Remove me from this list
BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #357
JANUARY 28, 2011
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
Important Note: Please give the images a minute or two to load and do make sure that your security settings are not preventing you from seeing them. Some folks simply need to click on Show (or Allow) Images on the frame of the e-mail. If you have any trouble at all viewing this Bulletin, you should be able to access it in the Bulletin Archives
here as most Bulletins are posted before being sent. And you can usually find them
here within 24 hours thanks to the efforts of
Peter Kes.
Managing your subscription: To subscribe, click
here. To unsubscribe, click
here. To change your e-mail address first unsubscribe at your old address and then subscribe at your new address as above.
BirdPhotographers.Net: Inspirational, Educational, & Fun. Honest critiques done gently: It Ain't Just Birds!
The BIRDS AS ART Blog: Great info with a personal touch, great images, great lessons, and our legendary BAA educational captions.
FEATURES:
THE SAN DIEGO IPT REPORT
BARROW JUNE 2011
THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!
POSSIBLE NEW CAREER FOR ME...
KLAMATH FALLS WINTER WINGS APPEARANCE/MID-FEBRUARY 2011
CHASING THE LIGHT/ACT FAST
THE MICHIGAN SITE GUIDE
SOUTH GEORGIA/FALKLANDS EXPEDITION UPDATE
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.
Brown Pelican, shaking head, La Jolla, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/8.
A few days ago I said to someone in the San Diego group, "Whenever I am framed up well on a bird and they make a fast, unexpected move, I never ever push the shutter button." I believe that somewhere in the original The Art of Bird Photography (soft cover) and then again surely in ABP II (916 pages on CD only), I wrote, "Whenever unexpected action occurs, push the shutter button." My desire to make every image perfect has kept me from doing that. Determined to improve in that area--heck, once you are out there digital really is free--I pushed the shutter button asap when this bird shook its head violently and was rewarded with a winner 
Live and learn.
This image was created in relatively harsh light at 8:37am. The histogram was (correctly) pushed well to the right. I recovered detail in the whites with a Quick Mask and a 30% Linear Burn (as described in Digital Basics and APTATS I) and toned them down by adding Black to the Whites in Selective Color (again as described in Digital Basics ) to the whole image. Then I added an Inverse Layer Mask to reveal the white areas that I wanted toned down. (You can contact Denise Ippolito for the Inverse Mask tutorial by e-mailing her at photographybydenise221@gmail.com.)
THE SAN DIEGO IPT REPORT
On the evening of January 18th I met this year's San Diego group for the introductory slide program and editing session. (I edit a series of images from my scouting trip on screen and explain the reasons that I keep some images and delete most.) It turned out to be a great group and the weather was pretty much perfect. On day one we had a beautiful clear sunrise and lots of landing pelicans. That was followed by a thick fog bank that rolled in just about to La Jolla and then could not make up its mind if it wanted to stay or leave but eventually hung around all day. We had a great lunch at the
Crab Catcher Restaurant that sits high above the cliffs. As one who makes only tentative plans on IPTs I decided that we would take advantage of the fog by heading to Children's Cove to do the Harbor Seals. That turned out to be a brilliant move
as we got to spend more than two hours with them as they rested on the beach.
It was a very different year with the pelicans. There seemed to be fewer than in previous years and they seemed to be more reluctant to land on the upper cliffs than ever before,
possibly due to increased pressure from photographers. (Other factors might include the huge storm last year that adversely affected the population and varying local conditions including wind direction and speed and wave heights.) For years I have--in person, in the Bulletins, and in the
San Diego Site Guide--urged folks to stay well back or to sit until the first few birds land up top. (See
here for an interesting story that was repeated on most days.) The birds often landed on more distant cliffs. That said, everyone got some great pelican images the first two days and everything else went exactly as planned. The weather was dead solid perfect; San Diego in winter is one place where I actually prefer clear skies and bright sun and that is what we got every day with temps in the mid-70s or higher in the afternoons.
All of the spots described in detail in the
San Diego Site Guide came through with flying colors. The birds were great, the food was great, and co-leaders Todd Gustafson and Tim Grey greatly enriched the experience for all, including me. Everyone learned a ton, including me. Todd's slide program left all either inspired or strongly considering giving up photography and Tim, heck, Tim's knowledge of Photoshop and his teaching skills are unparalleled. And yes, while Tim knows some really advanced stuff he is able to connect with everyone while covering the basic techniques. I learned that I was making two huge mistakes with basics, one involving the Clone Stamp Tool, and the other the Spot Healing Brush. I will be sharing what I learned in a
BAA Blog post soon.
It was great seeing and working with Clemens van der Werf, Al Efron, Sam Hogue, and Kevin Watson again; all are IPT veterans. And it was great meeting Alan and Pat Lillich (say "LILL-ick") who are active on BPN. Newcomers Dietmar Haenchen, Karl Ryden, and James Jerome rounded out the group. Though James Jerome arrived as a highly skilled, superb photographer he felt that he learned a tremendous amount. (His comments were very gratifying to me as I usually state that the less you know the more you can learn on an IPT....)
Lesser Scaup drake, Coronado, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/9.
Most folks (including me) wore their NEOS Adventurer Overshoes in the mud at the Coronado location. Alan Lillich ventured into the creek for a slightly better sun angle and struggled greatly to get his boots (with his feet in them) out of the deep muck. When the NEOS folks were done, we just took them off, tossed them into a plastic bag, and headed for sunset at the beach with our clean dry sneakers 
. That's why I love 'em. You can find the details on photographing in and around Coronado in the San Diego Site Guide.
This just in from Alan Lillich via e-mail:
Artie, A big thanks to you for the trip. Being able to spend time shooting next to you and Todd, and do some of your "which-is-better and why?" quizzes in person made for a wonderful experience. Todd and Tim were superb co-leaders. The joy and enthusiasm you all brought to the IPT was contagious. You and Todd will be seeing more of us as time and budget allows. Alan
And this just in from Pat Lillich via e-mail:
Artie, Thank you so much for a really wonderful IPT. Listening to what you said, watching the way you worked, and then seeing the images you took, seeing the way you saw the possibilities was an extraordinary experience. This may sound overblown, but thank you for changing the way I think about photography. I'm hoping that I will retain some portion of what you taught us and that we get to do more IPTs with you and build on what we learned on the first one. I posted a picture I made on the last day of the IPT in BPN's Eager to Learn Forum; I kind of think that it is one of my best yet - thanks to you. Take care and thanks again. pat
Wow, I just got back from commenting on Pat's superb image. You can see her image and all of the comments
here.
Animated GIF; best to view for at least 3 seconds 
Brown Pelican braking to land, La Jolla, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II zoom lens with the 1.4X II TC (hand held at 185mm) with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/8.
I optimized the image above last week. When I looked at it again this morning I realized that the early morning light (7:32am) had caused a large red/magenta cast. I brought the image back into Photoshop and ran a Robert O'Toole Average Blur Color Balance and loved how it looked at 100%. Sometimes as here, the results are perfect at 100%. More often I reduce to the Opacity of the layer to get the color that I want. And once in a while this trick fails totally and makes the image look weird. Look at the animated GIF above to see the before and after. I much prefer love the bluer looking one. Average Blur Color Balance is covered in both Digital Basics and in Robert O'Toole's APTATS II.
BARROW JUNE 2011
I discovered this morning that I lost a folder containing more than a dozen names and e-mail addresses of folk interested in making the great trip to Barrow that I made last year. If you were one of those interested or if you are interested in photographing King Eider, Stellar's Eider, Spectacled Eider, nesting Glaucous Gull, nesting Tundra Swan, nesting Pacific Loon, nesting Oldsquaw, nesting Rock Ptarmigan, nesting Lapland Longspur, and a variety of nesting shorebirds including Semipalmated & Baird's Sandpipers, Red Phalarope, American Golden-Plover, and Long-billed Dowitcher, please e-mail me on my laptop immediately at
samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
Barrow June 2010 Composite
Images copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/8.
From top left to right and then down: Long-billed Dowitcher, Spectacled Eider on tundra, Red Phalarope female, Rock Ptarmigan male, Spectacled Eider in flight, Dunlin in breeding plumage, Stellar's Eider drake flapping, King Eider habitat image, King Eider tight portrait of drake.
THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!
I have been spending a huge chunk of my time making the blog special. Recent efforts of interest include:
Winning the Lottery & Bookmark This Site: A Killer In-Camera Blur and a link to Saltwater Tides, a web site that will give you high and low tide info for most US coastal sites as well as the times of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and the phases of the moon. All in one convenient spot.
Sand Patterns, Coronado, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 15mm fish eye lens hand held 20 minutes after sunset with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 3200. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/10 sec. at f/2.8.
Thanks a stack to Todd Gustafson for seeing a collection of tree patterns in the sand and sharing his vision with the group. I converted this image to B&W with NIK's Silver EFEX Pro. You can save 15% on all NIK purchases by clicking here and entering BAA as the code.
POSSIBLE NEW CAREER FOR ME...
I am considering giving up photography for a new and exciting career. See
here for the details.
American Coot flapping after fight, San Diego, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6.
Is lying flat on the wet mud on a downhill slope on a cold morning worth it? For me yes, but after 30 minutes I had to sit up for a while. (This one was created at 7:48 am). To see more duck images and learn a ton about working in Av mode and getting the right exposure, click here.
KLAMATH FALLS WINTER WINGS APPEARANCE/MID-FEBRUARY 2011
I will be doing one of the keynote presentations at the 2011 Winter Wings Festival (mine on Saturday evening, February 19) and several additional programs as well. As always, my appearance is being generously sponsored by the Canon USA Explorers of Light program (thanks Steve Inglima!) and for this event, also by Leo's Camera and Pro Photo Supply. I hope to see you there on a rare appearance for me in the Northwest.
Bald Eagle screaming, Homer, AK
Image copyright 2007: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Congratuatulations to me: this image (slightly cropped) was selected as cover art for the current (FEB/MAR 2011) issue of National Wildlife. Thanks a stack to Photo Editor John Nuhn for the honor. You can learn more about the great work that the National Wildlife Fedration is doing on their web site at www.NWF.org.
CHASING THE LIGHT/ACT FAST!
Would you like chance to have your one of your best bird photos presented to over 1,200 Photo Editors and Art Directors? Click
here for details.
BIRD PORTRAITS-The Avian Persona/Submissions Close Midnight, Monday, January 31, 2011. Eligibility: Worldwide, Amateur or Professional Photographers. Entry Fee: $25 for the first 5 images, $5 for each additional image.
Portraits capture and reveal the essence of a personality. Birds may be photographed in the wild or captive.Chasing The Light Juried Photography presents outstanding, award winning images to over 1,200 select Professional Photo Editors and Art Directors. We maintain an up to date list of industry professionals who actively seek new talent and fresh images. Our goal is to unite emerging new photographers with the Photo Editors and Art Directors of the publishing world. We are looking to discover those photographers who have the talent to turn the mundane into something extraordinary. Talented photographers from around the world enter our themed competitions.
Prizes: The top five photographers will have their winning image prominently displayed on an email targeted to over 1,200 professional Photo Editors and Art Directors who are constantly looking for fresh and creative new imagery. These five photos will also be the FEATURED IMAGES on The Chasing Light Juried Photography website for the duration of the current contest. Jurors will award a First Place, Second Place, Third Place and two Honorable Mentions.
Jurors will also select twenty "Runners Up" whose work will be displayed online, along with photographer's contact email and website URL information, in the Themed Contest Gallery. Chasing The Light Juried Photography was created by professional photographers and photo agents Tom and Therisa Stack to fill the need of a select group of Professional Photo Editors and Art Directors who are constantly searching for unique new imagery. Tom and Therisa bring with them years of professional experience in the photo publishing industry.
Sanderlings on beach at dusk, Coronado, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II zoom lens with (hand held at 95mm) with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/6 sec. at f/16 in Tv mode.
Good photographers never keep their eyes on the subject no matter how wonderful. I have developed the necessary habit of letting my eyes roam at all times. We were photographing the beautiful sand patterns when out of habit I looked behind us and noticed that a group of about 50 Sanderlings had landed on the edge of the surf. I set up for blurs in about 10 seconds forgetting only to lower the ISO. I followed the birds for more than 10 minutes and created about 40 images. This, the first, was my very favorite; I just love the layered effect. See more on this image here.
To learn to create pleasingly blurred images get yourself a copy of A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
Fall Color zoom blur, somewhere in TX
Image copyright 2011: Sam Hogue
Sam was on the San Diego IPT. When he got back home, he e-mailed me the image above. I love it. Sam wrote, “Attached is pleasing blur that I took while walking my dog around the neighborhood literally minutes after reading the Blur Guide .” Sam created the image using techniques that he learned from
A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Heck, the guy is a quick study. On the subject of pleasing blurs, Denise is running a great contest. You can learn the details in her January 27, 2011 blog post
here.
THE MICHIGAN SITE GUIDE
Whether you are seeking to photograph tame Common Loons, majestic winter owls, or find extensive forests with unique warblers and songbirds, Matthew Studebaker takes the reader through the best and most productive bird photography areas in Michigan. Both Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas are included with original maps for each chapter, highlighting key areas of interest. Every chapter has a list of the most likely species to be found, what time of year to visit, where to shoot, basic techniques for each area, and more. Popular photography areas covered include Nettie Bay and vicinity, winter hotspots in the Upper Peninsula, the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary for tame waterfowl, and Pointe Mouillee for hundreds of migrating shorebirds in the fall. A list of useful web links and up to the minute birding reports is included as well, providing the photographer everything they need to start planning their Michigan photo outing in any season.
We are proud to announce the availability of Matthew Studebaker's excellent
Michigan Site Guide, his second (along with the
Ohio Site Guide) written especially for BIRD AS ART. To order your copy, you can send a Paypal for $50, call Jim at the office with credit card in hand, or click
here to order through the BIRDS AS ART On-line Store.
Hooded Merganser, drake flapping
Image copyright 2010: Mathew Studebaker
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Image copyright 2010: Mathew Studebaker
SOUTH GEORGIA/FALKLANDS EXPEDITION UPDATE
Twenty-three BIRDS AS ART folks will be joining me on the killer South Georgia/Falklands Expedition that will run October 18 to November 11, 2012. If you missed that feature, see item one here. If you are seriously interested in this trip it would be best not to tarry as two years out there are only 8 slots left on the trip.... Please e-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net immediately for details and the sign-up info. This trip is so spectacular that I am good to go as a participant paying the full freight. I hope that you can join us.
Western Gull, flash blur, La Jolla, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II zoom lens with the 1.4X II TC (hand held at 135mm) with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/30 sec. at f/11 in Tv Mode. Canon 580 EX II Speedlight on the camera at -1 stop with the Canon CP-E4 Compact Battery Pack. .
Again I forgot to lower the ISO And as usual, I forgot to set rear curtain synch. But I simply love the result. I completely rebuilt the eye using the Digital Eye Doctor techniques described in detail in Digital Basics. If you would like to learn to create a great variety of pleasingly blurred images get yourself a copy of A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito.
SHOPPER'S GUIDE
Below is the gear that I used to create the images that you see in this Bulletin. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links for all of their B&H gear purchases as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins.
Canon 15mm fish eye lens: (Great fun for creative folks but requires practice to get it. Denise loves this lens and does amazing things with it.)
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.
Surf Scoter swallowing clam, Bolsa Chica Lagoon, CA
Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/8.
Before the IPT began I spent a morning at Bolsa and got lucky with a most wanted species. For the complete story of that wonderful morning click here.
To see a classic field guide portrait of this species, check out my BPN post Handsome Dude.
IPT UPDATES
SW FLA IPT: FEB 9-14, 2011. Slide program on the evening of FEB 8. 6 Full Days: 2899. (Limit 10/sold out). 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 below.
BOSQUE del APACHE 2011 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 19-25, 2011. Slide program on the evening of Friday, NOV 18. 7-FULL DAYS: $3299. (Non-refundable deposit: $500; see details below.) Limit: 10/Openings: 8. Co-leaders: Robert O'Toole & Jim Heupel. Geese, cranes, ducks, sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. 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. Please see terms and deposit info immediately below.
With my ever-shrinking teaching schedule and all but this spring's SW Florida IPT sold out, this trip may well represent a rare opportunity to learn from the best, so do not wait too long before sending your deposit. Clemens van der Werf who was on this year's Bosque trip is already registered for next year. If you missed the Photographer Experience Quiz and the Mystery Photographer & Experience Level Revealed! posts on the blog, you will surely want to check them out to see what Clemens has accomplished in less than a single year of bird photography. And how!
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.
GREECE/DALMATIAN PELICAN EXPLORATORY IPT. FEB 27-MAR 5, 2011. 6 1/2+ Full Days of Photography: $2499. (Limit: 8/sold out). Co-leaders: Arthur Morris, Robert O'Toole, and Yannis Arvanitis as our bi-lingual guide. 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. 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.
HOMER BALD EAGLE IPTs WITH ROBERT O'TOOLE, MARCH 2011: (All three sold out.)
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/sold out.)
If you would like your name placed on the seriously interested list for the SUMMER 2012 trip, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net.
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.
)