CONTEST NEWS
Short Notice/Individual or Very Small Group Instruction near Olando, FL This Weekend
Tualatin River Bird Festival, Sherwood, Oregon
MIDWAY 2013: JUST TWO SLOTS OPEN!
Hooptie Deux
Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris International Trips
IPT UPDATES
Cattle Egret, mega-breeding plumage. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 2XIII teleconverter, and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero confirmed by histogram check: 1/640 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode–early morning light at 7:56 am.
Fill flash at -2 stops with the 580 EX II Speedlite and a Better Beamer.
Autofocus with an f/5.6 lens and a 2X TC with a camera that focuses only to f/5.6…. How can that be??? See this blog post: Pushing the Limits with the Canon EOS-5D Mark III–2X III Teleconverter–800mm f/5.6L IS Combination
If you would like to join me this coming weekend for Cattle Egrets, Wood Stork & Great Egret chicks, and some great individual or small group instruction near Orlando, FL, see item 2 below. Click on the image for a larger version.
CONTEST NEWS
The registration period for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition ended at 11:59pm on April 23, 2012, you may upload images or refine your entries until 11:59pm eastern time on April 30, 2012. Thanks and good luck to all who entered.
We will be making initial selections during the week of May 1, hope to have the first round of selects to the panel of judges no later than May 8, and be able to announce the winning and honored images soon after that. We are pretty much thrilled with the quality of the images entered and are looking forward to the huge challenge that judging the contest will present.
Wood Stork chicks in the nest with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at -1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode.
Central Sensor/Rear Focus AI Servo AF and recompose. How can I autofocus with a camera that focuses only to f/5.6? That said, how could I have been at f/6.3 when the combo above should have come in at f/8? See the BPN thread here for details; you will need to scroll down and read carefully. Click on the image for a larger version.
Short Notice/Individual or Very Small Group Instruction Near Olando, FL This Weekend
Join me at a killer central Florida rookery either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, April 27, 28, or 29 for a morning, afternoon, or a whole day of photographic instruction. Morning sessions: 7-10am/$300 single. $200 each for two. Limit 2. Afternoon sessions: 3:30pm to 6:30pm/$300 single. $200 each for two. Limit 2. Full day: $550 single. $375 each for two. Limit 2. The full day includes lunch and image review. In all cases I reserve the right to add a second photographer unless you wish to pay the difference 
.
Learn to see and think like a pro, to evaluate various photographic situations, and to use light properly. I will be letting you know what I think of your gear set-up, your sharpness techniques, and your shooting style. And sharing the very best nests with you and explaining why they are the very best nests . Though a minimum of a 500mm f/4 lens with both teleconverters is ideal, folks with lenses as short as a 70-200 will benefit greatly. Please e-mail
for additional details if you are seriously interested in joining me. Or try me at 863-692-2806 or on my cell at 863-221-2372. artie
This wet and soggy Great Egret was photographed with the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode.
Fill flash at -3 stops with the 580 EX II Speedlite and a Better Beamer.
Central Sensor/Rear Focus AI Servo AF and recompose.Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click here to learn to set up Rear Focus on your 5D Mark II. Click on the image for a larger version.
Tualatin River Bird Festival, Sherwood, Oregon
Thanks to the generosity of Canon USA/Explorers of Light I will be presenting the keynote address, “A Bird Photographer’s Story,” at the Tualatin River Bird Festival in Sherwood, Oregon on May 12, 2012 from 6:30 to 9pm. The keynote, “A Bird Photographer’s Story,” is free and open to the public. Click here for details on the “Focus on Nature” portion of the festival. I am doing several other programs that weekend–you can check them out at the link. I hope to see you there!
In the image without text, note the bill clean-up and the brighter, more contrasty WHITEs that still have lots of detail. Bill clean-up was done with the Patch Tool and the Spot Healing Brush and a series of small, warped Quick Masks. The former as described in detail in Digital Basics, the latter in APTATS I.
Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital workflow. Remember, 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.
MIDWAY 2013: JUST TWO SLOTS OPEN!
Click here for details and photos.
This Brown Pelican image was photographed with the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +3 1/3 stops off the sky: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode.
Central Sensor/Expand/Rear Focus AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click here to learn to set up Rear Focus on your 5D Mark II. Click on the image for a larger version.
Hooptie Deux
The image above was created on James Shadle’s pontoon boat, the Hooptie Duex out of Gibsonton, FL. James has been taking folks out on Tampa Bay for Roseate Spoonbill photography for more than a decade. To learn more or to arrange a trip with James–there are lots of baby spoonbills just out of the nest right now–click here.
There are lots of ways to correct a color cast. Average Blur Color Balancing is described in detail in Digital Basics which includes my complete digital workflow and dozens of other great Photoshop tips.
Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris International Trips
SPRING 2012
In This Issue:
Summer Safaris
In-depth Antarctica
About Us
Contact Us
Trip List
Cheesemans.com
Summer Safari! It’s not too late to plan your summer vacation. We still have space open for you on these safaris. Call now to make this summer a memorable one!
Holbox Whale Sharks
July 10 – 17, 2012
Imagine snorkeling alongside the largest fish in the sea, the magnificent Whale Shark, in the warm Caribbean waters near the Yucatan Peninsula. We charter our own speedboat to give you more time in the water than other tours. Plus our local guides know how to successfully locate the sharks. We added a daylong guided tour of famous Mayan ruins and a visit to Bird Island, a refuge to thousands of shorebirds and seabirds. Watch our video.
Full Itinerary
Brazil Pantanal
August 28 – September 14, 2012
This safari maximizes field time to see the diverse wildlife of the Pantanal like jaguar, anteater, tamandua, tayra, tapir, Hyacinth Macaws and more wonderful birds. We included two jaguar hotspots to maximize your encounters of these beautiful cats. This trip includes five days on the Paraguay River and eight days along the wildlife-rich Transpantaneira.
Full Itinerary
Alaska North to South
June 13 – July 2, 2012
Experience a slice of pristine Alaska from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to Fairbanks. See photogenic Alaskan wildlife amidst colorful tundra and beautiful glacier-covered mountains. Spend days in Denali National Park, on a voyage around Prince William Sound and at Katmai National Park to view bears as they snatch salmon from the river! One space only.
Full Itinerary
Monterey Bay Daytrip
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The California Coast is one of the best locations to watch Humpback and Blue Whales, sea lions and dolphins swimming under seabirds such as shearwaters and albatross.
Full Itinerary
Antarctic Peninsula – In-depth White Continent
December 30, 2012 to January 17, 2013
We couldn’t close without mentioning this unique expedition specially designed with an extensive 10-11 days of landings along the Peninsula. Our ship, the Ortelius, will undergo extensive renovations this summer. Couple these improvements with the highest ice-class rating of any passenger vessel in Antarctica and you have the perfect ship for exploring farther south into the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Circle and other must-see places such as Paulet Island and Bailey Head. Join our expedition leader, popular Hugh Rose, and 12 more staff members for a unique experience that may only come once in your lifetime.
Full Itinerary
Plan Your 2014 Safari Now
We started arranging our safaris for 2014, so keep an eye on our trip list for new additions. Sign-up early before your first-choice trip fills.
Contact us to sign-up
Please contact Cheesemans’ to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. For more information, fill out our handy online information request.
Photos: Snorkeling with Whale Sharks, Jaguar in the Pantanal, Humpback Whale in Monterey Bay, Zodiac cruising in Antarctica: ©Cheesemans; Brown Bear in Denali National Park: ©Hugh Rose.
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Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, (800) 527-5330, info@cheesemans.com
20800 Kittredge Road, Saratoga, CA, 95070, USA
Support the work that goes into the creation of both the Bulletins and the blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
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Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s 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 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EF 1.4X III TC. Canon’s latest greatest 1.4X TC is designed to work best with the new Series II super telephotos lenses.
Canon EF 2XIII teleconverter. This TC is noticeably sharper and is designed to work best with the new Series II super telephotos lenses.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb.
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 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
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.
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.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
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.
KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 from Kodiak, AK: $6699. Limit 6/Openings 2. 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 5.
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.
SW FLA IPT. FEB 16-21, 2013. Introductory slide program: 7pm on 2/15. 6-FULL DAYS: $2999. Limit: 10/Openings 7.
Co-leaders: TBA. 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 shorebirds and plovers, gulls and terns, & Burrowing Owl. All ridiculously tame.
Click here to learn more about this IPT.
GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 2-16, 2013 on the boat. 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, your 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.