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BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #376
FEATURES
- SVALBARD
- THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!
- POSSE NEWS: JIM NEIGER
- POSSE NEWS: ROBERT O’TOOLE
- SHOPPER’S GUIDE
- IPT UPDATES
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| This image of a wheeling Parasitic Jaeger was created at Lonyearbyen, Spitzbergen, Norway with the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM zoom lens (hand held at 140 mm) and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 set manually. This was my first time using this lens for flight; I was quite impressed with the sharpness. Inexplicably, they placed the focusing ring on this twist zoom lens closer to the camera and the zoom ring farther out on the lens…. Folks coming from the one of the 70-200 lenses will be driven nuts for a while until they get used to the new configuration. (I kept trying to zoom in or out by turning the focusing ring….) The 70-300mm IS USM zoom lens would make a great starter lens for folks living near tame birds. (Note: it does not accept a 1.4X teleconverter.) |
SVALBARD
My trip to Svalbard, Norway has been amazing, exhausting, fun, exhilarating, challenging, and–for a single night–disappointingly frustrating. For additional details please see “The Blog is the Bomb” feature immediately below.
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| This laughing King Eider image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Lens/TC/Camera Body Micro-Adjustment: +10. After a month of banging around the micro-adjustment for this combo increased from +3 to +10. Though seen most years in Svalbard, this tame bird was and unexpected bonus. |
THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!
Even on my astounding Norway trip, I have–since I finally got on line the other day–continued to put in 20+ hours each week towards making the blog informative, timely, and beautiful. Many of the educational features that formerly appeared in BAA Bulletins now grace the BAA Blog. A while back we learned that some folks were having problems subscribing to the blog via various web browsers. We believe that those problems have been eliminated. If you do have a problem subscribing, please contact us via e-mail. If you are not subscribed, you are missing a ton of great stuff almost daily. You can subscribe to the blog posts by clicking here. Below are links to recent posts of interest.
Getting flat down on your belly may not always be the best tack. Learn why sitting or kneeling might be best in a given situation here.
There are some great photography and Photoshop tips in Five for Five.
For Your Critique: Image #1 generated more than 40 comments. From “delete immediately” to “contest winner” everyone had a strong opinion. Best news? There will be 19 more in the series.
After reading the above post most of you would get a kick out of My Comments on Your Comments and in addition, would learn a bunch.
My first 20 hours in Svalbard was, well, it was Beyond Amazing. Hear the tale and see the images of what was one of the greatest days of my 28 year career.
Learn to put variety into your images by reading and studying my seven favorite (and totally different!) Barnacle Goose images in Magic on Diabas!
Lastly, see how I wound up beyond frustrated in The Wrong Night to Sleep/The Best Laid Plans….
POSSE NEWS/JIM NEIGER
West Coast Flight 2011 – Orange County, CA
Join 2010 BBC award-winning photographers, Jim Neiger and Doug Brown, in July, 2011 for a workshop focusing on birds in flight. We’ve selected the area around Huntington Beach, California for its incredible number and variety of birds, not to mention the great weather! In July, Terns will number in the tens of thousands, and there should be no fewer than five different species (Elegant, Forster’s, Caspian, Royal, and Least). Black Skimmers, Pelicans, Egrets, Herons, and Gulls will all be plentiful. There will also be opportunities to photograph more challenging subjects such as raptors, Kingfishers, and shorebirds.
The focus of the workshops will be on mastering the hand held long lens technique favored by both Jim and Doug. Manual exposure for birds in flight will also be emphasized. There will be an instructional lecture on the first day, followed by morning and afternoon sessions in the field for each of the next three days.
As an added feature, you will have the opportunity to hone your Lightroom and Photoshop skills with Jim and Doug during the free time in between field sessions.
The workshop will be limited to twelve participants; with two expert instructors available, everyone will receive plenty of individualized attention both in the field and the classroom.
Workshop Details may be found here: West Coast Flight Workshop
(From artie: Man, if I weren’t gonna be in the Galapagos on those dates I would be on a plane to the west coast. Elegant Tern is a beautiful bird and I have nothing on this species. Plus, I love Bolsa Chica. Not to mention that whenever I go out with Jim I learn something new about flight photography. (I’ve been trying to get him to write a flight photography guide for two years now…. After the workshop I’d drive the three hours to the Salton Sea to photograph Yellow-footed Gull. Click here for more info on that species.)
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| Elegant Tern Shake off, Elegant Tern with Fish, Black Skimmer with Fish, Elegant Tern Diving Images copyright © 2010: Jim Neiger/Flight School Photography |
| Flight School Photography West Coast Flight Sample Image Gallery |
WCF-1: July 5-8, 2011
Workshop Cost and payment:
Note: Call Jim immediately for late registration discount information.
The cost of each workshop is $1350 per person. A $675 non-refundable deposit is required for the workshops. The remaining $675 is due 30 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop, after paying the balance, the balance payment will be refunded ONLY if your spot can be filled, on short notice, from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted. Please make checks payable to Flight School Photography, Inc. and send them to: Flight School Photography, Inc., Jim Neiger, 550 Basin Drive, Kissimmee, Fl 34744. Contact Jim by phone at 407-247-5200 or via e-mail to jimn@cfl.rr.com.
POSSE NEWS: ROBERT O’TOOLE
Katmai Alaska Brown Bear Workshop July 18-24, 2011. 7 Days, 6 nights: $5499. Limit: 6/Openings 2. Leader: Robert O'Toole
This previously sold out workshop is running at just about the prime time for tons of activity, awesome action and great weather. 2011 will be Robert's sixth year photographing and leading workshops to photograph Coastal Brown Bears in Katmai. This workshop was previously sold out so act soon if you would like to join Robert's group. This trip should offer opportunities for lots and lots of coastal Brown Bears of various ages including spring cubs (nursing and playing), eating luscious green grass, and clamming. Also we should have chances to photograph bears fishing for salmon. Bald Eagles with chicks in the nest are probable, both puffin species are also possible, and likely chances with hauled out and endangered Steller's Sea Lions. Halibut fishing (license required) is optional.
For more information, click here.
You can get Robert on his cell at 310.619.8017 or reach him via e-mail.
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| Coastal Brown Bear Family, Hallo Bay, Katmai, Alaska Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR and TC-14E 1.4x II Teleconverter with the Nikon D700 (full frame). ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. |
This time of the year in Alaska some of the best photography happens late in the evenings when we have some of the best light. Most people would guess this image was made at 7 am but if fact it was made at about 10 pm.
Dalmatian Pelican Workshop, Northern Greece, Feb 6-11, 2012. Six full days. $2799. Three photographers/boat, leader: Robert O'Toole (You need to be at the hotel on the late afternoon or early evening of Feb 5, 2012).
My first trip to Greece with Artie to photograph these amazing birds was one of my best trips ever. Our biggest problem was trying to keep from filling our cards. Artie was close to filling a 32GB CF card for the first time in his life! This workshop will offer morning and evening in-the-field instructional photography sessions from shore and on the water from boats. Afternoons we will be spending time on image optimization, workflow and friendly helpful critique sessions as a group and one on one.
For more information, click here.
You can get Robert on his cell at 310.619.8017 or reach him via e-mail.
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| Dalmatian Pelican in full breeding colors in flight, northern Greece. Nikon D700 with Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO OS HSM. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1600 sec. at f/8.0 in Manual mode. |
These birds are most well known for the curly feathers on the bird's nape and the top of the head; I time the workshop tso that we will see and photograph the birds in breeding plumage with their black bills, bright red pouches, and bright orange lores.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of my favorite gear and some of the other equipment mentioned in this Bulletin. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM zoom lens. Though I used this lens only once I was quite impressed with the sharpness and quick initial focus acquisition. It would make a great starter lens for folks living near tame birds. (Note: it does not accept a 1.4X teleconverter.)
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2X III teleconverter. I also use it a lot with the 1.4X III TC which is designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses. I used the 70-200 alone to create all of the images at Scott’s place.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
Nikon D700. This is Robert’s favorite camera body.
The Nikon 500 VR is pretty much unavailable to the general public.
Nikon TC-14E II 1.4x Teleconverter for D-AF-S & AF-I Lenses ONLY. TCs are vitally important to all telephoto photographers.
Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO OS HSM Nikon mount. I have seen with my own eyes the amazing images that Robert has produced with this versatile lens. )(Note: Robert is a Sigma Professional.)
Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO OS HSM Canon mount. This one is also offered with a Canon mount.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Delkin 32gb e-Film Pro Compact Flash Card. These high capacity cards are fast and dependable. Clicking on the link below will bring you to the Delkin web site. There is lots of great stuff there. If you see a product that we do not carry let us know via e-mail; we will be glad to have it drop-shipped to you and save you a few bucks in the process.
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I pack my 800 and tons of other gear in my ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 rolling bag for all of my air travel and recommend the slightly smaller Airport InternationalTM V2.0 for most folks. These high capacity bags are well constructed and protect my gear when I have to gate check it on short-hops and puddle jumpers. Each will protect your gear just as well. By clicking on either link or the logo below, you will receive a free gear bag with each order over $50.
IPT UPDATES
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| A 70-200mm lens will be your most-used lens on our Bald Eagle IPTs. By the end of the week I was calling these “DAD” shots. Dime a dozen. |
THE OCT/NOV 2011 HOMER-BASED BALD EAGLE IPTs with Arthur Morris and Robert O’Toole
OCT 25-29, 2011.
Limit 10 (six photographers per boat)/Openings: 3). 5-FULL DAYS: $3399. You will need to be in Homer no later than the evening of October 24.
OCT 30, 2011. Add-on day.
Free if you sign up for both IPTs. Otherwise $550. (Limit 10/Openings: 2). If you are on the second trip and are doing the add-on day, you will need to be in Homer no later than the evening of October 29.
OCT 31-NOV 4, 2011
Limit 10 (six photographers per boat)/Openings: 2). 5-FULL DAYS: $3399. You will need to be in Homer no later than the evening of October 30.
These trips will be based in Homer, AK. We will enjoy virtually unlimited photographic action. This year, most folks opted to miss at least one boat trip due to photographic exhaustion. Two great leaders provide both in-the-field and in-classroom instruction that will include at least two Photoshop sessions. Canon or Nikon we’ve got you covered. (In-the field instruction only on the Add-on day.) A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is required to hold your spot. Happy campers only. If we do not know you, you will be required to pass our Happy Camper test. Once you pass the Happy Camper test, please fill out and sign the forms here and send them along with your deposit check. Your registration will not be complete until we have your signed forms in hand.
Things you should know: At the last moment each morning we schedule–depending on tides and weather–either two 2-hour boat trips or one 4 hour boat trip each day of the tour (weather permitting). We do however often exceed those time limits when conditions warrant it. We gladly pick up the additional costs. You will not be charged extra for overtime no matter how extensive. On several days this year our two hour cruises went on for more than four hours; it is hard to sail away from great photography. We work a lot from from the boats and do ,again depending on conditions, spend some time on land to do both perched and flying birds. Even with “only” four hours per day of photography you will head home exhausted with the best Bald Eagle images of your life (unless we encounter unexpectedly bad weather). We have chosen out dates carefully with regards to weather. Temps should be moderate to cold with a mix of sun, clouds, and possibly some drizzle. Snow is not likely on either trip. That said we are going to Alaska and there is always a chance, a very small chance, that it might pour every day that you are there. There will be as many or more eagles on these trips as there were on the March trips. We will be collecting a $20 per day tip for our captain guides at the end of each trip. Most folks opted to kick in additional and we were fine with that.
What’s included: lots of eagles and lots of instruction. Ground transportation from the motel to the dock. As above we cover all boat fees and boat-related expenses but for the tips. Breakfast at the motel. We may be able to pick you up at the airport to save you the cost of a cab. Note: some folks may wish to rent a vehicle so that they can photograph on their own during free and nap time.
What’s not included: your round trip airfare from home to Homer. (Driving from Anchorage is recommended only for the adventurous….) The cost of your room. Meals other than breakfast.
To learn more about the Homer eagle experience, click on each link below:
Universal Advice for Better Flight Photography with a Zoom Lens
Finally, Finally, and Finally in Homer!
Enhancing Silhouettes
What Makes a Great Bird Portrait?
Insanity, Exhilaration, Exhaustion, and Home
And click here to read the Homer IPT Report.
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/Sold Out/Wait List only. 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 below.
With my ever-shrinking teaching schedule and all the specialty trips 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!
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..)
Terms and deposit info
A non-refundable deposit of $500 (except as noted) 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 four 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 new policy but we have been plagued by last minute cancellations that make it impossible for others to participate and deprive us of essential income.
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. B&H Photo of New York, NY is a BAA sponsor as is Delkin Devices. Back issues of older BAA Bulletins can be accessed here. The most recent Bulletins can be found here.
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