BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #219
DECEMBER 23, 2006
Visit: www.birdsasart.com
ON THE ROAD AGAIN, AGAIN/SEASONS GREETINGS
ABP II PRODUCT SHOTS
DIGITAL BASICS DEC 2006 UPDATE INFO & FREEBIE
MORE ON EDITING IN BREEZEBROWSER (READER TIPS)
DELKIN e-Film Pro COMPACT FLASH CARDS: PRICES SLASHED
ROBERT AMORUSO AT SPACE COAST FESTIVAL
MORE NEW MEXICO KUDOS
NYC SEMINAR
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK ONE DAY IN-THE FIELD WORKSHOP ANNOUNCED
IPT UPDATES
Contact us by phone at 863-692-0906 (Eastern Time Zone) or by e-mail at birdsasart@att.net or birdsasart@verizon.net. The att e-mail address is best from overseas.
We gladly accept credit card orders by phone 8am till 9pm Eastern Time.
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Photographic theme: A few more of my favorite images from Bosque 2006.
Snow Geese, fire in the mist blast-off, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering -1 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/13.
I am using Cloudy White Balance almost all the time now. It juices up the color both in the pre-dawn hours and one sunny days. Thanks to Robert O’Toole for that tip!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN, AGAIN/SEASONS GREETINGS
This afternoon, I am headed over to Florida’s West Coast to scout for the Post X-mas IPT. I will be back in the office briefly just before the new year begins. I leave on January 4th for my first Antarctica trip and am tremendously excited about that. Nobody will be at the home/office until this coming Tuesday (December 26) when Jim will be here to help you with your mail order needs and IPT registrations. Jennifer will be back in the office on January 3. All of us at BAA hope that you enjoy the holiday season (without overeating too, too much) and we hope that each of you has a wonderful, safe, productive, and healthy 2007 filled with lots of great new images.
Snow Geese in peach sky, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 320.
Evaluative Metering +1 1/3rd stops off of the peach sky: 1/30 sec. at f/5.6 set manually.
Flash with Better Beamer in Manual Mode at 1:2. (You can learn about using Manual Flash in ABP II.)
I love staying late and experimenting with Digital Flash in low light.
ABP II PRODUCT SHOTS
It is extremely gratifying that we have sold more than 500 copies of ABP II in five days. Thanks to all who have ordered a copy already. Want to know what all the fuss is about? Click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/ABPII.htm
DIGITAL BASICS DEC 2006 UPDATE INFO & FREEBIE
The DEC 2006 Digital Basics Update (free to all purchasers) will be sent during the first week of January. If you do not receive your update by 10 January 2007, please let us know via e-mail. And please let us know if you have a new e-mail address <smile> The latest update includes the following: Precise Cursors, the Magnetic Lasso Keyboard Shortcut, Making Color Selections, Using Color Range Selections to Remove a Color Cast (see below), Using a Color Range Selection to Increase Density (& Detail) in Highlights, Using The Wondrous Opacity Slider, Rebuilding Clipped Wingtips, Getting Rid of That Branch, and Speed Freak which includes Keyboard Shortcuts and Editing in Breezebrowser (Improved).
Here is a free excerpt from the latest update:
Using Color Range Selections to Remove a Color Cast
Let’s say that the dark fur of a bear photographed in the shade has a blue cast. To remove the blue cast, follow these steps:
Click on Select/Color Range
When the Color Range Dialogue Box opens, use the Zoom Tool (Z) to enlarge an area of dark fur that has the blue cast. Then click on an area with the blue cast. Then click on the + eyedropper and continue clicking on other dark areas that have the blue cast.
Once you are happy with the basic selection, you can fine tune it by adjusting the Fuzziness slider. Move the slider to the right to increase the selected range of colors; move it to the left to decrease the range of the selected colors.
Once you are happy with the selection, click enter. It will take a few seconds for the selection to be made. After the image is processed, the selected area(s) will be encircled by the marching ants.
(Note: you can use the Lasso Tool to remove unwanted non-contiguous areas from the selection. To do this, select the Lasso Tool and then click on the third symbol in the row of four next to the Lasso symbol on the tool bar at the upper left of the Photoshop window. Holding the cursor above this symbol will light up the words "Subtract from Selection." After clicking on that, simply encircle the areas that you want to unselect with the lasso tool. Once the rough circle is complete simply release the cursor and the stuff that you have circled will be eliminated from the selection.)
You will want to feather the selection before working on it. In this example, feathering 3-5 pixels should work just fine. Once you have selected the problematic areas with the blue cast, you can remove the cast in several ways.
Whichever method you use, you would first want to use the zoom tool to enlarge an area of selected fur.
One way to get rid of the cast would be to open a Hue Saturation adjustment layer, select the Blue channel, and then de-saturate the blue. In most cases, the image will look better if you darken the selection by moving the Lightness slider a bit to the left. Hit Control 0 to return to the full screen view and then click Preview on and off to see the results. If you are satisfied, click OK and you are done.
Another effective way to get rid of the blue cast (after you have made your color selection) would be to open a Selective Color adjustment layer and subtract 10 points of magenta and 10 points of cyan from the neutrals. (You may—of course—need to tweak the values a bit to taste. Most folks try to eliminate a blue cast by adding yellow rather than by subtracting cyan and magenta but that often results in muddying the middle-tones.
To learn more about Digital Basics, click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/digitalbasics.htm.
“Getting Rid of That Branch” in the latest update of Digital Basics can teach you to transform the image above into the image below (if doing so fits with your personal ethic).
Note also the improvement in the eye.
White-Crowned Sparrow, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1D Mark IIN. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering +2/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/16.
This image was created from my rental car in the parking lot at the refuge headquarters. The BLUBB is so stable that I do not hesitate to stop way down when creating images of songbirds at point blank range. Because the Lincoln Town car that I rented had such a thick door I found that by using 12 pounds of pinto beans rather than the 16 that I usually prefer, I was able to work with the BLUBB much more easily. We now have BLUBBs in stock.
MORE ON EDITING IN BREEZEBROSWER (READER’S TIPS) .
Subscriber Jim Worthington wrote suggesting a simplification in my Breezebrowser Editing workflow. (See the original article here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn218.htm) Jim stated that if I start the slide show (after hitting control A—Select All) that pressing Control S twice (rather than once) would allows me to advance the images manually without having to override the set interval. I checked it out, and he is indeed correct. Control S = Start Slide Show. Hitting control S while in Slide Show Mode = Stop Slide Show. Thanks Jim for that great tip; it will help me set more editing speed records <smile>
In the same vein, good friend Bob Ettinger who has been helping us for nearly a decade with assorted computer problems wrote suggesting another way to speed up my relatively new Breezebrowser editing techniques: After you finish highlighting all of the check-marked keepers by left clicking on one of them and then hitting Shift Control S, Bob suggested hitting Control I. This inverts the highlighted images; now only the rejects are highlighted. Then hit the Delete key and only the keepers will remain in the folder. Next you uncheck all of the keepers by hitting Control A/Shift Control U. Now you are ready for the second, more stringent edit.
Now I should be able to edit a 500 image folder in less than 18 minutes.
In addition to being the faster image browser around for Canon and Nikon, it is my belief that Breezebrowser conversions offer the most accurate color of any Canon RAW conversion program. You can learn more about the Breezebrowser/Downloader Pro package here: http://www.birdsasart.com/breezebrowser.htm.
Snow Goose landing in cornfield, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens (handheld at 400m) with EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 50.
Evaluative Metering -1/3 stop: 1/10 sec. at f/40 in Tv Mode.
I was screwing around making blurred images of the crowd of geese in the cornfield while panning diagonally (not something that you would even think of doing with film…) and the results looked pretty cool, so I switched to 45 Point AFPS and tried to put a landing goose off-center on the left side of the frame. I succeeded!
DELKIN e-Film Pro COMPACT FLASH CARDS: PRICES SLASHED
We have just slashed prices on our Delkin e-film pro cards. We have priced them a cent (one penny) less than B & H!
1gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $36.94
2gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $59.94
4gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $99.94
8gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $199.94
Please add $7.00 per order shipping and handling. Florida residents please add 7% sales tax to the cost of the cards only. Foreign residents please e-mail for a shipping quote.
Blue Goose foraging in snowy cornfield, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering at zero: 1/1000 sec. at f/16 set manually after histogram check.
I used the Patch Tool here to remove a few distracting blades of grass from in front of the goose’s face.
ROBERT AMORUSO AT SPACE COAST FESTIVAL
Award-winning nature photographer Robert Amoruso who assists me on several IPTs each year will be conducting two weekend morning photography workshops (on Saturday and Sunday) and exhibiting his photographs at the 10th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, January 24-28, 2007. Robert will have a selection of prints for sale. The festival’s headquarters are located on the campus of the Brevard Community College just north of Titusville. Additional information, registration info, and online sign-up for Robert’s workshops can be found at the following link: http://www.nbbd.com/fly/.
Great Blue Heron attempting to retch pellet, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS with 2X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering -1/3rd stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/11.
Here, the heron’s eye was a mess with the nictitating membrane half-lowered. I took the eye of the same bird from the previous image and—using the Move Tool—replaced the lousy eye with a perfect one. I realize and respect that some folks might have a problem with this; we always let folks know what we have done. In this case, an unusable image was transformed into a saleable one.
MORE ALBUQUERQUE/BOSQUE KUDOS
By e-mail from David Clark:
Although I’m primarily a landscape photographer, I’ve always enjoyed your wonderful bird imagery and reading your information-packed bulletins. I decided to attend your Albuquerque ANP seminar mainly because of how you co-bill it, “It Ain’t Just Birds.” And true to your promise, a landscape photographer like me was able to come away from the two day seminar armed with a boatload of new photography and editing techniques that I was itching to try out back home. I especially appreciated watching you edit those 350 images in Breeze Browser. That demo alone is going to save me hours of needless editing frustration! Likewise, even though I’ve subscribed to your Digital Basics since it was first published, it was illuminating to actually watch you go through your workflow process in person and listen to you “talk out loud” as you made your image adjustment decisions. Finally, and perhaps most important, it was a real treat to rub elbows with all those fellow BIRDS AS ART fans and be able to talk nothing but photography and birds for a whole weekend. What a great payback for the modest investment!
From Gayle Clement via e-mail: Thank you so much for a really amazing three days during the Bosque IPT. I had so much fun and feel I’ve learned so much. Your knowledge of bird behavior, the Bosque and, of course, photography, made this a very special workshop. You are a very gifted teacher. I appreciated the clear, concise way you explained the steps you used in Photoshop and your on-the-fly notes as we were shooting. I can still hear you shouting “Back-lit coyote!” and I still laugh at the mental image of the entire group swiveling at once. I have a small gallery of IPT photos http://www.pbase.com/gpc/bosque_ipt_2006 within my larger Bosque gallery. Breland enjoyed the Albuquerque Seminar so much. It was so good to hear the excitement in his voice when he called me at noon. At least he bought me a present while he was there to repay me for entertaining our guest so that he could go to the workshop J I would definitely like to attend another of your IPTs. Breland and I plan to spend a few weeks in Florida early next year. I will call Fabs about the Everglades In-The-Field Workshop. Please send me the info about the Alaska Bear Boat trips that you mentioned? I would really enjoy the one in June!
And more from Gayle: I just realized that I did not thank you properly for the Beautiful Beachcombers book. Breland started reading it right away and it was very hard to make him give it up. It will definitely be my reference during my trips to Lake Ponchartrain and Grand Isle this month. I’d also like to thank you for commenting on my gallery. I know I have much to learn. I was concerned before the Bosque IPT that as a Nikon user, I would feel a bit out of place at your workshops. I so appreciated the fact that the information you gave covered all cameras or, if you mentioned something that was camera-specific, you knew the necessary info for both Canon and Nikon. At no time did I feel slighted because I was using Nikon equipment. Lastly, my image of the backlit coyote licking his chops with the geese in the background is a reminder of one of my favorite moments of the IPT.
And one last one from William Lloyd; Hell yes, put me down for Bosque #3, 2007! I am also interested in the Thanksgiving luncheon and the possible full moon add-on. I want to take a moment again to thank you and express how much I enjoyed both the Albuquerque Seminar and Bosque IPT #4 this year. Your willingness to share your hard-won knowledge and experience provides an opportunity not available anywhere else - and I immensely enjoyed seeing how you obviously still love and are thrilled by what you do - what an incredible learning environment.
Sandhill Crane, immature in alfalfa field, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering +1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/11.
With the huge files of the 1Ds Mark III was able to crop out a bird on the right side of the frame and still wind up with lots of pixels.
NYC SEMINAR
Amazingly, we have already registered 25 folks for this event. There is a great possibility that we will sell this out well before the seminar. We can comfortably entertain 125 folks…
The Art of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds!
Weekend How-To Seminar
Queens, New York (near JFK Airport)
August 18-19, 2007
The cost of the weekend seminar will be $169. The cost of either single day will be $99. Members of qualifying camera clubs are invited to apply a $10 discount. (If you are a member of a camera club or other photography organization please e-mail for details.) Register with a friend or spouse and take $10 off each registration. Register in groups of four or more and take $20 off of each registration. Get a group of ten photographers together and apply a $30 discount to each registration. (Please e-mail for group registration details.) It is highly recommend that folks purchase the buffet luncheon option ($15/day includes tip and tax) as there are no fast food restaurants nearby. Those purchasing the lunch option will receive their lunch coupon when they check in each morning.) The cost of the weekend seminar plus the two lunches is $199.
To register, send a check for the full amount made out to "Arthur Morris" to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855, call with a credit card: 863-692-0906, or send a Paypal (using either any link on our site or your Paypal account) to us at birdsasart@att.net In all cases, we will need your e-mail address, your mailing address, and your daytime and evening phone numbers. Here is our Cancellation Policy: If for any reason you need to withdraw, please notify us ASAP. Once we receive your e-mail, phone call, or written notice of your cancellation the following fees apply: cancel before May 17, 2007 and your fee will be refunded less a $20.00 cancellation fee; cancel by July 17, 2007 and your fee will be refunded less a $50.00 cancellation fee; cancel after July 17, 2007 and there will be no refund.
The doors will open on both days at 8 am and the programs will begin at 9 am sharp. There will be tons of great door prizes. I hope that you will be able to join me for what will be an incredibly educational and fun-filled weekend. (If anyone would like to help us set up or to simply hang out, be there at 7:00am.)
Cornfield & ditch, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 15mm fish-eye lens handheld with EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative Metering at zero: 1/1600 sec. at f/8 set manually.
Inspired again by Robert O’Toole, I have been practicing with the fish eye lens. I used the large bush in the lower left hand corner here as a compositional anchor.
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK ONE-DAY IN-THE FIELD WORKSHOP ANNOUNCED
On Saturday, February 24, 2007, I will be leading a rare east coast In-The-Field Workshop ($275 per person) at the fantastic Anhinga Trail. (Limit 14). To register, please send a check (made out to Arthur Morris) for payment in full to us at Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Paypals and phone credit cards payment are OK. Please be sure to include all contact info including home, work and cell numbers and most importantly, your e-mail address.
This will be a rare opportunity for folks in the Miami area to spend a day in the field with me. Hope that you can join us.
Sandhill Cranes, silhouetted in-flight, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400.
Evaluative Metering +1 1/3rd stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.
When the cranes are talking off with their feet tucked in, it means that it is way-COLD!
IPT UPDATES
SW FLA Post X-mas IPT: DEC 27-29, 2006. Slide program on the evening Tuesday, DEC 26, 2006. 3-DAY: $1029. Please e-mail to learn of our late registration discount. (Limit 14; Openings: 5) Co-leaders: Alfred Forns, & Robert Amoruso. Sanibel Island, Little Estero Lagoon, Venice Rookery, Cape Coral. Herons, egrets, gulls, terns, skimmers, shorebirds, both pelicans, Osprey, Burrowing Owl, and lots more.
Kudos from one of last year’s SW FLA IPTs:
“I loved the dockside photos we got at Placida. That IPT was the most productive trip I have ever been on. During our two days at Estero I created my most beautiful images ever ((thanks to someone telling me to expose by +1 when I thought zero would be fine…)” Mary Louise McCulloch
Antarctica, JAN 2007: (Sold out.)
San Diego IPT: FEB 3-6, 2007. 4-FULL DAYS: $1359. Introductory slide program on the evening of Thursday, FEB 2. (Limit 12, Openings: 3.) LaJolla, Shores Beach, Coronado, and Santee Lakes. Brown Pelicans, Heerman’s & Western Gulls, Marbled Godwits & lots more shorebirds, Wood & Ring-necked Ducks & Lesser Scaup. And lots more.
SW FLA President's Holiday IPT: FEB 17-21, 2007. Slide program on the evening Friday, FEB 16, 2007. 5-DAY: $1649. (Limit 14; Sold out; wait list only.) Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Alfred Forns, & Robert Amoruso. Sanibel Island, Little Estero Lagoon, Venice Rookery, Cape Coral. Herons, egrets, gulls, terns, skimmers, shorebirds, both pelicans, Osprey, Burrowing Owl, and lots more.
Anhinga Trail In-The-Field Workshop: Saturday, February 24, 2007. $275. (Morning and afternoon photo sessions.) $275 per person (Limit 12) Co-leader Alfred Forns. Join me for a rare east coast workshop at Everglades National Park. There will be tons of tame subjects and lots of great in-the-field instruction.
Fort DeSoto IPT: APR 13-15, 2007. Slide program on the evening of Thursday, APR 12. 3-DAY: $999 Limit 14: (Sold out; wait list only) Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Alfred Forns, Robert Amoruso, and Todd Gustafson. Courtship and breeding behaviors of Laughing Gull and Royal and Sandwich Terns. Herons, egrets (including both dark and light phase Reddish Egret), shorebirds (including Long-billed Curlew), gulls, terns, and skimmers among others.
Silver Salmon Creek: August 8-14, 2007. Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon, Horned Puffins, macro, scenics, and fishing (optional): $4999. (Limit 12: openings: 1. We need either a single female or a male, the latter most likely in a cabin) Three leaders, two TBA (plus me <smile>.
Bosque #1: "The Fall Color IPT" NOV 13-15, 2007. Slide Program on the evening of NOV 12. 3-DAY: $999. Limit 14. Co-leader: Robert O'Toole. This IPT should feature a better chance for a day or two of the rare south winds that drastically improve flight photography and will definitely feature the brightest fall-color cottonwoods.
Bosque #2: "The Pre-Thanksgiving IPT" NOV 18-20, 2007. Slide Program on the evening of NOV 17. 3-DAY: $999. Limit 14. Co-leader: Robert O'Toole & Alfred Forns. This IPT will feature increasing numbers of geese and cranes with lots of great opportunities. In 2007, I will again be hosting a Thanksgiving Day luncheon at Las Lunas Mansion, a fine restaurant in an historic building. You will need to reserve a spot and pay in advance. Details TBA; strictly limited to 50 folks.
Bosque #3: "The Post-Thanksgiving IPT" NOV 24-26, 2007. Slide Program on the evening of NOV 23. 3-DAY: $999. (Limit 14: 6 slots open) Assistant leaders: Robert O'Toole, Robert Amoruso, and Alfred Forns. This IPT is scheduled on dates that I consider peak for Bosque. (There may be a Full Moon Add-on NOV 23; details TBA. If you register for this one, hold off on buying your plane ticket if you might be interested in the add-on.) In 2007, I will again be hosting a Thanksgiving Day luncheon at Las Lunas Mansion, a fine restaurant in an historic building. You will need to reserve a spot and pay in advance. Details TBA; strictly limited to 50 folks.
Sandhill Crane taking flight, Bosque Del Apache, NWR, New Mexico
Image Copyright 2006: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4L IS lens with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 160.
Evaluative Metering +1 2/3rd stops off of pink sky: 1/50 sec. at f/5.6 set manually.
Flash with Better Beamer in Manual Mode at 1:1. (You can learn about using Manual Flash in ABP II.) .
Including a strip of the distant mountain tops in an image almost always improves the composition.
Best and love and great picture-making to all,
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 BAA sponsor as it Delkin Devices. Back issues of all BAA Bulletins can be found in the Bulletin Archives which may be accessed from the home page at www.birdsasart.com