April 3rd, 2014

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #458

Flash Re-visited
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice IPT
The Blog is the Bomb!
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
UK Puffins and Gannets IPT July 2-9, 2014
Gatorland Short Notice Saturday Full-Day In-the-Field Workshops
Lake Blue Cypress Osprey Heaven Full-Day In-the-Field Hand Holding Workshops via Customized Pontoon Boat

This displaying Snowy Egret image was created at Gatorland on March 22, 2014 in bright sun with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Color temperature: AWB.

Fill flash with Better Beamer at -1 stop in ETTL. Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT with the Canon CP-E4 Compact Battery Pack for faster re-charging times. Mongoose Integrated Flash Arm with the Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3.

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I used the Offset slider in the little known and little-used Photoshop Adjustment Layer: Exposure. Click here to learn more.

Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as framed squarely on the bird’s eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

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It’s Been a Long Time: Flash Re-visited

A quick search last week revealed that the last time I used flash was at Gatorland almost 2 years ago on April 29, 2012. Why had I gotten away from flash? To many parts to the puzzle: flash cords, brackets, and batteries. And once I started using NIK Color Efex Pro I found that it could do a lot of stuff that flash could do. The image above illustrates the perfect use of fill flash in bright sun; you can learn a lot by comparing the flash compensation here (-1) with the flash settings used for birds on cloudy days or in the shade (-3) in the posts linked to below. The “extra” flash, -1 as compared to -3, helped to reduce the shadows caused by the bright sun. Having the flash on a bracket prevents messing up the eye with flash eye, silver eye, purple eye, eye destruction, or all of the above.

Recently I began using flash again and have enjoyed doing so. You can read more about my recent efforts with flash in “It’s Been a Long Time; Flash Re-visited” here and in “More Telephoto Flash Lessons” here.

Flash Simplified

If you are clueless when it comes to flash you are advised to study the “Flash Simplified” section in The Art of Bird Photography II. ABP II: 916 pages on CD only with 900+ great images each with one of our legendary BAA educational captions. Just like the ones you see here on the blog. Topics covered include flash gear and set-up, Better Beamer basics, telephoto fill flash in both soft light and bright sun, flash as main light, and the use of Manual flash. The use of High Speed Synch for flash flight (and other types of photography as in the image above) is detailed in various image captions.

All of the images created at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the composite to enjoy the larger size.

From top left clockwise to center: Snowy Egret pair in breeding plumage, breeding plumage Cattle Egret with fill flash, large Great Egret chicks in the nest, killer breeding plumage Snowy Egret displaying, flash-as-main light Great Egret chick happy to see mom, Little Blue Heron chicks, Cattle Egret breeding plumage head portrait, flash flight Wood Stork with nesting material, Great Egret landing at the nest, large Snowy Egret chicks.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice IPT. 3-FULL DAYS. Early entry/Late stay. May 5-7, 2014. Meet and greet at 8pm on Sunday May 4: $1299. Two Great Leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito

This trip needs four to run; three to go.

Breeding herons, egrets, and Wood Storks. Eggs and chicks in the nest. Some fledged young possible. Breeding behaviors including displaying and copulations. Flight and flash flight. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Tricolored Heron, Wood Stork. Early May rocks at the Farm as the weather is usually gorgeous and there should be lots of both small and large chicks in the nest. And you avoid the possibly oppressive heat of June and July. If you want to learn how to use your flash while making lots of great images, this is the trip for you.

Includes in-the-field instruction, early entry, late stay, $5/person late-stay gratuity, informal, small group Photoshop and image review sessions. Three lunches.

Not included: your lodging, your St. Augustine Alligator Farm photographer’s pass ($79.95 for the year); we will be more than glad to pre-order your pass for you. Please let us know when you register.

What you will learn:

How to see the good situations.
How to best avoid the clutter of a rookery by choosing the very best perspective.
How to properly evaluate the histogram and come up with the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure
How to see and understand the light.
How to to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
Why you must work in Manual mode 95% of the time when photographing at a rookery and how to do it.
How to evaluate and process your images.
Via intensive instruction how to use fill flash flash as main light, and Manual flash.
Flash flight techniques including the necessary use of high speed sync.
And tons more.

Please call Jim or Jen at 863-692-0906 to hold your spot with your non-refundable $299 credit card deposit and then put your check in the mail along with your signed registration form; you can find the form here.

Suitable airports: Jacksonville (JAX), Daytona Beach (DAB), Orlando MCO).

We look forward to seeing you in the nation’s oldest city for three days of fun and learning.

Note: Folks interested in possibly continuing on to Fort DeSoto–great in spring, are invited to shoot me an e-mail.

The Blog is the Bomb!

For the past four months I have been putting in 20 to 25 or more hours per week into the blog to ensure that it remains informative, timely, and beautiful. Many of the educational features that formerly appeared in BAA Bulletins now grace the BAA Blog. If you are not subscribed, you are missing a ton of great stuff almost daily. You can subscribe to the blog posts by clicking here. If you have a problem subscribing, please contact us via e-mail.

Right now I have a streak of 125 days with an educational blog post. Below are links to some interesting and popular posts:

Amazing New Canon Product Announcements: learn about the new EOS-1D W & the EF 70-600mm f/4L IS-W with Twin Internal Extenders USM/STM lens here.

Learn the fate of two cute little Great Egret chicks in the In Memoriam post.

Some folks think that if you own the 200-400 with Internal Extender that there is no need to own the 600 II. I disagree strongly. Find out why in Why Do I Need Both? They Are Different Animals.

In Wind Against Crest: Lots of Lessons you will learn about using your cameras AF system, when the wrong wind can be right, exposure and image optimization fine points, head portrait head angle fine points, and tips on hand holding the 200-400.

Click here to learn about a little known and little-used Photoshop Adjustment Layer: Exposure.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20% plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advise, usually sells in no time flat as did Dennis Cassidy’s 500 II recently on the blog. Larry Master’s 400 DO and his 800 f/5.6 sold within a week. From Larry via e-mail: Thanks for helping me sell the lenses so quickly!

I hope that you can join us on this great trip. The vertical puffin image was created by David Tipling. The rest–almost all from the UK, are mine :). Click on the composite to enjoy the larger size.

UK Puffins and Gannets IPT July 2-9, 2014. 5 full days of puffins and two half-days of gannet boat photography: $4,999 USD. Limit 10 + the 2 leaders.

Desperately needed: 1 female roommate and 1 male roommate.

Fly to Edinburgh (say “ED-in-BUR-row”), Scotland on a red eye flight on July 1st arriving on the early morning of July 2 or certainly before 10am. UK folks who plan on driving please contact me via e-mail immediately.

There are direct flights to Edinburgh from both Philadelphia and Toronto. If you learn of any others please advise via e-mail so that I may share with all the interested folks. Fly home mid-morning on July 9. UK locals and our many European friends are of course welcome.

With the needed 5 deposits in hand, this trip is a go; you can buy your flights now :).

What’s included:

5 full DAYS on the best UK puffin boat; trips to 2 different islands–all dependent on decent weather, i.e, no major storms. Seabirds including scads of Atlantic Puffin both in flight and perched, Razorbill, Great Cormorant, Shag, and others likely. The trip is times to maximize the opportunities for photographing the puffins bringing fish back to the nests. All boat fares and landing fees are included. The boat leaves at 9:30am. We have two hours on the first island. We are then picked up and head to the 2nd island for a 2+ hour session. The weather is typically cloudy bright.

One late-afternoon (2 July) and one early morning (probably 8 July) trip on a gannet photography boat where the birds are fed and dive very close to the boat. Both are dependent on good weather but we do have some flexibility. Boat fares and the cost of the fish are covered. Each will consist of a one hour outbound ride, two hours of diving Northern Gannet photography (with 6 boxes of fish) and the one hour return trip.

The tentative, weather-dependent itinerary:

July 2: airport pick-up no later than 10am UK time. Lunch on your dime. Drive to hotel. Afternoon gannet boat trip/time TBD.
July 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7: Full Day Puffin Boat trips as noted above.
July 8: early morning Gannet Boat trip. Afternoon: Small group Image review and Photoshop sessions. Pack for the trip home.
July 9: early morning departure for Edinburgh Airport (EDI).

The itinerary is subject to change to ensure the best possible photographic opportunities.

A super-telephoto lens is not required on this trip. The 300mm f/2.8s are ideal. I will be bringing one along with my 200-400mm with Internal Extender, my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, and a shorter zoom lenses. Plus three 1.4X and two 2X TCs, a Gitzo 3532 LS Carbon Fiber tripod, and my Mongoose M3.6. I may go tripod-less on the puffin trips at times…. Or not…. All photography on the gannet boat will be hand held. It is likely that the 70-200s will be ideal for the gannets.

7 nights lodging in an older but excellent hotel just a few minutes from the puffin boat dock with about a 70 minute ride to the gannet boat. Double occupancy will be the rule though we might be able to offer a single supplement at an exorbitant price. See the hotel info here.

All breakfasts and dinner (at the hotel) from dinner on July 2 through dinner on July 8. And breakfast on our get-away day unless we need to leave earlier than they serve to make our flights home…

Airport pick-up until 10am on July 2–this should not be a problem as there are lots of red-eye flights from the US to Edinburgh.

All ground transportation. Airport return on the early morning of July 9. We may be getting up very early on July 9th.

Two great leaders; Denise Ippolito and yours truly will provide personalized and small group in-the-field instruction. As usual, the closer you stay to us and the more questions that you ask the more you will learn. We will of course point out the best situations. You will learn to see these great situations for yourself, to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, to work in Manual mode, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. You will learn the basics of photographing birds in flight and how the relationship between light direction and wind direction impacts the photography of both birds in flight and perched puffins. And tons more.

We will be conducting informal, small group image review and Photoshop sessions after dinner. All are invited to bring their laptops. Image critiques of your five best images will be done after the trip upon request.

Early morning castle photography right near the hotel is an option for the early risers. In the event of inclement weather or stormy seas there is the possibility of bird photography along the coast. Early evening bird photography along the coast is also optional.

Not included: all lunches–for the most part we will need to pack lunches for the puffin trips, or you may opt to skip lunch. Your round trip airfare from home to Scotland. Booze, wine, and any other beverages other than coffee and tea at breakfast.

A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 USD is required to hold your spot so please check on flights and your schedule before committing. The balance will be due on 15 May so you may wish to pay the whole thing at once. Overseas folks may e-mail for wire transfer info. Our $15 wire transfer fee will be added to your balance.

Trip insurance is highly recommended as your deposit (less a $200 cancellation fee) will not be refunded unless the trip fills completely. I, and my family, use Travel Insurance Services.

After letting us know via e-mail that you will be coming, please send your deposit check made out to “Arthur Morris” to us as follows:

Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
PO Box 7245 (US mail) or 4041 Granada Drive (if by courier).
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855

My friend David Tipling, with multiple BBC honored images and the author of dozens of photo illustrated books, helped with the planning and arrangements for this trip.

If you have any questions, please contact me via e-mail.

Join me at Gatorland for a ton of learning. I will have my flash along…. Click on the composite image to enjoy a larger version. Click on the composite to enjoy the larger size.

Gatorland Saturday Full Day/Sunday Morning In-the-Field Workshop

Saturday Full Day April 5: $399/Sunday Morning April 6, 2014. 7:15am till 10:45 photo session.Lunch, image review, and Photoshop session included: $299.

The cost of your Gatorland Photographer’s Pass is not included.

Payment in full via credit card is due upon registering. Please call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 to register. Please ask for me if you have any questions. Or get in touch via e-mail. Lens rentals are available.

Please note: There is a single opening left on the Saturday April 5 ITF Workshop. But three folks are leaving early; if you are interested in an afternoon only session ($149) or attending on Saturday afternoon and Sunday (morning and lunch)–($299), please contact me via e-mail.

You can learn more about the Gatorland In-the-Field Workshops by scrolling down here.

Join Jim Neiger and me on Lake Blue Cypress to enjoy some great Osprey photography and learn a ton while having fun in a beautiful location. Click on the composite image to enjoy a larger version.

Lake Blue Cypress Osprey Heaven Full-Day In-the-Field Hand Holding Workshops via Customized Pontoon Boat

Two 3+ hour shooting sessions on a beautiful cypress lake teeming with Osprey; Barred Owl almost guaranteed. Red-shouldered Hawk and Pileated Woodpecker likely. Be sure to follow the link to Jim’s gallery below.

2 great leaders: Captain Jim Neiger and Arthur Morris.

Available dates: April 8, 9, 11 & 12, 2014.

Here are the Full Day rates:

1 photographer: $650.
2 photographers: $500 each.
3 photographers: $450 each.
4 photographers: $400.

So far one photographer signed up for Saturday, April 12; join us and enjoy a $150 savings.

Each full day booking includes a delicious healthy lunch at my home. Overnight lodging at my home is available cheap on a limited basis for folks who would like to do more than one day. Please inquire via e-mail.

One or two photographers may hire the boat on a private basis by paying the full day rate for 4: $1600.

Because of the late date payment in full by personal check is due now. Please e-mail for additional details of info.

Check out Jim Neiger’s Osprey Heaven/Lake Blue Cypress Gallery here and you will be amazed as to the quality of the flight and action images and the possibilities.

Here’s what BPN member David Salem had to say about a day on the lake with Jim Neiger in Pane 1 here:
“We met our friend Jim Neiger on his boat at Lake Blue Cypress and had a blast shooting hundreds of Osprey and many other species including some great shots of Barred owls. I highly suggest booking a trip with Jim on the lake as he knows the lake real well and the birds even better. It was a trip that I will never forget with literally hundreds of Osprey flying around starting their nesting season. A sight to see!! I will be posting some pics from the lake soon. ”

Jim Neiger Workshops

Jim Neiger’s Idaho Wild Bird of Prey 2014 Workshops, Boise, Idaho

Flight School Photography returns to Idaho for the second year offering workshops to take place at the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area near Boise, Idaho. In this unique wilderness area, the Snake River carved the deep Snake River Canyon, which produced a perfect environment of crags and crevices among the cliffs that have been home to birds of prey for thousands of years. Today, the Snake River Canyon is home to the largest concentration of nesting birds of prey in North America. In addition, the Snake River Canyon hosts hundreds of hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons that flock to the area each spring to mate, nest, and raise their young. Many of the nests are visible from the broad plateau above the cliffs. The active birds can also be photographed in flight as they glide on thermal updrafts produced from the canyon walls. The plateau features interesting flora and fauna and is rich in small wildlife. The research and guidance of our local expert will ensure our time is well spent and that we make the most of the photographic opportunities possible. Spectacular views of the Snake River Canyon and the surrounding area are an added bonus. These workshops offer a unique and challenging opportunity to photograph many of the most sought after species of North America in a wild and magnificent setting.

The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area encompasses 485,000 acres and over 20 species of raptors are possible, as well as small wildlife. Possible species include Prairie Falcons, Golden Eagles, Swainsons Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, American kestrels, Short-eared Owls, Burrowing Owls, and more. The area also has a high density of badgers, many sagebrush bird species, and Canyon Wren. Because of the expansiveness of the conservation area, Flight School Photography has hired a local expert with over 30 years of experience working with the birds of prey in this particular area. He will have scouted the best viewing areas by the time we arrive, so that we will know where to find our subjects, what time of day has the best light angles, and what locations provide the best photo opportunities.

Workshop Dates:

Workshop ID-1: June 9-12, 2014
Workshop ID-2: June 14-17, 2014

Two workshops will take place during the late spring of 2014. The workshops will be conducted by expert bird photographer, Jim Neiger. Jim has perfected unique techniques for photographing birds in flight using large telephoto lenses, hand held. The focus of the workshops will be to learn Jim’s hand held, long lens techniques for photographing birds in flight and in other action. Jim is known for his consistent production of amazing flight images and images of the most desirable subjects. His Flight School Photography Workshops are a must for any serious nature photographer. Each workshop will last four days and will include a four hour classroom session, three morning photography sessions, and three afternoon photography sessions. Each photography session will be of three to four hours in duration. The workshops will be limited to six participants so that everyone may receive personalized instruction in the field. Each participant will receive a copy of Jim’s e-book “Flight Plan – How to Photograph Birds in Flight” when they sign up for the workshop.

Workshop Itinerary

Day 1 (afternoon/evening ): Arrive in Boise, Idaho which is the base location for the workshop. There will be a four hour classroom session from 2:00pm to 6:00pm in the hotel meeting room. The classroom instruction will focus on using hand held techniques for photographing birds in flight to prepare participants for the subsequent photography sessions.

Days 2-4: Each day will include a morning photography session, a midday lunch break on your own, and an afternoon photography session.

Workshop Cost and payment

The cost of each workshop is $1750 per person or attend both workshops for $3000 per person. Each workshop includes a four hour formal classroom instruction session and six 3-4 hour photography sessions. The photography sessions include personalized instruction in the field. Discounted lodging is available, but is not included in the workshop fee. A non-refundable deposit of $800 is required to reserve a spot in a workshop. The remaining $800 is due 30 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop, after paying the balance, the balance payment will be refunded ONLY if your spot can be filled, on short notice, from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

Please scroll down for contact info. Click here for more images and info on the Idaho workshops.

West Coast Flight Workshops 2014, Orange County, California

Join Veolia-BBC award-winning photographers, Jim Neiger and Doug Brown, in July, 2014 for a workshop focusing on birds in flight. We’ve selected the area around Huntington Beach, California for its incredible number and variety of birds, not to mention the great weather! In July, Terns will number in the tens of thousands, and there should be no fewer than five different species (Elegant, Forster’s, Caspian, Royal, and Least). Black Skimmers, Pelicans, Egrets, Herons, and Gulls will all be plentiful. There will also be opportunities to photograph more challenging subjects such as raptors, Kingfishers, and shorebirds. These workshops are filled with non stop flight action. If you wish to learn the best techniques for photographing birds in flight, followed by unlimited opportunities to practice these techniques and develop the skills required to consistently photograph birds in flight, then this is the workshop for you.

The focus of the workshops will be on mastering the hand held, long lens technique favored by both Jim and Doug. Manual exposure for birds in flight will also be emphasized. There will be an instructional lecture on the first day, followed by morning and afternoon sessions in the field for each of the next three days.

As an added feature, you will have the opportunity to hone your Lightroom and Photoshop skills with Jim and Doug during the free time in between field sessions. The workshop will be limited to twelve participants; with two expert instructors available, everyone will receive plenty of individualized attention both in the field and the classroom.

Workshop Dates:

Workshop WCF-1: July 5-8, 2014
Workshop WCF-1: July 9-12, 2014

Workshop Cost and payment: The cost of each workshop is $1300 per person. Each workshop includes a half day formal classroom instruction session, a morning photography session, and an afternoon photography session, each of the remaining days. The photography sessions include personalized instruction in the field. A $650 non-refundable deposit is required for the workshops. The remaining $650 is due 30 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop after paying the balance, the balance payment will be refunded ONLY if your spot can be filled on short notice from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

Please make checks payable to Doug Brown and send them to: Doug Brown, 13705 Elena Gallegos Pl. NE., Albuquerque, NM 87111

Participant Requirements:

Participants should have working knowledge of how to create a properly exposed image, a telephoto lens of 400mm or more (300mm with a teleconverter is acceptable), and be physically capable of holding their camera and lens up to their eye in shooting position for at least 20 seconds. Participants must also have a vehicle to travel to and from the photography locations.

Learn more here.

Flight School Custom Anytime Workshops

Learn about Jim’s Flight School Custom Anytime Workshops here.

Contact Information

Contact Information: Jim Neiger, Flight School Photography, Inc. 550 Basin Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34744-4804
Cell phone: (407) 247-5200. e-mail.

Flight School website.

Flight Plan

I can say without a doubt that after spending more than two months (part time) editing Jim Neiger’s great e-Guide, Flight Plan, that my flight photography has improved by leaps and bound whether I am working off a tripod or hand holding. His explanation of the bumping the focus technique finally sunk in. Learning to use this technique regularly is a huge help for any all types of flight photography.

You can learn more about Flight Plan here or order a copy by clicking here.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂