POW 4/4/2009

<p>Well, today brought high winds and cold temps, but this right here made putting up with it (for 4hrs, anyway) worth it. I laughed all the way through this sitting, but you would, too.<br>

PS - Alisa B Steig is almost in trouble, cause I was in her hometown & she didn't come by to say hi! (Only thing saving her is I know how busy she's been through yaking in emails.)</p><div></div>

<p>Javier, those amazing pelican shots you nailed say- What? Pentax gear is too slow for shooting action??</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Dave H. wrote: Very cool shot, Mis--is that a common pose for those birds?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, I'd been there for about an hour, and the stork asked <em>what do I have to do for you to go away and leave me alone?</em> I replied, <em>just strike a cool pose!</em> And that's what she did. I wish she'd asked earlier... :-) But no, it's not very common—usually they just stand there looking around, which is why I had to wait a while to get this pose.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Michael K. wrote: Mis, that stork shot you nailed so well is incredible!!!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Thanks! It was harder work than you might imagine, but I'm reasonably happy with it.</p>

<p>I am always late to POW but late is better than not showing up. I spent the Sunday late morning with my boy on finding the <strong>red tail hawk</strong> that I had a difficult time having a clear shot the week before. And of course, we could not find the showing of any hawk. We did find cute hummingbirds feeding their young. My boy has a blast with the humming bird. I only have my cheapo gear with <strong>Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Di LD Macro</strong> and I added my <strong>Pentax F-1.7x AF TC</strong> for the extra reach. <strong>Please bear with me on the purple fringing</strong> .</p>

 

<p align="center"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g192/hinioman/photo_net_pow/_IGP9902.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>And my boy has much better eyesight than me and when we were about to end the photo shoot, he caught a black bird flying high in sky from a distance. We first thought it was a black crow and I saw wing spread looking like a hawk in my view finder with the 500mm rig. I took few shots hoping it was the hawk. Due to sun above our head, we both didn't know what it was until we get home. It looks like vulture to me. These are taken at <strong>510mm</strong> with the TC at <strong>f/8.0 in ISO 400</strong> , <strong>cropped</strong> due to a far distance</p>

 

<p align="center"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g192/hinioman/photo_net_pow/_IGP9996.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p align="center"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g192/hinioman/photo_net_pow/_IGP9997.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p align="center"><img src="http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g192/hinioman/photo_net_pow/_IGP9998.jpg" alt="" /><br>

The AF work quite nicely with the Tamron zoom but I desire for better detail.</p>

<p>@subho, the Tamron 300mm f/2.8 adaptall-2 is an amazing lens, do you find it a heavy burden on a tripod? What sort of tripod you use with the Tamron 300mm f/2.8 adaptall-2. The sharpness and color is amazing with the lens.</p>

<p>@Todd, you have inspired me to take my Tamron 70-300mm zoom.</p>

<p>@Javier, how can you hand-hold the Bigma. I enjoy the series very much.</p>

<p>@Mis, that post is definitely worth the wait.</p>

<p>@Dave, I love the first shot. You should take out the 31mm limited more often.</p>

<p>@Nick, I wish I can hang out with you for shooting the birds. I recently got a PhotoSniper Tair-3 Phs 300mm f/4.5. I will post some information I get my russian lens. It has a stock gun that goes with lens.</p>

<p>@Dan, the DA* 50-135 have wonderful shots on the birds</p>

<p>The vulture shots are pretty amazing considering the lens arrangement, Hin!</p>

<p>Hin, That was no bigma but my 500 F/4.5 lens. It is much bigger and heavier than the bigma and of course allot faster and sharper.</p>

<p>I was planning to get back to this thread yesterday but things didn't work out. I went out to do some shooting when I slipped on a rock and landed on my head. 7 staples in the head and 3 hours in the ER later and I was spent for the day. I thought this photography stuff was safe? Anyway, wow some really great stuff here. <b>Dave</b>, your Mill lane is my fav of the week. I guess I am just a sucker for shots of things historic. <b>Nick, </b>"posing" reminds me so much of my daughter when she was that age, very nice. <b>Mis</b>, that is one nice shot of the stork. <b>Henk</b>, the sunsets are beautiful as are the night shots- well done. <b>Javier, </b>that is a great sequence of the pelican. Some really nice work this week. </p>

<p>Robert,<br>

I am glad to hear / read that you are ok. One of my dear online friends from another forum fell off a bridge a few months back while trying to get a picture and brike his back. He is still not moving and was a real blessing to me. Take care of that head!<br>

javier</p>

<p>I dunno, Javier--he chose my shot as his favorite so maybe he's not fully recovered. Seriously, thanks for that, Robert--I hope you mend quickly!</p>

<p>Thanks, Javier and Dave - Spring break begins on Thursday! A week and a half off will do wonders.</p>

<p>Thanks folks. Great viewing pleasure.<br>

@Hin, I will post another time some photos my wife took of me holding the Tammy. My biceps and triceps are growing :-) We talk about walk around lens, right? Now this is my work out lens:-))<br>

I am getting used to carrying the lens. This is a pic of my wife. Handhold.........so little bit soft. Well, one day....may be one day I will be able to get a sharp focus handhold.<br>

</p><div></div>

<p>Subho and Hin, I use the Tamron SP 300mm on a Monostat monopod, that works well.</p>

<p>@Subho, I am very impressed on how you hand-hold such a heavy lens</p>

<p>@Javier, that Sigma prime is even heavier than the Bigma. I am speechless on how you hand-hold those shots on the Pelicans.</p>

<p>@Markus, thanks for the tip on the Monostat monopod</p>

<p>@Robert, I hope you get well soon.</p>

<p>Just wanted to drop in my thoughts on the photos here that caught my eye<br /> Subho's first shot is wonderful! very nice color and detail - congrats on the lens<br /> Ben's Lake shot is incredible. Love the comp and reflection and color<br /> Arkadiy #2 = wow<br /> Maria Cheese Muffin is so nice!<br /> Steve #2 = wonderful comp/pov and reflection<br /> Michael #2 = such a beauty<br /> Chune's GP shots are super cool<br /> Haig #2 is a wonderful catch<br /> Oshiva's shots are phenomenal. such an eye<br /> Robert, think you did great with your prom shots<br /> Markus last shot is really neat and good reading<br /> Nick #3 is a very nice snipe<br /> Dave your mill hill shot is wonderful<br /> Dan #1 - such a cute pose captured from birdie<br /> Mis your stork shot takes the cake for me.. awesome capture - so creative with the processing too<br /> Steve Dean nice work with the shower!<br /> Javier your shots are amazing! I hope to be skilled enough someboday to be able to post shots sooc like you do.. <br /> Great shots Hin with the tammy<br /> <br /> <br /></p>