BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN
#349
DECEMBER 2, 2010
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245 4041
Granada Drive, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Telephone:
863-692-0906. Computer fax: 877- 265-6955
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FEATURES:
CANON LIVE LEARNING/BIRDS OF
THE EVERGLADES WORKSHOP with ARTHUR MORRIS: FEB 4-6, 2011
THE EARLY WORD ON
BOSQUE
GALAPAGOS
2011
HUNT'S ADOBE
SPECIALS
GREECE/DALMATIAN PELICANS
with ARTHUR MORRIS & ROBERT O'TOOLE
A GUIDE TO PLEASING
BLURS
SHOPPER'S
GUIDE
IPT UPDATES
PLEASE:
If you are responding to a Bulletin via e-mail please take the time to delete
all irrelevant text and images. Thanks.
Sandhill Crane landing, Bosque del Apache NWR,
San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO
400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 set
manually.
For the complete story on the creation of this image and
to learn how the folks on BPN helped me to improve it, check out "Getting
Ready Quickly" here.
CANON LIVE LEARNING/BIRDS OF
THE EVERGLADES WORKSHOP with ARTHUR MORRIS: FEB 4-6,
2011
Join me and a Canon support staff for a long weekend of
photography and learning at Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park.
We will enjoy three photo sessions, Saturday morning and afternoon and
Sunday morning. Here is the complete schedule:
Friday February 4,
2011 (optional, for those who arrive early):
7:30-9:00pm: Slide program: Choosing and Using Lenses for Bird
Photography
Saturday, February 5,
2011
5:30am: Pick up loaner gear
6:00 Depart for Photo Session #1/Anhinga Trail, Everglades National
Park
6:30- 10:30: Photo Session #1 with in-the-field instruction
10:30-11:00: Return to motel
11:30am-1:00pm: Lunch (cost not
included): bring your laptop for downloading, editing, and image sharing
1:00-2:30: Instructor Nap Time.
2:30: Depart for Photo
Session #2/Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park
3:00-5:30: Photo
Session #2/Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park
5:30-6:00: return
to motel
7:00 9:00pm: Pizza-fest (cost included).
Slide programs: Composition and Image Design. What to Look For/Learn to
Edit like a Pro: watch over artie's shoulder as he quickly selects his keepers
from the day's photo sessions.
Sunday
February 6, 2011.
6:00am: Depart for Photo
Session #3 Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park
6:30- 10:30: Photo
Session #3 with in-the-field instruction
10:30-11:00: return to motel
11:30am-1:00pm: Buffet Lunch (cost included): bring your laptop for
downloading, editing, and image sharing
1:00-2:00: Instructor Nap Time
2:00-4:00pm: Image optimization: artie will share his digital workflow
and include lots of Photoshop tips.
4:00-6pm: Image sharing,
printing. You will be able to have two prints made from your weekend's
work. (Cost included.)
6 pm: The End
For this workshop we recommend EOS Digital SLRs and telephoto lenses from
300mm and up (with and without EF Extenders) to create the best images. 500mm,
600mm, and 800mm EF lenses are ideal. As part of the workshop you will have the
opportunity to borrow a variety of lenses from Canon including the long
telephoto lenses.
For more details and to register, click
here.
CANON LIVE LEARNING/BIRDS OF THE EVERGLADES
WORKSHOP: FEB 4-6, 2011. 2 1/2 Days: $725
(Limit 16). Registration only through the Canon web site via the link above. If
you would like to take advantage of this fabulous program, do not hesitate as it
will likely fill quickly.
Anhinga, Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park,
FL
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens with the 2X II TC and the EOS-1D
MIII. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/125 sec. at f/8 set
manually.
I made this image in February 2007 while testing the Mark
III for Canon. We should have a great chance in early February 2011
to make some images of males in prime breeding plumage with their bright green
lores.
American Alligator devouring young Brown
Pelican, Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, FL
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 100-400mm IS L lens hand held at 190mm with
the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 6400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/1000
sec. at f/5.
Again, this image was made in February 2007 while I
was testing the Mark III for Canon. Needless to say I was amazed with
the low noise levels at ISO 6400. This image has sold well with Corbis and
has reached the final round of judging in several major contests (including
twice in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competitions). Alas,
....
THE EARLY WORD ON BOSQUE
The 2010 "The Complete Bosque Experience" IPT was a huge success. I
will include the complete trip report in the next Bulletin. Below are
a few e-mails that I received from participants.
And the very best news is that I will almost surely be returning to this
magical place for my 17th straight IPT in November 2011. I hope to
announce that trip in the next Bulletin.
From Jan van der Greef.
Dear Artie,
After a great week at Bosque I returned safe and sound again to the
Netherlands and joined my family with great memories and photos to share.
For me the week was very special. Meeting you in person and seeing you work gave
me an intense understanding of your passion for nature and photography. I
felt very grateful that I was invited for Thanksgiving. It was nice
that I could thank you for making a difference in my life by writing your
first book and after that with the continuous flow of information and
inspiration that you provide in so many different ways. When you showed me
the great picture of the 4 cranes taking off in blur-mode I saw the passion in
your eyes and the depth of happiness in your soul at having capturing
a gift of nature. I took the liberty of making a picture of
you photographing in nature to share with the family and serve as
a personal memory.
In the coming weekend I hope to start working on the images and
will select five which are special for me and send them
asap.
Thanks again and wish you well, Jan
Note: Jan, who get around on crutches as a result of having had polio as a
kid, is a highly skilled photographer. I hope to be doing a feature on his
amazing work in the not-too-distant future. As it turned out, Jan
got to meet JP Bruce, another IPT veteran who had polio when he was a kid, at
the Blurry Day in Bosque slide program on Saturday evening. Another
nice plus was the presence of three Dutchman on the IPT, Jan, Clemens van der
Werf, and my very great pal
Peter Kes.
From Deb Keller.
It's a rainy, bleak afternoon in Columbus, Ohio today and I wish I
were back at Bosque. I wanted to thank you for a wonderful experience on my
first IPT. I went out with Mark not knowing what to expect and I came away
with a desire to look closer and try harder, and with a new
appreciation for the photographing the story. Thanks for your help and your
wisdom. I wish you well friend, Deb
From Mark Hardymon. Subject: A Wonderful Week at Bosque
Artie - I just wanted to thank you for the great Bosque experience
this past week. It was so much more than I could ever have expected.
Bosque is magic! And so are you. I haven't had that much fun in
a long time. I've always said that every time I click the shutter, I
smile. Well, I sure did a lot of smiling. But even better, I learned
so much. Now all that I have to do is digest all that information and
incorporate it into my photography--always learning is a good thing. I'm
already thinking about the next IPT, I just have to figure out which one.
Again, thanks so much and all the best to you with your future travels, your
family and the upcoming holiday season. Mark
From Myer Bornstein, multiple IPT veteran. Subject: Bosque
Artie, I want to thank you for a most enjoyable experience at
Bosque. Everybody was wonderful, the sunrises and sunset were spectacular
(despite the last few cold mornings) . All a teaching sessions were
educational and left me with lots of new ideas. I would recommend your
IPTs to anyone who wants to learn nature photography. I hope to see you
again soon. Have a happy holiday season and enjoy the grandkids.
Regards, Myer
From the afore-mentioned Clemens van der Werf:
Hi Artie, I greatly enjoyed the Bosque IPT and the company of everyone.
It was especially nice the meet Peter Kes and Jan van der Greef and catch
up with Myer again. It was my first time at Bosque and certainly not the
last! Thanks to you, Robert and Denise for an excellent week. I will
be seeing you again soon as I had such a great time that I have signed up for
the San Diego IPT! All the best, Clemens
Note: Clemens
has been photographing less than a year. He has attended several
IPTs--heck, maybe all of them--since he began photographing birds
last February on the SW FLA IPT. Now here's the scariest part: many
of his best images are as good or better than mine. I hope to be
doing a feature on his work also not to far down the road.
Sandhill Cranes, extreme blur, Bosque del Apache
NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO
50. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/10 in Tv
mode.
GALAPAGOS
2011
Amazingly, there are still--due to a medical
cancellation--two slots left on the 2011 Galapagos Photo Cruise of a
Lifetime IPT:
GALAPAGOS 2011
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): Call me at 863-692-2806 for info on the
substantial couples discount.
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: 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, great images
are possible on all landings with a hand held 70-200mm lens.
Please e-mail me at
for a complete itinerary. Happy campers only
please.
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, and all transfers. 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 the two forms here along
with your deposit check.
Two additional
non-refundable payments will be due as follows: $4000 on JAN 1, 2011. The
final payment of $3,499 will be due on MAR 1, 2011. 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.
Snow Geese in pink sky, Bosque
del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO
160. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/15 sec. at
f/6.3 in Tv mode.
Images like this can be created on every clear morning at
Bosque. I will detail the exact location in the 2010 Bosque Site Guide
update that I am working on right
now.
HUNT'S ADOBE SPECIALS
Hunt's is running great specials on selected Adobe
products. You can order online or contact Hunt's directly at 781.662.8822. In
addition to the great pricing you will receive complimentary shipping. Please
pass this information on to your friends, students, camera club members and
meet-up groups. Thanks for your support of Hunt's and happy holidays to
all. Gary Farber
Click on each product to follow the link to
great savings:
Snow Storm of Geese, Bosque
del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 70-200mm f/5.6L IS II lens with the 1.4X II TC (hand
held at 215mm) with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 50. Evaluative metering
+1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/20 set manually. A 3-stop
77mm neutral density filter was affixed to the
To learn more about the creation of this images, check out
the recent blog post "Flames &
More."
CANON GEAR FOR SALE
David McNicholas is offering the following used
equipment for sale:
Canon EOS-40D body in very good shape, two canon BP11
batteries and the charger, shipped in the original box with all of the original
software discs, cables and manuals (still in original wrappings) and the
Canon EF 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 zoom lens in a protective pouch with both lens
caps. Shipping and insurance from Naples, FL at the buyers
expense.
Contact David on his cell at
973-452-4940, on his land line at 239-352-0616, or via e-mail at dmcnicholas@comcast.net
Common Raven with
scrap, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
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: 1/400 sec. at f/9.
To current version of our Bosque Site Guide
tells you exactly where and when to photograph this species from you
vehicle. (An update is coming soon.) I used a BLUBB on the
lowered window of my rental car so that I could be assured of producing sharp
images.
GREECE/DALMATIAN PELICANS
Dalmatian Pelican Exploratory IPT. FEB 27-MAR 5, 2011: 6 1/2+ Full
Days of Photography: $2499. Co-leaders: Arthur Morris, Robert O'Toole, and
Yannis Arvanitis as our bi-lingual guide. Limit: 6/Openings 2.
Payment in full is due immediately. Please call to hold a spot pending the
arrival of your check made out to "Arthur Morris." Europeans please e-mail
for wire transfer details. No discounts at present other than $200 off
each fee for a couple or for folks registering with a friend.
For images and complete information click here. If you would like
additional info on Lake Kerkini please e-mail me at
samandmayasgrandpa@att.net and
request same.
Yours Truly on a windy, chilly morning, Bosque
del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
We enjoyed warm weather for the first few days of the IPT
but after that it was business as usual 
Peter posted this in BPN's Friends and
Family Forum under the title "Boss
del Apache." I rather liked it.
A GUIDE TO PLEASING
BLURS
"A Guide to Pleasing Blurs" by Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito is a
20,585 word, 271 page PDF illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic
images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images,
the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in
creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop
techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images.
Artie and Denise teach you many different ways to move your lens during the
exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees
and water and landscapes. They will teach you to recognize situations
where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind
blurs, and moving water blurs. They will teach you to create zoom-blurs
both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques
that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in
flight at his beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic
as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has
developed.
With the advent of digital capture, creating blurred images has become a
great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun. And
while many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of
being a sloppy photographer nothing could be further from the truth. In "A
Guide to Pleasing Blurs" Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative
self.
The book is laid out in landscape format to make for easy reading and
viewing and easy reading on any decent computer monitor.
You can order your copy of "The Guide to Pleasing Blurs" PDF now for only
$33 either by PayPal to
birdsasart@att.net or by phone:
863-692-0906. A download link will be delivered to you via e-mail within
12 hours or less (except on weekends). Please note: this book is available
only as a digital file in PDF form. You will need either Adobe Acrobat Reader or
Fox-it to read the file. Both are free downloads. Instructions will
be included with your purchase.
Click
here
to view the cover.
Sandhill Cranes, flash blur, Bosque del Apache
NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS II zoom lens with the EOS-1D
MIV. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 stop set manually: 1/4
sec. at f/4 set manually. Flash as main light with the Better Beamer in
Manual Mode at 1:1.
After writing the blur guide (with Denise Ippolito) I finally remembered to
set rear curtain synch while creating a flash blur! As a result, I
correctly got the ambient blur behind the subject thus implying forward
movement. It was so dark and dreary at Harry's Crane Pool that all
other photographers had left but Denise and I kept
experimenting.
SHOPPER'S GUIDE
Here is the gear that I used to create the images for this
Bulletin:
And from the BAA On-line Store:
If you are considering the purchase of a major piece of photographic gear
be it a new camera, a long lens, a tripod or a head, or some accessories be sure
to check out our complete Shopper's Guide. You will learn to find the
lowest prices, comparison shop, and help us to keep offering tons of great free
info and images.
Snow Goose, blue morph in flight, Bosque del
Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO
400: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 set manually based on years of experience and after
a histogram check.
Keep your eyes peeled on both the Blog and future
Bulletins to learn the reason for my vastly increased percentage of
sharp flight photography keepers. And to learn the secrets of
getting the right exposure on sunny days with a variety of flying subjects,
check out the "Flight
Photography Considerations; Wind and Sun Direction & Subject Tonality"
blog post. If you are not subscribed to the blog, you are missing tons of
great free info.
IPT UPDATES
SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 19-23,
2011. Slide program on the evening of JAN 18.
5 Full Days: $2399 (Limit 8/Sold
Out). Co-leaders Tim Grey and Todd Gustafson. See
the blog for a discount on this IPT. Brown Pelicans in spectacular
breeding plumage with their bright red bill pouches, Wood and Ring-necked Ducks,
Lesser Scaup, Western, California, and Heerman's Gulls, Marbled Godwit, and
lots, lots more. Please see terms and deposit info
below.
SW FLA IPT: FEB 9-14,
2011. Slide program on the evening of FEB 8. 6 Full Days:
2899. (Limit 10/Openings
3). Escape winter's icy grip to enjoy a wide array of
Florida's tame birds: herons, egrets, Wood Stork, shorebirds, gulls, terns,
skimmers, raptors, and more. Please see terms and deposit info immediately
below.
Terms and deposit
info:
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold a spot on the above
IPTs. Deposits may be paid by check, PayPal, or credit card. Payment in
full (by check or money order only) is due five 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 is Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that 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. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel
insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your
credit card. Travel insurance protects you against unexpected
developments, injuries, or illnesses. We regret that we must implement
this policy but we have been plagued by last minute cancellations that make
it impossible for others to participate and deprive us of essential
income. Please consider your schedule and your work and family obligations
carefully before plunking down your deposit.
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 forms asap. Your registration will not be complete until we
receive your paper work. You can find the forms
here.
Best and great
picture-making,
artie
Note: Arthur Morris has been a
paid Canon contract photographer, part of the Explorers of Light program, since
1996 and continues in that role today. Hunt's Photo of Boston, MA is a BAA
sponsor as is Delkin Devices.
