Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

When I Got on the Ship …

When I got on the ship, Berger Brothers on Long Island, NY had a Nikon 500 PF in stock right and there is a possibility that it is still available. As they are pretty much impossible to get, give Brad Berger a call if you would like to find out and possibly own this lens: Brad Berger President, Berger Bros Camera, P 516-496-1000.

Stuff

As I am traveling in the Southern Ocean, I will be without internet access from the afternoon of October 19 until November 1. When I left, there were only two people signed up for the Early Winter DeSoto IPT; do consider joining us.

Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

Fine-tune Values for the 500 PF

AF Fine-tuning of the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF Lens

When I finally got my hands on the Nikon 500 PF early on Monday morning, October 15 — thanks to the kindness of IPT veteran Michael Goodman, I set to work fine-tuning the focus (aka, micro-adjusting) the new lens with my two D850s, each — as you can see above — with both the TC-E14 III and the TC-17 II. To learn how the lens arrived at the last possible second, see the Last Minute Miracle blog post here. I keep a careful record of all micro-adjusting in an Excel file. This is doubly important with Nikon as the Nikon camera bodies do not recognize different teleconverters (or lenses) by serial number. This is a huge problem for professionals and serious amateurs who often own two of the same TCs (or lenses).

I love micro-adjusting my D-850 bodies because of the Focus Peaking feature that, among Nikon bodies, is available only on the D-850. I check the Focus Peaking with AF fine-tune set to zero two or three times. In less than a minute (after setting up and carefully aligning my LensAlign), I can tell if the combination of gear I am testing is pretty close to right on or is front- or back-focused. Next I change the AF fine-tune value as indicated. You can learn the details of Focus Peaking Fine-tuning in the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Once I have an approximate value I run an Auto Focus Consistency (AFC) test using FocusTune. You can see the results of two AFC tests below. And you can learn how to do them (and lots more) in my LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-Adjusting Tutorial e-Guide here. I should have mentioned that in order to do any type of AF Fine-tuning or micro-adjusting as detailed in the two e-Guides above, you need to have purchased the LensAlign MK II kit including FocusTune here.

The six AF fine-tunes above took well less than two hours. And half of that time is spent setting up the tripods and aligning everything using Michael Tapes’ brilliant True Parallel Alignment (TPA) system, available only with the LensAlign kit. TPA is what sets LensAlign head and shoulders above all other micro-adjusting devices, all of which BTW, are (not unexpectedly) a lot cheaper than LensAlign MK II kit including FocusTune Kit.

Some folks who own D-850s might wish to get by with the Focus Peaking fine-tuning and the single Nikon e-Guide. But, as above, I use the Focus Peaking feature to point me in the right direction and then use an AFC test or two to fine tune those results. Once I get a great AFC test and confirm it, I am 100% confident that I will get the absolute sharpest images possible with a given gear combination. In some cases the fine-tune value determined by Focus Peaking may be exactly the same exactly the same as the value as determined by an AFC test(see two of those below). At other times they may be a bit higher or lower by +/- 4. In those cases I always go with the AFC-determined value. Note that once I get an excellent result with an AFC test, I will always run it again to confirm it. .

Yes, focus fine-tuning and micro-adjusting can be frustrating at times and time consuming to some degree, but for me, it does not make sense to own a $10,000 lens and a $3,000 camera body and not put in the time and expense to ensure that you will be making sharp images (barring operator error of course). 🙂

The Big Misconception

When folks see a large AF fine-tune value such as -15 above for the 500 PF/1.7TC-E, they think that something is wrong with the gear. Be assured that there is nothing wrong at all. Different combinations of gear need different fine-tune adjustments depending on how the tolerances fit together. The images that I make with the 1.7 TC with my main D-850 (-7) will be just as sharp as those made with my back-up D-850 (-15). The next blog post will show the first test images of birds in the field, images that will confirm the accuracy of my Focus fine-tuning efforts.

AFC Fine-tune FocusTune Graph for my main D850 and the 500 PF

AFC Fine-tune FocusTune Graph for my main D850 and the 500 PF

Above is the AFC Fine-tune FocusTune Graph for the D850 and the 500 PF. The results with the fine-tune value set at +2 are about as close to perfect as you can get. The small grey dots, the shot deviation, on the -300 line show that AF with this combo is very consistent as the clusters are tight. In a perfect world, every AFC value would be exactly the same and the graph would be a perfect straight line right on the horizontal axis of the graph. In the real world phase detection autofocus is never perfect; you can expect variation in the AFC values and an occasional outlier, a value that is obviously out of pattern and seems to make no sense at all. Note that the smallest grey dot is on the vertical 3 axis. This shows the tightest cluster. Compare the grey dots on this graph with those on the graph below.

AFC Fine-tune FocusTune Graph for my main D850, the TC-E 17, and the 500 PF

AFC Fine-tune FocusTune Graph for my main D850, the TC-E 17, and the 500 PF

Note that the focus deviation on this graph is wider than onthe first graph. This is to be totally expected once you add a teleconverter to the mix. The larger the teleconverter, the more light is lost to the AF system, and wider the shot deviation will be. That said, the results of the AFC test at -2 immediately above are quite good.

A Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide Free Update

Contrary to what I wrote in the guide, I have realized that using the AF/M switch on the left side of the camera body to turn AF off and then on again is much easier than moving the slider switch on the lens; the switch on the camera body is more accessible and there are only two positions as compared to three on the lens … I tried it and liked it. A lot better.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

2019 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) SUN JAN 20, 2019 thru and including the morning session on THURS JAN 24: 4 1/2 days: $2099.

(Limit: 10/Openings: 7)

Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins; SAT JAN 19, 2019.

Please see the Dancing Grebe Morning Add-On Info below

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls will be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains and healthy breads.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and the subject of blinkies. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant.And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great take-aways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well. And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, four lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. An so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 10/11//2018. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the land/sea-scape opportunities.

The Dancing Grebes Add-On. FRI JAN 25, 2019: $399.

Those registering for the 2019 San Diego IPT might wish to join me for the Dancing Grebe Add-On Morning as above. Please read the details carefully. You will need to wade at least mid-thigh deep with your tripod over an uneven bottom. Lightweight chest waders are advised. Long lenses are needed; a 100-400 will not cut it at this spot, even with a TC. Chances at this location (easily accessible from the IPT hotel), vary from day to day so there will be no guarantees. But when those grebes dance, it can be an amazing rush. We may also enjoy chances to photograph both species, Western and Clarke’s Grebes, at fairly close range.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

We made it to Ushuaia, Argentina without any hassles. It is cold and dark and windy here. As we do not get on the ship until Friday afternoon, I will spend most of my time working on blog posts for the time I am gone. Do consider joining me on an IPT 🙂

Arash and the 500 PF. And Me.

As regular readers know, I was quite determined to get my hands on a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens before my Antarctica trip. That after originally not even considering the lens. But when I read Arash Hazeghi’s review (below), I realized the almost 1 1/2 pounds lighter than my 200-500mm was a 33% reduction in weight. Not to mention that the 500 PF is tiny and thus much easier to travel with and much easier to hand hold! And when looking at my flight shots from the Fall DeSoto IPT — most created with the hand held 200-500, I realized that nearly all of them were created at 500mm and when I zoomed out I usually should not have! And there were a few times, such as when photographing the bathing Willet (see here), that my left shoulder just plain hurt.

To learn how I managed to get my hands on one see the Last Minute Miracle blog post here.

For the complete article, and to see all of the gear and other images that are in the original post as it was published on Arash’s blog, click here. I have made a very few comments in the version below that was adapted for the BAA Blog (with Arash’s blessings).

To say the least, Arash is quite a bright young man. He is a senior electron device engineer. He received his MS.c. degree and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering in 2006 and 2011, from Stanford University. His pioneering research on Carbon Nanotubes and quantum capacitance have been cited many times. He is currently focused on the development of cutting edge memory technology. And on top of all that he is clearly one of the world’s best flight photographers. For many years, he has hand held a 600mm f/4 telephoto lens most often with a 1.4X teleconverter. Now that is easy for me to say … Arash is a skilled moderator in the Avian Forum at BPN (BirdPhotographers.Net). I have edited/co-authored several e-Guides for and with him. You can find those here.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR (top) compared to Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E IIIat 200mm (bottom). The prime is shorter and narrower. Click on the image to enlarge.

AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF Preview

by Arash Hazeghi

A few days ago, I received the new Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6 PF. This is the lightest and the smallest Nikon long telephoto lens to date. It uses Phase Fresnel (PF) optics that are similar to Canon’s DO (Diffraction Optics) optics. Upon delivery, I first thought I had been sent the wrong lens as the box seemed too small, smaller than the shipping box used for Nikon AF-S 70-200 f/2.8 VR II, and much smaller than the box my AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 VR came in. I could not believe a 500mm lens, soft case and padding material could fit into such small box, but this was indeed the new AF-S 500mm f/5.6 PF! Small and light are both understatements when you compare this lens to any other modern 500mm lens. It even looks compact when you put it next to Nikon’s 16-35mm f/4 VR ultra-wide angle lens.

Above, you can see that the new AF-S 500mm f/5.6 PF is shorter and narrower and smaller than the AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 VR zoom at its fully retracted (200mm) position. If you extend the zoom to 500mm it is simply no contest. The prime is a whopping 2 lbs lighter than the zoom. (Note from artie: the 200-500 weighs in at 5.07 pounds; the 500 PF is 3.21 pounds. So the weight difference is a huge 1.87 pounds. No matter how you look at it, the 500 PF is a feather.) The lens much easier to hand hold. The build quality of the lens is excellent; it feels very solid.

Another interesting feature of this lens is the slide-in removable foot. To remove the foot press the small lever and just slide the foot out to save a few more ounces. The lens can be tripod-mounted even with the foot removed thanks to the tripod mount hole drilled into the base. This lens also features “the ring of fire” buttons around the barrel, these can be programmed to lock AF or switch to a different AF patterns when used with D5/D850 bodies. (Notes from artie: mounting the lens via the screw hole is not a good plan. And I have never once used any of the buttons on a telephoto lens.)

The AF-S 500mm f/5.6 PF has a super telephoto-style control panel. There are three AF modes, A/M , M/A and M. The last one is manual focus, the first two are auto focus. Nikon state M/A is more sensitive to the focus ring rotation: any slight rotation can change the focus whereas is A/M a greater rotation is needed to change the focus, perhaps to prevent focus shift as a result of accidentally touching the focus ring. I never use manual focus so I leave this on A/M. The focus limiter has two positions, full-range or far (8 meters to infinity). The latter is ideal for birds in flight at 500mm. While the far MFD is greater than with the AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 VR (6m), it will almost surely make initial focusing acquisition faster. VR can be set to normal and sport (both can detect panning, but sport gives a more stable finder image while panning). Memory recall controls the functions of the “ring of fire” buttons. AF-L locks the AF, Memory Recall recalls last focus distance set using the button on the other side of the lens and AF-ON will perform the same function as AF-ON on the camera body. The AF-recall confirmation beep can be disabled using the last switch.

The 500mm f/5.6 PF VR is a winner from a size, weight and build quality point of view. My only gripe is that the hood is made of plastic instead of carbon fiber that is used in the larger super-telephoto lenses. There might be after-market magnesium hoods available at some point. The lens uses a 95mm snap-on cap and takes 95mm screw-on filters. The lens ships with a soft case rather than a pouch! Of course my final judgement and recommendation will be based on the image quality and AF performance in the field, especially with the converter TC-14E III” that gives you 700mm full frame at f/8.

My Comment on Arash’s Blog Post

Arthur E Morris · September 20, 2018 at 03:48:59

Hey Arash, Good job with the review. It leaves me with some questions and one comment.

Since you have done the majority of your flight photography with the 600mm and a 1.4X teleconverter, and since you like to use high shutter speeds, how do you see the 500 PF fitting into your kit? Will you be using it naked all the time or trying flight with the TC-14E (and going to double the ISO)?

With the amazing size and weight gains I would love to see a comparable but of course larger 500 f/4 P.

with love, artie

Arash’s Reply

Ari · September 20, 2018 at 07:55:39

Hey Artie, I am hoping to use it with the TC 1.4 X (700mm at f/8) the same way I used my 400DOII with the 2X III (800mm at f/8), but it depends on how the AF performs. I certainly would like a 600 f/4 PF!

And More

Arthur Morris · September 23, 2018 at 03:28:19

Thanks Arash, I am still not sold. 🙂 I was not aware that you used the 400 DO II with the 2X III much for flight. What sort of shutter speeds (and ISOs) were you using in good light? In poor light?

I do agree 100% that the lack of an f/4 telephoto lens is a big hole in the Nikon line-up.

with love, artie

Ari · September 23, 2018 at 10:34:18

Hi Artie, Some of my all time favorite images were made with that combination; check out the shots here. I used this combo mainly in
the winter in Canada when the word “poor” for light is an understatement!

I was using ISO 1600 and higher which the 1DX II could handle easily with Canon DPP4 software. Now with Nikon I can get similar results with my D850 and even better results with my D5 when using Capture One Pro so I can crank up the ISO without hesitation.

My initial impression of the 500 PF is very positive, AF seems snappy even with the TC and critical sharpness is there too, and with Nikon’s superior Group AF, I’d pick the 500 PF over 400 DO II. It gives 700mm at f/8 as opposed to 800mm at f/8 for 400 DO II but it is significantly lighter, smaller and cheaper plus the D850 makes up for the shorter focal length. I think Canon would have a hard time justifying the 7K price tag of the 400DO II as compared to 500PF if your main subject is birds.

Hope this helps.

This spectacular flight image was created by Arash with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850 . ISO 800. 1/3200 sec. at f/8. Processed with Capture One Pro. Willet in flight. Image courtesy of and copyright 2018: Arash Hazeghi Photography

Arash’s First Flight Image with the 500 PF/1.4X TC-E 17III/D850 Combo

Arash was quite pleased with the sharpness and fine feather detail in his first flight keeper with the new lens and the 1.4X TC. Arash is a master flight photographer. As I recall, he tried Nikon for flight a while back but stuck with Canon. When I switched in January 2018, we spoke a lot on the phone and he wound up making the jump to the dark side. You can view the image larger still and see what others had to say in the Avian Forum on BPN here.

My Initial Comments

Prompted by Arash’s blog post, I realized the error in my thinking. I was very lucky to get one before my Emperor Penguin trip. The 500 PF is amazingly light and amazingly tiny. When Jim met the UPS driver in town early on the morning of October 15, he called and told me, “I don’t think that this is the right box; it is much too small and light for a 500mm lens …

I actually like the plastic lens hood as it is very light and snaps neatly into place. As far as the specs go, my only disappointment is with the minimum focusing distance of the 500 PF. While it focuses much closer than any other 500mm lenses in production, the MFD of 9.84 feet is not as good as the 7.2 feet of the 200-500mm at 500mm. That assuming that the MFD was measured at 500mm not at 200mm. I will check on that when I get back home.

I am interested in learning about Arash’s choice of the D850 to go with the new lens and the TC-14E III; he was championing the D5 for a long time while I was and am totally in love with my two D-850 bodies.

Careful readers will note fully that I did a 180 on this lens. I am however glad that I have it with me on this trip and look forward to using it soon.

Unsolicited DeSoto IPT Comments

Via e-mail from Jim Miller

I can’t stop thinking about how much fun the DeSoto Fall IPT was, and how much I learned. There were so many things that suddenly made perfect sense after I had been confused for so long. Thank you very much for the wonderful trip, and for being a great teacher. As I worked through the raw files last week, I realized what a fantastic lens the 600 IS II is. Thanks for the rental! Maybe some day I will be able to afford one. Some images for critique are attached.

By the way, the plant we were looking at along the sidewalk in Gulfport is Blue Porterweed. It is worth a few minutes on the internet to read about it: native of Florida and the Caribbean, used for medicine in The Bahamas, etc. We have it in a large pot in the front yard and it takes a lot of water, but it blooms spring through fall. Thank you again, Artie. It was really wonderful to be with you and learn from you.

Via e-mail from Lee Sommie

I want to thank you for making the Fall 2017 Ft. DeSoto IPT such a fun and educational experience for me. I truly did not want the adventure to end. I now look through the viewfinder with an artist’s mindset. And the real bonus was making new friends with fellow students. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for wildlife photography. I had a great time with you and look forward to more adventures on future IPTs.

Note: after the not-so-recent death of his wife Rene, Lee has fallen in love deeply again and rarely gets out to do any bird photography at all. Good on him!

Followed by this one

BTW. I downloaded Photo Mechanic and started using it in my workflow. Since I like using Lightroom for my adjustments, I found a way to incorporate Photo Mechanic and Lightroom together. Lightroom was driving me crazy with how slow it is to import and preview photos. I was impressed with how fast you could review photos and start editing your photos on the DeSoto Fall IPT. Life is too short to wait for applications to import and preview photos and Photo Mechanic solves that problem.

Thanks again for everything Artie. Your knowledge keeps on giving well after the IPT!

Via e-mail from Muhammad Arif

I had a great time at Fort DeSoto. Thank you for all the instruction, for your help and pointers; my photography has already improved tremendously and I’ve never made such good bird photos before. I wish I could’ve joined you on Monday and Tuesday morning as well but work got in the way. It was also nice to meet everyone on the IPT; sorry that I missed you Ray. Thanks again for everything and I hope to join you at a future IPT sometime again.

The 2018 Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT/Thursday December 7 through the morning session on Monday December 10, 2018: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 7.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in early winter. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We may very well get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three year. And we should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

As with the fall IPT, this one will run with only a single registrant. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel (rather than at home or at a friend’s place).

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place at 7:30 on the evening of Sunday, September 23. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Stuff

I have been opening an unending stream of Amazon Prime packages and trying on all manner of sneakers and boots and gloves and long johns in preparation for the big Emperor Penguin attempt. We fly next Monday.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

This image was created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT on the afternoon of July 8, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 3:42pm on cloudy-bright afternoon. Three to the left and three up from the center AF point/d-9/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #1: Out-of-focus Atlantic Puffin with food for young

Nikon Long Lens/TC-E (teleconverter) AF Problem Illustrated

As I have been reporting here from the get-go, Nikon long lenses when used with all three TC-Es (teleconverters) often have a problem acquiring and/or holding AF. The problem gets worse as you move the AF point away from the center AF point but it does occur at times even when you are using the center AF point. You will of course have fewer problems with the TC-E 14 III than with the TCE-17 II. With the TC-E20 you can expect problems more often than not. The image below was made less than a minute before the out-of-focus image above. As always, AF has a better chance when the AF point is on an area of higher contrast rather than when it is on an area of lower contrast.

This image was created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT on the afternoon of July 8, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 3:41pm on cloudy-bright afternoon. Three to the left and three up from the center AF point/d-9/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #2: Atlantic Puffin with food for young/full frame

A Sharp One With the Same Gear

With this image the selected AF point was on the left edge of the puffin’s bill. With the subject relatively far away, this yielded enough depth-of-field to render the bird’s bill and eyes as well as the fish sharp. Notice too that as the background was a good ways from the subject that no background detail was brought up. The problem with the AF acquiring and then losing and then re-acquiring is that you may miss some really good poses. Had the out-of-focus image been sharp, it looks as if I would have preferred it to this one with the bird’s head turned to our right … C’est la vie.

This image was created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT on the afternoon of July 8, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 3:41pm on cloudy-bright afternoon. Three to the left and three up from the center AF point/d-9/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #3: Atlantic Puffin with food for young/cropped

The Final Image

Because the bird had its head turned so that it was looking out of the frame, I decided to crop to a vertical. I tried to leave the same amount of room on each side of the bird’s breast. WDYT?

D850 Image Quality

With the outstanding image quality of a sharp D850 image, you can execute even large crops with impunity. The cropped master file here is still 57.2 MBs.

Your Favorite

Which image do you prefer, Image #1 or Image #2? Do let us know why you made your choice.

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

The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers. Co-leader: Peter Kes.

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 Lobster Pot by Marston’s Inn, just fifteen minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography at 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. Note: this trip needs a minimum of four photographers to run.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

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. The trip cannot be finalized until I have at least six deposits as we will be renting a lovely 15-passenger bus with our private professional driver who happens to be my web-master, Peter Kes, who is also a skilled photographer and my co-leader 🙂

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.

Single Supplement Info

Single supplement rooms in Bridlington and Dunbar are available for those who register early. The cost of the single supplement for those six nights is $600.00. Single supplement rooms at the lodge may be available on a limited basis but only if the trip does not fill with ten photographers. The single supplement fee for those seven nights is $700. If you would like your own room in Bridlington and Dunbar, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement with your deposit: $2,600.00. The single supplement deposits are non-refundable as I will need to make the reservations well in advance.

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.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

The Edge of Innovation Podcast

Episode 74 — the Art of Bird Photography with Arthur Morris

Apologies for being a bit late in publicizing this. I was listening to it as I typed. I gotta say that every other line is cracking me up. You can learn at lot about me: my college history (including flunking out of Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute); kids sketching birds from my photographs during the later years of my career as an elementary school teacher in New York City; how I got hooked on birds — that first skimmer, the first American Kestrel, and that first Marbled Godwit, the bird that changed my life; and the two older-than-me guys at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge who inspired me to begin photographing birds.

Thanks to IPT veteran Paul Parisi of Savior Labs who skillfully conducted the podcast interview; he is blessed with a great voice. The whole thing is only 21 minutes; many of you might enjoy it. Info on the next two episodes will follow.

Your questions or comments are welcome.

Stuff

Been blowing lots of balloons. Ordered a ton of cold weather stuff and dry bags on Amazon getting ready for the upcoming bucket list trip; I leave on Monday to try for Emperor Penguins with chicks … Success is not at all guaranteed. Thanks to all who shared some of their favorite music yesterday; I have been on Youtube ever since!

It is looking like four participants for San Diego right now. The 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT is however wide open at this point.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard sold his Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender in excellent condition for $6,499.00, an EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $449.00, and a 5DS body in excellent condition for $1399.00. He put more than $8,000 in his pocket because he listened to my pricing advice.
Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Huge Price Drop

Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with extras!)

Price dropped $1,000 on 8 OCT, 2018!

Mike Diersing is offering a Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender in very good-plus condition (the glass is immaculate) for the crazy insane, BAA record-low-by-far price of $6,199.00. The sale includes a Really Right Stuff LCF-53 lens foot, a Realtree Max-5 LensCoat, the front and rear lens caps, the original tripod and monopod mounts, the lens trunk with keys, the lens strap, the lens manual, and insured ground shipping via FedEx to US addresses only.

Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mike via e-mail.

This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. If you use Canon gear and head to the Dark Continent without this lens in your Think Tank Rolling bag you are making a huge mistake. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I loved it in the Palouse for its versatility. On my last bear boat trip, I often found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the IPT … Many nature photographers use it as their workhorse telephoto lens as it offers 784mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. The lens sells new at B&H right now for $10,999.00. You can save an amazing $4,800 by grabbing Mike’s lens right now. artie

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

This image was created on the 2018 Fall DeSoto IPT on the afternoon of September 24, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 400. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.7 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 5:54pm on mostly clear afternoon. Three up from the center AF point/d-9/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the back of the bird’s neck where it meets the upper back, right on the same plane as the eye. Click on the image to see a spectacular larger version. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Black-bellied Plover, adult winter

Adjusting on the Fly …

We had been photographing at the St. Pete Beach pilings and decided to head for my #2 afternoon location inside the park. While we were parking, I spotted this bird sitting on a sandbar with another sandbar right behind it. I thought, “If I get low with a long lens this might look really sweet.” So I re-mounted my D850 onto the 600; the 1.7TC was already in place, lowered my tripod, approached the bird slowly, and sat down as low as I could get. Remembering the exposure that I had been using earlier at the previous spot, I instinctively rolled the shutter button wheel two clicks to the left for a slower shutter speed. Three clicks would have been perfect. As soon as I was in place I acquired focus and fired off two quick shots. A Laughing Gull landed nearby and flushed the plover. For some reason I had realized that speed was of the essence; had I not worked so quickly the image would have been gone …

White Neutralizer

I applied a 50% opacity layer of NIK Color Efex Pro White Neutralizer; doing so — as mentioned in the Singing the Blues blog post here — really made the BLUEs special.

On Getting to Know a Location Intimately

I moved to Florida in 1994 and learned of Fort DeSoto Park soon afterwards. Over the past two decades I have spent a good deal of time there. The more you visit a location the more you come to know the place intimately, to know the birds, their favored locations, the tides, the winds, and the beaches. Well more than a year ago I ran into now-friend Noel Heustis who shared some fishing information on the tides at DeSoto with me along with his theory. Once I cam to understand that, my visits became that much more productive. When I am at DeSoto now, I always feel that I know where I need to be when, and to follow my instincts and get on some really great bird photography. As I begin traveling less and less, I will surely be visiting Fort DeSoto more and more …

The 2018 Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT/Thursday December 7 through the morning session on Monday December 10, 2018: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 7.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in early winter. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We may very well get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three year. And we should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

As with the fall IPT, this one will run with only a single registrant. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel (rather than at home or at a friend’s place).

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place at 7:30 on the evening of Sunday, September 23. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of our Site Guides here.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

On Friday, I drove over to Tampa to have lunch with a friend so I figured that it made sense to drop down to DeSoto to photograph on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. I got an Airbnb room for Friday night for less than $50; that saved me about $80. Friday afternoon was not great but I did get some good photos near sunset at the local 7-11! The next morning started off very slowly and with the roads closing at 8:15am I decided to bail. I was gonna get home early but then I decided to try one of the alternate sites mentioned in the Fort DeSoto Site Guide so I headed there. Things started off slowly there too but soon I have tame shorebirds sitting on rocks with gorgeous blue water backgrounds. Photos from both of those situations will be coming here soon.

Please do take a crack at the Why Sit? questions below. The more folks who post a comment the more everyone learns, including me.

It is looking like four participants for San Diego right now. The 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT is however wide open at this point.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard sold his Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender in excellent condition for $6,499.00, an EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $449.00, and a 5DS body in excellent condition for $1399.00. He put more than $8,000 in his pocket because he listened to my pricing advice.
Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

This image was created on the last afternoon of the I-went-with-one Fort DeSoto Park IPT on the afternoon of September 26, 2018. While standing — I should have been seated –I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 440mm) and my souped-up (9fps) Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering -1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Auto0 WB at 6:27pm on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. The the array was centered just to our right of the the bird’s chin. This is a small crop from the bottom and from our right. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +2. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Willet flapping after bath Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

It Doesn’t Matter …

It does not matter how much pain or discomfort you endured in order to create a given image. It does not matter how many miles you had to hike or how much gear you had to carry. It does not matter if you were injured or sick. All the matters is the final image.

Ed Dow and I began the afternoon at the St. Pete Beach pilings. It was hot. Then we decided to check out my #2 afternoon spot and stay out of the mud at my #1 afternoon spot. Ed headed down the beach to our right to go after a tame fishing Great Blue Heron. I saw this Willet taking a bath, dipping its breast in the water, so I headed to my left. After you see this behavior the bathing bird will — at some point — jump up out of the water and flap in place 95% of the time. It was hot and it was very still. I had made two mistakes while leaving the car: I had not put on my long-sleeved sun shirt and I had neglected to put on my ancient, derelict sun hat. As I stood in the beach wrack the no-see-ums began chewing on my arms and my head and face. Then, as I raised the 200-500, I felt some pain — a very sharp twinge — in my left shoulder, the one with the torn supraspinatus.

To minimize the pain of holding the lens up to frame the shot, I switched to the Olympic rifle shooter position with my body turned well to my right (rather than facing the subject) and with my left elbow tucked well into my left side for support. It still was hurting pretty good. The bird dipped its breast and dipped its breast and kept on dipping its breast. “When is this guy gonna flap?” I thought as the no-see-ums increased in numbers and became harder and harder to deal with.

Then the bird went into crazy shorebird bath mode: it jumped five feet to the right, landed upside down and splashed, jumped five feet back to the left, landed upside down and again, splashed violently. It did that about six more times. Its jumps and movements were so violent and unpredictable that though I tried, I never got off a single frame. My shoulder hurt more and more. The bird settled in and began normal bathing again. I got back on sun angle, framed the image, and waited more than five minutes with my shoulder hurting and the no-see-ums chewing. At one point I thought about heading back to the car and giving up. But I wanted the flapping shot …

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Willet jumped up and flapped revealing its striking wing stripes. I fired off eight quick frames. Today’s featured image was and is my favorite, and. in the end, that is all that mattered …

Why Sit?

In the specific situation detailed above, what two advantages would I have had by sitting instead of standing? What would the two main disadvantages of sitting have been?

This image was created just a few minutes before today’s featured image. Again, I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 250mm) and my souped-up (9fps) Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering -1 stop as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Auto0 WB at 6:22 pm on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. The the array was centered just to our right of the the bird’s chin. This is a small crop from the bottom and from our right. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +2. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Willet right on sun angle with my shadow pointed at the bird, almost … Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Point Your Shadow at the Bird

Many folks are confused when I say, “Point your shadow at the bird,” so everyone once in a while I will create a teaching image like the one above to make that point absolutely clear. I would actually fault myself above for having my shadow pointed about three degrees to our right of the target. Note also from the shape of my shadow that my body was pointed at least 45 degrees to the right of the bird as I approximated the Olympic rifle-shooter stance.

It Does Matter …

When the sun is out, working on sun angle does matter. It offers the very best chance to light the subject evenly and to avoid dark ugly shadows on the bird. Such shadows are almost always caused by the sun being blocked by various parts of the bird … For example, the left side of a bird’s face or breast might be in shadow because the opposite side of the head or breast blocked the sun.

At times I might have a reason to work a bit off sun angle. Most of the time I limit that to ten or fifteen degrees at most. And every five years or so on average, I create a sidelit image of a bird in full sun that I actually like. Without a doubt, the number one error made by the hundreds of folks I see in the field every month is their failure to work on sun angle. Ironically, number two is the failure to get lower. 🙂 Please note: none of the above applies when you are creating silhouettes — in those situations you want the bird’s shadow pointed right at you.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

2019 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) SUN JAN 20, 2019 thru and including the morning session on THURS JAN 24: 4 1/2 days: $2099.

(Limit: 10/Openings: 7)

Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins; SAT JAN 19, 2019.

Please see the Dancing Grebe Morning Add-On Info below

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls will be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains and healthy breads.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and the subject of blinkies. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant.And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great take-aways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well. And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, four lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. An so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 10/11//2018. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the land/sea-scape opportunities.

The Dancing Grebes Add-On. FRI JAN 25, 2019: $399.

Those registering for the 2019 San Diego IPT might wish to join me for the Dancing Grebe Add-On Morning as above. Please read the details carefully. You will need to wade at least mid-thigh deep with your tripod over an uneven bottom. Lightweight chest waders are advised. Long lenses are needed; a 100-400 will not cut it at this spot, even with a TC. Chances at this location (easily accessible from the IPT hotel), vary from day to day so there will be no guarantees. But when those grebes dance, it can be an amazing rush. We may also enjoy chances to photograph both species, Western and Clarke’s Grebes, at fairly close range.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

Condolences to Chicago Cubs fans; the Cubbies scored only a single run in back to back single elimination games and thus will not be taking part in the MLB post season.

I was glad to learn that multiple IPT veteran Mike Gotthelf signed up for the Hooptie Deux/Spoonbill IPT next February. See yesterday’s blog post here for the details. I was also glad to learn that Mark Overgaard sold his Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, his Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens, and his EOS 5DS less than a week after listing them. All for the full asking price. So just how did he put $8,347 in his pocket? He listened to my pricing advice …

The 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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 II. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

New Listing

Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 AF-S VR Lens

Good friend, often e-Guide co-author, and crack-Avian Forum moderator (on BPN), Arash Hazeghi, is offering a Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6 AF-S VR lens in mint condition for $1075.00 (purchased 1/26/2018/USA version with USA warranty). The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it: the lens pouch, the hood, the front and rear caps, the manual, the warranty card, and insured Ground shipping to the continental US via major courier). Your item will not ship until your check clears. Please add 3% if using Paypal.

Please contact Arash via e-mail.

This was my first Nikon lens and I love it and use it to this day. Most folks can hand hold it easily. You can save more than $300.00 by grabbing Arash’s lens now. artie

Airbnb

I just booked a whole house for the Hooptie/Spoonbill IPT for $79.75 a night! Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 — your purchase includes a free 64gb XQD card and the XQD reader!). He also has two Nikon 180-400s in stock. And he is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body as well as for the Canon 600 III. He already has two BAA-blog orders for the new Canon six.

This image was created on July 8, 2018 on the UK Puffin and Gannets IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 400. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/6.7 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 10:43am on the typical and wonderful cloudy-bright morning. Three up and one to the right of the center AF point/d-9/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was squarely on the orange rosette at the base of the puffin’s bill. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. Atlantic Puffin with sand eels for chick

Singing the BLUEs

Blue has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember, probably about 65 years or so. With digital images we are often concerned with the REDs, CYAN color casts, and GREENs that are too YELLOW. But we often take the BLUEs for granted. In truth, the BLUEs often require tender handling during post processing. Here are some of the ways that you can fine-tune your BLUEs so that you do not wind up singing them. 🙂

During the RAW Conversion

• Open the HSL (Hue-Saturation-Luminance) tab and select the BLUE channel. Experiment by increasing or decreasing the Luminance to taste. You can try the same thing
  with the Saturation slider. In general, it is best not to play with the Hue slider; if you do, resist moving it a point or two in either direction.
• Experiment with either the click White Balance Tool or the Color Temperature slider. Both may or may not improve the BLUEs.

In Photoshop (you have lots of options)

• Open a Selective color layer and try adding or subtracting various colors from the BLUEs. Often adding or subtracting YELLOW and/or CYAN can work wonders.
• Open a Hue-Saturation layer. Experiment by increasing or decreasing the saturation of the BLUE channel. Then, once you are happy, you can further tweak the BLUEs by moving the Lightness slider.
• Open a Vibrance layer. Vibrance adjustments work only on colors that are not already fully saturated.
• Open a Color Balance layer and select the Midtones from the drop-down menu at the top. If you try this approach — I almost never use it — be very judicious when moving the sliders.
• Working on a separate layer, go Filter > NIK Collection > Color EFEX Pro and apply the White Neutralizer filter. Once the image renders in Photoshop, you can reduce the opacity to taste. The technique can transform light BLUEs magically.

How Do You Deal the BLUEs?

If you successfully use a technique that it different from those listed above to fine-tune your BLUEs, please do share by leaving a comment.

All of the above techniques and lots more including my complete current digital workflow are detailed in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Topics relevant to today’s blog post include making selections, selective sharpening via a Contrast Mask, Eye Doctor techniques, and several methods for balancing color.

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

The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers. Co-leader: Peter Kes.

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 Lobster Pot by Marston’s Inn, just fifteen minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography at 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.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

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. The trip cannot be finalized until I have at least six deposits as we will be renting a lovely 15-passenger bus with our private professional driver who happens to be my web-master, Peter Kes, who is also a skilled photographer and my co-leader 🙂

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.

Single Supplement Info

Single supplement rooms in Bridlington and Dunbar are available for those who register early. The cost of the single supplement for those six nights is $600.00. Single supplement rooms at the lodge may be available on a limited basis but only if the trip does not fill with ten photographers. The single supplement fee for those seven nights is $700. If you would like your own room in Bridlington and Dunbar, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement with your deposit: $2,600.00. The single supplement deposits are non-refundable as I will need to make the reservations well in advance.

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.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

I watched lots of NFL football yesterday. I view the games using a combination of NFL Season Ticket and Tivo. I blew lots of balloons and did get around to testing a new ballhead system that turned out to be pretty neat. I will be sharing more on that here fairly soon.

Help Needed

In Saturday’s Shutter Priority for Pre-dawn Blurs blog post here, only a single (actual) person left a substantive comment and nobody, no one, zero, zilch responded to either of the questions below, questions that designed to help you learn to become a better photographer. If you have a minute to revisit the post and leave a comment it would be appreciated.

Shutter Speed Question

What is the general principle that explains why I went with 1/60 sec. for the image of the single tern but with 1/30 sec. for the flock blur?

Degree of Blurring Question

Considering that the shutter speed is the same :), why are the birds in the top half of the frame more blurred than the birds in the bottom half of the frame?

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 — your purchase includes a free 64gb XQD card and the XQD reader!). He also has two Nikon 180-400s in stock. And he is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body as well as for the Canon 600 III. He already has two BAA blog orders for the new Canon six.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the early morning of Sunday, September 27, 2018, the last day of the I-went-with-one IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens and my souped-up (9 fps) Nikon D850. AUTO ISO 200. Matrix metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). WB: 7690 K at 7:30am with a very few clouds on the eastern horizon. One down and to the left of center Group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed (above). The array was centered on the front end of the spoonbill. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: a significant +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Photo Mechanic screen capture for today’s featured image. Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Toasting the RED Channel

As invariably happens when creating sunrise and sunset images, the RED channel in the original capture is showing as hot. Note the red peak completely butted against the rightmost (highlight) axis of the histogram. In almost all cases (as below), it is possible to recover the REDs during the RAW conversion. If you underexpose enough in these situations to move the RED channel away from the rightmost axis, the colors will be muddy and underexposed at best. At worst, you will have a black bird against a black background …

This screen capture shows the position of the ACR sliders for today’s featured image. Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version so that you can read the fine print.

The ACR Conversion: There’s a First Time for Everything …

The screen capture above shows the position of the ACR sliders on the Basic tab for today’s featured image: Exposure/+9; Contrast/-7; Highlights/-100; Shadows/-42; Whites/-91; and Blacks/-100. Consider that I rarely touch the Contrast slider, that I have never set the Highlights and Blacks sliders to -100, or the Shadows slider anywhere near -42. Note that I did reduce the Luminance of the ORANGES and the YELLOWS significantly on the HSL tab.

So why did I come up with this unique combination of slider values? To make the image look the way I wanted it to, pretty close to the way it appeared in life.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the early morning of Sunday, September 27, 2018, the last day of the I-went-with-one IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens and my souped-up (9 fps) Nikon D850. AUTO ISO 200. Matrix metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). WB: 7690 K at 7:30am with a very few clouds on the eastern horizon. One down and to the left of center Group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed (above). The array was centered on the front end of the spoonbill. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: a significant +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Roseate Spoonbill, sunrise silhouette/the optimized version Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Optimized Version

I was (and am) quite happy with the optimized version. Note that D850 images can easily handle large crops. The two black things in front of the bird are the fins of a fish, likely one that just escaped capture.

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.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Learning to balance the color in your images using a variety of methods, learning to tame hot REDs, learning to use the White Balance eyedropper, and tons more is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

Though I have become more proficient converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw, I continue to optimize my Canon image in DPP 4. You can learn how and why I converted (and still convert) nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 The RAW conversions for all three of today’s featured images was straightforward once I entered my camera/ISO specific recipes (as detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide). You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

The DeSoto IPT ended with lone participant Ed Dow and I sitting in six inches of warm saltwater photographing some tame spoonbills in still blue water … More on Ed in a future blog post.

Help Needed With an AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF Lens

If you know of a camera store that has one of these lenses in stock please do not leave a comment. Please call my cell phone at 863-221-2372 or shoot me an e-mail. More on this new lens later today.

Some insightful comments, questions, and answers …

Yesterday’s Red Tide Blessings #s 2, 3, 4, & 5. D5/200-500mm Flight. Mr. Dickhead. And Using Diagonals to Strengthen Your Image blog post here, prompted some excellent comments. Below are two along with my responses.

I did of course receive a long e-mail from Mr. Dickead who said in part:

Well, well, Artie

You don’t have to agree with accepted, verified scientific truth – that’s a choice – even though it makes you wrong and as stupid as your meter on a dull day.

Then he went on to share some excellent information on digital resolution and ppi, two areas that have always baffled me. I will be sharing some of that info with you in the future while crediting it to an anonymous source. I did not bother responding to Mr. Dickhead but I am saving his e-mail both to study the knowledge he shared with me and to consider his criticisms. I will do The Work on the latter.

John Broadwell/September 28, 2018 at 6:06 am

Artie, I have asked an expert digital imaging friend of mine about this and he says that there is something in it. It doesn’t seem to be just someone’s idea. It seems to be based on science. Could you please explain the idea behind it and why it doesn’t work?

I responded:

Hi John, Welcome and thanks for posting our question. In short, as I have explained here often and in detail Digital Basics II as well, bring your RAW files with the RGB values for the WHITEs at 254, 254, 254 is theoretically correct. So why don’t I do that ? Doing so requires a great deal of extra work in order to get the WHITEs to look good while restoring or bring back the detail. I found that for me, bringing my Canon files into Photoshop with the RGB values for the WHITEs in the mid-230s worked perfectly. Please remember that there I converted my RAW files in DPP and that I enabled Highlight Tone Priority. Once I started using Nikon and converting with ACR I found that bringing my WHITEs into Photoshop with the RGB values in the low to mid-240s was just what I needed to produce nice clean, bright WHITEs with lots of detail.

I call my approach practically correct. 🙂

with love, artie

John Broadwell/September 28, 2018 at 9:16 am

Artie, yes, that is my understanding too. Using ETTR, one should push the RAW histogram as far as practically possible to the right (254 254 254 in ACR), pull those values back to 230-240 in ACR and then open the image in Photoshop at 230-240? However, the camera histogram only shows a JPEG histogram which could be compressed by as much as 3EV compared to the RAW, so surely it must be a poor guide for judging correct exposure?

I responded:

Hi John,

As noted above, pulling the WHITEs down from the 250s just does not work well for me. That based on 17 years of digital experience with both Canon and Nikon. If it works well for you, then stick with it.

Yes, the histogram and blinkies are based on the embedded JPEG. I find it a great guide for getting the exposure that I want and then creating images that look great to my eye and make me happy.

with love, artie

Jim Howell/September 27, 2018 at 12:15 pm

Change of subject: Because of your images, I’ve begun using auto ISO. I’m shooting with the Canon 7D II, 1/2000, no exposure adjustment, in high speed mode. Two different birds in deep shade flying out into bright light. The images shot in the shade were better than past attempts so I was quite happy. However, in each case the images taken in bright light were totally blown out. I’m sure it was due to operator error, though I would like to blame the camera. Was this not a good approach to take under these conditions?

Hey Jim, The situation you describe in a virtually impossible one. Using Auto ISO with EC is no panacea unless you have a complete understanding of exposure theory and you are working with constant light with consistently similar backgrounds. (Be sure to see the upcoming blog post on creating pleasing pre-dawn blurs using S or Tv mode, Auto ISO, and the correct EC.) No automatic mode can handle a situation with two birds of different tonalities in the shade one moment and in the sun the next. It can be done with limited success if you are super fast with the exposure compensation dial, if you have completely mastered exposure theory, and if you get lucky … To learn Exposure Theory I have long directed folks to study the section on Applied Exposure Theory on pages 58 to 63 in the original The Art of Bird Photography.

The Snowy Egret is beautiful!

Many thanks with love, artie

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

Stuff

We lucked out on Sunday afternoon as the wind switched from east to west. We enjoyed two hours of flat calm silky blue water background bird photography. Ed Dow did great getting low and approaching the birds slowly. We photographed lots of shorebirds including Short-billed Dowitcher, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Wilson’s and Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpiper, and Willet. We had tame great blues and Great Egrets along with Snowy and Tricolored Herons, all in great light. The terns included Sandwich, Royal, Forster’s, and best of all, several Caspians.

Our luck ran out on Monday morning as the unprecedented mega-feeding sprees and the accompanying flight photography that we had enjoyed over the weekend never materialized. We did well at my back-up morning spot with point blank opportunities with Reddish, Great, and Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Ruddy Turnstone, and Double-crested Cormorant (among others). On Monday afternoon we enjoyed a second consecutive fabulous pre-thunderstorm session with the species mentioned in the first paragraph.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details 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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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 II. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Price Reduced $1,000 on September 25, 2018.

Ramona Boone is offering a Canon 600mm IS II in like-new condition for $7,699.00 (was $8,699.00). The sale includes the lens trunk, the front lens cover (R 185B), the rear cap, a RRS LCF 53 foot (installed), the original foot, a Real Tree LensCoat, the lens strap, an AquaTech ASCC-6 Soft Cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Ramona via e-mail or by phone at 1-719 231 5874 (Mountain time).

The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto 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 $11,499, you can save a cool $3,800.00 by grabbing Ramona’s pristine lens now. artie

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 as well as for the Canon 600 IIi. He already has two BAA blog orders for the new Canon six.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 24, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens (at 34mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850. ISO 1600. Matrix metering -1/3 stop: 1/50 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB before the sun hit the mud. Two below the center AF point f-9 shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Image #1: Red tide fish kill

Learning About Red Tide and Dust From Africa …

The first e-mail that I received after requesting red tide information was from BPN Avian Forum regular, Joe Przybyla. He referred me to a fine newspaper article in the Tampa Bay Times by Craig Pittman: Why is Red Tide so bad this year? Could dust from the Sahara be to blame? The piece is well-written and informative.

Next I received an e-mail from multiple IPT veteran John Johnson who will be joining us in the Galapagos next summer. Here it is in its entirety:

Artie,

I don’t think global warming is the issue with red tide. Red tide has been around for ever. The following article paints a good picture of why it has been so bad this year.

John

Red Tide Info

One reason Florida’s Red Tide is so bad this year: Dust From Africa

From the excellent Craig Pittman/Tampa Bay Times article here.

Red Tide hits Florida on a regular basis, but rarely is one of the algae blooms as deadly as this year’s. Already declared the worst in a decade, it’s killed a dozen dolphins, scores of manatees, hundreds of sea turtles and untold thousands of fish. Why is this year’s bloom so bad? The Sahara Desert may be to blame. “It’s possible,” said research scientist Kate Hubbard of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, which is the agency in charge of monitoring the bloom. “It is a nutrient source.” Bolstering the dust theory is the fact that, according to Hubbard, markers showing the dust’s presence have been detected near shore this summer.

The explanation for how this works demonstrates what an incredibly complicated mechanism the Earth’s weather can be.Every year, over about 100 days from spring through the fall, winds in Africa will pick up tiny dust particles from the desert and carry them thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny bits float along on the wind, soaring up to 3 miles above the surface of the water. Sometimes they clump together into a hazy configuration as large as the continental United States. Then they land at last in and around the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Usually the dust particles feed phytoplankton, build Caribbean beaches and fertilize the Amazonian rain forest. Sometimes the dust creates beautiful sunsets. Sometimes it causes a thick haze to hang in the air over Texas. Sometimes, according to a Texas A&M study, it suppresses hurricanes from developing in the Gulf.

And sometimes it feeds a Red Tide bloom.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 24, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens (at 34mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850. ISO 1600. Matrix metering -1/3 stop: 1/50 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB before the sun hit the mud. Two below the center AF point f-9 shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Image #2: Red tide fish kill

Another reason Florida’s Red Tide is so bad this year: Pollution from the Mississippi River

From another excellent Craig Pittman/Tampa Bay Times article here.

The Red Tide algae bloom now tossing tons of dead fish on Pinellas County’s beaches has been fueled for months by many things — runoff from over-fertilized lawns, leaking septic tanks and sewage lines, even dust from the Sahara Desert. (Note: this links to the same article that Joe sent me.) Now add another ingredient to the mix making this the worst Red Tide bloom in a decade: pollution flowing from the Mississippi River. A 2007 federal study concluded that the extremely large amount of nutrients flowing from the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico can stimulate Red Tide blooms growing on the continental shelf off the west coast of Florida.
The lead author of that paper, oceanographer Richard Stumpf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said in an interview this week that that’s exactly what happened this year — and it’s why this Red Tide resembles the horrific one from 2005. The nutrients are not what spark the Red Tide algae to suddenly multiply by the thousands and become a bloom, he said. But they do feed the bloom and make it larger.

“Every possible source of nutrients is feeding it,” Stumpf said, noting the same thing happened in 2005. That bloom, deemed one of the worst Red Tide outbreaks in Florida history, spent more than a year killing fish and shutting down beach tourism from the Alabama border to the Florida Keys. The impact on sea life was so catastrophic that it created a dead zone — an area of the Gulf devoid of oxygen and sea life — that stretched from New Port Richey south to Sarasota. “There was just no oxygen on the Florida continental shelf,” Stumpf said.

The Mississippi River connection to the two Red Tide blooms is another sign of what an incredibly complex mechanism the Earth is — and also the unintended consequences of pollution. As the Mississippi rushes southward toward the Gulf, the river picks up a lot of passengers. That includes more than 900,000 metric tons of nutrient pollution from the farms and homes along its banks that use fertilizer to grow crops and keep lawns green. Most fertilizer in the United States comes from phosphate mined in Florida and shipped through the Port of Tampa. Most of the time the river flows south, and so the pollution feeds a type of plankton that dies and creates a massive “dead zone” near the mouth of the river. But sometimes currents in the Gulf push the flow eastward, toward Florida. That’s been happening for months on end this year, according to Robert Arnone, a University of Southern Mississippi professor who analyzes the river’s flow into and through the Gulf.

“It’s not just one plume,” he said, “but it’s like all the waters (from the river) are moving to the east.” The Gulf’s loop current “is pushing all the waters to the east.” The nutrients settle into deeper water, where the Red Tide algae first begin feeding off the bounty, the study found. As the blooms grow on the continental shelf, they’re then pushed toward shore and concentrated by the prevailing wind patterns of late summer and fall. The current Red Tide bloom was first detected last November and appeared to move offshore around February. Usually, Stumpf said, Red Tide fades away around March, but that didn’t happen this year. Instead, “it came back inshore in the spring,” he said. And that time of year, there are no other types of algae around that might compete with Red Tide for the nutrients in the water, he said.

“That’s why it’s such a bad problem” this year, he said. “Everybody thought it was gone, but it wasn’t.” Harmful algal blooms such as Red Tide occur in the waters of almost every U.S. coastal state, caused by numerous species. The direct economic effect in the United States is estimated to average $75 million annually, and scientists predict climate change will lead to more blooms that are more intense. No one knows what starts a Red Tide bloom, and no one can predict how it will end. In the case of the 2005 bloom, Stumpf said, it took another major natural disaster to stop it. “It was broken up by Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “That’s the only good thing we got out of Katrina.”

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 24, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens (at 34mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850. ISO 1600. Matrix metering -1/3 stop: 1/100 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB before the sun hit the mud. Three below and three to the right of the center AF point f-9 shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Image #3: Laughing Gull carcass in wrack; dead from red tide?

My Red Tide Questions

If you know or have a link to exactly how red tide kills fish, mammals, or reptiles — I am trying to understand the mechanism — please leave a comment and/or a link. Is it the toxins? If yes, how do they kill. Does oxygen depletion add to the death toll?

Your Red Tide Questions Answered

Read yet another excellent Joe Pittman article here.

Video

I learned a lot in the short video here.

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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 :).