- Great Gull Island Visit
- Image Optimization Lessons
- The Blog is the Bomb!
- Japan in Winter
- Alan Murphy’s Photography e-Guides
- Affiliate Links
- Used Camera Gear
- IPT Info
What a Week!
I just got back from a wonderful week on Great Gull Island in the Long Island Sound. It was a privilege to be there. Thanks a stack to Helen Hays for having me. I hope to return next year in late July to photograph fledged juveniles of both species,especially the young roseates.
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This image of a ruffling Common Tern was created on Great Gull Island on the evening of June 4, 2013 at 7:40pm with the with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering atzero: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Expand (by necessity)/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. When working in relatively static situations I have been going to the 5D III over the 1D X to enjoy the larger files with more pixels on the subject. |
Great Gull Island Visit
Thanks to the kindness of project director Helen Hays I returned to Great Gull Island for the first time in 23 years. On my last visit in late May 1990, my older daughter Jennifer, who was in her third of five seasons there as a volunteer researcher, met her husband to be, Erik Egensteiner, then a young biologist from Connecticut. I was a bit worried about dealing with living conditions on the island as there is no running water, and the only electricity is provided by a small Honda generator that only runs for a few hours each day at most.
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This tern flock image was created with the hand held Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF Lens(at 32mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. There are very few Roseate Terns in this image. Funny thing is that the main subject is a roseate. Which tern is the main subject? There are about 20,000 Common Terns on Great Gull Island right now, but only about 2-3 thousand endangered roseates. During my week-long visit I concentrated on the roseates. My main regret was that I had only two camera bodies; I should have brought all three so that I would heave been more ready for the many new and different situations that arose quickly and often. |
More on Great Gull Island
GGI is located in the middle of the Long Island Sound between Orient Point, Long Island and Niantic, Connecticut, just east of Plum Island. Helen Hays has overseen the project under the auspices of the American Museum of Natural History since 1969. Since 1975, she has been ably assisted by Joe Dicostanzo. There is more data on the Common Terns of Great Gull Island than on any other species of vertebrate. There has already been and will be lots more GGI images and stories on the blog. You can find specific details below.
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This Roseate Tern image was created on Great Gull Island on the evening of June 5, 2013 at 5:345pm with the with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering atzero: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 in Manual Mode. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. When working in relatively static situations I have been going to the 5D III over the 1D X to enjoy the larger files with more pixels on the subject. |
The Light
I was blessed with both gorgeous late light (see the ruffling Common Tern image above) and lovely soft light (as here) for both my morning and afternoon photo sessions. In between I worked as was part of the research team finding and marking tern nests. More on that in the coming weeks on the blog. The image above is the optimized image.
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Image Optimization Lesson
While checking out the before and after animated GIF above note that I added canvas for and aft to give the bird a bit more room and did both background and bill clean-up work. The former using mostly the Clone Stamp Tool set at 80% opacity using the Protective Cloning on a Layer techniques taught to me by Denise Ippolito. The latter with the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool, and the Patch Tool. All of the above of course as described in detail in Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips including Digital Eye Doctor techniques, several different ways of expanding canvas, all of my clean-up techniques including Protective Cloning on a Layer, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Layer Masking and NIK Color Efex Pro basics.
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Bill and Eye-Skin Clean-up
Cleaning up a bird’s bill can greatly add to the artistic success of an image and result in a neater overall look. The clean-up above was done with the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool, and the Patch Tool as detailed in Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. DB includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips including Digital Eye Doctor techniques, several different ways of expanding canvas, all of my clean-up techniques including Protective Cloning on a Layer, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Layer Masking and NIK Color Efex Pro basics.
The Blog is the Bomb!
I continue to put in 20+ hours a 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. 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. If you have a problem subscribing, please contact us via e-mail.
Here are some more links to recent posts of interest:
Learn more about Helen Hays and GGI here.
See my killer Roseate Tern flight image here.
Learn a lot in the “My Pissed Off Pano Opinions, and a Big Lesson” blog post.
Learn a ton about NYC street photography in both the “Surreal City Sunny Six” and the “NYC Formula for Success” blog posts.
Learn how a single Quick Mask saved a flawed image in “Disappearing Act” here.
Learn about the release of the long-awaited “Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender” in the popular blog post here.
You can learn what drives me to work so hard and to excel here.
Learn what I think of the new Photoshop Creative Cloud marketing strategy here and see the previous days post to see the Adobe announcement and more. Note: you can easily visit the prior (left) or following (right) blog post by clicking on the link-arrows left and right of the title of the blog post you are reading. The link-arrows are at the top of the page in blue.
Click here it you missed the news about the EOS-5D Mark III Firmware Update that allows AF at f/8.
“Best-ever Hand Holding Tip” is one of my most popular blog posts ever.
Spending to much time at the computer, behind the wheel, watching TV? Back hurt? Click here for some simple health tips.
If you’ve never heard of UrbEx Photography, click here.
To learn why there is never a detailed itinerary on a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour click here.
Like flowers or photography? Check out Depth-of-Field Lesson.
Learn why I love my 5D Mark III here.
You can find complete Canon telephoto lens specs here; be sure to bookmark this page for quick reference. The cart now includes data for the new Canon 200-400.
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Japan in Winter FEB 12-26/27, 2014. Snow Monkey, Red-crowned Crane, Stellers and White-tailed Sea Eagles, and Whooper Swan: $12,999. Limit: 7/Openings: 2
Due to a recent cancellation we now have two openings on the Japan trip–perfect for a Happy Camper couple.
We have a group of 5 very happy campers and have room for one or two more. Three great leaders: Arthur Morris, Denise Ippolito, and multiple BBC and Nature’s Best honoree Paul Mckenzie,
Included: all lodging including Tokyo hotel, all breakfasts and dinners, ground transport and transfers, four eagle boat trips (ice conditions permitting), all entrance fees, and in-country flights. Not included: international flights, alcoholic beverages, lunches, bottled water, and snacks.
Do know that every major photographic competition awards several prizes to images made in Japan in winter…. Best of all this trip is not just a photo tour, it is a trip where you will actually learn. A ton. Both in the field and at the computer. Seriously interested folks are invited to e-mail for the complete itinerary. Beware of similar trips that include three or more travel days from your home to Japan as well as a day or two sitting in a hotel doing nothing as part of the “tour” dates.
Japan in Winter FEB 12-26/27, 2014. Snow Monkey, Red-crowned Crane, Stellers and White-tailed Sea Eagles, and Whooper Swan: $12,999. Limit: 7/Openings: 2
Due to a recent cancellation we now have two openings on the Japan trip–perfect for a Happy Camper couple.
We have a group of 5 very happy campers and have room for one or two more. Three great leaders: Arthur Morris, Denise Ippolito, and multiple BBC and Nature’s Best honoree Paul Mckenzie,
Included: all lodging including Tokyo hotel, all breakfasts and dinners, ground transport and transfers, four eagle boat trips (ice conditions permitting), all entrance fees, and in-country flights. Not included: international flights, alcoholic beverages, lunches, bottled water, and snacks.
Do know that every major photographic competition awards several prizes to images made in Japan in winter…. Best of all this trip is not just a photo tour, it is a trip where you will actually learn. A ton. Both in the field and at the computer. Seriously interested folks are invited to e-mail for the complete itinerary. Beware of similar trips that include three or more travel days from your home to Japan as well as a day or two sitting in a hotel doing nothing as part of the “tour” dates.
Alan Murphy’s Photography e-Guides
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Alan Murphy’s “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography”
The breeding season is upon us. The songbirds will be arriving soon. If you would like to learn to create great images in your own backyard or in a nearby woodlot or would like to learn to create and photograph at water features and feeding stations, get yourself a copy of Alan’s amazing “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography” ($50 on CD only) by clicking here. In addition to teaching you to get your birds to land on the perfect perch, Alan teaches you how to capture images of songbirds in flight without using active AF!
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Alan Murphy’s “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds”
Alan Murphy taught the world to create killer images at backyard set-ups in his 106 page eBook (see above), “Guide to Songbird Set-Up Photography.” In his latest effort, “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds,” he has out-done himself. As I proofread this new e-Book for readability, I was amazed not only by the images, but by Alan’s innovative and creative techniques. Heck, in many cases, I was stunned by his cleverness. To learn more about the creation of Alan’s 2nd great eBook, click here. This great eGuide is available by download for $50. Click on the link below to get your copy. (PayPal payments accepted.)
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Painted Bunting. This images was created on Galveston Island, TX using the Nikkor AF 600mm f/4 lens & the Nikon D800 camera. |
This bird was attracted onto the set-up perch using a water drip pond as detailed in “The Photographers Guide to Attracting Birds.”
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This pair of Northern Parulas was photographed on Galveston Island, TX using the Nikkor AF 600mm f/4 lens, the Nikon D800 camera. ISO 640, f11 at 1/400. Fill Flash at -2.3 EV. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy. |
These birds were attracted onto the set-up perch using a water drip pond as detailed in “The Photographers Guide to Attracting Birds.”
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This Cerulean Warbler was photographed on Galveston Island, TX using the Nikkor AF 600mm f/4 lens, the Nikon D800 camera. ISO 800, f8 at 1/1000. Fill Flash at -1.7 EV. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy. |
This bird was attracted onto the set-up perch using a water drip pond as detailed in “The Photographers Guide to Attracting Birds.”
Affiliate Links
Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
Regular readers well know that I spend an inordinate amount of time each week preparing blog posts and the BAA Online Bulletins in order to bring you the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information and to share with you my favorite new images. I have long resisted efforts to charge a fee for each. Please Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links below or on the product-specifics links in each post. in this blog post. Both B&H and Amazon offer world class service and the lowest prices you will find anywhere. And using one of our links will not cost you a penny more. When shopping at B&H be sure to place an item in your cart to see the often too-low-to show actual price. In many cases B&H is forbidden by the manufacturer from publicizing their lowest price!
Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop Amazon here!
Used Camera Gear
Rich Wear
Rich is offering a Gitzo 1548 CF tripod and a Wimberly V2 Head, both in very good condition for $850.
Pictures of these items are available upon request via e-mail.
You can reach Rich via e-mail or by phone at 780-690-8868.
Walt Novinger
Walt is offering a used Sigma 300-800 f/5.6 EX DG APO IF HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS, aka The Sigmonster in like-new condition. Used only 4-5 times: $6,000. The sale includes the original shipping box and the original soft lens case. Includes shipping in the continental US. You can call Walt at 1-442.222.4081 or by e-mail. James Shadle used the Nikon mount version of this lens to create many great images. Strong folks can save a bundle as this is a steal at $2,000 below list.
Brent Bridges
$150 Price Drop; this one is a steal!
Brent is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f4/.5-5.6L IS USM with the Canon tripod mount ring B (W), the Canon ET-83C Lens Hood , the Canon LZ1324 lens case and the owner’s manual. Everything in excellent condition with a few very light scratches on the Lens Hood. Price reduced: $800. Seller pays shipping and insurance. Please call Brent at 770-565-5012 or contact him via e-mail. I cannot understand why this great lens has not sold at the reduced price; it is a steal and I know that Brent takes really good care of his gear.
Typos
On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂
Walt Novinger
Walt is offering a used Sigma 300-800 f/5.6 EX DG APO IF HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS, aka The Sigmonster in like-new condition. Used only 4-5 times: $6,000. The sale includes the original shipping box and the original soft lens case. Includes shipping in the continental US. You can call Walt at 1-442.222.4081 or by e-mail. James Shadle used the Nikon mount version of this lens to create many great images. Strong folks can save a bundle as this is a steal at $2,000 below list.
Brent Bridges
$150 Price Drop; this one is a steal!
Brent is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f4/.5-5.6L IS USM with the Canon tripod mount ring B (W), the Canon ET-83C Lens Hood , the Canon LZ1324 lens case and the owner’s manual. Everything in excellent condition with a few very light scratches on the Lens Hood. Price reduced: $800. Seller pays shipping and insurance. Please call Brent at 770-565-5012 or contact him via e-mail. I cannot understand why this great lens has not sold at the reduced price; it is a steal and I know that Brent takes really good care of his gear.
Typos
On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂
