid-1990s. I affectionately called it my “toy lens.” It is lightweight and super sharp. I created many 100s of saleable images with it including my best early flight shots. I used it on a tripod to create Blizzard in Blue. With Fuji Veliva 50 pushed one stop to ISO 100. 🙂 . artie
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 DG HSM Lens for Canon
Sheldon Goldstein, multiple IPT participant, is offering a Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 DG HSM lens for Canon in like-new condition for $850.00. The sale includes the lens cover, the rear cap, the protective carrying case, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower 48 US addresses. Your lens will ship after your check clears unless another payment method is used.
Please contact Shelly via e-mail or by phone at 1-646-423-0392 (Eastern time).
This lens is designed for use with full-frame Canon digital cameras; it offers a dramatically ultra-wide coverage with field-of-views ranging from 122° to 84.1° making it ideal for dramatic landscape photography. It is a superb architectural lens that is great for creating images of the tightest of interiors. Using Canon bodies with APS-C sensors (like the 7D Mark II) will give you an effective zoom range of 17-35mm. B&H
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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.
Bad Luck and Trouble …
I love using long lenses and teleconverters to photograph the sun as long as it is muted by light clouds or mist or fog. I have heeded the warnings and not pointed my rig directly at the shining brightly sun. When the accident described below happened, I could not remember the last time that I created a large-in-the-frame sun.
At some point about six weeks ago, down by the lake near my home, I noticed a small black blob along the lower part of the frame as I looked through the viewfinder. My first thought was to check an image. As the blob was not present in any images, I knew that the problem had something to do with the mirror assembly. I removed the lens and saw a decent-sized smudge on the mirror and a tiny black circular blob that seemed to be stuck to the edge of the mirror.
When I got back home I took a look at the mirror box (after removing the lens and the front body cap of course). It looked as if perhaps there was a dead bug stuck to the edge of the mirror. I got a pair of tweezers and attempted to remove the “dead bug” only to find that it was something solid that was very solidly attached to the edge of the mirror. I was unable to remove it. Perhaps it was a screw?
I grabbed my Sigma APO Macro 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Lens for Nikon F, added my remaining D850, and mounted the rig on the FlexShooter Pro. I framed up a tight image of the mirror box (above) and created a few images at f/16.
When I viewed an enlarged image (immediately above) I was stunned. It looked as if a tiny meteorite had struck the mirror at high speed, left burn marks in its track (the aforementioned smudge), and then melded itself to the edge of the mirror. As it looked as if there was something metal fused to the edge of the mirror I immediately thought of something molten … I thought it possible that the sun had caused the damage, but again, I knew that I had never pointed my Nikon 600 at the sun in ages. At least intentionally …
I sent the photos here to Patrick who replied, That is definitely sun damage. Only the sun concentrated rays of the sun could melt the inside of a camera body.
I then came to the realization that at some point I had left my lens unattended on the tripod with the lens inadvertently pointed at the sun for at least a few minutes. Note the slight arc to the smudge; that was somehow caused as the sun followed its curved path through the sky …
The Lesson
Be Careful Out There
Remember. Be careful out there. That was the trademark phrase of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus (played by Michael Conrad — 1925–1983) that was in the opening of each episode of Hill Street Blues. The repairs for my sun-damaged D850 cost me about $325.
You can bet your bottom dollar that for at least the next thirty years I will remember to point my lens down and away from the sun when I take a break in the field …
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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)
You will find roughly one zillion great Photoshop tips — including all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — 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): Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
- 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 old Canon images 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. 🙂 RAW conversions with DPP 4 are straightforward once you enter the camera/ISO specific recipes (as detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide). After using ACR to convert my Nikon (and more recently, my SONY) image for more than a year, I have begun converting all of my SONY and Nikon RAW files in Capture One Pro 12.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II and save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and NeatImage Noise Reduction techniques in The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. Please use this link to purchase NeatImage.
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.
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 :).
June 4th, 2019 What’s Up?
Lots.
Last night I went down to the lake as the wind was a gentle breeze from the northeast. There was an Osprey on the perch but the western sky was too, too clear. While I was tooling around, I found two medium-sized crane chicks that were surely hatched in May. Jim had told me about them. I saw them again this morning, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Most of the crane nests here hatch in late February and March.
Several clutches of three Ospreys fledged about 10 days ago but the chicks had been hard to come by until this morning. I photographed one on the railing of the pier last week in a less than ideal situation. This morning I found two perched on 4X4 posts supporting a small dock. Not the greatest perches either but the birds and the light were gorgeous. Images and more soon.
I will start packing today for my trip to Northern Ontario on Thursday. I will have internet access the whole time. 🙂
My Final Offer: Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased Again!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $4,000.00.
The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday, June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday, July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000.00 to $4000.00. Click here and scroll down a bit for complete details. Please e-mail for additional information.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
A very few FlexShooter Pro heads are now in stock here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We have sold 36 of the first forty that we received — all to positive reviews — and are expecting 20 more next week. We have the correct BigFoot plate available for all lenses but for the Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens. Please place a phone order if you would like the plate to go with your new FlexShooter Pro head; they should be in the store by next week.
As most of you know, I am now using it for 100% of my tripod-mounted photogtraphy. See here and here to learn more. Or see the video here.
Last week I got my hands on the prototype for the new FLN-60 Bigfoot for the Nikon 600 VR. It is long enough to balance the 600 alone with any Nikon camera body and the best news is that the Wimberley F-1 Flash Bracket fits perfectly and mounts easily. I will post a photo here soon. We will have them in stock in about three weeks.
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i-Phone 8+ image in Portrait Mode by Jim Litzenberg
Setting the Tripod Up in the Vehicle/Best by far with the FlexShooter Pro
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The Setting up a Tripod in your Vehicle MP4 Video
$10 here in the BAA Online Store or free with your purchase of the life-changing FlexShooter Pro Head.
This seven-minute video will teach you exactly how to set up a tripod in most vehicles. You can do this with pretty much any tripod that does not have a center post. It is just one of the many reasons that I do not like or use a tripod with a center post. As I did for more than two decades, you can use this strategy with any ballhead or with a Wimberley V2 head or a Mongoose M3.6 action head, but the FlexShooter Pro has several huge advantages. First and foremost you are able to level the large silver ball. This enables you to pan with moving subjects and shoot action and even flight from the driver’s seat of your vehicle all while the camera remains 100% square to the world, aka “level.” The second big advantage is the FlexShooter Pro has a lower profile than either of the other two heads mentioned so that you can be low enough to work subjects on the ground that are relatively close to your car.
You can order your copy of this MP4 video here in BAA Online Store. It is free with the purchase of a FlexShooter Pro head. Those who have previously purchased the FlexShooter Pro from us can e-mail to request their free copy.
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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
New Listing
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Kit with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5 – 5.6 IS STM Lens
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 4700) with the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5 - 5.6 IS STM lens (in mint condition) for the crazy low price of only $999.00 (with extras!). The sale includes the front body cap, a BG-E16 battery grip (a $209.00 value), a RRS BGE16-L L-plate (a $125 value -- no longer available new from RRS), an extra LP-E6 battery, the charger, the strap, the original product box with user documents and all cables, the front and rear caps and the original box for the 135 along with the EW-73B lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only.
Your kit will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Dane via e-mail or on his cell phone at 1-559-593-0989 (Pacifc time).
I loved my 7D II and to this day I am often amazed by many of the images that I created with it. It is the first choice camera body of highly skilled bird photographer BPN Avian Moderator Dan Cadieux (whose work has been featured here often — do a search in the little white box top right of each blog post for “Cadieux”), and more recently Ravi Harekatur (see the recent blog post here if you missed his great macro shots). The 18-135mm, made especially for Canon crop-factor bodies, is a great travel lens that with its 1.3 foot minimum focus distance offers macro capabilities. It alone sells new for $599.00. This is a truly great buy on an ideal starter kit for someone just getting into nature photography. Add the 100-400 II and you are good to go! artie
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This image was created on the very late afternoon of May 27, 2019 down by the lake near my home. Working while seated in the front seat of my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode was perfect with the red channel clipped a bit. AUTO1 WB at 8:07:06pm with some thin clouds on the western horizon.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: a very significant +9. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Three down and four to the left Single Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The single AF point was placed squarely on the bird’s neck.
Image #1: Osprey centered in the ball of the muted sun
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Photographing the Muted Ball of the Sun
I have enjoyed photographing the muted ball of the sun with long telephoto lenses and teleconverters for several decades. Unless you take extreme measures and use a complex technique to ensure eye safety, it is simply not a good plan to photograph the sun in a clear sky after it has been up for more than a very few minutes. I am pretty sure that I have covered that topic somewhere at some point … Or at least taught it on a Bosque IPT. (Note: my plan is to be leading two Bosque workshops this year, one just before and one just after Thanksgiving with an option for the whole nine yards. I will be announcing the dates and rates once I am able to secure my Special Use Permit.)
Whenever there are some light clouds or mist or fog near the horizon it is safe to photograph the sun without risking damage to your eyes (or as we will see in a blog post soon), to your camera. In years past I often worked at 1200mm when photographing muted suns in the early mornings or late afternoons, often with a crop factor camera body. It was easy to produce relatively huge in the frame suns. With Nikon, however, I pretty much max out at 840mm, the 600 VR plus the TCE-14.
While it is fun making images of muted suns, it is a lot more fun when you can include a bird in the frame and even more fun when you can silhouette the bird in the ball of the sun. The big challenge here is that the sun is effectively moving in the sky as the earth rotates; this makes positioning the bird exactly inside the sun very difficult — though the movement of the sun through the sky is very slow you do not have all day … Working from the car as I was with both of today’s images (photographed 19 seconds apart), means that you will be moving the vehicle every minute or so. In the late afternoons that means that I am moving the car backward as the sun moves to my right and in addition, maneuvering the car slightly higher on the slope that goes down to the lake so that I can keep the bird lined up with the sun …
Note that I increased the exposure 1/3 stop from Image #1 to Image #2 by decreasing the shutter speed from 1/2000 to 1/1600 second. As stressed here often on the blog it is imperative that you burn (over-expose) the RED channel (and actually the YELLOW channel as well when photographing vivid sunrise and sunsets. If you do not, the rest of the image will be rendered as underexposed mud. Proper technique also includes exposing so that you have significant blinkies on the brightest parts of the sun. That was the case with both of today’s featured images.
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This image was also created on the very late afternoon of May 27, 2019 down by the lake near my home.19 second after the image above. Working while seated in the front seat of my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode was perfect with the red channel clipped a bit. AUTO1 WB at 8:07:25pm with some thin clouds on the western horizon.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: a very significant +9. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Three down and four to the left Single Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The single AF point was placed on the base of the bird’s neck.
Image #2: Osprey was wings raised in front of the ball of the muted sun
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Understand …
That neither of today’s featured images would have been possible with the usual southwest winds in the afternoons. Wind against sun is what you need for silhouettes, in addition to a somewhat muted sun.
Which?
Which of the two images do you like best? Why? In what way or ways is Image #1 stronger than Image #2? In what way or ways is Image #2 stronger than Image #1?
A Great Capture One Pro 12 Tip
As mentioned above, the RED and YELLOW channels were toasted in the two RAW (NEF) files. Rather than decreasing the Exposure during the RAW conversion in Capture One, I tried moving the Highlight Slider to the right. (It is under the High Dynamic Range tab.) As I moved the slider farther and farther to the right, the RED (over-) Exposure Warnings diminished just as I got to 100. If you convert in ACR you might give this a try in similar situations. You will find Exposure Warning under View; the keyboard shortcut is Command E. It sometimes turns itself off without reason …
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
As below, Capture One did a great job of converting the RAW (NEF) files for today’s featured images.
When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in Capture One Pro 12 I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine-tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
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.
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 :).
June 3rd, 2019 What’s Up?
We’ve sold 36 of the 40 FlexShooter Pro heads that we have received, all to positive reviews. We should be getting another shipment next week.
I am tidying up some loose ends while getting ready for my primarily fishing trip to Northern Ontario. I am bringing lots of photo gear. I fly on June 6th and will be back in the office on June 18th.
If you missed the wonderful collection of macro images by BPN’s Ravi Hirekatur along with his inspiring life story in yesterday’s blog post, you may wish to check it out here.
My Final Offer: Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased Again!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $4,000.00.
The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000.00 to $4000..00. Scroll down for trip details. Please e-mail for additional information.
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This image was created on the morning of April 26, 2019 in my backyard. I used the hand held Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro lens for Nikon F with my backup mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering at about +1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode was perfect with the histogram pushed all the way to the right. AUTO1 WB at 7:44am on a still, cloudy morning.
A single AF point four or five down from center Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The point was placed on the center of the lower flower.
Image #1: sunflower (?) juxtaposition
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My Favorite
In the The Perfect Compromise: 100 + 180 = 280 ÷ 2 = 150??? blog post here, I asked which of the two image was your favorite. Though I really like both of the images, it was a vry close call but I must go with Image #1, the juxtaposition image. If the background had been uniformly green, my choice would have been easier.
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This image was created on the morning of April 27, 2019 in my backyard. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro lens for Nikon F with my backup mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering at about +1/3 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/16 in Manual mode was perfect with the histogram pushed all the way to the right. AUTO1 WB at 7:48am on a still, cloudy morning.
A single AF point one up and one to the right of center Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The point was placed just to our left of the center of the flower.
Image #2: sunflower (?) single blossom
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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The Correct Identification
Thanks to long-ago IPT veteran Myer Bornstein of Boston who suggested that I post the image to the Plant Identification group page on Facebook.. I did join, but never got as far as posting an image because I messaged Ethan Dropkin (from the same site) as he was obviously an expert. In short order he graciously replied, It is the yellow form of Gaillardia pulchella, Blanketflower, native to north and central Florida.
Note: BAA butterfly gardener, my right-hand man Jim Litzenberg, had the ID correct from the get-go.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
The late-registration discount has been increased to $3,500.00.
Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.
Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.
While in Bridlington we will staying at the White Horse Inn in Cranswick, about twenty minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.
In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.
On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The Details
This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip.
IPT Details
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.
Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.
June 2nd, 2019 What’s Up?
I am proud to share with you today some wonderful photographs and a truly wonderful story.
I began working on the Nikon D850 Camera User’s Guide yesterday.
It finally rained here on Saturday afternoon. Morning photography has not been great larely and yesterday light winds from the west in the morning (wind against sun) were not helpful. The forecast for this morning, Sunday June 2, 2019, is the same. But I will head down to the lake after breakfast anyway.
Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $3,500.00.
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000 to $3500. See the listing on the IOT page here or e-mail for additional information.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
All previously back-ordered FlexShooter Pro heads have been shipped thanks again to those who trusted us and ordered by phone. The FlexShooter Pro is now in stock here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We have the correct BigFoot plate available for all lenses but for the Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens. Please place a phone order if you would like the plate to go with your new FlexShooter Pro head; they should be in the store by next week.
As most of you know, I am now using it for 100% of my tripod-mounted photogtraphy. See here and here to learn more. Or see the video here.
The other day I got my hands on the prototype for the new FLN-60 Bigfoot for the Nikon 600 VR. It is long enough to balance the 600 alone with any Nikon camera body and the best news is that the Wimberley F-1 Flash Bracket fits perfectly and mounts easily. I will post a photo here soon. We will have them in stock in about three weeks.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in Capture One Pro 12 I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehenisve The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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.
Big Blue Stem with flowers
I love everything about this image, from the soft purples, lavenders, and pinks to the super-fine detail. See what others thought about this image in Ravi’s BPN post here.
Running into the work of Ravi Hirekatur
I spend most of my time on BirdPhotographers.Net (BPN) in the Avian Forum. But our BPN motto is “it ain’t just birds!” So I do spend some time in the other forums, including especially Macro & Flora and Wildlife among others.
Last November when I was tooling around in Macro I came across Ravi’s work. I was most impressed. I loved his simple compositions, his use of soft light and pastel colors, and especially his BIRDS AS ART backgrounds. I got in touch with him via e-mail and asked him if it would be OK to use some of his images on the blog. I got this back from him:
Hi Artie,
Thanks for your generous comments and words of encouragement on my posts. I have learned pretty much everything I know in digital photography – from camera settings, capture techniques and post-processing – from your blogs and the products you offer including CDs, videos, software and instructional manuals. Thanks for all that you are doing in educating nature photographers.
I would be honored to have some of my images featured in your blog. Yes, I do some photography whenever I can. I used to do a lot more a few years ago, but I can’t get out much for photography due to family obligations. My only time is early mornings during the warmer days, so I switched to macro and wildflowers.
Thanks again, Ravi
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Ravi Hirekatur with family
Image courtesy of and copyright 2018: Ravi Hirekatur
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Ravi Hirekatur
Ravi lives in Madison, WI where he is a family practice physician for the University of Wisconsin Health system. He does most of his macro photography in and around Madison at various parks and natural areas. You can see more of his work (including some birds) on his website here.
Exemplary
adjective
1. serving as a desirable model; representing the best of its kind.
Exemplary Lives
Ravi was born in 1960 in South India in a small town near Bangalore. He later moved there; it is now a big city and software hub. He grew up in a middle-class family that drove him hard to do well in school. In 1987, he came to the US to study Industrial Engineering after completing Mechanical Engineering degree in India. He went to Kansas State University for his graduate work and was then employed in Kansas City for 4 years as an Industrial Engineer, working mainly in developing algorithms for computer controlled manufacturing. After a while, He realized that his heart was not in it. He returned to school for pre-med courses and eventually got a medical degree from the University of Kansas in Kansas City and Wichita in the year 2000. He started his training in Family Medicine at the University of New Mexico and completed his residency at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and joined the UW Health system afterwards. He has also trained in holistic medicine and the Indian system of Ayurvedic medicine. He met his wife Ann in Madison 15 years ago; she now works for the WI State Department of Natural Resources in the area of water quality. In 2013, They adopted two orphaned siblings from Ethiopia. His daughter Melkiya is 12 and is doing very well in school. She is adept in violin and piano. His son Zerihun is eight and is good at cello and piano. He is also playing basketball and wants to play in college when he grows up.
Needless to say, He had to go part-time after adopting his kids so he could spend as much time as possible with them to develop bonding. Prior to adopting his children, he was very active in international volunteering in under-served areas in Africa, and South and Central America. He also volunteered multiple times in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. He still works part-time as a doctor. At home he does lots of cooking and cleaning and very much enjoys taking the kids around town to their various activities.
He did mostly landscape photography for about 15 years prior to adopting his kids. Then he got interested in birds after reading an article about Arthur Morris in Outdoor Photographer many years ago, probably in the late 1990s; it talked about his transition from teaching in NYC to bird photography. Ravi did some bird photography for a few years after getting Artie’s first book on bird photography. His photography came to a standstill after adopting his kids, but he started out again gradually 3-4 years ago, focusing mainly on wildflowers in Wisconsin. He does not have the time to get out much except in early mornings on warmer days, which is perfect for wildflower photography. He hopes to get back to bird photography in a few years when his kids are a little older. He also practices mindfulness meditation and he is currently working on doing wildflower photography in a meditative way.
Strings and Beads
This one is evocative of John Shaw’s work. I distincly remember his cover on Natural History magazine from about a zillion years ago; it was quite similar to Ravi’s photograph but with a grey background. What I especially love about Strings and Beads is the single large drop of water top center. Ravi wrote in his BPN post here:
I saw this spider web covered with raindrops after an early morning shower. I was able to get a few images quickly. A couple of seconds after this image was made, the entire web collapsed from the weight of water drops. Such is the impermanence of nature! That lesson is especially important for macro photographers: take the image now (not later or tomorrow) as it might be gone in an instant. I am still working on learning that one …
Potato Beetle
Here again I enjoy the simple image design and the soft pastel colors that turn an ordinary subject into a work of art. You can see what others had to say about this image in Ravi’s BPN post here.
Yellow Foxtail with Milkweed seed
Here is my comment at Ravi’s BPN post here:
Sublimely superb. And I love the image design as is. The soft light and your use of the d-of are both great. And the BKGR is complimentary. All in all, very well done.
Sweet Coneflower
For this image Ravi went to a higher than usual shutter speed to freeze the slowly swaying subject. He does his RAW conversions in DPP4 and optimizes them hi Photoshop (just as I did when I was using Canon gear). He added a bit of canvas on the right as the sepal was too close to the frame-edge and softened the right lower corner with the Healing Brush Too.He selectively applied NIK Color Efex Pro Tonal Contrast (at 35% opactiy) and Detail Extractor (at 30% opacity). By focusing on the flower center and working at a relatively wide aperture Ravi gave this image a surreal look.
See what others thought about tSweet Coneflower in Ravi’s BPN post here.
Showy Tick Trefoil
In Ravi’s BPN post here, I learned that this one is a simple two-frame focus stack. I have often thought about trying that with birds …
Huge Thanks!
Huge thanks to Ravi for allowing me to share his wonderful images and his story with you here. Ravi’s work is absolute proof that by being selective and having a good eye one does not need to be prolific …
Wall-Hanger?
If you could own a large print of one of Ravi’s images, which one would you select? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
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.
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 :).
May 31st, 2019 What’s Up?
It was a bit cloudy today — Friday May 31, 2019 — right at sunrise so I set up the car in the driveway with my i-Phone on the tripod in the holder that I learned about in Dr. Cliff Oliver’s great iPhone Photography e-Guide . Then I grabbed Jim before his morning walk and working together, we created the Setting Up the Tripod in the Car mp4 video. It will be free to those who have purchased a FlexShooter Pro from us, $10 for the rest of the gang. No refunds; you gotta buy the tripod head first to get it free. 🙂 What you learn will enable most folks to set us a tripod in their car with pretty much any old tripod head but nothing, I repeat nothing, will be as effective as the FlexShooter Pro.
There had been something interesting going on here at ILE for the past two weeks. In past years, I have seen an occassional Osprey on the ground sitting around doing nothing. Recently I have seen groups of as many as eight sitting on the grass doing nothing. The birds are very difficult to approach even when driving very slowly. With no rain in forever, the lake is very low; as a result, I have been seeing Black-necked Stilt and Black-bellied Whistling Duck. Again, photography of those species is pretty close to impossible. Morning action continues to slacken; I headed down this mornng when we finished the video and was back at work by 7:45am. :(.
On the great news front I signed up a single for the Galapagos trip; registration for that trip is now closed. I still need just one more for the UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites IPT … The discount on that one is so large that I will soon be offering to pay for someone to come …
Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased!
The late-registration discount has been increased to $3,500.00.
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000 to $3500. Scroll down for trip details. Please e-mail for additional information.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
All previously back-ordered FlexShooter Pro heads have been shipped thanks again to those who trusted us and ordered by phone. The FlexShooter Pro is now in stock here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. We have the correct BigFoot plate available for all lenses but for the Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens. Please place a phone order if you would like the plate to go with your new FlexShooter Pro head; they should be in the store by next week.
As most of you know, I am now using it for 100% of my tripod-mounted photogtraphy. See here and here to learn more. Or see the video here.
The other day I got my hands on the prototype for the new FLN-60 Bigfoot for the Nikon 600 VR. It is long enough to balance the 600 alone with any Nikon camera body and the best news is that the Wimberley F-1 Flash Bracket fits perfectly and mounts easily. I will post a photo here soon. We will have them in stock in about three weeks.
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The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
Click here to order.
|
The Capture One Pro-12 Simplified Video
$15.00 via electronic download
When I first heard about doing RAW conversions in Capture One Pro 12 I purchased the somewhat pricey program and tried to figure it out on my own. I was totally lost. So I did some reading online and was still very confused. Then I consulted Arash Hazeghi’s comprehenisve The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide and while Arash does a great job of covering the fine points, I still had some difficulty getting started. I thought Who needs Sessions and who wants to have to Import images? So I consulted Patrick Sparkman, the BAA technical advisor. Patrick had been using C-1 Pro 12 for a while. We spent a good deal of time on FaceTime simplifying things. That video is a direct result of those conversations.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store here.
If you are new to Capture One Pro-12, please click here to order. Understand that C-1 Pro 12 is expensive for good reason … Are your photos worth it?
Here are some of the things you will learn in this 33+ minute video as we convert nine different RAW files (eight Nikon and one SONY) from soup to nuts, from Photo Mechanic through the RAW conversion in Capture One to Photoshop:
- 1-How to quickly and easily find your images while working in a simple file folder format.
- 2-How to customize your Exposure and Details tabs to streamline your workflow.
- 3-How to set the White and Black points using Levels.
- 4-How to adjust set the values for the relevant sliders including Exposure, White Balance, High Dynamic Range (the Highlight and Shadow sliders), and Clarity and Structure.
- 5-How to work at 100 or 200% and fine tune your settings for Noise Reduction and Sharpness.
- 6-How to work with the Color Editor
If you are trying to get a handle on how to use this great RAW conversion engine for your Nikon and SONY images, this video is just what you have been looking for. It is meant to serve as an adjunct to Arash’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide. For Canon shooters, Arash and I both recommend using DPP 4.
ps: learn how I saved today’s’ featured image in Capture One by reading the rest of this blog post.
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. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
New Listings
Sony Alpha a9 (ILCE 9) Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Peter Noyes is offering a Sony Alpha a9 (ILCE 9) Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in like-new condition for the crazy low price of $2698.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it along with insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your ceck clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Peter via e-mail or by phone at 1-(567) 356-0878 (eastern time).
The a9 is a superb 24.2MP full-frame mirroless digital camera body that is perfect for sports and for birds in action or in flight. It is capable of shooting at up to 20 fps (15 fps with AF-C),, The 693-point phase-detection autofocus system covers 93% of the image area for accurate and quick subject tracking in a variety of lighting conditions. The a9 also sports 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization to minimize the appearance of camera shake when shooting handheld especially with telephoto lenses. As the a9 currently sells new for $3,498.00 you can grab Peter’s pretty much new a9 and save a cool $800.00.. artie
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
Sandra Calderbank is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record low by $1,000 price of $5999.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it including the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, and the lens strap along with a LensCoat 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 Sandra via e-mail or by phone at 1-828 412 1047 (eastern time).
This fast, super-sharp, relatively lightweight (8.49 pounds) super-telephoto lens is a versatile lens for wildlife photographers, especially for those who live in the west and do large mammals in low light. And it is a hugely popular lens with sports photographers. For bird photographers working at close range at feeder set-ups will really love the 3m (9.8 feet) close focus. And best of all, it creates super-sharp images with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III Extenders. It currently sells new at B&H for $7,999. You can save $2,000 significant bucks by grabbing Sandra’s fast lens right now. artie
Re-Run with New Extras!
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with $550 of added Mega-Extras!
Eric Chen is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $6998.00. The sale includes everything that came in the orignal box including the lens trunk, the lens strap, the front lens cover, the warranty card, along with a Realtree Max 4 LensCoat, a LensCoat Hoodie, a RRS replacement foot, a Singh-Ray 5-stop Mor Slo Neutral Density filter (a $250+ value, great for Bosque blurs) mounted in the correct 52mm Canon Filter Drawer (filer holder– a $100+ value), a Tamrac Professional Series: Anvil Super 25 Backpack for dSLR and 600mm Lens (a $200 value) and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless another payment method is used.
Please contact Eric via e-mail or by phone at 1-413-210-3636 (Eastern time).
The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto lens for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $9,499, you can save a cool $2501.00 by grabbing Eric’s lens now. And that is not counting the great extras. The lighter 600 III goes for $12,999.00! artie
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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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Nikon Capture NX-D full frame original screen capture of Black Vulture landing showing AF points
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Nikon Capture NX-D Full Frame Original Screen Capture of Black Vulture landing Showing AF Points
I rarely if ever check for sharpness on the rear LCD as my close vision is NTG and I don’t usually wear my reading glasses in the field. In addition, I simply cannot judge the sharpness very well on the back of the camera. I was thrilled when I viewed this image full frame on the back of the camera. The Group array was nicely positioned as you can see in the screen capture above. When shooting flight with Nikon unsharp images are very rare so I was pretty sure that this one would be fine …
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Photo Mechanic screen capture of the bird’s head at 100%
Can you say “fuzzy”?
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Photo Mechanic screen capture of the bird’s head at 100%
I wasn’t really shocked when I viewed the image at 100% in Photo Mechanic because it did not look sharp on the face even before I hit Z (to enlarge to 100%). Perhaps the focus was a bit past the vulture’s face and eye, but I think that the unsharpness might have been the result of motion blur; when I get excited shooting flight I often jerk the lens to get the framing that I want rather than panning smoothly as I should. In any case, though the face was not critcally sharp, I knew that I wanted to try to save the image because I loved the feet-out landing pose, the killer braking wing position, and the placement of the bird in the frame in relation to the background.
Note: This bird and many other vultures (both blacks and turkeys) were attracted to a pile of Red Snapper heads courtesy of Junior’s Fish Market on SR 60 in Lake Wales; thanks Mike!
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This is a 100% crop showing the markedly improved sharpness of the bird’s head
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The Save!
When making the transition from ACR conversions to Capture One Pro 12 conversions (to enjoy superior image quality) I studied Arash Hazeghi’s comprehensive The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide extensively. I remembered reading this:
Again, please note that it is very difficult, if not impossible to salvage images that are soft due to misfocus, motion blur, atmospheric distortion (such as heat shimmers, dust etc.) or very poor optics. Applying more sharpening to such images will only increase the noise and artifacts. I immediately delete such files after downloading them. Only images that are very slightly soft can be corrected by applying more sharpening. For such images, I recommend to first use the clarity and structure settings as explained earlier, and then adjust sharpness parameters using visual feedback.
From where I sit, very difficult, if not impossible translates to sometimes do-able . Using the Capture One Navigator and working at 200% I set both Clarity and Structure to 50 and raised the Sharpness value to 200 and noted some nice improvement. Once I had the converted image in Photoshop I selectively sharpened the head with a Contrast Mask and did some Eye Doctor work that resulted in additional improvement. Note: Both of those tehcniques are just two of the many, many dozens of great post-processing techniques and tips that are detailed in The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
Note: though Arash’s The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide includes Noise Reduction and Sharpness tables for current Nikon bodies, I have had great success using C-1 Pro 12 with my Sony RAW files. The program recognized both a9 and a7R iii images and the defualt settings are pretty effective. Better yet, the guide teaches you to work at 100% while fine-tuning the Noise Reduction and Sharpness values visually for each image.
If you are new to Capture One, please use this link to purchase.
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This image was created down by the lake by my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL on May 18, 2019. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering as framed at about +1 1/3 stops (+2 stops off the low blue sky): 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode was, as you can see by the histogram below, was perfect. AUTO1 WB at 8:09am on a sunny but slightly hazy morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Center Group (grp) AF/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) was active at the moment of exposure. See the Nikon Capture NX-D screen capture above to see the position of the array.
Black Vulture landing/the optimized version
Click on the image to enjoy a large version.
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Black Vulture landing/the optimized version
While the final result would not likely not thrill Arash, I was and am quite happy with the optmized version above. It is perfect for web presentation and I am pretty sure that it would make a nice 16X24′ print.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
The late-registration discount has been increased to $3,500.00.
Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.
Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.
While in Bridlington we will staying at the White Horse Inn in Cranswick, about twenty minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.
In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.
On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The Details
This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip.
IPT Details
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.
Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.
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.
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 :).
May 29th, 2019 Huge Late-registration UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites Instructional Photo-Tour Discount Increased!
In an effort to fill a single remaining slot, I have increased the the late-registration discount for this great IPT from $3,000 to $3500. Scroll down for trip details. Please e-mail for additional information.
What’s Up?
While the morning photo sessions down by the lake have slowed down a bit, my 25-minute sunset sessions had been getting better and better each night. I absolutely killed it on Monday and continue to refine my techniques and framing. On Tuesday evening I was so engrossed in watching James Holzhauer continue his unprecedented run as Jeopary champion that I forgot to go down to the lake (depsite ideal conditions) 🙁 IAC, images soon. I’ve swum at least a mile for straight days, a new record, and plan on continuing unitl I fly to northern Ontario on June 6th. I will be back in the office late in the day on June 17th.
Today’s blog post took two hours to prepare.
FlexShooter Pro Updates
Jim shipped a load of FlexShooter Pro heads yesterday; tahnks to those who trusted us and ordered by phone. The FlexShooter Pro is now in stock here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store
. We have about ten left and have already ordered a thrid batch of 20. If you have been living in a cave for the past three weeks you can learn about this great new head — I am using it for 100% of my tripod-mounted photogtraphy — here and here. Or see the video here.
I got my hands on the prototype for the new FLN-60 Bigfoot for the Nikon 600 VR. It is long enough to balance the 600 alone with any camera body and the best news is that the Wimberley F-1 Flash Bracket fits perfectly and mounts easily. I will post a photo for Brian Small and others here soon. We will have them in stock in about three weeks.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 morning of Tuesday, May 29 2019 down by the lake near my home. Working while seated in the front seat of my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode was dead-solid perfect. AUTO1 WB at 7:2am on beautiful clear morning.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: a very significant +9. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
A single AF point one up and one to the left of the center AF point Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The point was on the base of the crest just behind the bird’s eye.
Great Blue Heron scratching
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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The FlexShooter Pro on a Tripod in my Vehicle
Each session I become more and more comfortable and efficient at setting up the tripod inside my SUV while I am seated in the driver’s seat. It really opens up a whole new world. I will be doing a video on just how to do that as soon as we get some clouds down here. It will be offered for sale for $20 but will be free to all who have purcahsed a FlexShooter Pro from BIRDS AS ART. Once the car is re-positioned it takes only a few seconds to level the silver ball and get to work. I had been setting up the tripod in my vehicle for about 25 years using first the Wimberley V2 head and then the Mongoose M3.6 but doing flight or following action with either of those was pretty much impossible. While shooting flight and action on a trpod from your vehicle with the FlexShooter Pro is not a piece of cake (as compared to standing at full height behind your tripod, it is, as you have seen here recently 100% do-able.
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Great Blue Heron scratching
Before and after White Balance Adjustment
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White Balance Adjustment Tip
Whether I am doing a RAW conversion in ACR or Capture One Pro 12, I use the same White Balance trick. (It also works with DPP 4.)
- 1-Note the As Shot white balance. For ths GBH scratching image this value was K5690 and as you can see in the RAW (NEF) file, the left-hand photo above, the image was too warm and the sky was grey not blue.
- 2-Do a click White Balance adjustment by clicking on the brightest whites. This lowered the WB to K3851. Now the image was much too blue.
- 3-Re-set the As Shot WB and pull the slider to the left adjusting the WB to your taste. With today’s featured image I converted at K4655 (the right-hand image above shows the un-cropped converted TIFF.
It works every time. Note: at times, you may wind up at or very close to the As Shot WB, and at other times you might wind up at or very close to the Click WB value.
Note: this is just one of the many, many dozens of great post-processing tips detailed in The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
The 63% Crop!
As I created a long series of images depicting the GBH scratching, I knew that the pier railing was too ugly to be included in the image; milled lumber rarely makes an attractive perch. In addition the dark shadows and the whitewash on the wood were both very distracting. But I also knew that a super-sharp 45.7MP D850 image would stand up well to a large crop. A flattened 8-bit D850 image comes in at 130MB. My cropped and flattened 8-bit optmized image came in at 48.2MB. Thus, 63% of the original pixels were cropped away. Though I used only 37% of the original image, the sharpness and fine feather detail are remarkable.
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Great Blue Heron scratching
The Capture One Pro 12 Loupe
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The Capture One Pro 12 Loupe
One of the features that I love about Capture One Pro 12 is that it offers an adjsutable magnifying loupe (Keyboard shoartcut P.) You can set both the size of the loupe and the magnification. I opt for Large Loupe Size and 200% magnification while Patrick Sparkman keeps his at Medium and 100%. Horses for courses.
This feature is pretty much mandatory for editing SONY images because SONY does NOT embed a large JPEG in their RAW files as both Canon and Nikon do. So when I am editing in Photo Mechanic I am ubable to check my SONY images for crtical sharpness. That is where the C-1 Pro 12 Loupe comes in quite handy to say the least.
Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video
The Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 video is complete and will be posted here soon.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
Please e-mail to learn about the very large late-registration discount
Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.
Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.
While in Bridlington we will staying at the White Horse Inn in Cranswick, about twenty minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.
In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.
On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The Details
This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip.
IPT Details
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.
Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.
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.
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 :).
May 27th, 2019 What’s Up
Just the usual. Gorgeous day after goregous day with fewer and fewer morning photo opps despite perfect sky conditions and southeast winds. And long afternoon swims. I finished editing Andrew McLachlan’s Focus on Frogs e-Book last week and am waiting for him to return the final edit. After mnay months of work, Joe Przybyla and I are finished with The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photography Site Guide. As soon as I get the final edit to and then back from Joe, I will make the PDF and get this great new work into the BIRDS AS ART Online Store. This lavishly illustrated guide details a number of little-known hotspots that can be quite productive. One of those little-known hotspots is Indian Lake Estates. The guide should be available for purchase in about a week.
Thanks to the many who have commented on the four final images in the 2018 B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest. I will be tallying the results and awarding the prizes this week. If you would like to be heard click here and enjoy some great photography.
Please remember that using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link or the Bedford’s discount code (BIRDS AS ART) will not cost you a single cent and is a great way to
thank me for the hours that I put into the blog and time spent answering your e-mails. As always (and as below), feel free to write with gear questions when you are in need of advice.
Our second shipment of twenty FlexShooter Pro heads finally arrived late on Friday. We will be shipping to those who ordered by phone on Tuesday as Monday is a holiday. I will check out the new Nikon 600 VR Bigfoot on Tuesday and let you know what I have learned.
Huge Late-registration BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour Discounts
I an effort to fill a very few remaining slots, I am offering a $3,000 late registration discount on the UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kite IPT (one slot) and a $4,000 late registration discount on the Galapagos Photo Cruise of a lifetime (one slot) — the world’s very best Galapagos photo trip. We do the three world-class landings twice each: North Seymour, Hood, and Tower … Join us. Click here and scroll down for the trip details. Please e-mail with questions.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 late afternoono of Saturday, May 26 2019 down by the lake near my home. Working while seated in the front seat of my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering at about +1 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode left the image overall dark despite the fact that the RED channel was toasted. AUTO1 WB at 8:06pm on a somewhat hazy evening (nine minutes before sunset). A somewhat muted sun was just out of frame right.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: a very significant +9. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Center Group (grp) Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s rear flank as originally framed.
Osprey landing/sunset silhouette
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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More Smart or More Lucky?
Even though I had gotten into the pool fairly late in the afternoon, I had been planning to drive around Lake Walk-in-Water and explore the other side of the lake for afternoon bird photography oportunities (with the afternoon sun behind me). After I exited the pool and got dried off I still had more than enough time go exploring but thought that I’d best check the wind direction. Oops! 13mph from the northeast. Experienced bird photographers know that the last thing you want on a sunny afternoon is a northeast wind. With the sun setting in the southwest all the birds will be flying, landing, and facing away from you when you are on sun angle, that is, with the sun coming over the top of your heard.
Most folks do not realize that the worst wind for traditional front-lit bird photography is the best wind for doing silhouettes. Why? Looking right at the sunset (or the sunrise as well), the bird will be flying, landing, and facing toward you with the colorlful sky (if there is one) right behind them. So rather than drive 30 minutes toward poor conditions I took my time and headed down to the lake at 7:50pm.
As I approached my favorite perch, I saw that there was an Osprey on it (as had been the case each morning for the past two weeks). I set up the tripod in the front seat, leveled the FlexShooter Pro, and then approached slowly staying well back. The bird flew. I gave it a few minutes but impatient for action I drove a short ways to check out some cranes courting on a hill near the parking circle. That did not pan out so I looked back at the perch and saw that it was occupied again. I got back into position trying to line up my SUV with the brightest sky color. I shut off the engine and made two frames when the bird took flight again. It was now about 8:00pm so I decided to sit tight and wait for a bird to land. I was focused on the perch adjusting my exposure when suddenly the viewfinder was filled with a landing Osprey. The bird had flown in from the north and hung a quick u-turn to land into the wind. Totally surprised I followed my own oft-given advice: When unexpected action occurs, push the shutter button.
I created about 8 frames as the bird struggled to get its balance on the perch. A quick peek revealed what looked like some pretty decent images — the first one with the wings fully out-stretched looked fantastic. After re-positioning the vehicle, I tried a few more with both the bird and the sun in the frame but the sun was still much too bright for that. In moments, it had disappeared behind the far shore of the lake and I headed home.
The first few images including the one that I was sure was spectacular were no good. The bird had landed with its head down; silhouettes of head-less birds are rarely if ever successful. Today’s featured image, the fifth in the series, was the best of the lot with the head clear of the body and some nice light coming through the primaries. This image was converted in Capture One Pro 12 where I lightened the sky and blacked-up the Osprey a bit. I began experiemnting with the Color Editor and it turned out to be easier and more intuitive than I had at first glance. It is actually quite similar to the HSL (Hue-Saturation-Luminance) tab in ACR but in a completely different format.
In short, I was glad that I thought to check the wind direction and even gladder that I got lucky with the somewhat unexpected landing.
Bugged?
There is one thing about this image that bugs me. If there is something that bugs you, please do share by leaving a comment.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
Please e-mail to learn about the very large late-registration discount
Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.
Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.
While in Bridlington we will staying at the White Horse Inn in Cranswick, about twenty minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.
In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.
On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The Details
This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip.
IPT Details
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.
Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.
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.
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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 :).
May 25th, 2019 What’s Up?
Our second shipment of twenty FlexShooter Pro heads finally arrived late on Friday. We will be shipping to those who ordered by phone on Tuesday as Monday is a holiday. I will check out the new Nikon 600 VR Bigfoot on Tuesday and let you know what I have learned. We have been enjoying perfect weather every day along with some decent morning photography and my daily swims.
The 2018 B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest Finalists!
Thanks to the generosity of the great folks at B&H, I am proud to announce the final four for the first-ever B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest below. Please rate the four contest finalist images as noted below. The final placement of the winning and honored images will be announced soon.
Important, to me at least …
I learned yesterday that a guy who has visited and learned from the blog for years had recently purchased the Nikon 800mm VR lens with the dedicated 1.25X teleconverter. This gentleman has never been on an IPT. He often sends me photos for my comment and usually asks a few questions. I have always answered politely and in a timely fashion. When he began sending many images in a single e-mail, I suggested that he take advantage of the image critiquing service that I offer. He never took me up on that.
He told me that he had purchased the lens from B&H so I asked if he had used my affiliate link. The answer was “No.” I let him know that had he used my link as a way to thank me for the blog and the times that I spend answering e-mails like his it would not have cost him one penny more, that it was just a great way to say “Thank you.” I also let him know that my commission on a $16,296.95 sale would have been a tidy $570.39.
If you are purchasing new photo gear from B&H or Bedford’s, I would truly appreciate your writing for advice and using my affiliate links or discount codes. Again, doing so would not cost you one cent.
Huge thanks and gobs of appreciation to those who regularly use the BAA affiliate links and discount codes. With lots of love as well.
Please note: Today’s blog post took about five months and five hours to prepare 🙂
Huge Late-registration BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour Discounts
I an effort to fill a very few remaining slots, I am offering a $3,000 late registration discount on the UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kite IPT (one slot) and a $4,000 late registration discount on the Galapagos Photo Cruise of a lifetime (one slot) — the world’s very best Galapagos photo trip. We do the three world-class landings twice each: North Seymour, Hood, and Tower … Join us. Click here and scroll down for the trip details. Please e-mail with questions.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Contest-Related Used Gear Sales
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
This is NOT Joe Sobelefsky’s lens 🙂
Eric Chen is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $6998.00. The sale includes everything that came in the orignal box including the lens trunk, the lens strap, the front lens cover, the warranty card, a Realtree Max 4 LensCoat, a RRS replacement foot, the 52mm drop-in polarizer (a $229.00 value), a LensCoat Hoodie, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless another payment method is used.
Please contact Eric via e-mail or by phone at 1-413-210-3636 (Eastern time).
The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto lens for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $9,499, you can save a cool $2501.00 by grabbing Eric’s lens now. The lighter 600 III goes for $12,999.00! artie
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR Lens
This is the very lens used to create the Painted Bunting image below
Chris Tricou is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in excellent condition for $8296.95. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original Nikon neoprene tough front lens cover that goes over the hood, a camo LensCoat, a black hoodie (neoprene front cover), the lens strap, the original product box, the low profile Nikon tripod foot, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Chris via e-mail or by phone at 225-445-6777 (Central time).
The 500 f/4 super telephoto lenses have been the world’s most popular for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. This is Nikon’s latest/greatest version. It is super-sharp with the TC-14E III (the 1.4X teleconverter). This lens is relatively small and can be easily hand held by some folks. It is much easier to travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the current Nikon 600 VR. This lens sells for $10,296.95. Grab Chris’s lens asap while $2000.00 for a pretty much new lens with extras. I loved my Canon 500 II. artie
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Learn the secrets of creating contest-worthy images in “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs.”
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Contest-Related Advertisement
A Guide to Pleasing Blurs
In A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly, we discuss just about every technique ever used to create pleasingly blurred images. Ninety-nine point nine percent of pleasing blurs are not happy accidents. You can learn pretty much everything that there is to know about creating them in this instructive, well-written, easy to follow, beautifully illustrated e-Guide.
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. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.
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 by BPN member Paul Burdett. He used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 400mm) with theC Canon crop factor body, the EOS 7D Mark II dSLR. ISO 640: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6.
Image #1: New Holland Honeyeater, Tasmania
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Paul Burdett
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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The New Holland Honeyeater Story
This bird was photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania. The island is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel; its east coast abuts the Tasman Sea. The island is noted for various birds that are endemic to Tasmania, some of which are endangered. My wife and I stayed at Inala, an amazing private nature reserve on the island, where I was able to see and photograph the Forty-spotted Pardalote as well as a number of other endemic birds. This New Holland Honeyeater was spotted a few minutes after photographing the Pardalote, and posed quite nicely for me.
You can see what others (including me) thought of this image in Paul’s BPN post here.
My Thoughts and Comments
I fell in love with this bird and this image the moment I saw it on BPN. It reminded me of some sort of breeding plumage Yellow-rumped Warbler hybrid on steroids! Thanks, Paul for entering this one.
The Snow Geese Blast-off at Bosque Story
This image was taken at the main pond in Bosque Del Apache NM during my trip at the end of 2018. It was early evening and I was photographing Snow Geese on the road. After a while, they took off and landed far away in the pond. All the folks who had been photographing the birds on the road left. I stood there contemplating whether I should leave for crane pools or wait to see if the flock would blast off. With a muted sun behind me and overcast conditions, I stood waiting for more than 30 minutes. I composed the image, using the distant mountains as an anchor and waited for the birds to take off. I was just about to give up when the birds blasted off.
I learned a lot on your Gatorland IPT two years ago. I study your blog religiously and have also learned a ton in the Avian Forum; I joined BPN almost 3 years ago.
My Thoughts and Comments
As many of you know, I love blurs, especially ones that are well done. And I love that Krishna incorporated many of the things he has learned on BPN and in various BAA guides as well to come up with this fine image. His story reminds me in part of the story behind Blizzard in Blue — same place, same time of year, and lots of other photographers sitting in their cars because of the cold drizzle … Blizzard in Blue was runner-up in Composition and Form in a late-1990s vintage Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. Who’d a thunk it? Creative blurs before digital!
In A Guide to Pleasing Blurs (and elsewhere), I have written, The slower your shutter speed the less chance you have a creating a successful image but the more chance you have of creating a contest-winning image …
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This image was created by IPT veteran (and former BPN member) Joe Sobelefsky. He used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens with my favorite Canon body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV dSLR.. ISO 2000: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5. Processed in DPP4.
Image #3: Wood Duck pair courting
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Joe Sobelefsky
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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The Courting Wood Ducks Story
Each winter, during the freeze, I spend time prepping a location in Harford County, Maryland for Wood Ducks. The frozen mud in the marsh makes this the only time that you can move limbs, drop stumps, clean and reposition the nest boxes, perform needed maintenance, and build blinds. The arrival of my favorite waterfowl species is a time of pure bliss for me; I spend every spare moment for about three months in my blind photographing these beautiful ducks. Watching these elusive waterfowl interact, pair up, defend boxes, lay eggs, incubate and finally fledge their ducklings brings me to a place of inner peace that I have not experienced anywhere else on earth. Even though these are wild ducks, I feel as if I know them personally by the time that move on for the year.
My Thoughts and Comments
With Joe’s image, I love the soft light and the intimacy of the image. Note that there was plenty of depth-of-field even at the nearly wide open aperture of f/4.5. Why? The distance to the birds was relatively large.
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This image was created by Chris Tricou with the mono-pod mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens with the Nikon crop factor body, the D500 dSLR. ISO 320: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.
Image #4: Painted Bunting displaying male
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Chris Tricou
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version
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The Painted Bunting Story
I had been exploring a piece of private property that I had been granted access to near Baton Rouge on the banks of the Mississippi River between the levee and the river itself. It is only accessible when the river is low. As I hiked I was blown away by the amazing diversity of wildlife as well as the density. I heard the calls of Painted and Indigo Buntings. I located a spot where the territories of three male painteds overlapped. I went back the next day and the light was perfect in the late afternoon. I was out of sight down by the waterline. I reached a massive excavator that I was able to hide behind and waited patiently. The birds came. This image shows one male displaying against another. I could not photograph them fighting as they were inside of the lens’s minimum focusing distance.
It was amazing to watch such beautiful birds behave as if I were not there.
My Thoughts and Comments
I love the soft light and have always loved male Painted Buntings. Heck, the ladies are not bad either. IAC, add in the spectacular naturally occurring behavior and your image will pretty much make everyone smile.
Please Rate the Four Contest Finalist Images
First off, apologies for being so tardy with the contest results. At one point I feared that I had lost all of the images and would have to re-run the contest. But once the hard drive from my first and now very defunct MacBook Pro was rescued, it was just a matter of time …
I have already made up my mind as to the contest winners and the distribution of the generous prizes from B&H but I did want to give everyone here a chance to voice their opinions. Please do so by rating the four finalist images with a numbered list from 1 to 4 with one being your contest winner. In addition, your thoughts on why you made your choices are of course welcome.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday, June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday, July 10.): $9,999. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1
Please e-mail to learn about the very large late-registration discount
Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.
Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.
While in Bridlington we will staying at the White Horse Inn in Cranswick, about twenty minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.
In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.
On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best.
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Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT
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The Details
This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip.
IPT Details
If you are good to go sharing a room–couples, of course, are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.
Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.
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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.
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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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