BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #414

• Canon EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide Pre-Publication Version Available Now!
• New York City Weekend Nature Photography Seminar December 8-9, 2012
• Gatorland Photo Contest
• Trinidad Trip Report
• Caligo Ventures
• Used Canon EOS-60D for Sale/Price Reduced
• The Amazing Image
• B&H Double Rebates: Canon & Nikon
• Shopper’s Guide
• IPT Updates

Canon EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide Pre-Publication Version Available Now!

Save $10

Regular readers here know that I have been loving my 5D Mark III ever since I got my hands on it. I love the light weight, the quality of the image files, and especially the killer new AF system. Right now, the 5D III’s AF system is the best by far on any Canon camera body and that includes the vaunted EOS-1D Mark IV. Don’t get me wrong, I love my two MIV bodies and use then every time I am in the field, but for birds in flight and in action I go with my 5D MIII.

I have been working on the 5D Mark III User’s Guide for more than three months. While the end is in sight, lots of folks have been clamoring to hear what I have to say about setting up the camera and to learn about my autofocus settings and my thoughts on the various AF Selection Area Modes. I have, therefore, decided to offer a pre-publication version of this User’s Guide. When it is complete, the guide will sell for $50. It will be our most expensive camera user’s guide yet because the 5D Mark III is pretty much all-new and the menu is the most extensive ever in a Canon camera. I have put in a ton of work already and still have lots more important stuff to work on.

The pre-publication version is available now for only $40.

Here’s the best news: You will automatically receive the final version at no additional cost when it becomes available. On the off chance that you do not, please e-mail Jim and he will rectify the situation.

Though this pre-publication copy is incomplete, it will help you set up your camera exactly as I have mine set up right now. Almost all of the stuff dealing with autofocus and the various AF Selection Area Modes is included. Even in its present form, this guide is quite extensive. You can learn everything that I know about the following important topics:

• 5D III exposure fine points
• Handling the WHITEs
• The top LCD and all camera control buttons
• 5D Mark III drive modes
• How to manually select an AF sensor
• Choosing an AF Area Selection Mode; how and why (includes extensive detail)
• Menu Item Access

Coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including the following: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (includes details on the custom setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation linked AF point (I love this feature on the 5D III!), Highlight alert, Histogram display, Auto rotate, Custom Shooting Mode set-up, Safety shift, using the Q button, and setting up rear focus.

The guide is–of course–written in my informal, easy-to-follow style.

Important items that are not included in the pre-publication version (but will of course be included in the final version) include:

• External Speedlite control
• Long exposure noise reduction
• Multiple Exposure
• HDR Mode
• AF Microadjustment
• My Menu

Please note: Some Menu items will not be mentioned in this guide either because they deal only with video (which is not covered in this guide) or they are irrelevant to nature photography. Each should be left at the default setting.

To Order

To order your copy of the pre-publication version of the Canon EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand, find it quickly in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store by clicking here, or send a Paypal for $40 to us by e-mail. Overseas folks might do better with this e-mail address.

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Here a Great Egret chick in a shaded nest at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL is being fed by a parent as we view the undersides of the baby bird’s bill. The image was created with the tripod-mounted the Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at -2 2/3 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/18 in Manual mode. Flash as main light at -1/3 stop with the Canon 580 EX flash (now replaced by the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Better Beamer. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. If the exposure settings do not make sense to you then you do not understand the flash as main light technique and you are missing out on some great opportunities when working in relatively dark situations. Learn everything that you need to know about flash for nature photography in the Telephoto Flash Simplified section of The Art of Bird Photography II. This section begins on page 546 of the Spreads for Easy Viewing version. Flash as main light is covered on pages 553-556. Notice also the relatively shallow depth-of-field even at f/18.

New York City Weekend Nature Photography Seminar December 8-9, 2012

Join Denise Ippolito and me for a great weekend of fun, learning, and Photoshop. Click here for details or to register.

Gatorland Photo Contest

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Gatorland Photo Contest

You don’t have to be a pro photographer with expensive equipment to get a great picture at Gatorland, and they are giving you a chance to prove it. Gatorland is proud to announce the Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest. It will run from Friday July 1, 2012 through Friday, November 30, 2012. The contest is open to all photographers ages 18 and over except for those individuals affiliated with Gatorland, including stockholders, directors, employees, interns, volunteers, and their immediate families (children, siblings and spouses). All photographs submitted must have been taken at Gatorland by the entrant within the past year (after July 1, 2011).

Entry Fee:

There is an entry fee of $5 per image. There is no limit to the number of images that may be submitted. The entry fee must be may be paid online at the Gatorland Web Store here.

Prizes:

The prizes for each of the three (3) Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest categories are:

1st Place – $200 + 2 Annual Passes ($287.98 value)

2nd Place – $100 + Annual Pass ($143.99 value)

3rd Place – $50 + Single Day Pass ($72.99 value)

Categories:

The three (3) Gatorland 2012 Photo Contest categories are detailed below:

Birds

This category is reserved for images of our feathered friends, both native and exotic. Gatorland is home to over 22 different species of wild Florida birds, as well as exotic species such as Emus, Macaws, Parrots, Peacocks, and Flamingos. Whether it’s one bird or a whole flock… if it has feathers it belongs here!

Reptiles

What would a Gatorland Photo Contest be without gators? This category is not just for Gatorland’s namesake alligators, but all reptiles found within the park including crocodiles, caimen, lizards, snakes, and turtles.

Gatorland

This general category includes everything found at Gatorland except for birds and reptiles. Whether its animals, insects, plants, landscapes, architecture, or shows… this is the place for it!

Image Requirements:

All photographs submitted must have been taken at Gatorland by the entrant within the past year (after July 1, 2011). For a photo in which a person is prominent and recognizable, you must secure a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent, and provide it to Gatorland upon request. The only exceptions to this requirement are those images that feature Gatorland employees. Photographs submitted that contain Gatorland employees do not require a model release for the employee.

All entries must be submitted in digital high quality JPG format. File size for each image must be less than 10 MB. Scanned slides or prints are acceptable.
Minor digital enhancement for cropping, red-eye removal, sharpening, brightness, contrast, and slight color adjustment are permitted, but images that have been excessively manipulated will be disqualified. Image entries may be submitted in color or black and white, and in either a landscape or portrait format. No watermarks, signatures, copyright info, borders or frames are permitted on images.

How to enter:

For your convenience, photographs may be submitted by email at publicrelations@gatorland.com. We will also accept digital images on CD submitted through the mail.
Please be sure to include the following information with all submissions:

Photographer Name, Address, Contact Phone, Email Address, and Entry Fee Order Confirmation

Please include the file name(s) for each image you will be submitting as well as the Category (Birds, Reptiles, Gatorland) for each. Please send all mail entries to: Gatorland Photo Contest 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL. 32837. Gatorland is not responsible for any entries not received or lost in transit. CD’s received will not be returned. Only digital images will be accepted, sorry no prints or slides!

By entering the contest, winning entrants grant Gatorland the non-exclusive right to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of their photographs,, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for the purpose of advertising and promoting Gatorland and future contests. Any photograph reproduced will include (whenever possible) a photographer credit. Gatorland will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses as described above.

Judging:

Submissions will be judged on content, clarity, composition and that special quality that makes an image a winner! Finalists will be notified of their status by Friday January 4, 2013, and the winners will be announced on the Gatorland Web Site. (www.gatorland.com)

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This Copper-rumped Hummingbird was photographed off the veranda at the Asa Wright Nature Centre with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Fill flash at -2 stops with the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Better Beamer. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. Like hummers? Check out Rain Bathing Gem here.

Trinidad Trip Report

On June 4th Denise Ippolito and I flew to Port Of Spain, Trinidad, guests of Mark Hedden and Jerry Lower of Caligo Ventures for a whirlwind nature photography tour of Trinidad and Tobago. Photography started bright and early the next morning from the veranda of the famed Asa Wright Nature Centre. With cloudy skies and bright overcast we hiked down the trail to two manakin leks. See more manakin images at Trinidadian Gems & Quasi-Flash as Main Light Technique. That afternoon we drove to Matura Beach to watch nesting Leatherback Turtles. After a beach walk in search of hatchlings we enjoyed a sumptuous picnic dinner replete with real (not paper) plates and real (not plastic) silverware straight from the Asa Wright kitchen. It was quite a thrill to see these huge reptiles come up on the beach to lay their eggs. The turtle researcher provided a wealth of information.

One day we woke very early for a boat trip in the famed Caroni Swamp; you can see images and read the whole story here. The next few days were a blur of birds and flowers in varied habitats and a quick spin over to Tobago where we stayed at the Blue Waters Inn and took a boat over to Little Tobago. We made the hike up the hill for Red-billed Tropicbirds. Caligo will be working with the local authorities to get the vegetation at the cliff overlooks cut back. Before we knew it it was time to pack up and head back to the US of A.

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Leatherback Turtle eggs being deposited in nest. Note the single small spacer egg on the right side of the frame. This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens(hand held at 200mm) and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at about -5 stops with scene illuminated by powerful lantern: 1/30 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. Flash as main light at -1/3 stop with the Canon 580 EX flash (now replaced by the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Better Beamer. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. Again, if the exposure settings do not make sense to you then you do not understand the flash as main light technique and you are missing out on some great opportunities when working in relatively dark situations. This one certainly qualified as dark; the image was created at about 9:30 pm. Learn everything that you need to know about flash for nature photography in the Telephoto Flash Simplified section of The Art of Bird Photography II. This section begins on page 546 of the Spreads for Easy Viewing version. Flash as main light is covered on pages 553-556.

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Caligo Ventures

If you would like to stay at the avian-rich Asa Wright Nature Centre or visit Trinidad and Tobago you need to get in touch with the folks at Caligo Ventures. They handle all North American bookings for the charming and legendary lodge located on a 2,000 acre tract of rainforest high in the Arima Valley of the Trinidad’s Northern Range. Learn more here.

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This Red-billed Tropicbird image was created with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2 1/3 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor/Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. As this was a big underexposure background noise was excessive. Only Denise Ippolito’s Surface Blur trick tamed it. Details are in the last update of Digital Basics. Use the search feature :).

Used Canon EOS-60D for Sale/Price Reduced

David McNicholas is offering a used Canon EOS-60D digital camera body in excellent condition–no marks and no problems, for sale for $800; insured shipping at the buyer’s expense. In the original box with all cables, straps, manuals,battery, charger and software disc. Includes one 2GB SD memory card.
SHIPPING : within the US at buyers expense. For more information or to purchase contact David by e-mail dmcnicholas@comcast.net or on his mobile phone at 973-452-4940.

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This male White-bearded Manakin with its beard distended was photographed at Asa Wright Nature Centre with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at -1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Quasi-flash as main light at -2/3 stop with the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Better Beamer. Central sensor (by necessity) AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

The Amazing Image

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Polar Bear Photo Tours, Photo Tours, Photography Workshops, Classes & Lessons

Photographic Travels with Charlie, Charlie MacPherson that is. Click here for Charlie’s blog. Click here for info on the Kaktovik, Alaska Polar Bear Tour. And click here for info on photography classes at the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell, MA and the South Shore YMCA in Hanover, MA.

The above is a paid advertisement.

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B&H Rebates

Click here to enjoy double rebates of up to $550 by selecting one of four Canon dSLR camera bodies (including the killer EOS-5D Mark III) and then adding a lens from a large selection. The lenses included many of the intermediate telephoto lenses that I use and recommend. This offer expires in less than three days on June 30, 2012.

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This pale heliconia was photographed at the Asa Wright Nature Centre with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/40 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Fill flash at -2 stops with the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Better Beamer. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

IPT Updates

Click here for the current IPT schedule. Click here for info on the August BAA Photo-Tour to Nickerson Beach, Long Island and the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR, NY and lots of great images from both Nickerson and JBWR. There are just two spots left.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lensI finally broke down and purchased my own copy of this great flight photography and general purpose lens.
Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens. This lightweight telephoto lens will autofocus with the 1.4X teleconverters. It is ideal for hand holding and for photographing from all types of watercraft.
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
1.4X III TC The latest version of the 1.4X TC is designed to work best with the Series II Super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gizo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.