Midway #9/Tropicbird Nest Stitched Pano

[Arthur Morris]

Home at last and it feels good. The images for this two frame Red-tailed Tropicbird stitched pano were created with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens handheld at 161mm. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash at -2 stops. Exposure was locked with the use of One-Shot AF.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

For more Midway images including a piece on creative vision with this beautiful species be sure to visit the blog at http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/ :)

I did a fair amount of clean-up with the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp, and a series of Quick Masks as described in Digital Basics and APTATS I. Please see the original image below.

[Arthur Morris]

This is the original stiched pano before image clean-up as described above.

[Lana Hays]

Artie
A Pano was perfect for this one. Nice job with the cleanup. Oh what I wouldn't give to be on next year's trip.....I have drooled and dreamed after every post and newsletter. Out of curiosity.....did you photograph with long lenses at all? I'd have to think it would be so exciting to photograph birds all that time....with the shorter and medium lenses.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Lana. I am working on possibly setting up a two week trip for late April next year that would feature tropicbird and White Tern Chicks :) in addition to the albatrosses and all the rest. Let me know if you would like your name placed on the interested list.

Here is an estimation of lens usage: 70-200mm f/4L IS: 65% 400IS DO: 30% 17-40mm: 5%. 98% handheld. For Bristle-thighed Curlew and Pacific Golden-Plover the 800 would have been nice. :)

[Stu Bowie]

Good detail on the whites Artie, and I dont think any other crop would have worked.

[Ilija Dukovski]

What I like here the most is that the tail is clearly visible and very prominent
against the neutral tree BG. Great idea to stitch here.
Beautiful bird and image.

[Lana Hays]

Artie
Holy excrement........did you get Bristle-thighed Curlew?

[Don Lacy]

Hi Artie, A pano comp was a perfect choice for this image and the Tropic bird contrast nicely against the stone BG.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Artie, A pano comp was a perfect choice for this image and the Tropic bird contrast nicely against the stone BG.

The BKGR is actually a tree trunk :) I will try to find out the name of this invasive tree and let you know here.

[Harshad Barve]

Excellent image Guruji on all counts

Here is an estimation of lens usage: 70-200mm f/4L IS: 65% 400IS DO: 30% 17-40mm: 5%. 98% handheld.

OMG can we trust this, looks like a mamal photography kit

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Excellent call to do a stich work and perfect shooting angle. Loved the whites.

[Arthur Morris]

OMG can we trust this, looks like a mammal photography kit

Thanks Harshad-bhai and all. Check this one out to see what you can do on Midway with the 70-200, a TC, and an Extension tube: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=59597 :)

[Harshad Barve]

Check this one out to see what you can do on Midway with the 70-200, a TC, and an Extension tube: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=59597 :)

Something out of this world , my house sparrow dont allow me to come so clsoe:eek::eek:. BTW you have created amazing images from midway

[Myer Bornstein]

Artie what would be the cost of the Midway IPT?

[Morkel Erasmus]

impressive bird-pano Artie...like the detail and tranquil pose of this one. where exactly is Midway?

[Arthur Morris]

Midway is three to five hours by prop plane northwest of Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean also know as the middle of nowhere! It was the site of the naval battle that changed the course of WWII.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks for the info...I know much of the WW2 Europe history but must confess my knowledge of the Pacific conflict begins with Pearl Harbour and ends with the nuclear bombs and there's nothing much in between...:o

[Arthur Morris]

Midway was pivotal. After screwing up for most of three days we sank three large Japanese carriers, Akagi, Koryu, and Kaga in the space of 12 minutes. Sometime later we sank Hiru, another of their a-one carriers. Our Yorktown was severely damaged but not sunk. Read "Incredible Victory" by Walter Lord or see the movie. There are many other books written on the subject.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thanks - will check it out...
:)

[Arthur Morris]

Artie what would be the cost of the Midway IPT?

Hi Myer, This year's trip was something like $6500 all inclusive from Honolulu. Not sure what the story would be for a two week trio. I will be talking to my Midway contact in about six weeks and will let folks know via Bulletin. Thanks for asking :)

The place is beyond mega. Be sure to see the trip report in the next Bulletin and to check out the blog at www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com

[Arthur Morris]

Here, from Tracy Ammerman of the Fish and Wildlife Service (Midway Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge) is info on the tree:

"The tree is Casurina equisetifolia, otherwise known as "ironwood" or "Australian pine." It is indeed the tree in your red-tailed tropicbird photo. They can sometimes exhibit "buttrussing" of the base of the tree/roots."

The funny thing is that when I first saw the trees I thought, "Those are Australian pines" but everyone was calling them casurina... You gotta love it.

ps: Tracy is the Visitor Services Manager for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (which encompasses Midway Atoll NWR). Tracy was our educational host and was and has been quite helpful. It was quite wonderful to show up at a NWR with a long lens and be welcomed as an asset :) And the refuge manager, Matt D. Brown, was equally gracious and friendly.

[Arthur Morris]

Artie, Holy excrement........did you get Bristle-thighed Curlew?

It was a tough species; that's why I was wishing for my 800. Above is my best with the 400 DO, the 1.4X II TC, and the MIV. If it looks as if it is on a rusty bucket that's because it was photographed at Rusty Bucket:)

[Steve Canuel]

I like the shade of red of the tail plumes and the shape and color of the bill.

[Grace Scalzo]

Artie, your images from Midway have been a true delight to see and the nesting tropic bird is a real beauty. Love your composition.

[Lana Hays]

Oh Artie.........that Curlew......heavy sigh. Thanks so much for posting it. I hope you post a list of all the birds that you saw/photographed. I never really thought about the shorebirds....what a pleasant surprise.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Lana. The species list is not very long: the two numerous albatrosses plus the mega-rarity: Short-tailed Albatross. Bonin's Petrel. (Some of the 2nd group saw and photographed Christmas Shearwater.) Red-tailed Tropicbird was easy as a look at the Blog shows, White-tailed Tropicbird was seen (only 8 pairs) but not photographed. White Tern is numerous and tame and there are some photographable Black Noddies. Some folks photographed Brown Booby. Other shorebirds included lots of Pacific Golden-Plover and Ruddy Turnstone. Common Mynah (or Myna) and Canary are the two introduced songbirds.

On Eastern Island we saw and photographed Great Frigatebird, white morph Red-footed Booby, Brown Noddy, early-arriving Sooty Terns, Gray-backed Tern, and the extremely rare (and introduced) Laysan Duck. I think that that is about it.

[Harshad Barve]

the extremely rare (and introduced) Laysan Duck.

Can't wait to see image ,

[Monte Brown]

Artie,

Fabulous image, great detail in the white, the red beak and tail add good color contrast to the white feathers.

Monte