BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #280
DECEMBER 22, 2008
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANKS
LONG ISLAND TRIP REPORT
CAMERA PROFILES FOR ADOBE CAMERA RAW AND LIGHTROOM USERS
BOSQUE 2008 IPT REPORT
MORE ON BOSQUE INCLUDING SOME POTENTIALLY BAD NEWS
BOSQUE 2009 IPT
BAA FAX NUMBER
LEPP INSTITUTE PROGRAMS
SW FLA POST X-MAS IPT LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT OFFERED/IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!
IPT UPDATES
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.
Not a Snowy Owl, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Of special interest are the comments by Juan Aragonés.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANKS
Jim, Jennifer, and I hope that you have a fabulous holiday season filled with love, family, and great images. May 2009 be a wondrous year for you and yours: happy, healthy, safe, fulfilling, and productive. We thank each of your interest and your purchases over the past year and look forward to meeting your needs as far as photographic accessories and photographic information are concerned.
We will be on a somewhat limited schedule until 2 January but Jim and Jen will be here to take your orders on all regular business days. If the phone is busy or you need to call when we are not here, please leave a message and we will of course get back to you ASAP.
Snowy Owl on dune, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the Canon EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 (http://tinyurl.com/68nxhy) atop the Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod (http://tinyurl.com/65edtk). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/800 sec. at f/8.
This is one of the owls that Axel had photographed earlier in the morning. When I made this image the sun had just peeked through and I was worried about having burned the details while working at +1 2/3 stops (which was correct when the sun was covered by the clouds). I was thrilled to see that there were no flashing highlights at all.
On Wednesday past I flew to Islip, NY to visit my Mom and my two sisters. I had heard that there were a few Snowy Owls around and brought the gear in hopes of creating some good images. I was able to borrow the same Canon 800mm lens that I had at Bosque from Canon Professional Services as the one that I ordered had not arrived yet. Big time thanks to Steve Losi and Joe DeLora at CPS.
On Thursday morning I drove to Jones Beach State Park and walked three miles in the dunes in search of either an owl or the tame juvenile Peregrine Falcon that had been well photographed there in recent days. I learned about both the owls and the falcon from post on BPN. Well, after three hours of walking turned up nothing I decided to give up and headed back to the parking lot. At about 11am I met Axel Hildebrandt one of our great BPN moderators in the Avian Free & Wild Forum. I asked him what he had been up to. “Photographing Snowy Owls” was his reply. He pointed me in the right direction, opposite to where I had been trekking, and after another three miles and another three hours I had some good digital images of Snowy Owl. Thanks Axel.
On Friday with snow in the forecast I headed to Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge just west of Sag Harbor: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=52566. I had heard of the place when I lived in New York but had never visited. Wow! It was amazing. When I got out of my car in the small lot, dozens of cardinals, chickadees, and White-throated Sparrows approached me. Though I had been told that feeding the songbirds was permitted at Morton, I was still shocked. I found a place to set up, put out some seed, and photographed for four hours in a blinding blizzard. At times it snowed so hard that it was impossible to focus. I was quickly soaked by the wet snow, gloves drenched, and viewfinder totally wet making it necessary to place all confidence on the AF system as it was impossible to see what was in focus and what was not. A park employee drove in to do a few chores and was as friendly and helpful as could be. By 3pm it was nearly dark so I headed back to Holbrook to take my Mom and sister to dinner.
On Saturday morning with lots of fresh snow on the ground, I headed back to Jones Beach in hopes of a Snowy Owl in the snow. I was to meet Grace Scalzo of BPN who had posted some killer images of the young peregrine. Unfortunately, I got there well before she did. It was foggy and cold with a stiff northeast wind. I headed in the direction that Axel had sent me only to find nothing. I was not sure whether to continue on or head back to the lot when my cell phone rang. It was Grace: “The owl was in the parking lot and flew to the beach. We have it in front of us. Hurry!” I did, and the rest of the morning was a dream come true except for my very cold hands. Thanks Grace!
I was back in Holbrook by 12:30 only to find some Canada Geese and some gulls in a pond at my Mom’s development. As it was snowing, I could not resist. By 2pm younger sister Arna and I were headed to the family gathering in Ronkonkoma where a good time was had by all, especially by young Max who opened all of his 67 presents with dispatch even though the holidays had not yet officially begun. By the time we got home I was so tired that I crashed immediately after setting the alarm for 4am so that I would have time to pack if the promised second snow storm did not develop. If it was snowing heavily my plan was to head back to Morton and take a later flight either Sunday afternoon or some time on Monday. The snow turned out to be rain and I was safely on the ground in Orlando at 11:35. Man, Southwest is my very favorite airline. Tons of direct flights to lots of places including both Albuquerque and Islip. In Orlando Airport Southwest has installed big leather seats with two plugs at each seat. Amazing. And free curbside check-in where available, no baggage charges for the first two checked bags under fifty pounds, and friendly flight attendants and crews. And almost on time or early.
It wound up pouring rain all day on Sunday leaving me to reflect on my great luck and the amazing photographic opportunities that I had encountered on such a short visit. I guess that I earned some good karma by heading up to see my Mom at the last minute….
Snowy Owl in snow, simple yet elegant, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the Canon EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 atop the Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/8.
This is how the owl looked when I first saw it on Saturday morning. …. I recomposed after setting focus on the eye with One-Shot AF and holding the shutter button down. Do you understand exactly why the image above required more exposure compensation than the image below? If not, check out the chapter on Exposure Theory in the original ABP and the section entitled Exposure Simplified in ABP II. On sale right now as a package here: http://www.birdsasart.com/books.html
CAMERA PROFILES FOR ADOBE CAMERA RAW AND LIGHTROOM USERS
Arthur has given me this opportunity to share a great tip about camera profiles with BAA bulletin readers. If you are photographing in RAW and using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) or Lightroom 2 (LR2) should be aware of camera profiles. These are profiles in ACR and LR2 that will give you a great starting point in your conversion process. These profiles match the in camera colors much more closely than the ACR/LR2 default profiles. These will give you an image much more similar to what you will see on the camera LCD screen in review mode.
What are camera profiles? These are preset profiles that match the camera manufacturers' color appearance in picture styles with Canon or Picture Control with Nikon. They available in the drop down menu in the camera Calibration panel in ACR and the Calibration panel in the Develop module in LR2. For more info on camera profiles follow this link: http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/DNG_Profiles
Why should I use camera profiles? The camera profiles can really save a lot of time getting accurate colors in the RAW conversion process. These profiles significantly improved color rendering, especially in reds, yellows, and oranges by matching the camera manufacturers' color appearance. Before these profiles were available I was never very satisfied with the look of Adobe RAW profiles in ACR and LR. Warm colors just did not look right compared to the actual real life scene, extracted Jpegs or when converted with other programs. Feedback from workshop participants who have installed these have been very positive.
What applications are the camera profiles for? Photoshop CS3, CS4 and LR2. Anyone using any of these programs should give them a try.
How do I get the new camera profiles?
Photoshop CS3:
Mac: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4213
Windows: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4220
These links are for ACR 5.2 and DNG 5.2. DNG 5.2 contains the profiles needed you will need when using CS3 since ACR and DNG share the same profile files. ACR 5.2 is only for CS4 but dont worry it will not update ACR 4.x. It will only load the profiles you need for PS3 ACR.
Photoshop CS4:
CS4 will upgrade automatically by using the "Updates..." feature from the help menu.
ACR 5.2 also includes the new targeted Adjustment Tool for image adjustments that allows you to makes changes only in certain areas. This is like a simple mask and is similar to U Point technology in Nik software and Nikon Capture NX software.
Lightroom Room 2:
LR2 will upgrade automatically by using the "Updates..." feature from the help menu..
How do I use the Camera profiles once they are installed.
You can use them by choosing on from the profile drop down menu. This is in the camera Calibration panel in ACR and the Calibration panel in the Develop module in LR2. You can also set any of these to default as you would any other setting to save this selection step in the future.
Note for Beta camera profile users only: ACR/LR2 Beta camera profiles users will find both the Beta and final versions in the menu after installation of the new final versions. The Beta versions are easy to remove. Just navigate over to the folder and remove the beta files. For Windows vista users go to: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\CameraRaw\CameraProfiles
Windows XP:C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw\CameraProfiles
Mac: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles
If you are interested in receiving more tips like this join my free monthly newsletter list. The newsletters feature Photoshop and photography hints and tips, news items, and workshop schedules. To subscribe please use this link: mailto:Robert@RobertOToolePhotography.com?subject=newsletter
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White-throated Sparrow on snow, Morton NWR, Sag Harbor, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the Canon EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 atop the Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual Mode. Fill flash at -1 stop.
Capturing images of the birds on the snow was a challenge as they were constantly hopping towards the seed and focusing was difficult at best in the blowing snow/low light conditions.
Seasons Greetings from Gary Farber V.P. Hunt’s
Tel 800-221-1830 or 800-924-8682 ext. 2332
Fax 800-336-3841 Email digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
One Day Sale/Exclusive for BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN SUBSCRIBERS
Canon 50D Body Sale One Day Only: Order the Canon 50D body on December 23rd and pay only $1074.99 after instant rebate. To make the deal even better we are throwing in the shipping. Contact Gary Farber via email or phone by 7pm to lock in this price.
Canon 800mm IS lens: Order the Canon 800mm IS Lens on December 23rd and pay only $10,749.99. To make the deal even better we are throwing in the shipping. Contact Gary Farber via email or phone by 7pm to lock in this price
Pre-orders: Hunt’s continues to take pre-orders on the new Canon 5D Mark II body and outfit with the 24-105mm lens. To obtain more information contact Gary Farber.
Rumors abound! Speculation has occurred regarding a new Nikon DSLR,announcing the D400. We have not received an official notice of such a camera; however, if you are interested in being the first to know about this or any other new product introduction, please forward your name, address, e-mail address and telephone number to Gary Farber, c/o Hunt’s Photo & Video, 100 Main St., Melrose, MA 02176. Members interested in receiving more information on this particular product of any other product(s) that may be released after the first of the year, please send in your name, address, and telephone number to the attention of Gary Farber at the flagship location in Melrose.
Don’t Forget to Check Out Our updated Website: www.huntsphotoandvideo.com
If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit our website in the past few months, I urge you to give it a look. We have incorporated many changes. Please take the opportunity to browse our currently revised Hunt’s website. Any suggestions regarding our site are more than welcome. For the past year and a half, I have made an effort to put into effect all the advice and feedback from my patrons. Your opinion is appreciated. Many folks suggested that we improve the search function and we have done that.
A new feature on the website is “Daily Photography News” which is a compilation of the latest information on new products, firmware fixes and a multitude of topics of interest to the photographic community.
Intrepid Nature Photographers in snow, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
That’s Grace Scalzo in the lead, part of the gang behind her, and the Atlantic in the background.
BOSQUE 2009 IPT
Bosque 2009
IPT:
Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options, you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage, which expands the list of reasons for your canceling to an infinite list, from a sudden work or family obligation to a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services
We regret that we must implement this new policy but we have had seven cancellations for the Post X-Mas IPT alone. (The policy above does not apply to any of the trips listed below including all of those in “IPT Updates.”)
Snowy Owl in beach grasses with snow, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the Canon EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 atop the Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/8.
There were several of us photographing this owl from more than 50 meters distance. The 800 was just the right tool for me. If it were not for the wonderful folks whom I have met and worked with at BPN it is likely that I would not have gotten to photograph a single owl on my trip…. Here again II recomposed after setting focus with One-Shot AF
BAA FAX NUMBER
For your convenience we now have a computer fax number. You can fax orders to us any time at 1-877-265-6955. Be sure to include the item(s) that you wish to order, the credit card billing and ship-to address (if they are different), you credit card #, expiration date, and the security code, your phone number, and your e-mail address.
Black-capped Chickadee, Morton NWR, Sag Harbor, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the Canon EOS-1D MIII on the Mongoose M3.5 atop the Gitzo 3530 LS CF tripod. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/8 in Manual Mode. Fill flash at -1 stop.
There were very few clean natural perches at Morton. This was one of them. Using an extension tube allows you to focus closer than the lens’s minimum focusing distance.
LEPP INSTITUTE PROGRAMS
The two programs below each offer an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a nature photographer. Do consider registering immediately as there is a good chance that both courses will sell out quickly. Lastly, do considering joining me for both sessions. . To learn about the week-long program, click here: http://www.leppphoto.com/Bird_Photography_Intensive_Workshop.html To learn about the weekend program, click here:
http://www.leppphoto.com/Bird_Photography_Workshop_Weekend.html To register for either or both (with a $400 discount) click here: http://www.leppphoto.com/forms/registration2009.html (You cannot register thru BAA.)
Intensive
Instruction in Bird Photography/Lidi Master Series/
Note: this is a rare occasion to join me for a formal seminar, in the field instruction, and follow-up image processing. And you will be able to print one or more of your finished images. From soup-to-nuts, this five-day course has it all. (The weekend session is sold out.)
Join acclaimed
bird photographer, educator, and tour leader Arthur Morris for five days of
intensive nature photography instruction in beautiful
Course outline:
In-classroom/Monday: Putting Art in Your Nature Photography: Composition and Image Design, Understanding Digital Exposure via the Histogram, Understanding and Using Natural Light, Tripods, Heads, and Sharpening Tips, Lenses and How to Use Them, Better Beamer and Flash set-up Demonstration, Understanding Flash as Main Light, Flash as Fill, and Manual Flash, Getting Close; Is it Magic?, and Using Shutter Speeds Creatively, What’s the Big Deal with Depth-of-Field?
Tuesday thru Friday In-classroom: Downloading, Editing, and Optimizing your images in Lightroom 2.0 and Photoshop, Shared and Group Image Editing, Converting Your RAW Files and Recovering Detail in Over-Exposed RAW Files, Workflow Basics: Dust Spotting, Cropping, and making Shadow Highlight, Levels, Hue-Saturation, Curves, and Selective Color Adjustments, Advanced Photoshop Techniques: Expanding Canvas, 1,000 Uses for Quick Masks, Average Blur Color Balancing, Leveling the Horizon, Creating Actions, Batching, Making Selections, Why Refine Edge is Superior to Feathering, Making Adjustments to Selected Areas, Dealing with Bright Pixels, , Clone Stamp Tips and Tricks, Using the Patch Tool--It is Magic. Using the "Divide and Conquer" and "Protect and Defend" Techniques to Clean Up Distracting Background Elements, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, Dealing with Reds and Yellows, Using PhotoMerge to create Panoramic Images, Levels Adjustment Trick for Silhouettes, and lots more. Guided Optimization of New Images.
Wednesday thru
Friday: Making test prints on Canon printers and creating at least 1
professional size print (perhaps more depending on time). Thru Friday
afternoon at
In-the field: Seeing and Using the Light, Tripod Handling, Tips, and Techniques, Getting Close including Various Stalking Techniques, Getting the Right Exposure, Understanding In-the-Field Strategies, Evaluating a Situation, Learning to See; What Does a Pro Look for?, and AQA (all questions answered!)
Schedule/Monday (all times approximate): 9-noon/Slide Programs, Demos, and
Discussion. Noon-1pm: lunch.
Schedule/Tuesday-Friday (all times approximate): Dawn till mid-morning (weather
permitting): In-the Field Instruction and Photography/Morro Bay.
Practically
Private Bird Photography Weekend/Lidi Master Series/
Branch in snow, Atlantic Ocean, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 15mm fish eye lens handheld with the Canon EOS-1D MIII. Bubble Level. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/8
I was photographing this scene when I got the phone call from Grace on Saturday morning. It is imperative to use a bubble level whenever you are using a fish eye lens on a scene that includes the horizon. If you horizon is off just a bit, you will have to crop away a significant portion of your image. Once I have focused and composed I peek at the bubble with my left eye and adjust as needed. It is easier than it sounds <smile> It is often amazing how powerful off-centered subjects can be.
SW FLA POST X-MAS IPT LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT OFFERED
SW
FLA
POST X-MAS IPT:
As I am teaching less and less a spot on any IPT will be hard to secure in the future….
Beach grasses, dune, fresh snow, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 15mm fish eye lens handheld with the Canon EOS-1D MIII. Bubble Level. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode.
The snow-covered beach was starkly beautiful. It takes time and practice to begin seeing fish-eye type images. It was Robert O’Toole who inspired me to purchase and use the 15mm fish eye lens.
IPT UPDATES
POST-NANPA 2 ½
DAY BOSQUE IPT.
Be
Rates
for the 2009 trips have increased due to increased fuel costs. Be
Beach grass in fresh snow, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, NY
Image copyright 2008:
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 15mm fish eye lens handheld with the Canon EOS-1D MIII. Bubble Level. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/9.
To say that I was captivated by the beauty of the grasses in the snow would be an understatement… I created this image right along side the parking lot and had to clone out a tiny bit of snow fencing in the two upper corners.
Best and
love and great picture-