POTW 2/22/2015

<p>Hi Folks.<br>

<br />I wanted to open with some of my comments to Barcelona. It was going to be a very short trip (3 days) and since the concept was travel like you are about to travel with a bunch of students the idea was generally to go light. That said a trip to Barcelona would likely be a once in a lifetime. I was kicking between the K3 or my Q7 'system' and ultimately figured I just trust the K3 more. Then it came to lenses. I knew I wanted to get as wide as possible so I felt I would need the 12-24 or the 15mm f4 even though the 15 is so light. The chance I might see a bird or two that I would want to photograph meant I needed to bring my 55-300, and the fact I might have very low light situations meant I threw in the 50mm f1.8. It proved a good set of lenses to bring, but was a bit bulky. As I wanted to bring only one carry on I decided to sacrifice clothes. Good choice!<br>

As big as it is there is a lot of detail in the Sagrada Familia that I just couldn't have gotten without a longer lens, especially on the outside of the building. It's very whimsical art and as impressive as the building is inside, the outside is a lot of fun.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17969166-lg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="425" /><br>

Statues on the Sagrada Familia, k3, 55-300<br>

The K3's ability to shoot good images at such low light was very impressive. I didn't need to 50 f1.8 very often to honest as the f4 on the 12-24 was plenty fast enough</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17969249-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="451" /></p>

<p>Crypt Church in Gothic Quarter. K3 and 12-24<br>

and then there's just the crazy stuff you can get with a wide lens..</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17969251-lg.jpg" alt="" width="531" height="800" /><br>

K3 12-24<br>

and yes I did get a few bird images (not a lot). Amazing how a couple of lenses like that and a great camera can really add some fun into travel images.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Four pics at one point , Atlanta night photo .</p><div></div>

<p>,</p><div></div>

<p>.</p><div></div>

<p>-</p><div></div>

<p>Again the weather was brutal up here in MN, to point where it got hard even holding the camera gloves or no gloves. So I stayed mostly close to home. Here are some shots I took while running a few errands.<br /> Picture #1</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Oops here we go Picture #1 - <strong>Snowy Courtyard at Dusk</strong></p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>Doug If I was to take an all around lens for traveling, I would take the 16-45mm f4 because of the range. That and of course the 55-300. It's not a bad lens considering the price and it's light and easy to carry. <br /> Picture #2 - <strong>Lonely Highway at Dusk</strong></p><div></div>

<p>My Computer is running dreadfully slow today ?<br /> <strong>Picture #3 - Hotel on a Hill</strong><br /> FYI - The green in the foreground is actually snow, dirty snow, so I painted it green in PS.<br>

Yuri, I use to work in that tall building in your picture #1 when I was working in Atlanta in 2010. If I remember correctly there was a park accross the street next to a nearby Metro station.</p><div></div>

<p>-small public garden , and park about five minutes walk distance .</p>

<p>"-<em>small public garden , and park about five minutes walk distance ."</em></p>

<p>Sorry I meant picture #2</p>

<p>Doug, Having gone to Barcelona many years ago and not being able to to inside the Sagrada Familia due to construction, I'm really enjoying your photos. I had to wait to see my shots of Barcelona until I got back because those were the days of film. Keep posting more - very enjoyable. I think I know what my travel kit will be K-* Right now K-5, the 55-300 and the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. If it were lighter, I would consider my Tamron 10-24 But I can't see carrying all of that all day. The kit 18-55 might do.</p>

<p>Here are three of the few pictures I've taken this month:<br /> #1</p><div></div>

<p>No. 2</p><div></div>

<p>Last</p><div></div>

<p>Howard,<br>

<br />Simply put the Sagrada Familia is the most beautiful building I have ever entered to photograph. Not only is it stunning architecture, but the light is so incredible. I was there in the afternoon when the building interior is bathed in bed light; in the morning it would be bathed in blue. It's just stunning. </p>

<p>I would love to go back. With any luck...</p>

<p>We've ducked most of the big storms here in Baltimore but it's still too cold for me so I've got the F*600/4 set up in the living room and have been shooting birds through the window. <br>

<img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Fauna/i-JJvvGqK/0/L/IMGP0439c%20copysm-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Fauna/i-qBnRjPT/0/L/IMGP0477cu.sm-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="571" /></p>

<p>These female cardinals are just gorgeous in soft light!<br>

<img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Fauna/i-3d6tRm6/0/L/_IGP8924cusm-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p>I've been on vacation on Kauai. I took a lot of photos and haven't been through most of them yet. <br>

I've been to a couple of the other Hawaiian islands before and I really enjoyed Kauai. The Na Pali coast is spectacular. <br>

This first one was a difficult to pull off pano from a moving boat on a somewhat rough day. I had to clone out some gaps in the water but I was happy the mountains and sky were intact. <br>

K-3 & DA* 16-50 - 18 vertical exposures, cropped (214 MP). Best viewed big.<br>

<a title="IMGP4371 by Matt Burt, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8568/16629925372_a2ac8ced7b_z.jpg" alt="IMGP4371" width="640" height="128" /></a><br>

.<br>

Wailua Falls which was featured in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.<br>

K-3 & DA* 16-50<br>

<a title="IMGP5309-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8580/16445213739_1a72f792bb_z.jpg" alt="IMGP5309-Edit" width="426" height="640" /></a><br>

.<br>

Spouting Horn blowhole<br>

K-3 & DA* 16-50<br>

<a title="IMGP5286-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8636/16008842424_fe9542a5db_z.jpg" alt="IMGP5286-Edit" width="640" height="426" /></a></p>

<p>I have some pacific islands on my bucket-list, and I just remembered why....<br />barely shooting any at all, lately, this is squeezed out last week : <br>

.<br>

<img src="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss151/dorus/sized_IMGP8397%20b_zpszzcaul1x.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="678" /><br>

<strong>at home,</strong> with my youngest <br>

.<br>

<img src="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss151/dorus/sized_IMGP8482_zpswazxg33s.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="678" /><br>

<strong>magic wand</strong><br>

.<br>

<img src="http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss151/dorus/sized_winterpark_zpstfzccpa8.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="678" /><br>

<strong>winter-park</strong><br>

.</p>

 

<p>Great pano, Matt!</p>

<p>Really enjoyable pictures this week...</p>

<p>You're tellin' me? Boy I wish I could tag along with a couple of you and learn your secrets!</p>

 

<p>Who's keeping secrets?!?! :)</p>

<p>Hey all -<br>

<br />I haven't been taking many pictures what with the cold, cold winter and getting sucked into a stupid MMORPG. But I got out! And have a few pictures to share. Doug, I couldn't agree more about the Sagrada Familia - most beautiful building I have ever been in. One coud fill many, many POTW threads just with shots from it. </p>

<p>Matt, that is a great panorama. I bet it looks awesome big. Have you printed it, or will you? <br>

<br />First from me, some chickens enjoying winter in WI.</p><div></div>

<p>Next, a relaxing cat. I got a lens I have long chased, a Zeiss 28/2. Manual focus is tricky, but nice and sharp at all apertures, and very nice rendering.</p><div></div>