BIRDS AS ART NOTES
SNAIL KITES GUARANTEED: MEET MR. JIM NEIGER
ICELAND
MONGOOSE M3.5 AVAILABLE
SELECTED PRODUCT 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.
Photographic
theme:
spoonbills and Snail Kites by boat!
If you live near or will be visiting Tampa in the next six weeks and would like to make some great Roseate Spoonbill images, contact James Shadle on his cell phone at 813-363-2854 or via e-mail. Jim takes out small groups by boat on weekends and on selected weekdays.
Roseate Spoonbills, Tampa Bay, FL (All images created on a James Shadle boat-trip on the morning of Sunday, March 18, 2007)
Images copyright 2007: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop set manually: 1/2500 sec. at f/8.
Images like the one above and the one below made in bright sunny at 10:30am needs lot of tender loving care in Photoshop. Here, as described in Digital Basics (http://www.birdsasart.com/digitalbasics.htm) , I used a reverse S-curve to reduce contrast, selected the white areas using Select/Color Range and multiplied the second background copy, used the Photoshop Warming Filter, and lastly selected the head and face, increased Saturation, and applied a contrast mask to the selected area. AI Servo AF with central sensor only.
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop set manually: 1/1600 sec. at f/11.
At one point we are within 70 feet of about 100 spoonbills. Then it was a matter of finding the brightest birds and isolating them with a long focal length.
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop set manually: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1.
As most of the birds were a good way off, I was messing around with the outside sensors when this guy flew right at us. I frantically switched to 45-point AFPS and managed to get off just one frame. Fortunately, it was perfect!
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 1.4X II TC and EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop set manually: 1/1250 sec. at f/8.
I blew the exposure on this one as I was set up for Brown Pelicans. I burned the white on the sunny side of the neck. I converted it darker and then cloned in some detail from nearby white areas that were not overexposed. I cannot wait to get out with James on a cloudy day…
SNAIL KITES GUARANTEED: MEET MR. JIM NEIGER
Jim, who has several workshops scheduled and also does private and small group trips, has several openings over the next few weeks; the Snail Kite action is amazing. You can contact Jim Neiger on his cell at 407-247-5200 or via e-mail: jimn@cfl.rr.com.
Snail Kites, West Lake Toho, Kissimmee, FL (All images created on Jim Neiger’s pontoon boat on the morning of Tuesday, March 20, 2007)
Images copyright 2007: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens with 1.4X II TC (handheld at 190mm) and EOS-1D Mark IIN. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +3 stops of the white sky set manually: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5. Manual Flash at 1:2. (You can learn all about Manual Flash in ABP II: http://www.birdsasart.com/ABPII.htm
When this adult male kite flew right over us several times the 70-200 was the perfect tool for the job. Note that to get the right exposure for the bird it was necessary to overexpose the sky.
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1D Mark IIN. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/8. Fill flash at -1 2/3 stops with Better Beamer.
With an effective focal length of 1560mm it was imperative that everyone on the boat was fairly still. This is even truer when using One-Shot AF as I did here when photographing this female kite…
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with EOS-1D Mark IIN. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop set manually: 1/500 sec. at f/4. Fill flash at -1 stop with Better Beamer.
It was very cloudy and the light levels were correspondingly low so I did not hesitate to turn the flash on and work at ISO 800 for this male that was one of several that flew to us and perched right next to the boat!
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lens with 2X II TC and EOS-1D Mark IIN. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Fill flash at -2 stops with Better Beamer.
This is a large nestling. As we were moving the boat slowly I noticed a tiny open window through the reeds. Jim set the boat in perfect position; as we drifted, each of us had some great chances. Best to refine your sharpness techniques so that you can make at least a few sharp images in difficult situations. IS is a huge plus when working from a boat…
ICELAND: SAVE US SOME MONEY (AND JOIN US FOR THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!)
We do have two interested folks but the first two deposits win the prize. Do consider joining us for what will be an amazing trip: to Iceland on June 14, 2007, fly to the US on June 29, 2007.
MONGOOSE M3.5
FINALLY IN STOCK
After many, many prototypes and
demos, John Zeiss has perfected the new, larger Mongoose. If you are using a
Nikon 200-400 or any 300mm f/2.8 lens on a tripod, this is the ideal head for
you. Though I will be glad to sell you one, the regular Wimberley head is way
over-kill for either of the afore-mentioned lenses. Same goes for a Sidekick.
The Mongoose M3.5 is far more elegant and efficient that a Sidekick/ballhead
combo. We have long recommended the lighter, smaller M2.3 for all intermediate
telephoto lenses such at the Canon 100-400 IS
The Mongoose M-2.3 Action Head is available now for $365 plus $11 shipping via US Priority Mail/Certified/Return Receipt Requested. Florida residents need to add $25.55 sales tax. Please make all checks out to "Arthur Morris."
The Mongoose M-3.5 Action Head is available now for $485 plus $12 shipping via US Priority Mail/Certified/Return Receipt Requested. Florida residents need to add $33.95 sales tax. Please make all checks out to "Arthur Morris."
Credit cards and Paypals are also A-OK.
SELECTED PRODUCT UPDATES
We have sold all but one of the new Gitzo tripods. Delkin Sensorscopes are on back order: we should have some by the end of next week at the very latest. I had one big speck on my loaner 1Ds. I whipped out the Sensorscope, noted the location, used the blower brush, and bingo: the sensor was clean in less than 30 seconds. And I did not even need to use my Lens Pen! You gotta love it!
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