This Macaroni Penguin preening its mate was photographed at Hercules Bay, South Georgia, with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 2X III teleconverter, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. This is one of my favorite images from the trip. The birds were so tame that I rarely if ever felt limited with my longest effective telephoto length of “only” 780mm (300mm X 2 X 1.3). An upper left-hand sensor was chosen manully: AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

SOUTHERN OCEAN TRIP REPORT

I got back to my home-office in Indian Lake Estates, FL just before 10am on January 26. See here for the whole story. Overall the trip was a fantastic one. My good weather Karma held and we visited many amazing wildlife locations including New Island, Leopard Beach, and the amazing Steeple Jason in the Falklands, Salisbury Plain, Fortuna Bay, spectacular St. Andrews Bay–my favorite site on the entire trip, Hercules Bay, Gold Harbor, and Cooper Bay on South Georgia, and Paulet Island, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbor, Jougla Point, the incredible Bailey Head, and Hannah Point in Antarctica. In addition we had some good but not great flight photography from the ship–it was a bit rough on some of the crossings, and we enjoyed two amazing whale encounters, one with Humpbacks in the Weddell Sea and one with a pod of Southern Orcas (Killer Whales) in the Gerlach Strait.

I will be sharing lots of images and lessons with you both here and on the blog.

I had the world’s greatest roommate, Pablo Fernicola. He had been on a Bosque IPT about five years ago. He slept like a rock no matter what I did…. Which, at 4am, was often a lot. Overall the large group was very nice. I met a wonderful couple from California–Zorica Kovacevic and Srdjan Mitrovic of Atherton, CA who were eager to improve; they spent lots of time with me. When I asked Srdjan if he knew of SNL’s Hans and Frans–he sounded just like them–he did a cool impression: “Und I am Franz. Und I just vant to pump… (clap) …YOU UP!” Zoe Griffiths of Surrey, England was a point and shooter but her pleasant manner and easy smile was enjoyed by all in the quasi-photographers group. RC (Cola) Vasavada of Gualala, CA was another sweetie who hung with us. Aspiring professional photographer Steve Levi (Redmond, WA) rounded out our regular dinner table along with Zoe, Zorica and Srdjan, RC and me. We were waited on hand and foot by our regular waitress, Daria.

The world’s best roommate: Pablo Fenricola. Image created with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 2X III teleconverter, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Pablo brought the Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens as his big lens and complemented that with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. An EOS-7D, an EOS-50D, and some short zoom lenses rounded out his kit.

Mandeep Manku of London was also anxious to learn; he produced some very good images with only a modicum of gear and the same could be said of Gary Mancuso. I also enjoyed time spent with Ron and Talma Auslender of Israel, Vic Cooper (and wife Vicky) of Kanab, Utah, Matt Diegutis from Cronulla, Australia, Lynette Finch of New South Wales, Australia, Bronwyn & Grame Gilmour also of Australia, and Arthur & Caroline Ginsberg of Seattle, WA. Amazingly Nico and Brigitte Moser and Peter and Anne Oberer were all from Basel, Switzerland, home of my killer web guy, Peter Kes. Small world. Anne and Peter’s friend Cypriana Probst was also from Switzerland. It was good seeing Tom Myers again; we had met at several professional nature photography meetings. It was always a pleasure to chat with Alan and Sara Skerker (Gainesville, VA) and Skip and Gayle Stokes from Jacksonville, OR. Gail had seen my presentation at the Klamath Festival last year. Leslie Valentine her Dad Warren was as nice as could be, as was Pablo’s good friend Katie O’Reilly of Portland, OR. With 96 folks, however, you can always expect a few unhappy campers. The best (worst???) of that lot was a young woman who went around photographing folks whom she thought were too close to the birds and then sharing the images with the expedition leader. You gotta love that. One of the other pros was her primary victim though the bird on the nest in the image was sound asleep….

This image of a section of the King Penguin colony at St. Andrews Bay, my very favorite landing of the trip, was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 200. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/32 in Av mode. Click on the image to see a larger version. To see four more killer St. Andrews Bay images check out St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia, Southern Ocean Voyage; Best Day Ever?

MY SOUTHERN OCEAN TRIP GEAR BAG

Here was my gear bag for the trip: two Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera bodies. One EOS-5D Mark II camera body. The Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Two 1.4X III TCs and one 2X III teleconverter. The Canon 16-35mm L lens and the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens. It was a close call but I opted to leave my oft-used and dependable Canon 24-105mm IS L lens home to save weight. The decision to go with the 300 2.8 II as my primary big lens turned out to be a fabulous one. The lens is relatively light and super sharp. And as you will learn below, having the 5D MII along pretty much saved the trip for me. I ordered a 5D MII as soon as I got home.

All that plus my flash stuff fit nicely into my Airport InternationalTM V2.0 rolling bag, the smaller of the two Think Tank bags that I travel with. I always use the larger ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 rolling bag when I travel with my 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Learn more and check out the free gift offer here. With only the 300 f/2.8L IS II as my big lens, the smaller bag was perfect for the voyage; it fit easily into my big dry bag for landings. I used every lens that I brought.

The images used to create this composite of the King Penguin colony on Salisbury Plain were among the last I made in the heavy rain before both my Mark IV bodies quit. They were created with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. For the main image: ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: .8 sec. at f/45 in Av Mode. Central Sensor Rear Focus AI Servo AF and recompose. (Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.) With the too-slow shutter speed I figured that the near-penguin head would be soft due to subject movement–it was–so I created an image with the same framing as the first image with these settings: ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/4 set manually. The sharp penguin head from this image was brought onto the main image on its own Quick Mask-created layer. Next I enlarged the sharp head a bit using the Transform command so that it completely covered the soft head. Then I added a Layer Mask and eliminated the soft background along the edges to reveal the more detailed f/45 background. All as detailed in Digital Basics and APTATs I. For a greater appreciation of this image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. To see a really cool quasi-HDR grunge version of this image click here.

HOW TO RUIN TWO PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL CAMERA BODIES

• When good friend Scott Elowitz of LensCoat suggests that you bring one or two of his new RainCoats on the trip you dismiss his offer stating, “I don’t like rain covers; they hamper my style.”
• Arrive at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia–one of the top wildlife locations on the planet–so excited that you do not think clearly.
• Forget to place several plastic garbage bags in your vest in case of rain; I have been teaching folks to do just that for almost three decades….
• Ignore the low ceiling and the ominous dark clouds.
• Captivated by the beauty of the King Penguin colony ignore the developing drizzle while the Mark IV mounted on your 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens even though the camera body is uncovered and un-protected.
• Hang (via a Black Rapid RS-7 Strap) your 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens with one of your two EOS-1D Mark IV bodies attached so that the rig is on your back with the camera body completely exposed to the rain. Then forget about it. Had I been thinking clearly I would have put that Mark IV in a plastic bag in the large rear pocket of my X-trahand vest…. You gotta love hindsight.
• As the drizzle turns to light rain, albeit a light rain at first, ignore it and keep on photographing. Keep thinking that your Canon professional digital camera bodies are as invincible and indestructible as you thought that you were when you were younger. (Boy, that has changed over the decades….)
• As the light rain turns to heavy rain, continue to photograph as if your were on a beach in sunny Florida.

When the Mark IV that was on the 300 f/2.8 II began having intermittent moisture problems, I switched to the other Mark IV, the one that had been hanging on my back completely exposed to the elements, I was shocked to learn that it was completely dead. I switched back and coaxed another 30 minutes out of the first body by turning it off for a few minutes at a time. Then it quit completely. Then I quit completely, packed up, and headed back to the ship.

I removed the flash cards, the batteries, and the front lens cap from each body, placed them in the far end of a pillow case, and placed a hair dryer on high at the open end of the pillow case blowing hot air onto the bodies in an attempt to dry them out and get them working (making sure to have the rear vent free and clear). Linda Robbins, the High Speed Flash Hummingbird Queen, taught me that trick years ago in Panama). Though each was totally dead when I began, the two cameras came back to life bit by bit. After hours and hours of “treatment” over the course of two days the verdict was the same: each camera could create images. The LCD on the top of the camera was fine, but the large LCD on the back of the camera was not visible.

I was thrilled. When I needed an intermediate telephoto lens on my shoulder for flight or action I could set the exposure manually in advance–the analog scale and everything else in the viewfinder was working fine–and lock the exposure by moving the Off/On switch from the “J” position to “On” position. This great tip from the Mark IV User’s Guide prevents inadvertently changing the settings when carrying a lens on your shoulder. Note: You need to first set C.Fn IV-10-1 to stop the Quick Control dial (I call it the index finger dial) from working. You can find all the details on page 27 of the guide.

I know exposure well enough that being unable to see the histogram on the back of the camera would not be any great handicap. None-the-less, the 5D MII that I had borrowed to use with the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom lens came to the rescue. I began using it on the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens that hung from my shoulder. It was nice to be able to check my MIV exposure settings with the histogram on the 5D MII. I was, however, so impressed with the 5D MII that I began using it as my main camera body (usually but not always on the 300mm f/2.8 II. And for the Bailey Head landing where I needed to travel extremely light, the 5D MII was the only camera that I took ashore. How impressed was I with the new camera: I ordered one through the Explorers of Light program on Friday.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/13 set manually. Central sensor AI Servo Rear Focus and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. To avoid having the edge of the Zodiac or the other folks in this image, I had to lean way over the side with the lens less than a foot from the brash ice. To learn more about the circle lens, click here.

EOS-5D MARK II QUICK EVALUATION

You can read my evaluation of the Canon EOS-5D Mark II body here.

SW FLA IPT LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT

Due to four, yes four, last minute cancellations there is now a single opening on this IPT. Please call 863-692-0906 for substantial late registration discount information.

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Openings: 1.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

Roseate Spoonbill incoming in soft light, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

ROSEATE SPOONBILLS ON THE HOOPTIE DEUX

Simply put there is no better place in the world to photograph Roseate Spoonbill. And know one better to get you there and guide you than James Shadle, my partner in crime at BirdPhotographer’s.Net.

“In the Field Workshops” Workshops and Tours with James Shadle: Tampa Bay’s Original Spoonbill Workshop Leader

Arthur Morris/Birds As Art Approved and Recommended. James is a licensed US Merchant Marine holding an OUPV (6-pack license) from the US Coast Guard.

White morph Reddish Egret in mega-breeding plumage, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

Workshops and Tour Rates on the Hooptie Deux:

Full Day

1 Photographer, $450
2 Photographers, $400 each
3-4 Photographers, $350 each

Half Day

1 Photographer, $300
2 Photographers, $275 each
3-4 Photographers, $250 each

Roseate Spoonbill, mega-breeding plumage adult preening, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

In most cases I am able to charge the lower rate by booking multi-photographer trips. Each workshop is limited to 4 photographers. Call or write in advance to inquire about group discounts for up to 6 folks (only by prior arrangement. You can get in touch with James for additional info or to schedule a Custom Workshop or Tour via e-mail, by cell phone at (813) 363-2854 or on his home phone (early evenings best) at (813-689-5307). If by cell phone it is best to call back rather than to leave a message.

Snowy Egret fledgling with fiddler crab, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

James Shadle’s “In the Field Workshops” is the original Tampa Bay nature photography (by boat) workshop and tour leader. He has an exciting list of locations that will give you the opportunity to create incredible images of dramatic behavior and stunning plumages. He knows the bay better than anyone as he has been doing it longer than anyone and as the images show, he knows how to make great pictures and can teach you to do the same. James owns and operates a 20′ tri-toon boat (The Hooptie Deux) that has been customized specifically for photography workshops. It’s roomy, comfortable, and stable. The boat is equipped with a quiet and environmentally friendly E-Tec outboard motor. It also has a powerful, silent, electric trolling motor with wireless remote control. The boat can be configured with no top for on-board photography or with a bimini top to provide shelter from sun and rain. Refreshments are available at all times.

Roseate Spoonbill braking to land, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

You may photograph from the boat; however the best opportunities for spoonbills are almost always when you exit the boat and wade in the shallow water. The bottom is hard but you do of course need to wade slowly and carefully. By wading we under James’ careful supervision and with his guidance, you will be able to get much closer to the birds and have more control over light angle and perspective. Waders will be provided for those who need them.

Roseate Spoonbill, head portrait of adult in breeding plumage with spoonbill pink background, Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: James Shadle

New For The 2012 Season

The Hooptie Deux has been completely re-fitted with new seats, new carpeting, a new sound system and all new safety features. Three new rookery locations are available. New waders and boots are available for client use. You can learn more here.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

ALIVE AND WELL IN USHUAIA, ARGENTINA

I am alive and well (but fighting a cold at present) in Ushuaia, Argentina. We board the ship on Sunday afternoon and set sail for the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Orkneys, and the Antarctic Peninsula tomorrow at about 6PM. As noted previously I will be at sea without internet for 26 days. I will be back in the office on January 27. artie

Harlequin Ducks pair; hen and drake, Barnegat Jetty, Barnegat Light, NJ. Seated behind 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 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. Central Sensor (by necessity) Rear Focus/AI Servo AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: +2. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

Above I like the nice juxtaposition of the hen and the drake. I almost always focus on the foreground subject when creating these types of images. The f/10 was to ensure that the hen would be sharp; with a very long effective focal length it would have been impossible to render the drake sharply in focus. To learn how the Eckla Beach Rolly made this image possible see below.

The before and after clean-up work above was done with the Patch Tool and the spot healing brush. A series of Quick Masks was used to cover the intruding part of the drake lower right. All of that as detailed in Digital Basics. Note also the cleaner color balance and the increased detail in the after image. Learn more on how I optimized this image in NIK Stuff immediately below.

NIK STUFF

These days I open most every image in Photoshop CS-5 and then immediately bring it into NIK Color Efex Pro 4. Then I run my Tonal Contrast/White Neutralizer recipe. I followed that up here with a round of Detail Extractor. If you missed my killer time-saving recipe tutorial you can find it here.

NIK 15% Discount

You can save 15% on all NIK products (including and especially Color Efex Pro 4) by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

NIK Creative Efex Collection

NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks. I love both Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex and plan on learning to use Viveza soon.

MORRO BAY PHOTO EXPO

I will be doing three major programs for the festival: a 4-hour Saturday morning seminar, a 2-hour Saturday afternoon Photoshop for Nature Photographers session, and a Sunday morning In-the-field Master Class. You can check out the schedule here and find general info and register here. BTW, there is a slide show on the home page with some great images. My appearance is being generously sponsored by Canon USA through the Explorers of Light Program. Best plan: attend the festival and join me for the Morro Bay IPT that follows. See here for info on the IPT.

The above image is a rare one as Denise does not like being photographed…. She is pulling a fully loaded Eckla Beach Rolly alongside the Barnegat Jetty.

ECKLA BEACH ROLLY SAVES THE DAY!

When I was on Long Island two weeks ago my shoulders as previously noted were hurting quite a bit due to too much swimming to soon after I got home from Bosque. No surprise there. I rested a lot while visiting New York but wanted to get in one last trip to the Barnegat Jetty. But I was concerned that the almost mile-long walk with the 800 on my shoulder might not be the smartest thing for me to do. Denise Ippolito saved the day with a suggestion. She volunteered to bring along her customized Eckla Beach Rolly and met me at the jetty. We put both of our big lenses in the rolly along with both tripods and Denise rolled the whole shebang rather easily through one mile of soft sand. I felt like the King of Siam walking along with no tripod and nothing on my shoulder. Thanks Lady D! She was pretty much amazed at how easily it rolled. Don’t get me wrong: Denise is in great shape but she was a bit tired after the long haul out and the long haul back.

That said I could not have made it without her help, and she could not have made it without her Eckla Beach Rolly. I envision several uses for my Beach Rolly. It will be great at places with boardwalks like the St Augustine Alligator Farm and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. You will be able to bring pretty much all of your lenses, and an extra body or two, your flash and accessories, and heck, you can even bring your lunch. On various Florida beaches where you are routinely walking good distances you will be able to do the same. Do realize that my shoulder problem started about eight years ago after twenty years of carrying big glass on a tripod all on my right shoulder… Not too smart. I wish I had had a Beach Rolly back then.

You can learn more about this great product or purchase one by clicking here. See below for accessory details.

Above is the fully packed Beach Rolly: Denise’s 500mm f/4L IS is on your left, my 800mm f/5.6 L IS on the right in an old Domke Bag. I am still trying to talk Scott Elowitz of LensCoat into making something very similar. My Gitzo 3530LS Carbon Fiber tripod with the Mongoose M3.6 attached is on your left, Denise’s with the Wimberley V-2 is on the right. See details on the Eckla Cargo Net, the Eckla Multi Holding Bar, and the Staples Milk Crate below.

Denise customized here Beach Rolly Gear Cart by adding a black plastic milk crate from Staples. It is 11 1/2″H x 13 7/8″W x 16 7/8″D. Yours for only $7.99 here. The milk crate keeps everything in the cart. The Cargo Net keeps stuff safely in place and allows you to overload your rolly without fear , and the tripods are attached snugly by the Multi-holding Bar. All is all is it a neat set-up that can make your life a lot easier. Please leave a comment and let us know how you use or will be using your Eckla Beach Rolly Gear Cart. (Note: I tried the Eckla Eagle Car Door Camera Support and did not like it at all. I far prefer the BLUBB for car as blind work.)

The Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is my very favorite intermediate telephoto zoom lens. I use it often with both the 1.4 and 2X III teleconverters. It will be on my shoulder via the Black Rapid RS-7 Strap for pretty much all of my Southern Oceans trip.

B&H Killer Special

You can save $400 on one of my two favorite lenses from now through January 7, 2012 by clicking here. You can learn lots more about this great lens in dozens of blog posts especially here.. And you can save $400.00 off the regular price of $2374.00: $1974.00. This deal is so good that it runs only through December 31, 2011.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the image above. 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.

Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
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.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

Jim, Jennifer, and I would like to send each and every one of you best wishes for a joyous holiday season and a wonderful, productive, rewarding, and healthy 2012 filled with great photographic opportunities and wonderful travels. Jennifer will not be back to work until 2012! Jim will be here Monday through Thursday this week (DEC 26-29). He will, however, be out of the office on Wednesday, DEC 28 from 1-4pm and all day on Friday; please leave a phone message and we will get back to you on January 2, 2012.

Please note that as I will be on a Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctica cruise from DEC 28, 2011 through JAN 26, 2012 without internet access except possibly for a day or two at the beginning and/or the end of the trip. Then I am home for a bit spending a week on the road for the sold-out SW FLA IPT. The I disappear again for a month-long (17 FEB to 13 MAR) trip to Japan. (There is lots of room there if you would like to join us.) Jim will be here to help you with your mail order and other needs and Jennifer as always will be handling the IPT registrations; do note that the Morro Bay IPT is now half full.

I simply will be unable to respond to questions in my usual timely fashion until at least mid-March so please hold off with your photography questions till then. You can learn the answers to practically all of your questions in ABP, ABPII, and Digital Basics. In addition, there is a killer-good search feature on the blog, the little white box in the upper right of the blog pages. It will lead you to information both on the blog and in the Bulletins. At all times we ask that you try to find the answers to your questions either in the books or on-line before e-mailing. That said I look forward to receiving your fresh, new questions via e-mail this spring.

A PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO THE ONTARIO LANDSCAPE

BIRDS AS ART is proud to announce the publication of “A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape,” a new e-book by Andrew McLachlan of Thornton, Ontario. Andrew’s guide is the latest in a long line of beautiful, inspiring, educational, how-to and where-to treatises brought to you by BAA Books. If you want to skip the spiel you can click here to order. Or see more options below.

A Photographer’s Guide To The Ontario Landscape: $24; YouSendIt file downloads are sent via e-mail.

The vast and varied landscapes of Ontario, Canada’s second largest province, provide photographers with a great variety of outstanding destinations and opportunities. “A Photographer’s Guide To The Ontario Landscape” by Andrew McLachlan is an easy-to-read, easy-to-follow resource that will make it a snap for both local and visiting photographers to plan their outings and to maximize their time afield. Why spend days looking for the best spots when Andrew has already done the legwork?

From the remote Abitibi Canyon in the northeast to Point Pelee in the southwest, from the Ottawa Valley in the southeast to the Algoma Highlands north east of Sault Ste Marie, Andrew has-with skill and passion–photographed them all in every season. In addition he will guide you to the regions famous for fall colour including the Haliburton Highlands and Muskoka.

You will learn where and when to go to create dramatic landscapes. Andrew’s images will educate and inspire you. And his e-book contains dozens of excellent tips (each in its own sidebar) for folks who enjoy creating scenic landscape images. He covers all the bases including exposure and histograms, composition and image design, shutter speed, aperture, and depth-of-field, creative vision and perspective, matters of weather and light, and tips on all types of gear including lens choice, tripods, tripod heads, lens and camera body plates, & filters.

This e-book, the first-ever comprehensive guide to photographing Ontario’s landscapes, is a must for all who enjoy making great images of nature’s vistas.

The simplest and fastest way to order your copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape” is through the BAA On-line Store by clicking here. Alternatively, you can order your copy by sending a check for $24 made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your e-mail address (written legibly). If you prefer to use PayPal you can send $24 to us via e-mail; be sure to include the title of the book.

Haliburton Highlands, Fall colour at Kennisis River, Ontario. Nikon D200, Nikon 12-24mm lens, polarizing filter. Image copyright 2011: Andrew McLachlan.

THE BLOG IS THE BOMB

I continue to put in 20+ hours a week towards making the blog informative, timely, and beautiful. Most of the educational features that formerly appeared in BAA Bulletins now grace the BAA Blog. If you 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.

Important Note

As noted above, I will on a Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctica cruise from DEC 28, 2011 through JAN 26, 2012 without internet access except possibly for a day or two at the beginning and/or the end of the trip. Despite my absence on the Southern Oceans trip, blog folks will scarcely notice that I am gone: Peter Kes will be posting lots of great stuff for me on the blog pretty much every other day. (I have been working hard preparing posts in advance.) I will not, of course, be able to respond to your comments until I get back.

Here are links to recent posts of interest.

Is artie Nuts? Why Would He Spend $11,499 (plus 7% sales tax and shipping) On a Lens He Has Preached Against for More Than Two Decades? is surely the longest blog post title ever. Check it out and let me know if you think I am nuts (or not….)

If you are at all concerned about digital ethics in nature photography you will surely want to give Digital Manipulation and Nature Photography Competitions a good read. And do check out the comments as well.

Check out the time-saving recipe that I use on many images when working with NIK’s great Color Efex Pro 4 plug-in. You can find this great workflow tip here. With Tonal Contrast, Detail Extractor, and White Neutralizer, Color Efex
has completely re-vamped my workflow and vastly improved the quality of my images.

Nikon folks do not want to miss Robert O’Toole’s relatively new Nikon dSLR Guide here.

I have added several new names and links to Inspirational Photography Websites. If you are interested in looking at great images–one of the very best ways to improve your own photography–you will want to bookmark this post and visit it often.

If you are looking for an ultra-light tripod for landscapes or for your intermediate telephoto lens check out the extensive info on the Gitzo GT1542T.

ANNOUNCING THE SAN DIEGO JANUARY 2013 INSTRUCTIONAL PHOTO-TOUR

After a forced absence in 2012 (can you say a month in Antarctica and a month in Japan?) I will be returning to San Diego in January 2013 to photograph the glorious California Brown Pelicans in full breeding plumage plus lot more. Nobody knows the spots, the winds and weather, and the techniques better than me. I hope that you can join the group for a great learning and photographic experience.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Black-bellied Plover, Sanderling, & Spotted Sandpiper, gulls including Western, California, Ring-billed, & the spectacular breeding plumage Heerman’s Gulls, Harbor Seals, & lots more!

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

B&H Specials

B&H has two great specials that run till the end of December.

Canon EOS-5D Mark II Package

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

You can get a Canon EOS-5D Mark II package that includes a 16GB CompactFlash Card, a Lowepro Adventura 170 Shoulder Bag, and the Red Giant B&H Video Production Software Bundle (a $719.85 value) for only $1,999.95 with free USA shipping by clicking here. The 5D Mark II is everyone’s favorite landscape camera body; see the lead image here. I took one to Bosque to create some very wide images and will be taking one to Antarctica along with the circle lens. Not to mention that it is a killer video camera…. (No questions on video please!)

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Zoom Lens

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Zoom Lens

If you own a 7D, a 60D, or a 50D, and you like to do landscape and/or side angle photography this would be the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS zoom lens will thrill you. (Note: this lens will not fit on an EOS-1D Mark IV or other 1D series bodies and it will not on the EOS-5D Mark II.) The $41 instant rebate is good only till the end of the month; you can purchase this lens here.

POSSE NEWS: TODD GUSTAFSON

Wildebeests grazing, Serengeti, Tanzania. Image copyright 2010/Todd Gustafson/Gustafson Photo Safari

GUSTAFSON PHOTO SAFARI: SERENGETI MIGRATION SAFARI 2011. Dates: Leaving US July 28 2012/Returning August 12. $11,999.00 double occupancy.

Chapters of the great migration take place all across the wildlife corridors of Kenya and Tanzania. It begins in Tanzania during February; in the short grass plains of Ndutu. The middle chapters take place in Kenya’s Masai Mara. This year’s August safari follows the migration story as it unfolds in the extreme Northern Serengeti. We will begin in Tarangire. Known for its baobab-dotted landscape, huge herds of elephants and diverse birdlife, it is one of the best dry season game parks in Africa.

Leopard leap, Serengeti, Tanzania. Image copyright 2010/Todd Gustafson/Gustafson Photo Safari

From there we journey to the Seronera Wildlife Lodge, in the heart of the Serengeti, famous for its hippo pools and frequent leopard sightings. The next stop is Lobo Wildlife Lodge where we will concentrate on big cat photography. From there we will travel to our Exclusive Mobile Camp located wherever the herds are. River crossings are possible as the herds gather on stretches of the Mara River as it winds through the Northern Serengeti. Our last stop is the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the natural wonders of the world; it teams with big game.

Lion Lunch, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Image copyright 2010/Todd Gustafson/Gustafson Photo Safari

GUSTAFSON PHOTO SAFARI: Brazil-Jaguar Quest. Leaving US September 18, 2012/Returning September 30. $7,995.00 double occupancy.

Travel with Gustafson Photo Safari (GPS) to Brazil’s Pantanal. Jaguars are the main event, but Brazil offers much more, including Pantanal caiman, anaconda, Brazilian tapir, giant anteater and birds, birds, birds!!!. Just a few on the list of easily seen and photographed birds are jabiru stork, toco toucan, black collared hawk, bare-faced curassow, blue-necked piping guan, whistling heron, limpkin and capped heron (to name just a few). We will have 10 days of action packed photography in the most dramatic locations at the exact right time of year for only $7,995.00 double occupancy. Photography in 2 locations (from boats and on land) offers a wide variety of habitat and species.

Last year this trip sold out in 4 hours!!! Sign up now and avoid disappointment.

Jaguar on a River Bank, Pantanal, Brazil. Image copyright 2010/Todd Gustafson/Gustafson Photo Safari

Please send an e-mail to request a full-color PDF for both trips. You can read a great interview with Todd here; there are lots of great images too. You can check out several Todd Gustafson Safari Videos here. You can get yourself a copy of Todd’s great he Photographer’s Guide to the Safari Experience here.

USED CANON 500MM f/4L IS LENS & TRIPOD FOR SALE

Suzanne Weinheimer is offering a rarely used Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens in excellent plus condition for $5500. And an older Gitzo 1321 tripod in excellent condition for $250. Both plus shipping and insurance. Please contact Suzanne directly via e-mail here: suzbw33@aol.com.

Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

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.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

COMPOSITION MAPS: VISUAL DESIGN AIDS FOR NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS

BIRDS AS ART Books is proud to announce the release of “Composition Maps: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers” a brand new e-book by Gloria Hopkins (with photographs by Arthur Morris). Several months ago we released Gloria’s first BAA e-book, Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers. The book received positive reviews from many happy customers and everyone (including me) raved about her composition maps. I still have no clue as to how she knows exactly what is going on in my brain when I press the shutter button and optimize my images. But she does and shares that ingeniously in her latest offering, “Composition Maps.”

Click here to order your copy now.

The E-book features more than 80 BIRDS AS ART IMAGES and 61 composition maps–some of the maps deal with two or more images. In the e-book you simply click on the map and hold the cursor down: the image is revealed! Give the animated GIF below a few moments to play and you will get the idea.

The simplest and fastest way to order your copy of “Composition Maps: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers” is through the BAA On-line Store by clicking here. Or, you can order your copy by sending a check for $30 made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your e-mail address (written legibly). If you prefer PayPal you can send $30 to us via e-mail; be sure to include the title of the book.

Click here to order your copy now.

THE BLOG IS THE BOMB

I continue to put in 20+ hours a week towards making the blog informative, timely, and beautiful. Most of the educational features that formerly appeared in BAA Bulletins now grace the BAA Blog. If you 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.

Learn about Robert O’Toole’s Nikon dSLR Guide here.

If you want to spend time studying great images you will surely want to bookmark Inspirational Photography Websites.

If you enjoyed any of the “For Your Critique” series you will surely want to learn of the two major revelations here.

Looking for an ultra-light tripod? Check out the info on the Gitzo GT1542T.

Most will enjoy the 38-image post that documents the construction of my new lap pool that by the way, is named Digital Basics.

And here is a great NIK Color Efex Pro workflow tip. This plug-in has completely re-vamped my workflow and vastly improved the quality of my images.

B&H FREE OVERNIGHT HOLIDAY SHIPPING ON SELECTED CANON LENSES & ON POWERSHOT CAMERAS

BAA sponsor B&H is offering free overnight shipping on selected Canon lenses (including many of my favorites) from now only until Thursday Dec.22, 4:00pm EST. Any lenses ordered via this link only will be received in time to be placed under the X-mas tree (or under the Hanukkah bush).

The selection includes two versions of the 70-200 IS, my current favorite, the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, and my old favorite, the 70-200 f/4L IS. (Click here to learn about the 70-200 IS L II with the 2X III TC.) Also included are the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens (the wide angle zoom that I am taking to Antarctica) and the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. Also on the list is Denise Ippolito‘s favorite Canon intermediate telephoto zoom, the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS (Image Stabilizer) USM lens; lord, I made a zillion great images with that lens. In addition, there are five other shorter Canon lenses on the list. Again, you can view the entire list here.

Click on the logo-link above for free overnight shipping on select Canon Powershot Cameras; they make great holiday gifts!

I borrowed Denise Ippolito’s 500mm lens at the Barnegat Jetty last Saturday morning and used it with my Canon EOS-1D Mark IV to create the two originals for this stitched panorama of the lighthouse. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/6.3 in Av Mode. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. I did not realize that this lens is no longer being manufactured and is no longer available new. It is being replaced by the 500mm F/4 L IS II lens that is at present delayed indefinitely. If you want or need one your best bet is to buy Suzanne’s below.

The blue in the image above is pre-dawn earth shadow. I enhanced the colors in the image with two great NIK plug-ins, Viveza (I am learning that one…) and Color Efex.

NIK 15% Discount

You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

NIK Creative Efex Collection

NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks.

USED CANON 500MM f/4L IS LENS & TRIPOD FOR SALE

Suzanne Weinheimer is offering a rarely used Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens in excellent plus condition for $5500. And an older Gitzo 1321 tripod in excellent condition for $250. Both plus shipping and insurance. Please contact Suzanne directly via e-mail here: suzbw33@aol.com.

Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

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.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

Dovekie Flock Silhouette, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Visit Arctic Norway with Jasper Doest–Exclusive to BAA Folks: Svalbard 2012/second trip (birds and landscapes) and Svalbard 2013/first trip (prime time for birds)

Red-throated Loon on nest, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Visit Arctic Norway with Jasper Doest–Exclusive to BAA Folks: Svalbard 2012/second trip (birds and landscapes) and Svalbard 2013/first trip (prime time for birds)

Barnacle Goose on nest, Diabas, Norway. Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Both trips include a boat trip to an island with tame nesting Barnacle Geese.

In June of 2011, I traveled to Svalbard with Patrick Sparkman and his wife Robin during prime time for birds. Jasper Doest was our guide. It was an astounding trip: we had two ponds full of courting Common Eiders, lots of breeding shorebirds including Purple Sandpiper and Red Phalarope (Grey Phalarope on the other side of the pond), Ivory Gull, nesting Pacific Loon, Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Parastic Jeager, King Eider–a lucky find, Svalbard Ptarmigan, Svalbard Reindeer, and the impossibly cute little Dovekies among others. The Dovekies are relatively easy but for the climb. Plus gorgeous scenery including ice-scapes and ice macros and killer wildflowers. To see my images that were featured on the blog, click here, here, and here. To see my images featured in the Bulletin click here and here.

Common Eider hen on nest, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

The absolute maximum group size is three. It is impossible visit Spitzbergen by yourself. Why? A guide with a rifle to protect against polar bears is a necessity. (We never saw or heard of a bear….) Jasper is taking three BAA folks this coming June on the best dates for birds–the time frame for the drake Common Eiders is very narrow. The three folks inquired before I had time to make any announcements….. Jasper has agreed to put together a second trip this June, June 2012 as below, and another trip during the prime for birds dates in June 2013. See those details after the second June 2012 trip details that follow.

Parasitic Jaeger attacking Arctic Fox, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest. Jasper did much better with the foxes in 2011 on the second trip than we did on the first.

Do understand that both trips are likely to sell out quickly. The location and opportunities are simply amazing. Especially those little Dovekies. Please e-mail Jasper directly for additional details or to enroll. artie

Dovekie in flight, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest. Spitzbergen is the best place in the world to photograph the world’s smallest auk. It was my primary reason for making the trip.

Svalbard – Arctic bird & landscape photography/Limited to only three participants! Date: June 21 – June 26, 2012. Price: €3300. Arrive Longyearbyen June 20, 2012, fly home, June 27, 2012. Join wildlife photographer Jasper Doest on an amazing wildlife adventure to Spitzbergen (Svalbard) in the high arctic.

Note: this trip, the “second 2012 trip,” will most likely not feature large numbers of drake Common Eiders in the kennel ponds. On the other hand the female Common Eiders will be very cooperative and give you plenty of opportunities to make interesting compositions. Also you may get some images of nesting shorebirds and if you are very lucky, of shorebird chicks. Most of the rest of the subjects should be the same as they were for me on my trip: fantastic. Before you sign up for the second 2012 trip, do check out the info below on the first June 2013 trip….

Geese on the ridge, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. Located north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude (and thus inside the Arctic Circle), and actually about twice as close to the North Pole as Barrow, AK.

Dunlin, male singing on territory, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Shorebird chick, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest. The second trip will offer the best chance for photographing shorebird chicks.

Spitzbergen is the largest island with the administrative center being Longyearbyen. The archipelago is administered by the Governor of Svalbard. The archipelago features an Arctic climate, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The flora takes advantage of the long period of midnight sun to compensate for the polar night. Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer and marine mammals. Seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, nature. Sixty percent of the archipelago is glacier, and the islands feature many mountains and fjords.

Glacier, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

As the arctic summer is really short, some birds will be on their nests. Svalbard is home to millions of Dovekies and we will be able to witness and photograph large flocks nesting and flying to and from their feeding grounds at sea as well as individual birds. Parasitic Jaegers are to be found at several places on the tundra and they will allow us to photograph at VERY close distance. The arctic terns will be a little more challenging, as they tend to attack everything that moves. However, as soon as they find out that you have no bad intentions they will continue their normal behavior, allowing us to photograph them up close and personal. Although the Red-Throated Loons, Long-tailed Duck and both eiders will likely have moved farther out on the tundra or to the open sea, the opportunities with most other birds will be plentiful. And the aim of this week is to nail those special images out of what might seem common. Besides birds, the tour will cover all aspects of nature photography including dramatic landscapes, the abundant arctic flora (which will be at its best during this time of year) and wildlife photography (including encounters with the native Svalbard Reindeer). The cost of the trip includes a boat trip to an island where Barnacle Geese are common nesters. The birds are tame.

Svalbard Reindeer, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

As all of the birds and mammals rarely see humans, most of them will only give you a glance and then continue with their daily routines, allowing you to make most of the photo opportunities. Although overcast situations are most common, when the midnight sun comes through it will provide plenty of sweet warm light. Unlike many other tours to this destination, the main focus will not be the Polar bear. We will not tour around Svalbard on a sea-going vessel; we will focus on a rather small but diverse area on the main island of Spitzbergen. Over the years Jasper has spend over 6 months in this area and is very familiar with the animal species and photographic opportunities.

Arctic Tern screaming, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Accommodations

With modern comfort in historic surroundings Spitsbergen Hotel offers a unique Svalbard experience. Situated on the “Hill” it has great views of Longyearbyen, the Lars glacier and the Longyear glacier. The hotel was originally built as accommodation/dining area for employees at Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani. It was also the company’s official representational building, and its interior and architecture made it Longyearbyen’s grandest construction. Great effort has been placed in preserving its special history and it is well worth a cultural stroll along the hotel corridors and public areas where you’ll find historic photographs, old maps and newspaper clippings.

Hillsides, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Svalbard – Arctic bird photography/Limited to only three participants! Date: June 15 – June 20, 2013. Price: €3300. Arrive Longyearbyen June 14, 2013, fly home, June 21, 2013. Join wildlife photographer Jasper Doest on an amazing wildlife adventure to Spitzbergen (Svalbard) in the high arctic.

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. Located north of mainland Europe, it is about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude (and thus inside the Arctic Circle), and actually about twice as close to the North Pole as Barrow, AK.

Barnacle Goose in flight, Diabas, Norway. Image copyright 2011: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Both trips include a boat trip to an island with tame nesting Barnacle Geese. Photographing this species was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Spitzbergen is the largest island with the administrative center being Longyearbyen. The archipelago is administered by the Governor of Svalbard. The archipelago features an Arctic climate, although with significantly higher temperatures than other areas at the same latitude. The flora takes advantage of the long period of midnight sun to compensate for the polar night. Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, reindeer and marine mammals. Seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, nature. Sixty percent of the archipelago is glacier, and the islands feature many mountains and fjords.

King Eider, drake, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

During this time the archipelago turns into a bird paradise with approximately 30 species of birds breeding throughout the summer, including King Eider, Ivory Gull, Long-tailed duck, Parasitic Jaegers, Dovekies and the only endemic species, the Svalbard Ptarmigan. Svalbard is home to millions of Dovekies and we will be able to witness and photograph large flocks nesting and flying to and from their feeding grounds at sea as well as individual birds. Parasitic Jaegers are to be found at several places on the tundra and they will allow us to photograph at VERY close distance. The arctic terns will be a little more challenging, as they tend to attack everything that moves. However, as soon as they find out that you have no bad intentions they will continue their normal behavior, allowing us to photograph them up close and personal. Every year Red-Throated Loons, Long-tailed Ducks and King Eiders are to be found in the area. And usually we will have some good opportunities with some of these amazing birds. The opportunities with most other birds, especially Common Eider –will be plentiful. And the aim of this week is to make most of the opportunities offered with some of the arctic specialties and to nail those special images out of what might seem common. Besides birds, the tour will cover all aspects of nature photography including dramatic landscapes, the abundant arctic flora (which you will see develop throughout the week) and wildlife photography (including encounters with the native Svalbard Reindeer).

Parasitic Jaeger, copulating pair, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

As all of the birds and mammals rarely see humans, most of them will only give you a glance and then continue their daily routines allowing you to make most of the photo opportunities. Although overcast situations are most common, when the midnight sun comes through it will provide plenty of sweet warm light. Unlike many other tours to this destination, the main focus will not be the Polar bear. We will not tour around Svalbard on a touristic vessel, but we’ll focus on a rather small, but diverse area on the main island of Spitzbergen. Jasper Doest has spend over 6 months in this area and is very familiar with the animal species and photographic opportunities offered in this area.

Arctic Tern calling, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Accommodations

With modern comfort in historic surroundings Spitsbergen Hotel offers a unique Svalbard experience. Situated on the “Hill” it has great views of Longyearbyen, the Lars glacier and the Longyear glacier. The hotel was originally built as accommodation/dining area for employees at Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani. It was also the company’s official representational building, and its interior and architecture made it Longyearbyen’s grandest construction. Great effort has been placed in preserving its special history and it is well worth a cultural stroll along the hotel corridors and public areas where you’ll find historic photographs, old maps and newspaper clippings.

Dovekie, flight silhouette, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

Do understand that both trips are likely to sell out quickly. Please e-mail immediately for additional details or to have me hold a spot and put you in touch with Jasper. The location and opportunities are simply amazing. Especially those little Dovekies. artie

Arctic wildflowers, Spitzbergen, Norway. Image courtesy of and copyright 2011: Jasper Doest.

I will be photographing at the Barnegat Jetty on the afternoon of Monday, December 12 and the morning of Tuesday, December 13, 2011. That’s soon. I will likely be staying to photograph on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 13 and the morning of Wednesday, December 14, 2011. The weather looks great. At least a 500mm lens plus teleconverter is recommended. Dress warmly. Likely subjects include Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw), and shorebirds including Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Ruddy Turnstone. Loons possible.

If you would like to join me for some in-the-field instruction (limit 3) as follows: $250 for a single session, $200 per session for more than one session, please do both of the following:

1: Shoot me an e-mail. Please include a phone number or two.

2: Call me on my cell phone at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and a call-back number if I do not pick up.

I hope that you can make it.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

This Snow Goose pre-dawn fly-out image was created on the morning of 11/24/11 at 6:37 am on the recently concluded Bosque IPT with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (handheld at 160mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/13 sec. at f/13 set manually. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: -8. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. To enjoy viewing a larger sized image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

BAA ON-LINE STORE ISSUES

In an effort to provide even better service to our customers, that would be you thanks, we recently moved to an upgraded server. Things have not gone as smoothly as we had hoped. There are compatibility issues involving the check-out procedures and the new server. We have been working hard for three days to resolve these issues and do appreciate your patience. Many have been frustrated by being unable to check out. Others more recently have simply found the store inaccessible. We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused.

We would be more than glad to process your phone orders and to apply any BAA “On-Line Store only” discounts. If you would like to place a phone order, please call us at 863-692-0906. If the line is busy or if there is no answer, please leave your name, a call back number, and the best time to call. Thanks to the many who have called to place their orders for either the Nikon dSLR Guide or the Bosque Site Guide.

BOSQUE UPDATES

Here, for your information, is an e-mail conversation that I had with old friend Rich Garrett yesterday:

AM: Hi Rich, Hope that all is well. re:

RG: I just got back from Bosque del Apache, and had a question about the bird behavior this year. The weather was really bad, we were socked in by dark clouds. No sunrises, no blastoffs, not much good photography. We had only one sunny afternoon.

AM: I generally pray for anything but blue skies….

RG: The Geese were not spending the night in the big pond; we saw more in the crane pools. There were no blastoffs. In the mornings the geese were flying off in small groups before dawn.

AM: Ah, the dreaded dribs and drabs….. That does not sound like the place that I was at 11-17 through 11-30.

RG: During the day, the geese were hard to find. There were cranes foraging in all the fields with only a few geese.

AM: That too does not sound like the place that I was at.

RG Was the lack of corn the reason for the change in behavior, this year?

AM: In part for sure. When we were there they were spreading out barley and the birds were geese were coming in in droves. Perhaps they quit the barley operation. I will try to find out. Other than that I have no explanation. later and love, artie ps: What you describe sure sounds strange to me after the great two weeks I had out there. But heck, it is nature photography: things can change quickly and it can be hard to understand why the birds do what they do….

This Snow Goose pre-dawn fly-in image was created on the morning of 11/23/11 at 6:34 am on the recently concluded Bosque IPT with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (handheld at 110mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/11 set manually. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: -8. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. To enjoy viewing a larger sized image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

THIS JUST IN!

Thanks to BPN Member Lauire Golden I learned this morning that it snowed 9 inches at Bosque on December 5. The Tour Loop roads are unplowed and the refuge was closed on both the 5th and the 6th. Photography was restricted to both crane pools. I am not sure if you are allowed to walk into the refuge but am trying to find that out. You can likely learn more at Laurie’s Avian Forum post here.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s blog post. 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.

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.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

Snow Geese and mega pre-dawn sunrise colors: 6:08 am on 11/29/2011, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. This 7-frame stitched panorama was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 4 seconds at f/4.5 set manually. Live View for mirror lock. A Double Bubble Level in the hot shoe ensured that the camera was square to the world. Rear Focus AI Servo AF and recompose. (Rear focus is great for birdscapes and for landscapes.) Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. You gotta click on this photo and check it out at 1600 pixels wide to enjoy it; then click on the enlarged version to close it.

BOSQUE IPT REPORT

Wow! What a great group and what a great IPT. I was blessed on all counts. We had the best ever flight photography for single geese and cranes. We had a decent sunrise or two (sorry boys and girls–the sunrise above occurred four days after the IPT was over….) We had lots of great blast-offs and lots of great point-blank duck photography. The group was made up of folks with an extremely wide range of skills, from folks routinely producing professional quality images to a very nice young lady who knew only how to turn on her digital Rebel. (BTW, she learned the most of anyone by far.)

Kathleen Berrigan, the aforementioned beginner was sharp as a tack. I could not figure out how to operate her Rebel so I loaned her a 7D. Within minutes she was operating the camera with confidence and had a good grasp of the exposure principle that I taught her. And she learned to work in Manual mode! Louise Burky, a retired musician (flute), was on her 2nd IPT; she rode with me. BPNers Pat and Alan Lillich were on their second (soon to be third with Morro Bay coming up this spring) IPT; both are experienced and talented photographers and are as nice as can be. Tommy Rodgers who was with Robert O’Toole and me in Homer for both eagle trips was along for Bosque and will be joining us in Japan. Newcomer Emmitt Booher car-pooled with Tommy and hung out a ton with Robert to pick his Nikon brain. Emmitt’s lovely wife Rosa joined us for the Thanksgiving buffet and the last day of the IPT.

Dennis Holt from Naples, FL, another nice Nikon guy, was on his third trip BAA trip this year and will be joining the groups on both the SW FLA IPT that is filling nicely and the 2013 Galapagos trip. (Robert O’Toole will be co-leading SW FLA with me again this year.) Pleasant, smiling Mike Henry re-upped for the Bosque IPT after attending his first one ten years ago! Sweet, lovely Lee Egert and her dear friend the lovingly gruff Liela Nicholas–we had a great time trading insults while smiling–had been on a morning workshop at the St. Augustine festival last year. Liela did not like it when I told Lee and her that they should throw their $500+ Acra-Tech tripod heads into the gator moat for all the good it was doing them. (The head is a total waste with any telephoto lens.) Well, it all ended in a big love fest when Liela realized that I was right and the very happy ladies each went home with a new Mongoose M3.6!

Newcomer Randy Bacon fit right in, as nice and skilled as could be. During our critiquing session he blew folks away with his images; everyone’s favorite was a top-shot of a Crested Caracara that revealed spectacular upper wing detail while the bird gave him the perfect look-back head turn. Last but not least was Clemens van der Werf, the skilled young Dutchman whose work is so good that it has been featured in several blogs posts: here, here, and here. Every day at lunch he brought his laptop and shared image folders with the group from the IPTs that he has been on during the past two years. He too blew everyone away and provided a ton of free advertising for me for the following trips: Bear Boat, SW FLA, San Diego–I will be doing that one again in January 2013, Bosque (twice, including 2011), Homer–I’ll be going back there in March 2013, and Jamaica Bay/Nickerson. Whew!

With all humility I gotta say that every call that I made on this IPT was spot on; every move that I suggested turned to pure gold. On several occasions Robert suggested one move while I suggested another so we split up. Without exception the folks who opted to go with Robert wound up wishing that they had come with me. I will, however, admit to being lucky on occasion…. That said you can learn where to be and when at Bosque (depending on the wind, the weather, and the light) by getting yourself a copy of the Bosque Site Guide.

Sandhill Crane on approach, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. This 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 800. Evaluative metering +1/3: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 set manually. This image was a result of knowing where to be when on what wind. Heck, it was a result of knowing what the wind was likely to do before the wind did it…. The Bosque Site Guide actually mentions the fact that a gentle north wind often switches to the south or the east in the first hour after sunrise, and tells you where to be to take advantage of that fact. Central Sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/camera body Micro-adjustment: +4. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

BOSQUE THANKS

By e-mail from Alan and Pat Lillich: Artie, I’m confident you know how much we learn from you and enjoy being around you. And around the other great people you attract to IPTs. We both came home with good memories and good photos. See you in April, Alan

Also by e-mail, this one from Mike Henry: Dear Artie, Thank you and Robert for a wonderful experience!! It was a great group and I felt very lonely when everyone left on Saturday…. Looks like you had a fabulous sunrise on the morning of the 29th!! I am back at work and still going through the vast portfolio of images made during the 10 days I spent in NM. I’ll send you some of my favorites later.

As always, you and Robert are by far the best photography and image optimization/management instructors it has been my pleasure to study with. I have taken several workshops from others and had quite mixed results from horrid to pretty good but you and your co-leaders fill every day with wonderful opportunities to get the images and then take it to another level by teaching us how to process them to get the most from the RAW files. Keep up the good “work” and I hope I can join you again soon. Mike

Snow Goose bathing, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. From the recently concluded Bosque IPT. This 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. I went with my bright sunny WHITEs exposure: 1/1600 sec. at f/10 set manually. Central Sensor (by necessity) Rear Focus/AI Servo AF released just prior to pressing the shutter button. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: +4. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT DATES ANNOUNCED

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3299. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. Next year will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

Click here for complete IPT information and links. Please include your signed registration and release forms with your $500 deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris.” Thanks. Glad that you can make it .

INSTANT SAVINGS ON THE Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens

B&H has added a $50 Instant Savings to the previous $170 rebate for this great landscape lens. Though I am not very good with wide angles I did borrow one for the Bosque trip and will be borrowing it again for my upcoming Antarctica trip…. If you have been lusting after this lens for a while, now is the time to act; click here to enjoy the savings. In addition, you will earn a free entry into the BAA 1st International Bird Photography Competition.

Sandhill Crane displaying, Harry’s Crane Pool, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Image copyright 2010: Robert O’Toole Photography. This image was created with the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR lens, the Nikon TC-14E 1.4x II and the Nikon D700. ISO 500. Manual metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. In Robert O’Toole’s Nikon DSLR User’s Guide for the D300s/D700/D3S/d3x he shares with you the AF and metering settings that he uses to create sharp, perfectly exposed images like the one above! In addition he details his entire camera set-up from soup to nuts. Learn to use your Nikon camera like a top professional.

NIKON USER’S GUIDE COMMENTS

By e-mail from Andy Hays, Chicago, IL: Robert, Your Nikon treatise was a revelation to me. I am a life-long and fanatic birder, but a notoriously inept, point and shoot photographer; you have moved me to new plateau. Nikon should buy your work product. Not only that the company should make you a board member and a Japanese citizen! I could not have learned from their instruction manual what I learned from your Nikon dSLR Guide. Well done. Andy Hays

By e-mail from Edward Delaney, Ireland: Dear Robert, I can honestly say that I have learned more from your Nikon guide than from all of my other books on the Nikon system put together. Thanks for a wonderful guide. Edward

By e-mail from Yannick Bulicaut, Angers, France & New Smyrna Beach, FL: Robert, Your Nikon dSLR Guide is truly useful; even though I’ve been using using SLR’s for almost 40 years–and probably because of that–I never took the time to check all the cool controls that Robert highlights with precision, the view finder focus for instance. The guide is well worth the 30 dollars since I know I could never have sat through the entire Nikon D3S camera body manual! Thanks, Yannick

By e-mail from Dennis Kirland: Hi Robert, I just finished going through your Nikon dSLR User’s Guide and wanted to thank you. It is very well written, clear and concise. I learned more than I thought I would. Excellent job! I mostly photograph static scenes, but I will try your suggestions on 51 point 3D Dynamic AF and see how I like it. I also changed the settings to activate the AF-ON button for AF instead of the shutter button. That’s going to take some getting used to!
Anyway, the guide has lots of great tips! Thanks, Dennis

By e-mail from Raleigh & Beret Harmon: Robert, Thank you for writing the “Nikon DSLR User’s Guide,” It is well written, clear and in a word… great! It has made me rethink my entire approach to my camera. I have long been an admirer of your colleagues Art Morris and recently Dennise Ippolito and have often thought, how great it would be to have someone like them who was a Nikon person and who would have a web site with great information focused on Nikon. Please send me the link to your site. Thank you again and keep up the great work. Raleigh & Beret Harmon

You can learn more about Robert here. Learn more about the Nikon dSLR User’s Guide here. Or purchase a copy here.

Snow Geese sunrise blast-off blur, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NW. This image was created on the morning of 11/21/2011 with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (handheld at 98mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/8 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual Mode. I screwed a 77mm 3-stop Neutral Density Filter (0.9 ND) to the front of the lens so that I could achieve a slow shutter speed without having to use a tiny aperture and deal with the dust bunnies that come with the likes of f/22. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: -8. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. To enjoy viewing a larger sized image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

NIK COLOR EFEX PRO 4

As regular readers of the blog and Bulletin subscribers know I have been using NIK’s Color Efex Pro 4′s Tonal Contrast on a great many images. But the more I work with Color Efex the more great filters I discover; contrary to popular opinion it ain’t just Tonal Contrast! For this image I ran Foliage, Details Extractor on the sky only, and then White Neutralizer. That last one improved the image by leaps and bounds turning it from dark and dingy to light and airy. Give the animated GIF immediately below a minute to run and you too will be astounded.

Color Efex Pro 4 continues to transform both my digital workflow and the quality of my images. You can see other examples in recent blog posts. And you can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. Best of all: you can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

GITZO TRIPOD REBATE

There is a $40.00 rebate in the form of a pre-paid Visa card for all tripod purchases until Jan. 15, 2012. You will receive a form from us with your tripod. Fill the form out, send it off to Gitzo, and you will receive your pre-paid card in the mail. Don’t spend it all in one place.

You can see our selection of Gitzo tripods here. Unlike our competitors we will not sell you junk. We sell only what I or my close friends use with success. We do not believe the on-line specs. We measure and weigh everything ourselves. Once you share a bit of information with us we know what will be best for you. Do shoot me an e-mail if you have any tripod questions.

Pre-dawn cloudy day blast-off, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NW. This image was created on the morning of 11/25/2011 with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the 1.4X III TC (at 145mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/20 sec. at f/4 in Tv Mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: -8. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. To enjoy viewing a larger sized image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. On the morning in question I knew exactly where the group should be. When there was a slight wind shift, I hesitated but soon came to my senses. We got back to my car and found the correct deck devoid of photographers. When the birds blasted off they came right at us. I screwed up in about 20 different ways on the blast off but at least I had the group in the right place. Later that morning a guy introduced himself and told me that he loved our Bosque Site Guide (scroll down here). I said without hesitating, “You gotta read the guide! I had the group in the perfect spot and you were not there. The guide tells you exactly where to be on a totally cloudy morning with a south wind….” He was a bit chagrined.

THE CIRCLE LENS!

This image was created on the same morning as the stitched pano above with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 1/3 stops: .8 sec at f/7.1 in Av Mode. For more on this fun and amazing lens check out “All My Life’s a Circle” here. B&H is offering a $50 instant rebate on the circle lens from now until the end of the year. To take advantage, click here. The camera body was mounted on the Giottos MH 1302-655 (Tiny) BallHead via a Wimberley P-5 camera body plate. The ballhead sat atop the lightweight tripod that I have been looking for all of my life. Complete details will be announced in about a week. If you cannot wait, please e-mail. A Double Bubble Level in the hot shoe ensured that the camera was square to the world. Rear Focus AI Servo AF release and recompose. (Rear focus is great for birdscapes and for landscapes.) Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear 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.

Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens An amazing piece of lens technology that is both a challenge and great fun to use. There is a $50 instant rebate on this lens through 12/31/2011.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens. This is Canon’s top of the line wide angle zoom 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.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. Canon’s lightweight full frame body is perfect for serious landscape photography.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR lensThis is Robert’s workhorse telephoto lens. It is rare that they are in stock anywhere….
Nikon TC-14E 1.4x II A very sharp 1.4X teleconverter and again, an item that can be very hard to find in stock.
Nikon D700. This is Robert’s full frame format (FX) Nikon digital camera body.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
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.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.

Snow Geese and pre-dawn sunrise colors: 6:41 am on 11/29/2011, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens (see the $170 Instant Rebate on this lens in Item 2 below) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. ISO 400. Center-weighted Average metering -1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/4 in Av Mode. The camera body was mounted on the Giottos MH 1302-655 (Tiny) BallHead via a Wimberley P-5 camera body plate. The ballhead sat atop the lightweight tripod that I have been looking for all of my life. Complete details will be announced in about a week. If you cannot wait, please e-mail. A Double Bubble Level in the hot shoe ensured that the camera was square to the world. Rear Focus AI Servo AF release and recompose. (Rear focus is great for birdscapes and for landscapes.) Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

BOSQUE END OF NOVEMBER REPORT

As you can see by looking at the images here and those that I have been posting on the blog for the past two weeks, Bosque has continued to offer very good to excellent photographic opportunities on most days. There are above average numbers of both white geese and Sandhill Cranes. My understanding is that Coors Brewing Company donated a very big pile of spent barley that was trucked down to the refuge by the farmers who planted the failed corn fields. The barley is being spread in various fields and for the past ten days or so both the geese and the cranes have been loving it. The temporary Tour Loop has pretty much been a bust for photography since it was first opened on November 21. The North Railroad Pond (Unit 11) is effectively off limits for photography. I will share lots more Bosque info in the next BAA Bulletin. And I hope to get a Bosque Site Guide update out before I head to Long Island on 8 DEC. In the meantime the current Bosque Site Guide will serve you quite well.

White and blue form Snow Geese feeding on spent barley, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. This 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: 1/500 sec. at f/14 set manually. As I wrote in ABP II, “I work wide open or close to it most of the time unless I can verbalize a reason for stopping down.” Here, I wanted to have both birds rendered sharply so I went to f/14. It worked well. And with the cottonwwod background 300 yards behind the birds I did not need to worry about bringing up any unwanted background detail. Central Sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Rear Focus on the neck of the Blue Goose and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/camera body Micro-adjustment: +4. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. The Bosque Site Guide will direct you to the only place on the refuge where you can make images like this.

CANON REBATES

To take advantage of the instant Canon Rebates that you see above click here or on the image above. In addition to getting your hands on great gear at low prices you will be supporting our tireless educational efforts here and on the BAA Blog. And best of all, purchases in excess of $1,000 earn free entries into the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition: 11 great categories and prize pools totaling more than $20,000. For more on earning free entries with your B&H purchases, click here.

Sandhill Cranes sunset silhouette, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops in Av mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/camera body Micro-adjustment: +2. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. The Bosque Site Guide will put you in position to make images like this on most afternoons.

THE BLOG IS THE BOMB

I continue to put in 20+ hours a week towards making the blog informative, timely, and beautiful. Most of the educational features that formerly appeared in BAA Bulletins now grace the BAA Blog. If you 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.

Learn about young Texas photographer James Fuller here. With lots of great images of course.

I will be entering my favorite new Snow Geese blur in next year’s BBC Contest; see the image in the “Remembering” blog post.

Check out an important lesson for all photographers here.

Learn about the Canon EF 140-400mm f/5.6L IS II/III lens by clicking here.

Is This Image Perfect?

Like landscapes? Check out this killer lens: Circle.

For Your Critique Image #17 and Image #18.

NIK COLOR EFEX PRO 4.1

To transform the image above from “blah” to “wow” I ran Color Efex Pro 4.1′s Tonal Contrast on the whole image at 100% and Detail Extractor on everything but the sky. Simply put these two tools have transformed both my digital workflow and the quality of my images. There are lots of other examples in recent blog posts. You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. Best of all: you can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images. Bet you can’t eat just one!

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens, the <2X III teleconverter (hand held at 400mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual Mode. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: -13. Central Sensor/Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. To enjoy viewing a larger sized image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. I needed to run both a 60% Linear Burn and NIK’s Color Efex Pro Details Extractor to save the whites in this image. I also ran Tonal Contrast at 80% to give the image more pop.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear mentioned in today’s 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.

Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Fisheye Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens An amazing piece of lens technology that is both a challenge and great fun to use. There is a $50 instant rebate on this lens through 12/31/2011.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens. This is Canon’s top of the line wide angle zoom 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.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. Canon’s lightweight full frame body is perfect for serious landscape photography.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
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.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) General Information.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Deposit and Cancellation Policies.

Click here for BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) Registration and Release Forms.

Current IPT Schedule

SW FLA IPT. FEB 8-13, 2012. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/7. 6-FULL DAYS: $2899. Limit: 10/Sold Out.

Call 863-692-0906 for late registration discount information.

Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole, Randy Stout, and Peter Kes. My bread and butter trip; learn the basics and the advanced fine points from the best; escape winter’s icy grip and enjoy tons of tame birds! Subjects will include nesting Great Blue Heron and Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Brown and White Pelican at point-blank range, Snowy & Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, wintering shorbirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

JAPAN Only-One-Trip Needed per Lifetime IPT, FEB 20-MAR 9, 2012 from Tokyo, Japan: $15,999. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Co-leader Robert O’Toole. With 18 days on the ground in Japan we will have ample time with each of our major targets as follows:

3 1/2 days of Snow Monkey photography at Nagano, Honshu (largest island of Japan, the Mainland). 4 1/2 days of Steller’s Sea Eagle photography (via boat trip) in Rausu, Hokkaido (Japan’s northernmost and second largest island). 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) of Whooper Swan photography at Lake Kussharo, Kushiro Region, Hokkaido). 4 1/2 days of Japanese (Red-Crowned Crane) photography at two different parks in Akan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

This IPT includes all meals, lodging, the in-country round trip flight, and ground transportation. None of the areas we will be visiting were damaged by the earthquake and all logistics are in place. Do consider joining us on this amazing trip. A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 is required to hold your spot.

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

MORRO BAY, CA IPT. APR 2-4, 2012. 3-FULL DAYS: $1499. Introductory Slide program: 7pm on 4/1. Limit: 10/Openings: 4.

Co-leader Aidan Briggs. Shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, gulls, sunrises and sunsets & California Poppies. Likely additional possibilities include White-crowned Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, Anna’s Hummingbird, Common Loon, Brandt’s Cormorant, and a heron rookery. A minimum focal length of 500mm is recommended for this trip (though Aidan has created 100s of great images there with “just” the Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens).

Click here to learn more about this IPT.

KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3. Coastal Brown Bears (Grizzlies) Galore!

Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range foraging & clamming with a good chance of copulations; cubs nursing and playing. Likely additional subjects include Horned and Tufted Puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and Black-legged Kittiwake, Steller’s Sea Lion, rafts of Sea Otters and more. Halibut fishing optional.

BOSQUE del APACHE 2012 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 21-27, 2012. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/20. Limit: 12/Openings: 10/Openings 8.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing 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. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 18 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

SAN DIEGO IPT: JAN 24-28, 2013. Slide program: 6:30pm on 1/23. 5-FULL DAYS: $2399. Limit: 10. Introductory Slide program: 6:30pm/January 23.

Breeding plumage California Brown Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Harbor Seal, shorebirds, gulls including the spectacular Heerman’s Gull in breeding plumage, & lots more! I have almost two decades of experience photographing San Diego in winter and I am addicted to the beauty of the pelicans. We enjoy tons of great flight photography.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience: 13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Limit 13/Openings: 6.

July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. Fly to Quito on June 30. Travel insurance day: July 1. Fly to the archipelago on July 2. Get off the boat on July 16. Spend that afternoon and evening in Puerto Ayora (lunch & dinner on your own). Fly to Quito on July 17. Fly home on the early morning of July 18. $12,749 includes just about everything including all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, yours flights to the archipelago, and four nights in top notch hotels–three in Quito and one on Puerto Ayora. Non-refundable deposit: $5,000. Limit 14 including the leader/Openings: 8

Briefly, my two-week trips are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and the best leader with seven Galapagos cruises under his belt. The great spots include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway), Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, North Seymour, South Plaza, Black Turtle Cove, Floreana, Urbina Bay, and China Hat. Plus tons more. And lots of snorkeling for those who wish to partake. All park fees, meals except as noted above, guide fees, ground transportation, and the flights to and from the Galapagos are included.