FEATURES

• 10K POSTS ON BPN
• ROBERT O’TOOLE’S APTATS II/Pre-Publication Discount Offer
• DAYTON, OH PROGRAM/SEMINAR: NOV 6/7, 2009
• ALAN MURPHY’S “Songbird Set-up Photography Guide”

10K POSTS ON BPN!

I recently reached a milestone on Bird Photographers.Net: 10,000 posts. It has so far been a most rewarding labor of love. You can check out 20,000 Posts and Bad Gala Luck and see the two images that I chose to accompany my comments here: http://birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=48375

On a related note, BPN continues to grow and improve. Welcome to my old pal Julian Hough who has joined John Chardine as a Moderator in Avian Identification, Behavior, and Nomenclature. Julian’s ID skills are on a par with those of the very best birders in the world, especially when it comes to shorebirds. And he is a pretty fair photographer too. Folks have been having lots of fun in this Forum with the Shorebird Identification quizzes: http://birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=58.

ROBERT O’TOOLE’S APTATS II/Pre-Publication Discount Offer

Robert and I sat at my dining room table for the better part of two full days editing the text for his great new Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques Simplified guide, APTATS II. For years I have been stating that I could never learn to use Layer Masks: paint with black to hide, paint with white to restore. It was all too confusing. But with Robert’s explanations and tutoring and my dogged insistence on hammering out text that would be clear, concise, straightforward, and easily understandable I have to say now, “I got it!”

Robert O’Toole’s APTATS II CD (Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques Simplified II). We are aiming for late-December, 2009 before the holidays…. Order now; save $5.00. See below for details.

APTATS II will include sample images for each tutorial so that you can easily follow along and practice. Dozens and dozens and dozens more screen captures will make your trip through each tutorial both pain-free and mistake-free. After working the sample images you can try each technique on some suitable images of your own. In short order you will own the techniques. Once that happens you will find countless new uses for the techniques. For me the great revelation that I garnered from APTATS II is that using Layer Masks (paint with black to hide, paint with white to restore) and Hide All Layer Masks is actually simple. And if you do make a small error while painting, you can simply hit X and paint to correct your error. (When using a Quick Mask you need to go back in History in order to correct mistakes.)

Here are the tutorials in APTATS II:

• Composition Correction: Increase Lead Room Without Cropping/Basic
• Composition Correction: Increase Lead Room Without Cropping/Intermediate
• Composition Correction: Increase Space Near a Frame Edge/Advanced
• Super-Fast Element Removal: Basic
• Super-Fast Element Removal Plus Composition Improvement
• Gradient Background Blur
• Mask Blending for Mega-Depth-of-Field
• Selective Highlight Detail Enhancement
• Selective Noise Reduction and Sharpening
• Selective Sharpening with Finely Detailed Edges
• Average Blur Color Balance Trick

BIRDS AS ART is currently accepting pre-publication orders for Robert O’Toole’s APTATS II CD (Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques Simplified II). Unlike APTATS I, APTATS II will be a professionally designed, packaged, and burned CD. We are striving to have them here at BAA in time to ship them before the holiday season. APTATS II will sell for $30 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to US addresses. Shipping to Canada is $6.00. It is $8.00 for all foreign orders. Florida residents will need to add 7% sales tax ($2.10) on the cost of the CD only.

Now here’s the best news: you can save $5 by pre-ordering your copy of Robert O’Toole’s APTATS II now (only through BAA). You can send us a Paypal, call us at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or order APTATS II from the BAA On-line Store (with secure credit card data transmission) by clicking here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=277.

(Note: Shipping charges with BAA On-line Store orders may vary by small amounts from those noted above.)

DAYTON, OH PROGRAM/SEMINAR: NOV 6/7, 2009/NINE SEATS LEFT FOR SATURDAY

FREE FRIDAY NIGHT PROGRAM: “LENSES FOR BIRD & NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY/BIRDS AS ART STYLE”

SPONSORED by CANON USA/EXPLORERS OF LIGHT & the FOCUS PHOTO CLUB of DAYTON, OH

See here for details, location, directions, and to register: http://www.focusphotoclub.com/arthurmorris.html

In this practical and educational slide program you we will learn which Canon lenses I use to create a variety of my amazing images, how, why, and when I use each of them, and what I am thinking as I depress the shutter button. Many folks will be surprised to learn that a long lens with a teleconverter is often not the best tool for the job. A selection of books, educational materials, and prints will be available for purchase.

Please note these important basics for the Friday evening program: Date & time: Friday Nov 6th, 2009, 6:30pm. Free with a non-perishable food item for the Dayton Foodbank. Location: Wegerzyn Gardens. Please register here: http://www.focusphotoclub.com/arthurmorris.html

BIRDS AS ART FULL DAY “THE ART OF NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY” SEMINAR.

DAYTON, OH. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009: 9am-5:30pm. (Lunch break noon til 1:30pm)

LOCATION: Cox Arboretum, 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH 45449 (937-434-9006) Limit: 48: 9 seats left.

There will be two programs on Saturday morning. The first will be “Composition and Image Design.” The second will be “Tips on Getting Close.” Each segment will feature well more than a hundred spectacular images and will include the tips, techniques, and ideas that I have learned, developed, and refined over the past 26 plus years. The afternoon session will cover understanding and adjusting histograms in the field, the complete BAA digital workflow (including ACR conversions), and a slew of simple, easy to learn Photoshop tips including the use of the Clone Stamp, the amazing Patch Tool, creating and using Quick Masks for dozens of applications, and the Average Blur Color Balance trick among others. I like to work quickly yet have my images look great. There will be a 30-minute break morning and afternoon. Whether you photograph general nature or just birds, all who attend will leave as better photographers.

(Do note that the Saturday seminar will be a continuation of the free Friday evening program; Saturday registrants are urged to attend Friday night if at all possible.)

The cost of the Saturday Seminar is $159. Members of participating camera clubs may apply a $15 discount. In addition, $15 from each registration fee will be split and donated to the Dayton Foodbank and to Five Rivers Metro Parks. Students under 22 years of age with a valid driver’s license and a student ID may register for $99. With a strict limit of 48 attendees, registration is by phone only: please call 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Due to the short notice the registration fee is non-refundable. We will be here pretty much all day every day to process your registration; feel free to call between 7am and 9pm seven days a week.

Register with a friend or a spouse and apply a $15 discount to each reservation. To encourage out of town folks to register, those traveling more than 150 miles or flying to the event, may apply a $50 discount to registration fee.

See you there! A selection of books, CDs, and prints will be available for purchase on Saturday.

ALAN MURPHY’S “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography”

Alan Murphy’s “Songbird Set-up Photography Guide.” Available December, 2009. We have accepted 500 pre-publication orders for this runaway best seller. We are and will continue to accept pre-orders at the full price.

The book is lavishly illustrated not only with Alan’s killer images but with dozens and dozens of step-by-step photos that will show you exactly how to create your own successful set-ups. The writing is clear and concise and the directions are easy-to-follow and inclusive. As Alan shows in the book, if you have only a small backyard, heck, even just a patio or a balcony, he can help you to create some stunning avian images on a consistent basis.

BIRDS AS ART is currently accepting pre-publication orders for Alan Murphy’s Guide to Songbird Set-Up Photography (SSUP). The professionally designed, packaged, and burned CD will be available some time in December, 2009. It will sell for $50 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to US addresses. Shipping to Canada is $6.00. It is $8.00 for all foreign orders. Florida residents will need to add 7% sales tax ($3.50) on the cost of the CD only. (Note: Shipping charges with BAA On-line Store orders will likely vary by small amounts from those noted above.)

We are still accepting pre-orders for Alan Murphy’s Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography. You can send us a Paypal, call us at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or order SSUP from the BAA On-line Store (with secure credit card data transmission) by clicking here: Alan Murphy’s “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography”.