FEATURES
- THE NEW-LOOK AND IMPROVED BIRDS AS ART BLOG
- MAKE MY DAY
- LEVELING TIP FOR HAND HOLDING
- CANON EOS-7D USER’S GUIDE INFO
- CANON EOS-1D MARK IV USER’S GUIDE INFO
- MY NEW LAPTOP
- GALAPAGOS 2011 PHOTO-CRUISE OF A LIFETIME
- URGENT POSSE NEWS/ROBERT O’TOOLE
- IPT UPDATES
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| Cattle Egret chick, edge of chick’s wing, Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Handheld Canon 400mm IS DO lens with the 1.4X II TC, 37mm of extension, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400: 1/125 sec. at f/18. Manual Flash as Main Light at 1:2.
The variety of photographic opportunities at Gatorland in the spring and early summer is staggering; You can learn more about the Gatorland Rookery (in Kissimmee, FL) and their great photographer’s program here: http://tinyurl.com/ygcq9yk. If you missed my Baker’s Dozen Alligator Rookery Tips in BAA Bulletin #323 you can access it here: http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/bulletins/birds-as-art-bulletin-323/. One of the things that I best love to do is to create images that are new and different. I think that I have done just that here Very few photographers have the knowledge or skills needed to create pleasing Flash as Main Light images. You can become one of them by studying the Flash Simplified section in “The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32. The principles of both Flash as Main Light and Manual flash are covered in detail. To read some interesting opinions on this image check out my BPN post here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=62178. To see two more killer flash as main light images and to learn more about flash as main light see the April 22, 2010 blog post here: http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2010/04/22/are-you-in-the-dark-about-flash-as-main-light/. And be sure to check out item one below to learn of the great new look and functionality of the blog. |
THE NEW-LOOK AND IMPROVED BIRDS AS ART BLOG
I first met Peter Kes late last winter when he traveled from his home in Switzerland to attend the SF FLA President’s Week IPT. He and the rest of us had a great time and Peter and I quickly became friends. Peter is a high level/high tech computer consultant by trade. When I asked for help with my Word Press blog he graciously offered his services. With my busy travel schedule it took us a while to get Skyping but yesterday the new look blog went live. I gotta say that Peter did an amazing job; the blog looks great, is easy on the eyes, and is easy to navigate. Thank you Peter for your help. If you need setting up a website, setting up Word Press, or securing or organizing your blog, you can contact Peter by e-mail at kpkes@yahoo.com or visit him at http://www.naturenotions.ch/blog-service. While you are there, be sure to click on some of the African links and check out his blog and his images many of which are quite good.
One of my favorite features of the new blog is the rotating 1000 x 160 pixel image that graces each page. The images switch as you navigate from page to page. There are ten now but I plan on adding lots more. When Peter asked me to send him ten 1000 x 160 pixel JPEGs my first thought was, “I don’t have any images that would work with that format.” In short order I was having way too much fun. Once you get an idea of the concept creating artistic slices like this can be a great way to improve your compositional skills and your eye.
A very few comments from the last month were unavoidably lost during the process of switching from the old blog to the new blog. Apologies to anyone who was affected. Feel free to repost and I will respond. (I love hearing Peter say the word “comments.” We say, KAH-mentz. Europeans say kuh-MENTZ.
When you visit the blog (the address is the same: www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com ) to check out the new look, be sure to subscribe to e-mail notifications by clicking on “Subscribe to the blog” at the right side of the yellow bar. Or, you can also subscribe right now by clicking here: http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/subscribe-to-the-blog/.
MAKE MY DAY!
Though I am a lover of what is (Byron Katie: www.TheWork.com), it is always nice to receive complimentary e-mails. Here are a few:
Artie, I am very much looking forward to your latest wisdom in the form of the 7D User’s Guide. It’s amazing how much I have learned from reading your books and guides. They have really bumped up the quality of my work and my enjoyment of the passion significantly. Thank you very much, Doug Outlaw.
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Hello Artie, We have exchanged a few e-mails before about the badly over-exposed Caribbean Flamingo image that I posted on BPN a while back 🙂 I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for your work as an educator. I am not talking about your workshops or IPTs, but about BPN. I feel as if I have learned so much since I joined. Of course it is the work (that brings a lot of energy and happiness ) of all the members, but it is your initiation and your baby. There are many amazing bird photographers out there, but all respect goes to you. I hope I can join one of your workshops one day. It is certainly one of my dreams. I was asked recently to be one of the judges here in Mexico City for a bird photography contest. I was very happy to receive this invitation. I don’t have as much experience as many of the BPN members, but I hope that I will do a good job. So, thank you again and have a very good night. I hope to meet you one day in person. Until than I will see your photos, read your bulletins, your blog, and your comments. Lorant Voros
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Thanks for your information-packed reply! I just ordered the Wimberley head, mainly because the Mongoose was sold out (not just at your site but on every site that I could find). As a big believer in small business, I ordered everything from your site (except of course the lens). Thanks for all of the great information that you provide; I look forward to sharing the fruits of my labors created with the new lens on BPN! Hank Christensen
LEVELING TIP FOR HAND HOLDING
IPT veteran Ardith Bondi of New York sent me this image via e-mail:
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Note the 70-200 f/4 in my hands, the albino Laysan Albatross chick by the flag, and the terribly skewed horizon line. IAC, the image brought back fond memories of the great Midway trip.
I sent this via e-mail to Ardith: Hey, May I use this image to teach a lesson about leveling the camera when handholding in tomorrow’s Bulletin? Please? artie
She replied: Sure, what’s the lesson? Ardith
I responded: Use the top of (or in some cases, the bottom) of your camera’s viewfinder box as a reference for leveling the horizon when handholding. For this image, you would point the camera down a bit until the top of the viewfinder box was lined up with and level to the top of the road. Then, after carefully raising the camera while keeping it square to the world, make the image. In these cases using One-Shot AF with Canon or S with Nikon is the way to go and makes your life easier. artie
Ardith replied: Oh, OK. What is level in that photo is a tough call. I’m looking forward to seeing what you have to say.
Needless to say, I disagreed with the “tough call” comment :). I wrote back: I used the Ruler Tool to level the line of the road near the top of the frame. Then I hit Rotate/Arbitrary and it showed that it needed about 4 1/2 degrees of CW rotation. Like this:
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I did level her credit line by using a Quick Mask :).
She wrote: I did that with a number of my pictures, but not with that one. You’re right, that was the horizon, and I will fix it. Thanks, Ardith
I answered: Ah, recognition! The problem is that when we are off even 2 degrees we create big problems for ourselves when we rotate the image, often losing valuable portions along the edges of the image. The lesson on how to get it right in the field without a bubble will be in tomorrow’s Bulletin. later and love, artie
Here is the complete lesson: determine the correct exposure, set it manually, line up and level the horizon line in your image with the top or the bottom of the viewfinder box, then raise or lower the camera carefully as needed and push the shutter button. If you have a bubble level on hand the trick is to set the image up as above and then take a peek at the bubble and adjust as needed by rotating the camera slightly and re-checking the bubble. Best of all of course is to be on a tripod with a bubble level but for most “grab” or “B-roll” images few folks–including me–will take the extra time. Do note, however, that when it comes to the proper exposure and a pleasing image design that I put as much care into creating them as I do for my natural history images. I just like the convenience of hand-holding :).
You can purchase a Double-Bubble Level (aka Kaiser Duplex Spirit Level) here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=9.
You can learn the how to create the following keyboard shortcuts: R for the Ruler Tool and Control/? for Image Rotate Canvas (as taught to me by Robert O’Toole) plus the complete BIRDS AS ART Workflow plus tons of other great Photoshop tips in the Digital Basics File (PDF): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
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One picture is worth a thousand words:
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Had Ardith pointed her camera down so that the top of the viewfinder was even with and level to the road (as seen above) and then carefully raised the camera while keeping it level, she would have made her post-processing life a lot easier :). I have taught this lesson dozens of times on IPTs; this the first time that I have published it.
Thanks to Ardith for the image and for being a good sport. You can see a gallery of her Midway images here: http://ardithbondi.com/page75.html. She has a great canary image!
ALAN MURPHY’S “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography”
Artie, I just finished Alan’s e-book Songbird Photography Set-up Guide. It is so good!!!!! I don’t know of anything similar or even remotely as good as Alan’s e-book when it comes to creating set-ups for passerines. I will be trying lot of his stuff during spring and summer! Thanks for your role in producing it. Markus Jais
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Alan’s CD 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, even if you have only a small backyard, or even just a patio or a balcony, you can learn to create stunning avian images on a consistent basis. Get yourself a copy and you will learn the tips and tricks that Alan has been using to create exquisite images of songbirds on beautiful perches for nearly a decade.
This professionally designed, packaged, and burned CD sells 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. You can send us a PayPal, call us at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or order the SSUPG from the BAA On-line Store (with secure credit card data transmission) by clicking here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=275. (Note: The shipping charges on BAA On-line Store orders will likely vary by small amounts from those noted above.)
THE CANON EOS-7D USER’S GUIDE
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| White Ibis, flight, Alafia Banks, Tampa Bay, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens (handheld) with the EOS-7D.
I find 7D AF to be superb. And my very favorite AF Selection Area Mode is one that nobody else uses or recommends…. Thanks to James Shadle for yet another great Hooptie Deux trip. For some great spoonbill photography and lots more you can contact James by phone at 813-363-2854 or e-mail: james@wildflorida.net. Phone is best. Learn more at www.wildflorida.net and www.inthefieldworkshops.com. |
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Hi Again, Artie, I promise not to send you a complimentary e-mail after reading each page of the 7D User’s Guide! I’m a little farther along on page 2 and just wanted to say that your tips regarding using autofocus in Live View mode with the 7D are just terrific. You have helped me to vastly improved my macro photography In just two pages you have done a lot to make using the 7D even more enjoyable for me than it was. Some day I hope to be able to go on an IPT with you; I know that I would learn so much. Thanks, again, kent wilson
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Artie here again :): 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 stuff on AF with Live View with lens/TC combinations that should not autofocus will blow you away…. 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. You will receive your PDF via e-mail so be sure to check your spam folder and security settings if you do not receive yours in a timely fashion. Do get in touch if you do not get the e-mail in a day or two (except when ordering from late Friday through Sunday 🙂 ).
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| Great Egret on nest, West Lake Toho, 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. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6.
This image was created from Jim Neiger’s pontoon boat at a rookery that he visits regularly. The 7D/1.4X TC/70-200 f/4L IS combination is one of my favorites when working with birds at close range. It weighs almost nothing, I love the quality of my 7D images, and my maximum equivalent focal length is an astounding 448mm which translates to a shade less than 9X magnification. Get out with Jim this spring for Snail Kites, Barred Owl, Osprey, the above mentioned rookery, and lots more great photographic opportunities. Contact Information: Jim Neiger, Flight School Photography: cell phone: (407) 247-5200, e-mail: jimn@cfl.rr.com, web site: http://www.flightschoolphotography.com. |
CANON EOS-1D MARK IV USER’S GUIDE INFO
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| Snail Kite, wings down flight, West Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Canon 400mm f/4L DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the reeds: 1/2000 sec. at f/5 set manually.
This image was also created from Jim Neiger’s pontoon boat on a recent trip. After doing much research for the MIV User’s Guide I wound up tweaking several settings; as a result, my flight images were a bit more consistently sharp than they had been before. As always, when I do everything right the images are sharp. When I screw up, they are not. Go figure…. (I do need to do the focus micro-adjustment with my #2 MIV body and the 400 DO as I did with my #1 MIV body and the 800 f/5.6L IS.) |
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Artie, Thanks for the great Mark IV User’s Guide! Figuring all of that out the hard way–on my own–would’ve taken quite some time. As you stated, it is a huge step up from the Mark II series bodies to the Mark IV. I had one of my original settings way off and it really impacted some of my flight photography. If you’re wondering which one I was way off on, it was C. Fn III-2. I was following a bunch of hunting Osprey at Little Estero as they would dive and hit the water. Well, I could acquire them and follow them just fine (and have many great images of them starting their dives)…..until they got close to the water and waves would distract the AF tracking! I had hardly any in-focus impact images. I switched back to the default and things improved. But now that I have switched to your recommended setting there, AF tracking performance against a background is vastly improved. That one alone is worth the 25 bucks! Great camera; the image quality is awesome. Bob Blanchard.
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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 III 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 the guide valuable even for experienced 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. There is a great section on how to set up and use Live View for a variety of nature photography applications. The stuff on AF with Live View with lens/TC combinations that should not autofocus will blow you away…. 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 PDF 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. You will receive your PDF via e-mail so be sure to check your spam folder and security settings if you do not receive yours in a timely fashion. Do get in touch if you do not get the e-mail in a day or two (except when ordering from late Friday through Sunday 🙂 ).
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| Snail Kite, male on perch, West Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop off the reeds: 1/320 sec. at f/11 set manually. (Tripod-mounted: Mongoose M3.5 with the Gitzo 3530 LS.)
This is yet another image that I made from Jim Neiger’s pontoon boat on a recent trip. I lowered the tripod to get a mixed vegetation sky background. I am loving both of my Mark IV bodies. |
MY NEW LAPTOP
As folks are always curious about my current laptop, see the machine below that Robert O’Toole ordered for me on Sunday afternoon. I had heard about solid state drives but dismissed them until I read this BPN thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=62256. A big time thanks is due to Ed Cordes for the informative post.
I spend several hours most days on my laptop. I optimize all of my images on my laptop (and my images are my lifeblood). I prepare Bulletins and blog posts on my laptop. I have never minded spending money for the best of anything. (Thanks to my late Dad, Private First Class Robert E. Morris for that lesson; thanks Dad!) I have been loving my HP laptops and it was Robert O’Toole who brought the industrial/military strength, blazingly fast laptop to my attention after hearing that my last laptop fell off the hood of my Toyota Sequoia…. So thanks Robert! Tim Grey advised that getting 16 gigs of memory would be a waste of money unless I was working with huge George Lepp type pano/HDR files so I went with only 8 gbs of RAM.
A related thought, a take-off from the song “If He Really Knew Me,” from the old Broadway musical “They’re Playing Our Song,” the story of the real life romance between Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager: “Does the man make the pictures or do the pictures make this man?” A question I have often pondered. (You can find the words to the whole song here: http://allmusicals.com/lyrics/theyreplayingoursong/ifhereallyknewme.htm.)
Configurable – HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation Quad Core
(ENERGY STAR)
VG305AV
HP Elitebook 8740w Mobile Workstation – QUAD
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64
MS Windows 7 Logo Label ** doesn’t apply to Win 7/XPP downgrade OS AV’s
Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Processor (1.60 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache), Up-to 2.8 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology
Intel Core i7 vPro Label
Mobile Intel QM57 Chipset
Estar Label
Intel® vPro Technology (Only available with Intel WLAN)
17.0-inch diagonal LED-backlit WSXGA+ WVA anti-glare (1680 x 1050), with camera
Webcam Integrated 2.0MP w/HP Skyroom Required selection for Camera Display
NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M graphics with 1 GB dedicated GDDR3 video memory
8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (4D) Only available with 64bit OS
256GB Solid State Drive
500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive – upgrade bay
Full- sized keyboard with numeric keypad and dual pointing devices (touchpad and pointstick) with scroll zone
HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth® 2.1 Wireless Technology
Intel Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 (3×3)
56K v.92 high speed modem
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
200W HP Smart AC Adapter
8-Cell 68 Wh Li-Ion Long Life Battery (3 year warranty)
Limited 3 year standard parts and labor warranty (3/3/3)
Additional accessories added from categories below will ship and invoice separately.
Subtotal:
$4,346.00
(Estimated) Tax:
$305.98
(Fed Ex 2-Day) Shipping and handling:
$25.20
Grand total:
$4,677.18
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| Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Alafia Banks, Tampa Bay, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 480. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/8 set manually after histogram check.
I just love photographing in the rain. I replaced the eye of this bird with the eye of the same bird from the previous frame as this was the best wing position but the bird had its nictitating membrane down. For some great spoonbill photography and lots more you can contact James by phone at 813-363-2854 or e-mail: james@wildflorida.net. Phone is best. Learn more at http://www.wildflorida.net and http://www.inthefieldworkshops.com. |
URGENT POSSE NEWS/ROBERT O’TOOLE
Hungary Bird Photography Workshop #2: May 8-15, 2010. 7 Days: $3899.
See the Late Registration Discount info below. (Limit 4: openings: 1)
Bee-eaters, European Rollers, raptors and more great birds in Hungary with Robert O’Toole. This central European country is known as one of the top tourist destinations in the world but it also offers some of the most amazing bird photography opportunities on the planet. Based in the Kiskunsági National Park (2 hours south of Budapest) we will be visiting 14 established hides–10 within a radius of 1.2 miles–during the peak season bee-eaters, rollers, kestrel–all nesting, displaying, and mating. Bee eaters spend an enormous time in front of the set ups offering food to their mates: bees, wasps, butterflies and dragonflies. All right on our perches. Some bee eaters have been known to catch as many as 250 bees per day. Rollers will perch prominently while hunting and the male will feed the female about every 20 minutes with insects, rodents, snakes, lizards and frogs of all kinds. There will also be chances to photograph Golden Oriole, Cuckoo, Spoonbill, Squacco Heron, White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Hawfinch and much more. There is a good chance this year for nesting Hoopoe!
Both of these workshops had been sold out for some time. Because of a recent cancellation Robert is able to offer a $900 Late Registration Discount brings the cost of this great workshop down to $2999. Please contact Robert at robert@robertotoolephotography.com to register or for more information.
URGENT NEWS: AT THIS LATE DATE ROBERT IS (DUE TO A SHORT-NOTICE CANCELLATION) OFFERING THIS LAST SPOT FOR A RIDICULOUS $1500.
E-mail as above is OK but a cell phone call to 310-619-8017 would be best.
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| Brown Pelican bathing, Alafia Banks, Tampa Bay, FL Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART |
| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/8 set manually after checking for forehead blinkies.
On almost every trip with James Shadle on the Hooptie Deux, we have some great chances with bathing pelicans. |
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| My first try with Fractalius was with Glow 100. I liked it. |
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| Then I tried Impressions 1 and loved it! Thanks again to Denise Ippolito for introducing me to and teaching me Fractalius.
To learn more about the Fractalius plug-in 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/) |
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 2)
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: http://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: http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/ipt-indemnity-form/.
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 $20 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.
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 OToole, 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.