POTW 7-8-2012

<p>This week I've spent most of the week at home with flu so, instead of getting out there and photographing things, I took the time to sift through some old 35mm slides and scan them. These three were taken in 1995 in and around Tarkwa in south western Ghana.<br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-At5epMdzlgY/T_k3hqNZt8I/AAAAAAAACvA/csOdWPk2v7U/s640/20120705-img101.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="640" /><br>

Start with the Railview Hotel in Tarkwa itself. I was staying (in the end for about a month) in the Morning Star Guest House just up the road from here. This was the first time that I was harassed about taking pictures by anyone vaguely official. A policeman explained how I would return to somewhere outside Africa, make a postcard, sell it and profit, without anything coming back to Ghana. My driver saw this and chased the policeman away. This is the only African country I know - my own included - where it is possible to shout at the police in this way.</p>

<p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Dt6wphFijLM/T_k3hu4IThI/AAAAAAAACvM/I3Q5X262Gbw/s640/20120705-img100.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="640" /><br>

This one was taken out of town in the sort of environment where I was working.</p>

<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0wmTnm7mMXE/T_k3hDhYo2I/AAAAAAAACu8/wg9SFqxTBsk/s640/20120705-img095.jpg" alt="" width="458" height="640" /><br>

The final one is a flower which I found in the forest close to where we were working. 17 years later, I'm still trying to get it identified.</p>

<p>As for Pentax content, the camera I was using (IIRC) had a k-mount - a Chinon CP9AF - and there's a very good chance that I used an M50 1.7 for one or more of these.</p>

<p>At least the flu makes for an early POTW start Henk :-)<br>

long street in Zurich</p>

<div></div>

<p>vegan dinner with baked potatoes and herbs, Seitan and fresh spinach.</p><div></div>

<p>tiny earrings</p><div></div>

<p><em>At least the flu makes for an early POTW start Henk :-)</em><br>

<em><br /></em>It was already 9:45 here :-). Your vegan photo is making me hungry!</p>

<p>This is an old shot, but I processed this a week back. Pentax K100D, Tamron 28-75/2.8.<br>

Kolkata, India.</p>

 

<p align="center"><a title="Inner City Market by A n i r b a n, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7448501978_8ee2bf9b15_b.jpg" alt="Inner City Market" width="502" height="752" /></a></p>

<p>This is the surface of some very old tree in Yellowstone, unidentifiable (by me). Not sure why I like this shot, but I do.</p><div></div>

<p>Morning all.<br>

The last couple of days I've been up early to catch the good light and beat the 100 F+ (40 C+) temperatures we've been having across the Midwest. There is a small pond near where I live and I dragged a blind with me to see what I could come up with. I wasn't disappointed. Lots of Green Herons, a few Blue Herons, Night Herons, all sorts of shore birds and even the occasional Muskrat showed up on the little pond. A few images.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/16057656-lg.jpg" alt="" width="501" height="348" /><br>

Green Heron. Pentax K7 with 600mm f5.6 A + 1.4X-L at f7.2.<br>

Admitted the next image of a Muskrat isn't very photogenic. But it was the mood that mattered most.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/16057752-lg.jpg" alt="" width="496" height="330" /><br>

Same details as above.<br>

Finally the next photo reflects pure laziness on my part. I saw a nice Halloween Pennant (Dragonfly) sitting nicely near a flower. In my pocket was my Pentax macro 100mm f2.8 DA. I was just too lazy to change lenses. So I backed off with the monster lens (aka 600mm f5.6 A) and even left the teleconvertor on and got off a few shots. <br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/16057658-lg.jpg" alt="" width="491" height="327" /><br>

A nice couple of mornings here in Indiana. Enjoy your week.</p>

<p>Doug</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Two more from Switzerland. A view of Moench. Just outside the frame at the right is Jungfraujoch, the saddle between Moench and Jungfrau. One can take a train up there for quite a view. We didn't go.<br /></p><div></div>

<p>A view of and from the touristy Glacier Express. The panorama windows make it very difficult to avoid reflections. I used a rubber lens shade, but it was an imperfect solution.</p><div></div>

<p>Good morning Pentaxians! A very few and hazy images from Gulf.</p><div></div>

<p>"Little panther". It is a small very timid feral cat who sometimes dines at Chez Michel outdoor cat restaurant. One can see why the ancients feared black cats such as this one. The penetrating eyes and glowing ears (horns) belie its size and timidity. </p><div></div>

<p>2</p><div></div>

<p>LAST PIC</p><div></div>

<p>I love that second shot Henk. Hope you feel better soon!<br>

<br />.<br>

Here are a couple from the 4th.<br>

We did a family hike to another pretty little alpine lake near the Alpine Tunnel.<br>

K-5 & Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 FE<br>

<a title="IMGP2911.jpg by MattB.net, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7525072014_24ee23fcf5_z.jpg" alt="IMGP2911.jpg" width="640" height="424" /></a><br>

.<br>

The tracks leading away from the tunnel<br>

K-5 & da15<br>

<a title="IMGP3017.jpg by MattB.net, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7508036944_4540363c4b_z.jpg" alt="IMGP3017.jpg" width="424" height="640" /></a><br>

.<br>

Obligatory fireworks shot<br>

K-5 & Tamron 28-75 f/2.8<br>

<a title="IMGP3103.jpg by MattB.net, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7270/7508039154_1f66015561_z.jpg" alt="IMGP3103.jpg" width="424" height="640" /></a></p>

<p>My original plan for 4th of July did not include going out to photograph fireworks, since I didn't want to deal with traffic and crowds. At the last minute I came up with what at the time seemed like a good idea - a spot overlooking downtown and San Diego Bay, from where I could probably see the fireworks bursting over the buildings in the foreground. While there were hundreds of thousands of people crowding around San Diego Bay, I was in a spot with no traffic and no crowds, plenty of parking. What could possibly go wrong? </p>

<p>Did I mention I'm in San Diego?</p>

<p><img src="http://frankbaiamonte.smugmug.com/Photography/Odds-Ends/i-XKwWB6N/0/L/7FBB1802-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" /></p>

<p>I think it's gotten a lot of press, but for those who don't know - they had 4 large barges set up in the Bay and the plan was for an 18-or-so minute show synced to music, starting right at 9pm. Something went very wrong, and 3 of the 4 barges fully detonated prematurely at the same time, a few minutes before 9pm. It was a colossal blast. Luckily I had the camera set on Aperture Priority, or the exposure would have been totally blown out. By the time I tripped the shutter, and the 2-sec delay passed, this is what I got. Straight out of the camera, shot as jpg. There was a low cloud cover that reflected all of the colors of the blasts. K-7, DA16-45 at 16, 2.5 sec. at f/8, ISO 100. I wasn't even sure I had the camera pointed in the right direction, but figured I would have plenty of time to adjust over the length of the show. Oh well.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We went to our oldest grand daughter's birthday party My daughter in-law made and brought the cake</p><div></div>

<p>My two Grand daughters</p><div></div>

<p>city fireworks from my driveway</p><div></div>

<p>finally "got power" 7 days without, heres a quick snapshot of a state road worker dealing with the heat cleaning up the mess from the big storm. I was out on my local lake rowing when it hit, made it to the bank, but my boat was thrown about 50ft bending the row wing and breaking a favorite fly rod, then 4 hours of clearing trees without a chainsaw to make the 7 mile drive home. Hope to never be caught out in a storm like that again.</p><div></div>

<p>finished my latest boat project by flashlight, lesson learned varnishing by flashlight may make it look like your doing a great job....until the lights come back on.</p><div></div>

<p>A VERY old tree trunk</p><div></div>

<p>We've got a storm approaching so l hope I can get these in before the power goes out again.</p>

<p>Sigma 500/4.5<br>

<img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Fauna/i-ghcP885/0/XL/IMGP3726csmvu-copy-XL.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Sigma 70/2.8 Macro<br>

<img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Fauna/i-cWgMRMF/0/XL/IMGP3675csmu-XL.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Sigma 70/2.8 Macro<br>

<img src="http://dadipentak.smugmug.com/Nature/Floras/i-C98h73W/0/XL/IMGP3640csmu-XL.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p>Quite the nice set, everyone. Hope you are feeling better, Henk.<br>

Nice catch of that dragonfly Douglas.. a bit of overkill with a 600mm though! LOL<br>

Well done with your feral cat Bruce.. always tough to get such a great exposure with black fur!<br>

Matt, loved all three of your shots!<br>

I was up in Seattle for the 4th.. managed to get up close and personal with some Purple Martins.. a subspecies of swallows. Drove up to Sunrise point on a gorgeous 4th of July and enjoyed some great views of Mt Rainier.</p><div></div>

<p>#2</p><div></div>