FEATURES

• GALAPAGOS 2011 PHOTO-CRUISE OF A LIFETIME IPT
• ALLIGATOR ROOKERY TIPS
• GATORLAND
• CANON EOS-7D USER’S GUIDE INFO
• CANON EOS-1D MARK IV USER’S GUIDE INFO
• AIDAN BRIGGS
• LONGWOOD GARDENS, PENNSYLVANIA MACRO WORKSHOP
• POSSE NEWS/JIM NEIGER
• POSSE NEWS/ROBERT AMORUSO
• IPT UPDATES

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Cattle Egret, breeding plumage, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage are one of my very favorite avian subjects. There was nothing good in sight so I kept moving when I saw this bird land on a tall perch. I moved to the sun angle with my shadow pointing right at the subject and waited for the raised crest and a good head angle. Voila! See item 2 below: ALLIGATOR ROOKERY TIPS.

GALAPAGOS 2011 PHOTO-CRUISE OF A LIFETIME IPT

2011 Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: July 3-20, 2011 (July 5-19, 2011 on the boat): 13 1/2 days of photography plus a last morning panga ride: $12, 499. (Limit 11/Openings 3)

This two-week trip features an unparalleled photographic itinerary that will visit all the great spots in the islands; we will not miss a thing. The highlights include Tower Island—tons of nesting birds at knee and eye level, Punta Espinoza (Flightless Cormorants), Puerto Ayora (tortoises in their natural habitats), Hood Island (Waved Albatross and lots more nesting birds), South Plaza, and North Seymour. Each of these locations is on a par with Antarctica or East Africa when it comes to spectacular photographic opportunities. If you make only a one week cruise you will miss half of these great locations. With two full weeks we will enjoy a relaxed pace with shorter navigations and lots of time for snorkeling, image sharing, and small group Photoshop instruction. You will have a great photographic leader (that would be me) with 7 years of Galapagos experience teamed with the very best most knowledgeable guide in the entire archipelago. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast weather, we often spend as much as six hours on a landing. Jeez, I almost forgot our spectacular and romantic motor sailing ship, the Beagle: www.thebeagle.com.ec

The group will be flying to Quito on their own to arrive on July 3, 2011. We have a travel insurance day on July 4th (with an optional trip for perched hummingbirds at Tandayapa). On the morning of July 5 we fly to the Galapagos and board the boat around midday. We leave the boat two weeks later on morning of July 19 after our last photo session, a short panga ride. We fly back to Quito on that same day, July 19, overnight in Quito, and fly home on the morning of July 20.

Note: some of the walks are strenuous. Though I will be bringing my 800 f/5.6L IS lens along, I used it only rarely last year; great images are possible on all landings with a hand held 70-200mm lens.

Please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net for the complete 2010 itinerary. The 2011 itinerary will include all of the A-list landings but may be tweaked a bit beyond that.

Happy campers only As of this moment, I have room for only three more folks and am in need of one single male roommate for a male participant. If a roommate-less woman wishes to sign up her reservation would be dependent upon my finding a single female roommate for her (unless they are open-minded). And the same will be true for the guys traveling on their own once a single male signs up. At this point I do have room for one couple. Note: there are no queen or double beds on the Beagle. Each double cabin has a larger lower bed and a smaller upper one. If worse comes to worse it will come down to a coin flip as to which roommate gets which bunk. Sleeping on the upper deck is an option in fair weather. I have done it and it was a mega-experience.

The cost of the 2011 trip is $12, 499. The price increase (from the 2010 trip) is due to a 12% increase in the cost of leasing the boat but still represents a tremendous value as compared to the cost of two week long trips. The last one week trip that I ran worked out to $1272.55 per day of photography. None-the-less, all 13 of the photographer clients were beyond thrilled with the trip. The 2011 trip will represent an incredible value at $909.01 per day of photography.

Included: three nights in the luxury hotel–the Hilton Quito Colon, round trip airfare to and from the Galapagos, all meals on the boat, a killer buffet lunch with the tortoises!, all park fees and related costs, all transfers, and a five star thank you dinner on our last evening in Quito.

Not included. Your round trip airfare from your home to and from Quito, beverages, phone calls, and the $500/person tip for the guide and the crew.

A $5,000 non-refundable deposit per person is due immediately. Please call me at 863-692-0906 or 863-221-2372 before sending your deposit to check availability.

Please print, sign, and return these two forms along with your deposit checks: https://www.birdsasart.com/baacom/Registration%20and%20Release%20Forms.pdf.

Two additional non-refundable payments will be due as follows: $4000 due on NOV 1, 2010. Final payment: $3,499 will be due on FEB 1, 2011. We will be glad to take $200 off per person on the final payment if you register with a friend or with your spouse or life partner. Travel insurance is of course beyond highly recommended as none of your payments are refundable. You need to protect yourself in case of an unexpected illness or accident or other unforeseen developments.

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Great Egret on nest, face, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (handheld) with the 1.4X II TC, 37mm of extension, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Flash as main light with Better Beamer: 1/250 sec. at f/16. Manual flash at 1:8. To learn about using both Manual flash and flash as main light (as I did with the Bonin’s Petrels at night on Midway), check out “Flash Simplified” in ABP II (916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32. Using flash as main light can be just the ticket when photographing small chicks in shaded nests. On Saturday morning I had bad luck with some tiny chicks; the first time that the parent stood up and the chicks were active the sun was on the nest. Later, when the nest was fully shaded, I was off doing something else when the chicks got fed. You gotta love it.

ALLIGATOR ROOKERY TIPS

Floridians and those who visit the Sunshine State to take advantage of its incredible bird photography are blessed to be able to choose between the two great alligator rookeries, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in historic St. Augustine and Gatorland, in Kissimmee. And while having a variety of beautiful birds in breeding plumage and cuter than cute chicks at times within arm’s length is can be a thrilling experience, it is all too easy to make lots of bad images at these cluttered locations.

Here are a baker’s dozen tips for creating pleasing images when working at either of these great wading bird rookeries:

1. Bring you longest lens and one or more teleconverters; long effective focal lengths with their narrow angles of view are the very best way to combat clutter. When the light is bright, think tight.
2. Always have your longest lens on a tripod with a decent tripod head. Even if you do not own a super-telephoto lens working on a tripod will allow you to make sharp images in low light. And if you need to handhold for action, flight, or to get into a tight spot, that option is always available.
3. I try to arrive at either location in the afternoon so that I can take a slow walk around scouting for good nests and other opportunities. A “good nest” offers a relatively clean line of sight from at least one position on the boardwalk. The best case scenario includes a relatively distant background.
4. When I am ready to begin photographing I will usually have at least two rigs set up, usually three. This year it is the 800 f/5.6L IS lens on a tripod with a Mark IV body and a 7D on the lightweight 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens on my shoulder. The 400 DO with my second Mark IV is often nearby for flight and action or for framing options.
5. No matter your lens, be sure to have an extension tube or two with you so that you can work subjects inside the minimum focusing distance of your lens.
6. Move and keep moving to look for good situations. As the birds come and go from their nests a variety of opportunities will present themselves. Be on the lookout especially for tall, isolated perches with distant green backgrounds. They work best when beautiful birds perch on them.
7. If you see something that you want to photograph but the path to the subject seems blocked move left and right, up and down; choosing a better perspective can often save the day.
8. Though you will want to remember to point your shadow at the subject whenever possible, do be on the lookout for backlit subjects.
9. When photographing backlit subjects, use flash (ETTL at zero) with a Better Beamer to light the shaded side of the subject. With white birds and dark backgrounds you will often need to subtract a good deal of light from your exposures to prevent blowing the rim-let feathers.
10. When the sun gets harsh after 9am on clear days look for subjects in the shade and use flash as fill (ETTL between -1 and -2 stops).
11. For making images of tiny chicks in the nest, it is best to work with shaded subjects and to use flash as main light techniques. (See Flash Simplified in The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
12. If small distracting background elements are present, try moving left or right or up or down to eliminate them. At times you can hide them behind the subject.
13. One of my favorite situations, one that is often encountered at the gator rookeries, is subject in shade, background in sun: be sure to add lots of light to your exposure to avoid underexposing the subject.

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Great Egret chicks in the nest, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Denise Ippolito Photography

Canon 100-400mm IS lens (handheld at 400 mm) with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 set manually after histogram check. Denise was more patient than I was…. If you are in the Pennsylvania area check out the Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania macro workshop that Denise is co-leading (below).

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Great Egret chicks in the nest, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Denise Ippolito Photography

Canon 100-400mm IS lens (handheld at 400 mm) with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 set manually after histogram check. Again, Denise was much more patient than I was…. And was justly rewarded. I did suggest that a bit of fill flash would have yielded whiter whites and made the images just a bit sharper.

GATORLAND

When I predicted in the February 22, 2010 BAA Blog-post here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2010/02/22/gatorland-rocking-now-and-getting-better-each-day/) that Gatorland was getting better every day, I was right Denise Ippolito and I visited twice at the end of last week, the guests of our most gracious host, Mike Godwin. It is a delight to see Mike taking care of the visiting photographers like an eager mother hen. The early entry/late-stay program for photographers represents both an incredible value and an incredible opportunity. There are some photographable Great Egret chicks and Cattle Egret numbers are growing almost daily. There are lots of tricolored nests with eggs and some spiffy Snowy Egrets. In the mornings the snowies can be photographed snatching sticks from the pond. A pair of spoonbills is building a nest; the male is often seen gathering twigs for its nest.

You can learn more about the Gatorland Rookery (in Kissimmee, FL) and their great photographer’s program here: http://tinyurl.com/ygcq9yk.

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Snowy Egret with dip-gathered stick for nest, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 set manually after histogram check. My very favorite 7D AF Area Selection Mode is one that many folks recommend against for flight You can learn the details in the 7D User’s Guide. I used a 30% Linear Burn to increase the density of the whites and restore detail. You can learn to use Linear Burn in Digital Basics: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32.

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Many folks, especially the on-line experts, have expressed grave concern with noise in some 7D images. There are several factors involved. As a general rule, there will be more noise in images created with cameras that have more and smaller pixels than in images created with cameras that have fewer and larger pixels. Second, by exposing as far to the right as possible, you will reduce the amount of noise in your images. Third, by becoming proficient at using either Photoshop noise reduction or one of the plug-in noise reduction programs, you will find that in nearly all cases that noise can be controlled without any great effort of skill required. The top image here is a huge crop from the original “Snowy Egret with dip-captured stick “capture above. Chroma noise is quite evident. Below, is the same crop with Photoshop Noise Reduction applied. First, I selected the background and put it on its own layer. Then I ran Photoshop Noise Reduction. The were some problems with the edges of the black legs and bill so after I flattened the image I used the Clone Stamp at 30% hardness to clean up the edge-blurring. You can learn all of these techniques in Digital Basics: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32.

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CANON EOS-7D USER’S GUIDE INFO

I can honestly say that the 7D guide is amazing. Pretty much everything on the 7D is brand new and many folks have been seen shaking their heads in confusion. Learn everything that you need to know about setting up and operating your camera so that you are able to consistently produce the images that you want. This all new guide will open your eyes as to the possibilities. I share all of my Menu and Custom Function settings along with the reasons for each choice. I describe each of the five AF Area Selection Modes in detail and let you know which ones I use for what and why! And I have written a totally new section on making micro-adjustments. There is a ton of stuff in this guide that you will never see or hear anywhere else. You will, for example, learn how I create, save and use three different personalized Camera User Settings. Or how to set up and use Live View for a variety of nature photography applications. The entire guide is of course written in my easy to read, easy to follow, designed for dunces how-to style So easy that even a child could follow along. Do note that 7D UG does not cover the creation of video.

The first complete edition of the Canon EOS-7D User’s Guide PDF is available now. Updates–there will be at least one–will always be free.

The 7D User’s Guide (7D UG) sells for $30 if you send a check or a PayPal or call with a credit card in hand. If you purchase the 7D UG through the BAA On-line store, a $2.00 discount will be applied. Order your copy today for only $28 through the store by clicking here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=285.

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Wood Stork ,descending flight, Brandon, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 320. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1 set manually. After working on the Mark IV guide I tweaked a few settings and used the new larger test chart to micro-adjust the 800/Mark IV combo (with and without the 1.4X II TC). My flight images were noticeably and consistently sharper. To create this image while working on the Mongoose M3.5/Gitzo CF 3530 LS combo, I used 45-Point AF with great success.

CANON EOS-1D MARK IV USER’S GUIDE INFO

The first complete edition of the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide PDF is available now. Updates–there will be at least one–will always be free.

As the MIV is in many ways similar to the Canon EOS-1D MIII camera body, folks moving to the Mark IV from the Mark II will not be as challenged as those who have used any other Canon professional or pro-sumer.digital camera bodies. That said there are enough new bells and whistles on the Mark IV to make it a valuable learning experience even for Mark III folks. The MIV UG is fairly comprehensive; it covers all of the camera controls including buttons, dials, and wheels and most of the menu items and Custom Functions except those dealing with video. As always, the Mark IV UG is written in my easy to read, easy to understand style.

After following my own directions and doing the micro-adjustment on my Mark IV/800 combo I wound up setting +4 for that combo alone and +6 for when I added the 1.4X II TC. My already sharp images got just a bit sharper!

The Mark IV User’s Guide sells for $25 if you send a check or a PayPal or call with a credit card in hand. If you order through the through the BAA On-line store, a $2.00 discount will apply. To order your copy now and save $2.00, click here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=286.

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Roseate Spoonbill gathering nesting material, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6. The Gatorland spoonbills are most active in the afternoons.

AIDAN BRIGGS

Last year on the Morro Bay IPT I had the pleasure of meeting a fine young photographer from Templeton, CA named Aidan Briggs in person. ( had know Aidan on BPN almost from the beginning. Most folks assumed that he was an adult because of the quality of both his images and his critiques. He is in fact currently a sophomore in high school. About a year ago, I had the pleasure of nominating him for a NANPA High School scholarship and was thrilled when he was accepted. After we both attended the Summit Aidan wrote this short piece especially for the Bulletin:

The NANPA High School Scholarship Program is one of the most popular NANPA programs. The 2010 program, in Reno, Nevada, was led by new director Raymond Klass; it was a huge success. (You can check out Raymond’s work here: http://www.klassphoto.com/). Conducted during the week of the NANPA Summit, the scholarship program consisted of two days in the field, one day processing the images, and three days at the Summit. The first two days were spent shooting at Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and at a geyser on private property. Each of the locations was stunningly beautiful. Canon USA generously provided all ten students with Canon EOS-7D camera bodies and a variety of lenses. Things couldn’t have gone much better. The weather was perfect, the instructors were excellent, and the other students were fun to work with and be with. We were always surrounded by plentiful photographic opportunities. The only thing I wished for was a bit more variety in the subject matter; we worked with landscape photography almost exclusively. While the days out in the field were great, the best part of the program was the summit itself. It is hard to describe the breadth of the opportunities that were available there. We would attend the keynote and breakout sessions and then have people such as George Lepp, Darrel Gulin, Christina Mittermeier, and Arthur Morris come in and give presentations. We also got to talk to stock agents and editors including a National Geographic editor The sheer number of important connections that we made and the information that was provided us were by far the most noteworthy parts of the scholarship experience. One bonus of being in the scholarship program was the gear that we got to use for the week. In addition to the 7Ds, the Gitzo tripods, the iMac Computers, and the ipods that were provided, we also received free copies of Lightroom, various books, HoodLoupes, and a bunch of other great stuff from Gary Farber of Hunt’s Photo. There is no other way to sum up the scholarship program than say simply that it was a great experience.

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Cormorants at sunset, CA/Image copyright 2010/Aidan Briggs

After working with Aidan for a day or two in California last year I was impressed with both Aidan the photographer and Aidan the young man.

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Geyser scenic, NV/Image copyright 2010/Aidan Briggs

LONGWOOD GARDENS, PENNSYLVANIA APRIL 24, MACRO WORKSHOP

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Join BPN moderators Roman Kurywczak and Denise Ippolito for one of two half-day macro photography workshops at this spectacular botanical location. For more information, click here:
http://deniseippolito.smugmug.com/Photography/On/9597965_bsEhJ.

POSSE NEWS/JIM NEIGER

Flight School Photography in Osprey Heaven, Lake Blue Cypress (east of Vero Beach, Florida): May 13-17, 2010 and May 20-24, 2010. (Limit: 5): $1300. $200 Late Registration Discount: now only $1100.

Jim has spent years perfecting his techniques for photographing birds in flight using large telephoto lenses handheld. The focus of these workshops will be learning Jim’s hand held, long lens techniques for photographing birds in flight and in other action. The workshops will be held in some of the most beautiful, wild, and unspoiled wilderness areas of central Florida.

Each workshop will include a four hour classroom session, welcome dinner, four morning photography sessions, and three afternoon photography sessions. Each photography session will be of three to four hours in duration. Five of the photography sessions will (weather permitting) be conducted via a specially configured pontoon boat that has been customized for photography. The remaining photography sessions will be in-the-field, land-based sessions. The workshops will be limited to five participants so that everyone may photograph in comfort and receive personalized instruction.

The photography sessions by boat will be held on the unspoiled and unparalleled Lake Blue Cypress. This spectacularly beautiful lake is virtually free of civilization and manmade elements. The lake is surrounded by ancient cypress swamp and marshy wetlands. Here, the gorgeous cypress trees grow from the lake bottom surrounded on all sides by water. Osprey nest by the hundreds in these trees. Participants will be able to photograph the birds as the fly to and fro, dive for fish, gather nesting materials, and feed their young chicks. Some of the nests are actually at or below eye level . The only distractions in this pristine wilderness environment are the constant cries of the Osprey as they court in midair and defend their nests. Lake Blue Cypress is also a landscape photographer’s dream. The horizons contain nothing of man’s influence and only the beauty of the real Florida wilderness. Perches and backgrounds are spectacular beyond belief. April and May are the best months to be at Lake Blue Cypress. Wildflowers cover the stumps and trees like blankets of radiant color. The skies glow with spectacular, multi-hued sunrises and sunsets. Seeing more than a hundred different species of birds is possible on this trip. Large American Alligators are commonly seen sunning themselves on top of the fallen trees and stumps. The biggest problem for a photographer here is deciding which subject to photograph. Even the weather cooperates this time of year. It is the dry season and clear, sunny days are the most common weather condition.

The photography sessions on land will be held in remote areas of southern Osceola County. Here, participants are likely to have opportunities to photograph birds that are endangered and rarely seen. Possible species include: Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Barred Owls, Whooping Cranes, and Great Horned Owls, among others. Sand hill Cranes, a common bird in Central Florida, are tame enough to approach as closely as you like. Participants will also learn how to safely use bird song recordings to attract birds. Jim has developed his own, innovative techniques for using recordings to attract birds, in such a way, that amazing photographic opportunities are common when they would be almost impossible otherwise. This includes special techniques that encourage birds to fly and land in desired ways; this provides spectacular opportunities for flight images and for creating images on beautiful perches.

To see more great Blue Cypress images, click here: Sample Image Gallery. To learn more about Jim and Flight School Photography, click here: http://www.flightschoolphotography.com/.

Each workshop includes a four hour formal classroom instructional session, a welcome dinner, 4 morning photography sessions, and 3 afternoon photography sessions. The photography sessions include personalized instruction in the field. Discounted lodging is available, but is not included in the workshop fee. Payment of workshop fee must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

For additional info, click here: http://www.flightschoolphotography.com/Workshops/FSP%20LBC%20Workshops%202010/FSP%20LBC%20Workshops%202010.htm.

Contact Information: Jim Neiger, Flight School Photography, Inc. 550 Basin Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34744-4804. Cell phone: (407) 247-5200. Website: www.flightschoolphotography.com. Email: jimn@cfl.rr.com.

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Osprey,landing close-up, Lake Blue Cypress, FL Image copyright © 2009: Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography

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Osprey chase with fish, Lake Blue Cypress, FL Image copyright © 2009: Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography

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Barred Owl in Flight, Lake Blue Cypress, FL Image copyright © 2009: Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography

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Red-shouldered Hawk, topside flight, Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography

POSSE NEWS/ROBERT AMORUSO

The “Original” Gatorland Photographic Instructional Workshops/New Dates Added for June 2010.

Field Workshops: June 5-6, 2010 & June 12-13, 2010. Extensive in-the-field instruction at East Central Florida’s best rookery location, Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. Includes two hour classroom presentation “Successful Strategies for Rookery Photography” and image critique sessions each day of images you created during the workshop. Field instruction includes isolating your subject, understanding light, proper exposure (exposing to the right), using depth of field to your advantage, fill-flash and lots more. CD with lesson plans included – no note taking required. Learn more here: http://www.wildscapeimages.biz/blog/?page_id=132.

Field and Classroom: May 14-16, 2010. Three full days covering everything that the field workshop does plus extensive classroom instruction in image editing and optimization and presentations on photographic technique concentrating on rookery photography. Learn more here: http://www.wildscapeimages.biz/blog/?page_id=15.

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Great Egret in flight – Gatorland, Image Copyright 2009: Robert Amoruso

Canon 50D, Canon 70-200mm + 1.4x TC. 1/30 sec, f/5.6, Manual, Evaluative, ISO 250, Flash Compensation +3. Understanding the correct flash technique with birds in flight is key to making images like this.

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American Alligator, Gatorland, Image Copyright 2009: Robert Amoruso

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 600mm + 1.4x TC. 1/200 sec, f/5.6, Manual, Evaluative, ISO 800. The light and reflections seen in this image last only a few minutes at Gatorland. Knowing where to be and when at Gatorland, I can show you how to create images like this. The blue color cast was intentionally left in during image processing.

Lake Clark National Park, AK Coastal Brown Bear Photographic Instructional Workshop, REDUCED PRICING, $400 Discount on this Workshop.

Join Robert Amoruso July 21 to 27, 2010 on a journey photographing Coastal Brown Bears in Lake Clark National Park on Cook Inlet in Alaska. We will photograph male and female bears; some with cubs sedging on the open plains, clamming and fishing. On each trip we have seen females nursing their young. The workshop also includes a day’s trip to a Puffin and Murres rookery island. Expert bear-savvy guides will transport us to our photography locations. Our headquarters will be the famous Silver Salmon Creek Lodge – after a day of photography warm yourself in the cozy lodge, enjoy fabulous meals and great company before retiring to a warm bed. In 2007 I created two images that went on to become NANPA Showcase top-ten and top-100 winners. Learn more here: http://www.wildscapeimages.biz/blog/?page_id=143.

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Coastal Brown Bear – Lake Clark National Park, AK, Image Copyright 2009: Robert Amoruso

Canon 1D Mark III, Canon 600mm ,1/500 sec, f/5.6, Manual, Evaluative, ISO 800 Proper exposure is key to rendering shadow details in bear images.

Please contact Robert for additional info or to learn about his Private Photographic Instructional Workshops: 407-808-7417 (cell). E-mail: wildscapeimages@att.net. Images: www.wildscapeimages.com. Workshop info: www.wildscapeimages.biz/blog.

IPT UPDATES

BOSQUE del APACHE 2010 IPT: ‘The Complete Bosque Experience.’ NOV 20-26, 2010.

Slide program on the evening of Friday, NOV 19. 7-FULL DAYS: $3199. (Non-refundable deposit: $500; see details below.) Limit: 10/Openings: 6.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Jim Heupel, and multiple BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year honoree Chris Van Rooyen of South Africa (http://www.wildlifephotography.co.za). Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Plus great co-leaders and top-notch Photoshop instruction.

San Diego IPT JAN, 2011. DATES TBA. 5 Full Days: $2499 (Limit 8/Openings: 6).

I will announce the dates once I get a look at a tide table. I already have two deposits even without a firm date! Slide program on the evening before the first day of the IPT. A fully refundable $500 deposit now will hold your spot until the dates are announced. Once the dates are announced let me know either way. If you opt in, then your deposit will become non-refundable and you will be asked to complete the registration and release forms. Brown Pelicans, Wood and Ring-necked Ducks, Western and Heerman’s Gulls, Marbled Godwits, and lots, lots more.

SW FLA PRESIDENT’S WEEK IPT: 2011 DATES TBA: $2899. (Limit 10).

If you would like your name placed on the interested list for this IPT, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net. Or send me a deposit as below Same story as above on the dates: I am waiting for the publication of the tide tables.

A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold a spot for each of the above IPTs. Deposits may be paid by check, PayPal, or credit card. Payment in full (by check or money order only) is due four months before the start of each trip and is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out. You will be required to sign a statement of understanding to this effect. Travel insurance is of course highly recommended. 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, which expands the list of reasons for your canceling to an infinite list, from a sudden work or family obligation to 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: http://www.travelinsure.com/what/selecthigh.asp?32940. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check of running your credit card. We regret that we must implement this new policy but we have been plagued by last minute cancellations that make it impossible for others to participate and deprive us of essential income. In addition, these policies protect you against unexpected developments, injuries, or illnesses.

Important note: please print, fill out, and sign the registration and release forms and include them with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.” ) If you use a credit card to register, please fill out, sign, and mail the two forms asap. Your registration will not be complete until we receive your paper work. You can find the forms here: Registration and Release Form.

2011 Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience

July 3-20, 2011 (July 5-19, 2011 on the boat): 13 1/2 days of photography plus a last morning panga ride: $12, 499. (Limit 11/Openings 3) leaders). See item one above for complete details.

ROBERT O’TOOLE PHOTOGRAPHY HOMER BALD EAGLE INSTRUCTIONAL PHOTO-TOUR WITH ARTHUR MORRIS/BIRDS AS ART.

March 18-22, 2011 & March 24-28. 5-FULL DAYS: $3249. Limit: 12 (including the leaders).

Both of these trips sold out with long waiting lists within hours after being announced to the BAA Friends List. The Friends List is made up of IPT veterans who fit in the happy camper category. If you have been on an IPT and would like your name added to the BAA Friends List, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net and include a short note.

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Great Egret back feathers, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (handheld) with the 1.4X II TC, 37mm of extension, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Flash as main light with Better Beamer: 1/250 sec. at f/16. Manual flash at 1:8. As I was creating this image I knew that I would use the Fractalius BW-Sketch-01 pre-set to create the image below

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Great Egret back feathers, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

To learn more about Fractalius see: https://www.birdsasart.com/baacom/bn315.htm. If you would like to join the Fracting fun, please click on this link to purchase: https://www.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=1720292&referrer=birdsasart. The program costs only $39.90. And best of all, it is easy to learn and use. To access two great Fractalius tutorials by Denise Ippolito, click here http://deniseippolito.smugmug.com/Photography/On/9597965_bsEhJ and scroll down. Denise, who lives on the Jersey shore, offers individual and small group photographic and Photoshop instruction; you can learn more here: (http://deniseippolito.smugmug.com/).