BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #212

THURSDAY, OCT. 5, 2006

Visit: www.birdsasart.com

ICELAND IPT

THANKSGIVING LUNCH

ADOBE CAMERA RAW CAMERA PROFILES

BREEZEBROWSER vs ADOBE CAMERA RAW CONVERSIONS

SILVER SALMON CREEK AUGUST 2007: BEARS AND PUFFINS (CORRECT YEAR…)

ALBUQUERQUE SEMINAR/HUNT’S PHOTO ATTENDING

DELKIN e-FILM PRO COMPACT FLASH CARDS/CRAZY LOW PRICES

HUNT’S SPECIALS WITH FREE SHIPPING > $100.00!

Atlantic Puffin, Iceland

Contact us by phone at 863-692-0906 (Eastern Time Zone) or by e-mail at birdsasart@att.net or birdsasart@verizon.net. The att e-mail address is best from overseas.

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Razorbill, Iceland

Important Request: if responding to this e-mail, please take the time to delete all images and all irrelevant text.

Photographic Theme: A collection of spectacular images from Iceland contributed by other obviously skilled photographers.

…..

All of the images that accompany this e-mail were created by Daniel Bergmann and two of my very obviously talented students, Steve Metildi and Chris Dodds, each a very accomplished photographer. (Note: Many of the images here were created with 300mm lenses!) Both Steve and Chris are multiple IPT veterans. Chris Dodds is an accomplished businessman from Quebec, Canada. You can see more of Chris’ images here: www.chrisdoddsphoto.com Steve Metildi and wife Lorelei live in Southern California where Steve works for Toshiba. Steve and Lorelei were last with me in Nome this past June. You can see more of Steve’s great photos here: http://www.naturescapes.net/portfolios/portfolio.php?cat=12103 A big time thanks go to all three! As for me, I cannot wait to get to Iceland!

Black-tailed Godwit, male, Iceland

ICELAND IPT

Dates: June 14-28, 2007. Fly to USA on June 29. Please note that though it is a near-certainty that we shall follow the itinerary below, it may be changed at any time to ensure the photographic success of the trip or to adapt to unforeseen developments.

While we will be concentrating on the birds of Iceland (especially Atlantic Puffin and other seabirds), the country is so beautiful that we will be stopping, often en route, for short sessions of scenic and landscape photography. Our travel will be via comfortable bus with lots of room for our photo gear and checked bags.

Iceland International Photo-Tour; June 14-29, 2007

Pricing: 12 participants: $6786/per person

10 or 11 participants: $7197/per person

8 or 9 participants: $8414/per person

Included:

All accommodations.

Ground transportation via bus with extra seats for photography equipment. There is a 12 volt system on board for charging equipment during travel times.

Flexible bus driver willing to work early and late. In addition, Daniel Bergmann will be able to fill in as bus driver allowing us more flexibility so that we can stay “legal” as far as the law regarding maximum hours and rest time for our regular driver.

All breakfasts, all lunches (a mix of restaurants and picnic lunches), and all dinners.

Not included:

Articles of a personal nature including alcoholic beverages

The international flight from your home to Reykjavik, Iceland

Travel Insurance (which is highly recommended).

Driver tip.

This is an International Photo-Tour, not an Instructional Photo-Tour. There will be hours of image sharing, editing, and Photoshop tips and there will be lots of in-the-field instruction to help you get the most out of the great opportunities that we will encounter. With at least two leaders, there will always be someone close by to help. An international photo-tour is not a trip for beginners. You will be expected to know how to handle your gear and how to operate your camera. We will of course be delighted to help you with the fine points of working with your gear. The weather in Iceland is—as it is in most sub-arctic locations, extremely variable, with overcast, drizzle, and fog being in the forecast on most days. This will give us the opportunities to do lots of flash work and we will be sure to provide extra guidance in this area. If you are not prepared to deal with inclement weather, or if you are basically a bitter unhappy person, please choose another group for your Icelandic adventure. As always we will do our very best to ensure that your tour is enjoyable and as photographically educational and productive as possible.

Important Note: There will be no more than 12 photographers plus either two or three leaders on this Photo-Tour. We need at least 8 registrants to make this trip feasible. We fully expect that this tour will sell out, but do understand that if we do not have at least eight registrants by February 1, 2007 we may need to cancel the trip; if you send a deposit, please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us. We will keep you posted.

Payment schedule:

Deposit $1500.00. This deposit is non-refundable unless your spot is re-sold and the trip fills. If the trip does not run (see Important Note above) your deposit will—of course—be refunded.

Please make all checks payable to “Distinctive Journeys” and mail them to:

Distinctive Journeys

270 Mars Hill Rd.

Powder Springs Ga. 30127

Please let me know via e-mail if you are sending Janie a deposit check: birdsasart@att.net

First Payment: $3000.00. This payment is due on December 23 and is non-refundable unless your spot is re-sold and the trip fills (but will of course will be refunded if the trip does not run).

Balance Due: This payment is due on February 23, 2007 and is non-refundable unless your spot is re-sold and the trip fills.

Common Eider, male, Iceland

Itinerary:

June 14: fly to Reykjavik.

June 15: arrive Iceland 6:30am. A 6hour drive to Akureyri by bus is necessary as the weight restrictions on the in-country flights make flying impossible. Evening session at Lake Myvatn.

June 16: full Day/ Lake Myvatn Lake. Highlights should include: Barrow’s Goldeneye, European Golden-Plover, Horned Grebe, Harlequin Duck, Red-necked Phalarope, Whooper Swan, Common Redshank, and Arctic Tern.

June 17: full day/ Lake Myvatn area

June 18: morning/ Lake Myvatn. Depart for Southeast Coast: Jockulsarlon Lagoon with its magnificent glaciers and lots of Arctic Terns. Just before we reach the lagoon, we will pass by Iceland’s biggest volcano Öræfajökull glacier, which has the highest peak on the island, Hvannadalshnjúkur (2110 m). Jökulsárlón lagoon began to form in the early nineteen twenties and is getting larger every year. We will see large blocks of ice that have broken off Europe’s biggest glacier (Vatnajökull) and sail slowly towards the ocean which is only 2 km away. Some of the icebergs are partly covered with volcanic ashes from ancient eruptions and look like sculptures,

June 19: full day in Southeast/ Ingolfshofdi seabird colony. Highlights include: Great Skua, Northern Fulmar, Common Eider, Snow Bunting, and Arctic Tern (among others).

June 20: full day in Southeast

June 21: travel south/scenics along way/evening session at Floi Nature Reserve (west of Selfoss). Highlights include Red-throated Loon, Whooper Swan, Common Redshank, European Golden-Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, and Whooper Swan. The spectacular Black-tailed Godwit is easy to photograph at this location.

June 22: full day/Floi Nature Reserve (west of Selfoss)

June 23: Travel to Snaefellsnes peninsula/Evening session with Arctic Terns, kittiwakes, and other seabirds.

June 24: ferry to Breidafjordur Bay/cormorants/puffins—puffins (possibly Flately Island for Black Guillemot…)

June 25: Travel west to Latrabjarg and Bjargtangar. Highlights on the cliffs include Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Parasitic Jaeger and Black-legged Kittiwake. White Wagtail, Northern Wheatear, and European Golden-Plover are common nesters on the tundra. On the drive to the cliffs we should find Lesser Black-backed Gull and Common Ringed Plover nesting on the flats near sea level. We will see Thick-billed Murre and Common Murre but they will most likely be difficult to photograph.

June 26: Latrabjarg Full Day

June 27: Latrabjarg Full Day

June 28: return to Snaefellsnes for evening session with Arctic Terns, kittiwakes, and other seabirds.

June 29: Depart for USA

European Oystercatcher, Iceland

THANKSGIVING LUNCH

On Thanksgiving Day, 2006, I will again be hosting a photographer's lunch for those lucky enough to be visiting Bosque Del Apache during the holiday season. With the unfortunate demise and closing of Socorro's ValVerde Steakhouse, we were hard-pressed to come up with a good place to eat last year. At the last moment, someone suggested that we try the Luna Mansion (http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/luna/index.htm) about 40 miles up I-25 in Los Lunas, New Mexico. Wow! We had great food--fine dining in fact--in a glorious setting. This elegant restaurant occupies a historic landmark building that was constructed in 1881. I have made arrangements this year for lunch for up to 50 folks to dine at 11:30am sharp.

The cost of the complete lunch including main course, dessert, beverage, and tip is $30/person. (Wine not included.) We are now accepting reservations by check only. You must make a reservation in advance as we will need to finalize the group size a month prior to the holiday. If you would like to join us, please mail a check made out to "Arthur Morris" for $30/per person to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You must include your e-mail address and a note stating, "Thanksgiving Lunch."

Barrow’s Goldeneye, female, Iceland

ADOBE CAMERA RAW CAMERA PROFILES

Regular readers know that I have been less than enamored with the color accuracy when converting images from my Canon professional digital camera bodies in Adobe Camera. I recently learned of a fast, easy, inexpensive way to improve ACR color accuracy when converting images made with various Canon cameras. E.J. Peiker is a friend, a computer wizard (he has been a Microprocessor Product/Platform Manager for Intel Corp. for quite some time), and a superb photographer. He is a co-founder of NatureScapes.net (http://naturescapes.net/) and is their Senior Technical Editor.

E.J. has created individual ACR profiles for pretty much all of the Canon digital cameras. After loading and saving the profiles I am much happier with the color accuracy of my ACR conversions. I have used the profiles for both the EOS-1Ds Mark II and the EOS-1D Mark IIN. Here is some info from E.J.’s web site:

The Adobe RAW Converter is a very powerful tool when used properly. To obtain truly outstanding results you must properly calibrate the color values for each camera you own. ACR has extensive color calibration features built in that you can adjust via the Calibrate Tab, but doing so requires special tools, a powerful computer, and lots of patience. There are a possible 1.28x10^16 calibration permutations available in ACR so achieving a highly accurate profile is very achievable. The profiles that I offer for each Canon camera are generic profiles that will give you excellent results. The EJPhoto ACR profiles have been painstakingly crafted in a highly controlled environment to provide accurate 16-bit (and 8-bit) per channel color response from ACR. After making your RAW conversion, the profile will allow you to start with accurate colors in Photoshop (without having to do any guesswork). No profile, however, will yield accurate colors if your monitor is not properly profiled and calibrated. There are many products available on the market that can do this. I recommend the X-rite Monaco Optix XR Pro or the Gretag Macbeth Eye One solution – I have found these to be dramatically more accurate than any of the other solutions I have tested; however, any monitor calibration with any of the tools available on the market is dramatically better than no calibration at all. Additionally, if printing, it is imperative to have an accurate printer profile for your printer and paper. Do note that properly calibrating ACR does not relieve you of having to make the usual adjustments (such as white balance, contrast, and setting the white and black points) when you are optimizing your images.

Click here to learn more about or to order one or more EJPhoto ACR profiles. I highly recommend them for folks using Adobe Camera Raw to convert their RAW Canon images: http://www.ejphoto.com/acr_order_page.htm.

You can learn more about E.J. here: http://www.ejphoto.com/. Do check out his amazing life story by clicking here: http://www.ejphoto.com/about_ej.htm.

Razorbills courting, Iceland

BREEZEBROWSER vs ADOBE CAMERA RAW CONVERSIONS

A year ago I did all of my RAW conversions. Over the past year, attracted mainly by the speed and the streamlining of my Photoshop workflow, I have been doing most of my conversions in Adobe Camera Raw. In spite of the fact that E.J.’s camera profiles have helped, I now firmly believe that converting in Breezebroswer yields more accurate color and greater highlight detail than ACR. I came to these conclusions recently after doing many side by side comparisons. In some cases the ACR conversion yielded an image as pleasing as the BB image, but in the vast majority of cases the images converted in BB had color that was truer to my eye and that had more highlight detail than the ACR images. In about 20% of the images the ACR images looked like garbage when compared to the BB images. If you would like to learn more about BreezeBrowser and Downloader Pro, click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/breezebrowser.htm

Note: the latest update of Digital Basics includes how-to instructions for making conversions in both BB and ACR: http://www.birdsasart.com/digitalbasics.htm

Atlantic Puffin, Iceland

SILVER SALMON CREEK AUGUST 2007: BEARS AND PUFFINS (CORRECT YEAR…)

Silver Salmon Creek Lodge Bear/Puffin IPT. AUG 8-14, 2007. 5 FULL & 2 HALF-DAYS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: $4,999. (Absolute limit: 12 photographers: only 4 openings left.) Two co-leaders to be announced.

I spoke to David Coray a lot during the second week of August. He reported that were as many as 19 bears on the flats right in front of the lodge every day either clamming or catching silver salmon. On this IPT there will be lots of opportunities to photograph Coastal Brown Bear (a large race of grizzly) at fairly close range. The bears of Lake Clark National Park are not hunted and are totally comfortable around humans, just as they are in Katmai National Park. In addition to the bears, we will be concentrating on puffins, especially on Horned Puffin (which is the easier of the two western species to photograph on one of two islands near SSCrL). All of the puffin outings will require a boat ride and a bit of climbing. There should be lots of great opportunities to photograph the Horned Puffins in flight. We may try for Tufted Puffin as well but they are much tougher to photograph than the Horned Puffins.   There are lots of opportunities for scenic and macro photography as Lake Clark is a beautiful, biologically diverse area. There will be optional fishing trips for both halibut and silver salmon. I will be doing some fishing. Last year I brought home 50 pounds of salmon. The SSCr guides are expert at preparing your catch for travel and/or shipping. Nobody has to fish if they do not want to, and there will always be a competent photography leader for each of our small groups.

We will be splitting up into two or three groups on a daily basis. While we will do our very best to ensure that you will be able to do exactly what you want to do each day, there may be an occasion or two when that is not possible. We will be in Alaska, so please be aware that we might encounter some lousy weather. You will need to be in Anchorage on the afternoon of August 7, 2007 to ensure that you will make the float plane on the morning of August 8. The cost of a double-occupancy room for the night of August 7^th is included. . You can upgrade to a single room upon payment of a single supplement of approximately $85. (Hotel rooms in Anchorage are extremely expensive in summer.)   It would be best if everyone planned to arrive in Anchorage a day early (on August 6^th) to allow for any travel delays that might cause you to miss the scheduled float plane convoy (9am on August 8^th).   Do note that the float plane trips are dependent on decent flying weather. They are delayed at times. If you choose to stay arrive early, the cost of the August 6^th room is not included.

We will have dinner together at 6pm sharp on the evening of August 7^th.    Please plan to arrive in Anchorage so that you can make this dinner as we will be doing our introductory slide program then. We will be doing many instructional slide programs and will be able to tailor the programs to the needs of the group. In addition, there will be lots of opportunities for image sharing and critiquing. Don’t be shy; critiquing is the very best way to learn how to make better images.    We will be staying in one of the two Silver Salmon Creek lodge buildings (that are just a short walk apart). All of the lodge rooms are double occupancy. There is one room with a king bed that would be ideal for a couple. First couple to make a deposit wins! I am offering a $300 discount for anyone who wishes to stay in one of the two cabins. One cabin is a double, one is a private cabin. Though the cabins are rustic, each has a heater, running water, and electricity. Folks who stay in the cabins will need to make a short walk to the outhouse or to the lodge during the night. They will shower in one of the shared bathrooms in one of the lodge buildings. There is a small possibility that late registrants may need to stay in one of the cabins.

A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required. A second payment of $2,000 will be due December 8, 2006 and the final payment of $1,999 will be due by April 8, 2007. All payments are by check only. Please make your deposit check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Please include your mailing address, your e-mail address, and your day, home, and cell phone #s.
Six of the twelve slots are already filled.   I do hope that you can join us for what promises to be an amazing trip.   To see my favorite images from last September’s Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn185.htm

Black-tailed Godwit, male, Iceland

ALBUQUERQUE SEMINAR/HUNT’S PHOTO ATTENDING

We still have room for lots more folks. The Albuquerque “The Art of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds” Weekend Seminar will take place at the Park Plaza Hotel, 2500 Carlisle Boulevard NE in Albuquerque on December 2-3, 2006. Saturday will be devoted to learning the techniques needed to create pleasingly designed, technically perfect images of natural history subjects. Saturday topics will include getting the right exposure, advanced composition and image design, making sharp images, creating effective motion and zoom blurs, using flash as fill and as main light, and tips for getting close to free and wild birds and animals. Sunday will be devoted entirely to Digital Photography and Photoshop with much of the time being spent on live Photoshop demonstrations. On our IPTs I see many great photographs that are ruined because folks have no clue as to how to effectively optimize their images. Join us to learn how to make your images look great in minutes.

Gary Farber of Hunt’s Photo and Video will be traveling to Albuquerque all the way from Boston with a variety of product that we will not be offering. If you have a special request for Gary, please e-mail him at Filmguygary@aol.com .

Paypal is best but we will be glad to take your credit card information by phone (863-692-0906) or to cash your check. If sending a check, please make it out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7145, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your snail mail and e-mail addresses and your day, evening, and cell phone numbers. The cost of the weekend seminar is $159. The cost of either single day is $99. Register with a friend or spouse and take $10 off each registration. Register with three or more friends and take $20 off of each registration. Here is our Cancellation Policy: If for any reason you need to withdraw, please notify us ASAP. Once we receive your e-mail, phone call, or written notice of your cancellation the following fees apply: cancel before September 2, 2006 and your fee will be refunded less a $20.00 cancellation fee; cancel by November 2, 2006 and your fee will be refunded less a $50.00 cancellation fee; cancel after November 2, 2006 and there will be no refund.

Northern Fulmar, Intermediate phase, Iceland

DELKIN e-FILM PRO COMPACT FLASH CARDS/CRAZY LOW PRICES

As most of you know, I have used Delkin e-Film Pro Compact Flash Cards for more than 3 ½ years now and have found them to be fast and dependable. I have been using the Delkin 2gb and 4gb cards exclusively now for more than two years and have experienced one card failure, that with a very old 2gb card about a month ago. Delkin promptly replaced the card. Do remember that I take tens of thousands of images in a given year. We have joined with Delkin to ensure that we can offer you the great e-Film Pro Cards at very low prices in any quantity that you might need:

1gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $44.98

2gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $74.98

4gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $154.98

8gb Delkin e-film Pro Card: $299.98

Please add $7.00 per order shipping and handling. Florida residents please add 7% sales tax to the cost of the cards only.

Great Skua chick, Iceland

HUNT’S SPECIALS

Contact: Gary Farber, Tel#800-221-1830 ext. 2332, Fax#800-336-3841,

Email-FilmGuyGary@aol.com

Birds as Art SPECIALS (Expires: October 31, 2006)

Free shipping until October 20th for Birds as Art Subscribers on all orders exceeding $100.00 (except for Epson printer orders).

Canon is now shipping the Canon Rebel XTI. Call to get yours today.

Ask about pricing on all Canon lenses including Canon 24-105, Canon F4 L IS, Canon 400DO IS USM, the new Canon 70-200F4LIS and 50 1.2L USM.

Call for great prices on Epson 2200, 2400, 1800, 4800, 7800, and 9800 inks.

Nikon has started to ship the Nikon D80. Call to reserve yours today. It is in stock.

Ask about Birds as Art Subscribers price on the Nikon 200-400VR and all other Nikon lenses including the Nikon 105VR; limited supply in stock. Ask about price on Nikon D200 bodies for Birds as Art Subscribers; currently in stock.

Ask for the special pricing on Bogen tripods for Birds as Art subscribers.

I still have a few Epson P2000 and 4000 storage devices left. “Call” for great price. Supplies are limited.

I have one Nikon D2X body left at an amazing low price. “Call” for details

I am now taking pre-orders for the new Epson P3000 and 5000 storage devices.

Birds as Art Subscribers looking to get on the list for the new Epson 3800 Printer email me your name, address, and telephone number, and I will notify you when they come in. The estimated arrival is November/December.

I am now taking orders on the PhotoShop Element 5 which is scheduled to ship in a few weeks.

ColorVision Spyder 2 Pro is priced at $219.99 less $60.00 mail in rebate.

Contact Gary Farber for all you photo, video, and digital needs.

Browse our website and sign up to get exclusive specials for web members only.

Atlantic Puffin, Iceland

Great Skua, Iceland

Artic Terns, courtship feeding, Iceland

Best and love and great picture-making to all,

artie

Note: Arthur Morris has been a Canon contract photographer since 1994 and continues in that role today. Hunt's Photo of Boston, MA is a BAA sponsor as it Delkin Devices. Back issues of all BAA Bulletins can be found in the Bulletin Archives which may be accessed from the home page at www.birdsasart.com