BARNEGAT
JETTY INSTRUCTION
As the long range weather forecast looks good, I am
planning on photographing at the Barnegat Jetty on the afternoon
of December 28th, all day on the 29th, and possibly all day on the
30ieth.
If you would like to join me for a morning, an
afternoon, or a full day of instruction, please e-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
500mm lens is the minimum focal length recommended.
Mornings or afternoons: $200. Full days:
$350. Limit 2. Double the rates for totally private instruction.
Purple Sandpiper in shade,
Barnegat Inlet, NJ
Image Copyright 2009: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS
ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6 L
IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/50
sec. at f/5.6. AI Servo central sensor on the breast AF.
This species spends most of its time
on wave tossed rocks in the shade. This image was made just before 9am so
I was glad for the shade especially since we had wind against sun
conditions. For more on photographing in bright sun click here.
THE BARNEGAT JETTY SITE
GUIDE
Though I lived in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan
area for nearly two decades as a birder and bird photographer (and for 46 years
in all), I never made it to the famed Barnegat Jetty until last December (2009).
Why famous? It is the best place in the Northeast to
view and photograph a variety of sea ducks and wintering shorebirds most
noticeably Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper. When I got there, a 26″ snow
storm sent me running back to my Mom's home in Holbrook, Long Island, leaving
the motel in Ship Bottom at 3am to drive through the storm. Yikes! I returned a
week later and with Denise Ippolito as my guide created many
wonderful images. The jetty is very
long. And can be very dangerous. Denise, who spends many days each winter season
on the jetty, knew right where the birds would be, took me right to them, and
gave me more than a few tips on how to avoid killing myself
Denise Ippolito has written a fabulous Site Guide for
the Barnegat Jetty. (I helped out just a bit.) The Barnegat Jetty Site Guide will help to ensure that your
very first visit to this great bird photography location is both productive
and safe. Denise explains the effects of the winds and the tides and the
light on the photographic opportunities. She lets you know what birds you will
find there and where and when you will find them. She shares her favorite
conditions and her tricks for getting close. And she will keep you safe while
you are there, the same way she kept me safe. A good portion of the
guide deals with safety issues. Kudos to Denise for a job well done.
The Barnegat Site Guide (6190 words, 68 images) is
available from BIRDS AS ART by e-mail as a PDF for only $22. You can call Jim with a credit card in hand at
863-692-0906, send us a Paypal to birdsasart@att.net, or purchase it through
the store here.
Just for the record book, Barnegat is located on Long
Beach Island less than 30 minutes from Manahawkin, NJ.
Japan in Winter "Only One Trip in a Lifetime
Needed IPT."
Japanese Red-crowned Crane in soft early morning
light, Hokkaido, Japan/Image
copyright 2010: Robert O'Toole
Canon 28-135mm IS lens @ 100mm with the EOS-1D Mark II
N. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at plus 2: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in
Manual mode.
The crane parks in Hokkaido Japan are a photographer's
paradise. A short zoom or wide angles is all you need to photograph the cranes
in flight. Since hunting has been
banned for decades, they are totally unafraid of humans.
.....
JAPAN IPT/late FEB/early MARCH
2012. Robert O'toole and I will soon be announcing
our Japan in Winter "Only One Trip in a Lifetime Needed IPT." The trip
will be 2+ weeks, close to three with the travel. Many big tour
companies lead trips to Japan in winter to photograph the Snow Monkeys, the
Red-crowned Cranes, the swans, and the two species of spectacular
eagles. The problem is that on those trips you will have a day or two
at most to photograph each of the specialty species; a large portion
of your time will be spent traveling from one site to the next. And
if you have some bad luck or bad weather you can easily get skunked.
We will be spending at least 2 1/2 days at each location, 3 or even 4 days
at some. Robert has photographed several times in Japan in winter. If
you are interested in having your name added to the early warning
list, please shoot me an e-mail to
samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
There are several names on the Interested List already.
Japanese Red-crowned Crane Hokkaido,
Japan/Image copyright 2010: Robert
O'Toole
Nikon 200-400 VR lens @ 290mm with the Nikon
D300. ISO 200. Evaluative metering at plus 2: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6
in Manual mode.
A telephoto zoom lens makes framing single birds at
all distances possible. The problem is there are so many cranes that finding a
clean isolated bird is the only hard part. Here the trees in the background give
the images some needed contrast against the bird's white
plumage.
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.
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. 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 2).
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.
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:
6/openings 1). 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.
)