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BIRDS AS ART ON-LINE Bulletin #101 March 14,
2003
IPT FAQ
St. Augustine IPT Date Change
SW FLA IPT Update
Canon EOS 1D or 1Ds?
Carolina Nature Photography Association 10th
Anniversary Weekend
IPT & ITF-Workshop Update
Hunt's Specials
Great White Heron with gaff-topsail catfish, Blind
Pass, Captiva Island, FL
Digital capture with Canon EOS 1Ds, 500mm f/4
IS L lens
ISO 100. Evaluative Metering
+1/3 stop = 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6
Image copyright 2003 Arthur
Morris/BIRDS AS ART
A fisherman tossed the catfish to
my old friend...
IPT FAQ
Greg Mikol
wrote as follows:
GM: The IPT's
are designed to be a learning experience, so I can't possibly be
expected to know everything before I arrive.
AM: Guess
what, I am doing this nearly twenty years and I don't know a
fraction of what there is to know. If I spend a day afield and
don't learn something new I am bummed.
GM: What *do* I need to know in order to take full advantage of
the trip.
AM: For the most part, I expect folks to know
the basics of operating their cameras and lens--just the stuff in
the owner's guides and manuals. In addition, it helps if
you have some idea of how to come up with a decent exposure with
whatever method you use. For most, this entails knowing how to
set exposure compensation on your camera body. As we photograph
during the workshop, I almost always discuss what the correct
exposure compensation should be in a specific situation, and
why. If you are not yet comfortable with the basic operations of
your camera body, you will almost surely want to choose an IPT
that includes teaching assistant Ellen Anon so that she can offer
you more time and individualized help.
GM: What sort of experience should I have? That is to say, is
there a minimum set of qualifications one should have in order to
maximize one's experience?
AM: That is a difficult question to answer, but
the best answer is no. Folks who travel with us range from
those who have never photographed a single bird to experienced
professionals, and I am proud to say that pretty much all of them
go home happy and smarter...
ST
AUGUSTINE IPT DATE CHANGE
Out of respect
for Mothers everywhere, I have moved the St. Augustine IPT back 8
days. The new dates are May 24-26 with the slide program at 7pm on
the evening of May 23, 2003.
Cattle Egret in breeding plumage, St.
Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, 1.4X TC, 25mm Extension Tube, Canon EOS
1v camera body.
Fuji Velvia pushed one stop (rated at EI 100).
Evaluative metering -2/3: 1/1000 second at f/5.6.
Image copyright 2003 Arthur
Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Breeding plumage
Cattle Egrets are simply luscious.
ST.
AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM (FL)
MAY 24-26,
2003.
3-DAY IPT: $829 (Limit: 10, openings: 9)
Register
NESTING GREAT,
CATTLE, & SNOWY EGRETS (AND LITTLE BLUE HERONS) AT CLOSE RANGE
AND AT OR BELOW EYE-LEVEL! LEARN TO USE YOUR FLASH AS FILL AND
AS MAIN LIGHT AND LEARN HOW TO AVOID CLUTTER IN YOUR
COMPOSITIONS. MANY BIRDS WILL BE IN SPECTACULAR BREEDING
PLUMAGE. |
SW FLORIDA IPT REPORT
The recent sold-out SW Florida 3-day/5-day IPT was a huge
success. Eleven folks were there for the 3-day portion, with five
of them sticking it out for the full five days. (Grover and Suzie
Wrenn of St. Petersburg, FL won the hard luck award as Grover's
Dad was ill. He flew to see him and then made it to Ft. Myers by
Friday night, only to be overcome by flu-like symptoms...) Ding
Darling was good on Saturday and great on Tuesday morning. The
Venice Rookery was excellent (while three weeks ago it was
poor). Many of the Great Blues have re-nested after losing their
first brood to viciously cold weather. We had a dancing white
phase Reddish Egret just after dawn on Sunday at Estero Lagoon and
lots of great terns, gulls, and wading birds as well. We had
eight tame Snowy Plovers on a Gulf beach, and the Fishing Pier was
great for Snowy Egrets after a slow start. The Burrowing Owls at
Cape Coral were incredibly cooperative. We did well twice at
Blind Pass; it was wonderful to see the Great White Heron alive
and well--I had not seen it on the December IPT. We had some
great chances with the big herons eating big fish!
Great Blue Heron with Spanish Mackerel, Blind Pass,
Captiva Island, FL
Digital capture with Canon
EOS 1Ds, Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens
Image copyright 2003 Ellen Anon
Ellen made this spectacular image while I was
messing around with the 100-400 IS zoom...
.....
On Friday afternoon we joined captain Marian Schneider for a
sunset cruise and had a ball.
Grande Tours with Captain
Marian Schneider
Photograph 500+ White Pelicans; and wading birds flying to roost
at sunset from large stable pontoon boats. Situated close to Boca
Grande, Florida, neighboring the beautiful Charlotte Harbor
Aquatic Preserve and the Gulf of Mexico, Grande Tours offers a
variety of eco-tours, cruises, sightseeing and kayaking programs
available between 8 am and 5pm.
Pelicans after sunset, Gasparilla Sound, FL
Digital capture with Canon
EOS 1Ds, 500mm f/4 L IS lens with 1.4X II TC
ISO 1250 Evaluative Metering +1 2/3 stops =
1/160 sec. at f/5.6
Fill flash at -2/3 stops with Better Beamer
Image copyright 2003 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Photographing in the dark from a moving boat is
not something that I would try with a film camera. IS and the
ability to set the ISO to 1250 helped tremendously in this almost
impossible situation.
CANON EOS 1D OR EOS 1Ds?
From subscriber Rob van de Wijngaard:
RvdW: A few bulletins back you told us of your upcoming trip to
Africa and that you are going to take your 1D as well as new
1Ds. (We saw a lot of 1Ds' pictures and very few images made by
the 1D after your visit.) I would be pleased if you can give
your opinion (in short) in one of your next bulletins. When and
why do you use each of these bodies for photographing birds
and/or wildlife.
AM: I use the 1Ds most of the time for general bird photography
with either of my long lenses--the EF 500mm f/4 IS L or the EF
600mm f/4 L IS. I use the 1D on the 100-400 IS or the old 400
f/5.6 or the 300 f/4 IS lenses for photographing flight and
action. The 1Ds yields large files that will be accepted by
major agencies such as Corbis Stock Market. The 1D offers
blazing speed (8 fps) and a superior AF system; the 1D is better
at tracking and initial AF acquisition because (with the smaller
sensor area) the AF sensor grid covers a greater percentage of
the imaging sensor. In addition, I like the 1D is for making
sharp flight images when using flash because it synchs at 1/500
sec., the 1Ds only at 1/250 sec. Because of the weight of the
1D I am looking to get my hands on the brand new 10D to see
if--as I suspect--it will be superb for flight and action.
In Africa, and at other times, I will switch from the 1D to the
1Ds with the hand-holdable lenses if I think that the
opportunity is an excellent one and I have time. Again, I do
so because the 11 megapixel files of the 1Ds will be far easier
to market. Hobbyists bird photographers need to consider the
end use of their images if choosing between the 1D and the 1Ds.
The converted raw files from the 1D will make good to
excellent prints up to 13X19 inches and its lower cost, blazing
speed, and 1.3X multiplier effect make it an attractive option
for those who do not require huge files. Do note that even
severely cropped 1Ds images will contain more pixels then
most images from the 1D...
White Pelican in flight, Ding Darling NWR, FL
Digital capture with Canon
EOS 1Ds, 500mm f/4 L IS lens with 1.4X II TC
ISO 250 Evaluative Metering at
zero = 1/250 sec. at f/5.6
Fill flash at -2/3 stops with Better Beamer
Image copyright 2003 Arthur
Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Soon after making this image I
switched to the 1D for flight photography with flash. With this
bird moving relatively slowly, I was not hurt by the 1Ds's 1/250
sec. synch speed.
CAROLINA NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
ASSOCIATION (CNPA) 10TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
Connie Toops and I will be the featured guests at the CNPA 10th
Anniversary Photography Weekend April 11-13, 2003 in Ashville,
NC. For additional details, click here:
http://www.cnpa.org/AM_2003_Flyer.pdf
IPT & I-T-F-Workshop
UPDATES
Fort DeSoto Park In-The-Field Workshops:
Monday March 24 and Tuesday March 25, 2003
These In-The-Field Workshops at Fort
DeSoto Park are (wide) open to all. You may sign up for one or
both days, each is limited to 10 participants.
A 400 mm lens with a 1.4X teleconverter is the minimum
recommended focal length lens for these Workshops. 500 and 600mm
telephoto lenses are ideal. (Pre-dawn to sunset with a two-hour
break after lunch.)
The cost of the In-The-Field
Workshops are $200.00/day. Probable subjects include Laughing
Gulls in full breeding plumage performing various courtship
displays, hundreds of shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, and
various herons and egrets including both the dark and white phases
of Reddish Egret (see the latter at:
http://www.birdsasart.com/bn73.htm)
in spectacular breeding plumage with their bright pink bills and
ultramarine blue lores.
To register for one or both of the
ITF-Workshops, send a check made out to “Arthur Morris” for
$200/day to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245 Indian Lake
Estates, FL 33855.
Please be sure to include your preferred date(s), your
home address and phone number, your work number, and most
importantly, your correct e-mail address( if you have one).
For information on the Sarasota
Two-Day How-To
Seminar, "The Art Of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds!"
(SAT/SUN March 22-23, 2003) click
here:
http://www.birdsasart.com/Sarasota.htm
IPTs.
Do note that BIRDS AS ART/Instructional Photo-Tours are not photo
vacations. If you are looking for a relaxed, informal trip with
luxurious breakfasts, then my trips are not for you. If you want
to get up early, really early at times, work hard all day (but for
the midday break and Instructor Nap Time), enjoy lunch and dinner
with the leader and the group (all the while asking photo-related
questions and looking at images), stay out till dark, and then
enjoy an on-topic, educational slide program until 9:30 or so,
then do consider joining us.
Amazingly, the
Fall 2003 Bosque Del Apache NWR,
NM IPTs
already have five slots filled. NOV 23-25 & NOV 29-DEC 1, 2003. 3-DAY
IPTs: $829 (Limit: 14). Take a $100 discount, sign up for both,
and celebrate Thanksgiving in Socorro with us. Tens of
thousands of geese and ten thousand Sandhill Cranes. Low mountain
scenery. Spectacular light. And, if you are the least bit lucky,
sunrises and sunsets that will bring tears to you eyes. Bosque is
the premier teaching laboratory for those wishing to develop their
creative vision. (At present, I have scheduled only two, rather
than the traditional three Bosque IPTs.)
The first ever
Upper Peninsula of Michigan Fall
Color/Macro/Waterfalls IPT will be co-led by
David Vore of
Flint, MI who knows all the killer spots. 5-day,
10/3/03 to 10/7/03: $1299. Limit 12, openings,
10. Peak color averages to October 4th... Do be aware that there
are no guarantees as to the date of peak color... The
introductory slide program will be at 7:30pm on the night of
October 2. Last year, the color was two weeks late, but in spite
of that, we had an incredible time photographing little bits of
color, some incredible reflections, mushrooms, birch bark,
chipmunks, and moving water. I did not make a single bird
photograph yet came home stoked! Two slots are already filled.
HUNT'S SPECIALS
Sensia 100 36 9/03 USA $2.39/
roll Provia F 100-36
USA in 20 packs $4.49/roll
Velvia 36 USA $4.49 a roll in 20 packs
USA Fuji mailers $3.75. $3.59 each
for 100 pieces
The new Canon EOS 10D is $1499.99. It is available on a first
come, first served basis. Gary will keep you updated on the
expected delivery dates and will ship them as fast as possible.
He has 30 orders already...
Epson 2200 INKS
$10.49 Delkin 640
24x e-film Pro Compact Flash Cards: $239.95
Call now for new lower prices on all the digital wallets from
Delkin 20GB, 30GB, and 40GB. The Delkin 60GB is only $749.99
for BAA Bulletin subscribers.
Contact Gary Farber at 1-800-221-1830 ext 2332 for personalized
service. Ask about special shipping rates for Birds as Art
Bulletin Subscribers.
AM: Bulletin subscribers are urged to comparison shop
before making major purchases.
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