THE CANON EOS 1D MARK II DIGITAL CAMERA BODY: SURREAL!
IF YOU...
THE ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM IPT REPORT
TAKE GREAT PICTURES.COM ARTICLE
PRACTICALLY PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION (PPPI)
SUPER SUN HAT
IPT UPDATES
DON'T MISS: AFRICAN PHOTO GALLERY LINKS/TODD GUSTAFSON AND THE ARDOINS
Photo Theme: my favorite images from the recent St. Augustine Alligator Farm IPT
Cattle Egret pair, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 10D digital camera with Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS lens.
ISO 400. Program mode. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/7.1. Pop-up flash at -1/3 stop.
I used One-Shot AF here, focused on the eye of the closest bird, and then recomposed, all this while leaning far over the railing.
THE CANON EOS 1D MARK II DIGITAL CAMERA BODY: SURREAL!
Thanks to the generosity of IPT participant, fashion photographer, and brand new friend Robert O'Toole of Los Angeles I had a chance to work with the EOS 1D Mark II on Sunday morning for a few hours using it almost exclusively for flight photography. All that I can say is that the AF performance of Canon's latest professional digital camera body is the answer to all of my dreams. In a word, AF performance is surreal. Initial focus acquisition is pretty much instantaneous and in every flight image (where I kept the sensor on the subject) the bird's eye was rendered either sharp or extremely sharp. Tracking was satin-smooth. How did Canon finally create an AF system that thrills me? All previous cameras have had one processor to handle both AE (auto-exposure) and AF (autofocus). The Mark II has two processors, one for AF and one for AE so there is no switching back and forth... The camera handles like a dream and has tons of great new features in addition to the 8+ megapixels files and 8-frames/second speed.
Thanks to the generosity of Hal DuPont of Vero Beach (strange that both Hal and Barbara and Robert will be joining Todd and I on the Kenya Safari this August...) I have a brand new 1Ds sitting in an unopened box right next to me. I will be getting several Mark II's from Canon next week and replace the one that Hal so graciously advanced to me. Thanks partner! I will be giving my new toy a good workout this coming weekend at Fort DeSoto (see: PPPI below) and should be able to post a complete report here next week before I head up to Lake Erie to chase warblers (see IPT updates and PPPI) . On Sunday at lunch friend and IPT veteran Rocky Sharwell (who loaned me his 1-4 so that I could make the image below) said I have never seen you so happy as when you had that Mark II in your hands. You heard it here first: the EOS 1D Mark II will revolutionize wildlife and sports photography and will set the standard for digital cameras until the next generation Canon digital camera. With so many folks having switched to Canon in recent years the demand for the Mark II is unprecedented and hundreds if not thousands of folks have their names on waiting lists...
Snowy Egret, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1D Mark II digital camera with Canon EF 100-400mm L IS zoom lens (at 310 mm).
ISO 200. Exposure set manually from reading on the light sky just above the distant horizon: 1/1000 sec. at f/8.
High Speed Synch flash at full power acting as fill.
IF YOU...
did not receive BAA Bulletin #134 (we had some problems sending that one...) you can find it archived here:
http://www.birdsasart.com/bn134.htm
Bulletin 134 features a piece on Sensor Cleaning and we received many favorable responses from those who did receive it.
THE ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM IPT REPORT
There were 10 of us all told, and but for Linda Chvarak who was not feeling well, everyone had a great time and took advantage of countless wonderful photographic opportunities. Even though I have been photographing at St. Augustine for more than ten years, I am always awed the first time that I enter the colony each year. So many birds. So beautiful. So close and so tame... There were lots of Cattle, Great, and Snowy Egrets in stunning breeding plumage. There had been about 15 Great Egret chicks the week prior to our arrival, but a big wind storm one evening resulted in each of them becoming alligator potato chips... It seems that all of the Great Egrets are attempting to re-nest. There were lots of Tricolored Herons sitting on eggs but only a few Tricoloreds were brightly colored. There are about 15 pairs of Wood Storks building nests and courting atop the huge oak near the 90-degree turn on the boardwalk. With southeast winds the last two mornings we had some wonderful flight photography opportunities as well.
The folks at the Alligator Farm (http://www.alligatorfarm.com/) absolutely go out of there way to cater to photographers. (You can click through to a gallery of my images from the home page.) Their Season Photo-Pass ($59.95) is one of the great bargains in nature photography and includes early (8 am) entry to the farm. Also included is free entry into their photo contest, a contest that offers cash prizes ranging from $50 to $500! If you'd like to stay late to photograph in the sweet, sweet light of early evening and do some flash-flight photography during the fly-in, remember to offer a gratuity ($5/photographer is suggested) to the keeper who is working late on his or her dime so that you can have fun. The farm will offer superb photographic opportunities from now through at least mid-July. The place is so spectacular that it is well worth a plane trip. Do tell them that I sent you.
Wood Stork in flight, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1Ds digital camera with Canon EF 100-400mm L IS zoom lens (at 170 mm).
ISO 250. Exposure set manually from reading on the sky well above the distant horizon: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.7.
High Speed Synch flash at full power acting as fill.
I am now experimenting with various techniques for doing flash-flight photography in bright sun...
TAKE GREAT PICTURES.COM ARTICLE
After several phone interviews and e-mails, Joanna Philbin wrote a nice piece on yours truly. You can find her article, and lots of great images as well at:
Cattle Egret in breeding plumage, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1Ds digital camera with Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS lens and 1.4X II TC.
ISO 320. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop set manually: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6.
With their magenta lores, the Cattle Egrets are pretty much my favorites... This bird was in the shade and the image was made without the use of flash... With digital, I sometimes wonder if flash (except for flash-flight!) is necessary at all...
PRACTICALLY PRIVATE PHOTOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION (PPPI)
This coming weekend's Small Group In-The-Field Workshops at Fort DeSoto Park in St. Pete (May 1 and May 2) are really small: two folks on Saturday and one on Sunday. Early May can be spectacular at Fort DeSoto. The Royal and Sandwich Terns and the Laughing Gulls will still be courting, and the shorebirds will be molting into breeding plumage before they head north to the arctic. Here is the day plan: Meet at 6:00 am and photograph until 10:30am. Lunch and photo-sharing at Bob Evans. Break--Instructor Nap Time. Photograph from 4pm till sunset. Kiss goodbye. Participating photographers are invited to send no more than three images from the day for critiquing.
Saturday, May 1, 2005 and or Sunday May 2, 2005: $300 per person. (Both $550; Hi Ivan!) Limit 6. In the unlikely event of rain, the workshops will feature and include macro photography and computer slide programs tailored to the individual needs of the group. To register, please send a Paypal and indicate the date or dates.
The Magee Marsh Warbler IPT: 3-DAY ($829) MAY 14-16, 2004 has just one photographer signed up. (Though it has been a while since this has happened, do know that all BAA IPTs will run with only a single registrant.) If you'd like to join us at this convenient location near Toledo, do get in touch.
Great Egret in flight with nesting material, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1Ds digital camera with Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS lens.
ISO 1000. To set the exposure for flash flight on cloudy days, I use manual mode with the aperture set to wide open, in this case, to f/4, and set the shutter speed to either 1/500 or 1/100 sec. Then I adjust the ISO until the evaluative meter reading off of the sky shows from +2 to + 3 stops. I set the flash at "0" with High Speed Synch (press the + and - buttons on the back of the flash until the symbol for High Speed Synch lights up). Fire when ready and then check to your histogram...
After cutting the subject's head off many times as a bird would swooped up to the nest on its final approach to the nest, I finally realized that vertical format would be better...
SUPER SUN HAT
The other day someone asked me "What's the best part of your job?" Without hesitation, I answered, "All the great friends that I have made while teaching the IPTs." Al Forns of Miami who has been on several IPTs over the past few months is just one example; sweet as sugar, generous to a fault, and a fine photographer as well. As he knows that I am serious about sun protection, he had been telling me about a new sun protection hat that he had discovered. Next thing I know their is one on my desk sent by guess-who? I have always used the Adult Cap with drapes from Sun Precautions (see the contact info in the Resources section of the Art of Bird Photography) but they are a pain when doing flight photography and are damned expensive as well (not that malignant melanomas should have a price tag...).
The Le Hood Sun Hat (http://www.sungrubbies.com/hats1.htm#lehood) from SunGrubbies.com is extremely lightweight and the brim tips up easily and stays up if you need it so that focusing and flight photography are not problematic as all. With my Sun Precautions cap I often missed action images while I struggled to get my eye to the viewfinder... Alfred's favorite hat features 50+ SPF fabric and costs only $28.
Thanks Al!
Snowy Egret defending nest site against intruding Cattle Egret, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1Ds digital camera with Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS lens.
ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop set manually: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6.
A Cattle Egret had temporarily occupied this nest while she was away from it, so when the same bird approached this Snowy got her hackles up.
IPT UPDATES
The June 2004 Nome IPT is sold out.
The Kenya Photo-Safari is sold out.
The Point Pelee Warbler IPT: 3-DAY ($829) MAY 9-11, 2004 has six openings.
The Magee Marsh, Toledo, OH Warbler IPT: 3-DAY ($829) MAY 14-16, 2004 is wide open.
Bosque Del Apache NWR, NM. Geese and cranes. 3-day IPTs ($849) NOV 21-23 and NOV 27-29. 2004. Ellen Anon will be co-leading both of these trips with me. (Limit: 14) Amazingly, both of these IPTs are beginning to fill.
SW FLA ITPs
POST X-MAS: DEC 28-30, 2004, 3-DAY: $869. Limit 12/11 openings.
PRESIDENTS HOLIDAY IPT: FEB 18-22, 2005, 5-DAY: $1399 (Ellen Anon will assist me as co-leader on this IPT and conduct a Photoshop session) Limit 14/11 openings.
Click here to enjoy the SW-FL IPT Experience.
THESE ARE MY BREAD & BUTTER CANT MISS IPTs: HERONS, EGRETS, GULLS, TERNS, SHOREBIRDS, OSPREY, BURROWING OWL & BOTH PELICANS. SPOONBILLS LIKELY. FIND OUT WHY FOLKS COME TO FLORIDA TO PHOTOGRAPH BIRDS! WE WILL VISIT DING DARLING NWR, SANIBEL ISLAND, PLACIDA, THE VENICE ROOKERY, CAPE CORAL, AND LITTLE ESTERO LAGOON.
SAN DIEGO, CA
JANUARY 6-9, 2005. 4-DAY: $1299 (Limit: 12) (Ellen Anon will assist me as co-leader on this IPT and conduct a Photoshop session.)
Click here to enjoy the San Diego ITP Experience.
CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICANS IN SPECTACULAR BREEDING PLUMAGE, BRANDT'S (& OTHER) CORMORANTS, WESTERN, CALIFORNIA, HEERMAN'S--ALSO IN SPECTACULAR BREEDING PLUMAGE, & OTHER GULLS. (WE WILL HAVE INCREDIBLE FLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE SPECIES). LESSER SCAUP, WOOD, RING-NECKED AND OTHER DUCKS. MARBLED GODWIT, WILLET, WHIMBREL, SURFBIRD, WANDERING TATTLER & OTHER SHOREBIRDS, EVERYTHING AT CLOSE RANGE! HARBOR SEALS & SEA LIONS. DEPENDING ON LOCAL CONDITIONS, WE MAY BE TEMPTED TO MAKE THE EARLY MORNING TRIP TO BOLSA CHICA LAGOON.
For additional details visit: http://www.birdsasart.com/tours.html
Great Egret in breeding plumage, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, FL
Image copyright 2004 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EOS 1Ds digital camera with Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS lens and 2X II TC.
ISO 320. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop set manually: 1/160 sec. at f/5.6.
Vertical images that feature animals staring right down the lens barrel are extremely effective. (See Todd's baby zebra in his gallery...) With their magenta lores, the Cattle Egrets are pretty much my favorties... This bird was in the shade and the image was made without the use of flash... With digital, I sometimes wonder if flash is necessary at all...
AFRICAN PHOTO GALLERY LINKS/TODD GUSTAFSON AND THE ARDOINS
As many of you know, Todd Gustafson is an extremely talented photographer and a dear friend. You can see a spectacular gallery of his Tanzania images here:
As I looked back at Todd's images while checking the link above, I said to myself, "Was I on that trip? How can one person be so talented? Is Todd not the best safari photographer alive today?"
.....
I first met Patti Ardoin while doing a Photo Weekend in Baton Rouge. She helped heal my shoulder with a simple technique called Isolated Active Stretching (taught and developed by Aaron Mattes). My pain had been so severe that I thought that my career might be in jeopardy... Her husband Wes got the bug and now they photograph all over the world together. Wes and Patti are now my wonderful friends (see what I mean). They are coming to Alaska with me this June and will be on both the Alaska Photo Tours Baby Grizzly Bear/Eagle Chicks boat trip and the Nome IPT! Both Patti and Wes who are using Canon digital bodies and the 500mm f.4 L IS lens (among others) are developing nicely as nature photographers. I am proud of what they have accomplished in a relatively short time.
You can see a collection of Patti's Tanzania images here: http://www.birdsasart.com/pattyardoin.htm
And a collection of Wes's images here: http://www.birdsasart.com/wesardoin.htm
Viewing these two galleries will give you a good idea of the type of results that intermediate nature photographers should be getting, and it is both interesting and instructive to compare the Ardoin's images with Todd's.
Artie
Note: Arthur Morris has been a Canon contract photographer since 1994 and continues in that role today. Hunt's Photo of Boston, MA is a BIRDS AS ART sponsor, as is Delkin Devices. Do feel free to forward this Bulletin to one or more photographer-friends. Those wishing to subscribe click here: mailto:http://birdsasart.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=94ad23bd96f48a1de2ca612b3&id=bdb4a511a0?subject=subscribe Back issues of relevant Bulletins are archived on the web site at: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn.html