Random Photo thread

[Sandy]

Thanks Steve. Yes, I've been very fortunate to be able to live here. Moved here as young man 45 years ago with the intention of staying 2 years on a work assignment. 3 1/2 years later when they discovered I was still here they wanted me to transfer back to the big city. Fooled them again .......I quit. LOL

[marvinsc]

IMG_7244 by Scott Marvin, on Flickr Got out yesterday for a ride on "Roads less travelled".

[Redman]

[u.......................rl], on Flickr Got out yesterday for a ride on "Roads less travelled".

Nice.
THat could also be a "Who Went For Ride".

Road Less Traveled.
Yah, could also be Travel in who-knows which direction if hit brakes hard. (with all those leaves on road).

[Redman]

Collage includes the three pics I entered in a local bird photo contest.
Organised by the county parks department. Photo suppose to be from local county here.


Swamp Sparrow, Ring Billed Gull, Green Heron (the 3 entries), and Eastern Kingbird.

I really liked the Green Heron shot. But probably mostly what I liked about it was how I got close enough for any such shot of it continouing to hunt.
I was quietly approaching the edge of the marschy area, taking slow steps, with camera at ready, looking at what marschy areas came into view with each step, and I saw the green heron thru a bunch of brush, and I knew the brush was obscuring his view of me, so..... you know.... "must be verwery verwery qwiet.." I slowly moved trying to keep the brush inbetween us, yet try to find a clear view thru the brush, and I did, got a couple quick shots, and then was tracking him, waiting for a better pose (like this in mid-step) or waiting for it to make a strike and come up with something (didnt happen). He went on and I no longer had a clear view thru the brush, and by the time I moved to another location it startled and took off.

Was 140some entries, and they made a vidio of them all, that could see online. (kinda boring 12 minute vidio).
I thought my entries were "middle of the pack", and well below a good number of the entries. So I wasnt expecting any possibility of placement of anything.
The top prise is the picture on the bird program coffee mug for the year. And are 4 other honerable mentions. THose 5 photogs featured in vidio and get to make a presentation at monthly meeting. ANd 7 more chosen to make 12 photos for a calandar. THe calandar and coffee Mug, that can buy to support the county birding program.
I went to the award event just for the expereince of it. And, yep, no surprise relative to my entries.




Link if you are interested
CwB Mug Club Photo Contest | News - Ottawa County, Michigan

Three of the five top winners were not ones I would have choose.

Someone might ask:
I have a Panasonic GX85 (circa 2016) an older 300mm zoom lens adapted to fit the GX85. THe GX85 is what some might call "crop sensor" or more specifiically "crop factor of 2.0". SO the lens is full frame equivilant of 600mm lens's magnification/view.

[Sandy]

Great bird shots Dave. Especially like the play by play of getting the Green Heron. One false move and you blow the shot. In Costa Rica last year I got very lucky with my Green Heron shot. Managed to float by, paddles up, in a kayak and he stayed put. Shot at 200mm equivalent. We don't have those here, just the Great Blue Herons.



P1040826-Edit by soates50, on Flickr

[Redman]

.
.
In Costa Rica last year I got very lucky with my Green Heron shot. Managed to float by, paddles up, in a kayak and he stayed put.
.
.:

Nice Sandy! Good clear and unobstructed shot.

Fun when it works out.

Maybe that is a Tiger Heron.

[Sandy]

Nice Sandy! Good clear and unobstructed shot.

Fun when it works out.

Maybe that is a Tiger Heron.

I believe you are correct sir. Oops.

[Redman]

About my story. Yah, this year I worked on quietly and slowly approaching the marschy area. And watch for each area as it comes into view, and predict which area is going to come into view which each step, and have camera at ready.
Previously my idea was to just get in there and wait to see what happens. But I noticed that many times, , as I was walking in, something nearby would scare away before I noticed it. And then after I got in there, I would have to sit there for 15-20 minutes before anything might come into the area and usally too far away. Or maybe I’d sit there for half hour or more with nothing happening.
Then I remembered the old idea that is difficult to observe/measure something if your observation/measurement is altering the situation.

[Sandy]

Definitely got lucky with my shot. We were traveling right to left in the photo and saw it quite a bit before I was beside it so I pulled up my paddle and coasted by. It stayed put maybe because it was used to some traffic or maybe because he was sort of trapped as we were in the channel about 15 feet away and it's exit away from us was blocked by thick mangrove. Bird photos do require some planning and lots of luck. By the way I was shooting with a GX85 as well and fitted with the Olympus 75-300.

[Grimly]

I have a Panasonic GX85 (circa 2016) an older 300mm zoom lens adapted to fit the GX85. THe GX85 is what some might call "crop sensor" or more specifiically "crop factor of 2.0". SO the lens is full frame equivilant of 600mm lens's magnification/view.

. By the way I was shooting with a GX85 as well and fitted with the Olympus 75-300.

I've become quite enamoured with the micro 4/3 system, too. It's just the job for toting around a decent bit of useful glass without busting your shoulder.
The old EM-1 (hardly used, lots of life and plenty of bells and whistles) I have has 5-axis IBIS, which I always found useful on my Pentaxes. Beats me why the other makers couldn't include it on their offerings.

I keep the big stuff for when I feel I really need it, which isn't actually that often these days. I scratched the Full Frame bug and while it's nice to have, it's accompanied by FF heft and bulk, most especially in the lenses (which is why I got it really, to give my collection of vintage glass a proper work-out).

[Sandy]

We had a spectacular few weeks of incredible shows of northern lights back in October so managed to grab some shots just outside of town.



P1070375-Enhanced-NR-1-Edit.jpg by soates50, on Flickr

[twowings]

Same occurrence as the last post just a different location. This was taken in Huntsville Ontario and just pure luck we were directly under the impact point of the charged particle stream from the sun. Never seen anything like it before and it lasted over an hour. IMG_2163.jpg

[marvinsc]

Digital Camera by Scott Marvin, on Flickr Met a curious new friend at the Ferry Landing at Kentucky Lake today.