POW - Sunday January 11th, 2009

<p>The verdant desert. After a few days of rain, it's quite amazing how everything grows and all that brown stuff almost transforms itself into a green carpet. These photos were taken at Bartlett lake.. levels are down because they have diverted some of the water to a nearby lake.. Hopefully these will make a nice change for all of you that are snow bound :-)</p><div></div>

<p>This was quite a spectacular sunset with the clouds and the rock formations</p><div></div>

<p>A saguaro, and you can see the large moon (shot this past Thursday).</p><div></div>

<p>Finally, facing west as the sun went down behind the hills.. I changed this to a painted look using brushes in photoshop {it was a bit blurry.. no tripod :-( }</p><div></div>

<p>Well I recently put up a bunch of photos from AUGUST...yes, I just finished these, you, I and the people in them are just seeing them for the first time.</p>

<p>This is from Wittenberg Mountain the fist summit of three in a 14 mile, 10,000 vertical foot gain/loss hike my wife and I did back in August. Beautiful day (and night as we took 15 hours). I think this was a 9 shot vertical panorama with the DA 21mm. Don't remember if it was tripod mounted or not but do the the alignment being nearly perfect I'd guess it was.<br>

<a title="Wittenberg Mountain Towards The East" href=" title="Wittenberg Mountain Towards The East"> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/3100/3183607723_a77fc46bde_d.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> </a></p>

<p>This shot was from the same trip and it is with the DA 55-300 at f/11 and 200mm. The rainbow never got better than that but it was still a beautiful sight. More so since the storm never actually bothered us.<br>

<a title="Colorful Storms Over The Slide Mtn Wilderness" href=" title="Colorful Storms Over The Slide Mtn Wilderness"> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/3454/3184446110_9f4a663bca_d.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> </a></p>

<p>This was from the same vantage point but towards a different direction. DA 55-300 at 300mm. Broke a lot of stereotypes about long lenses and vertical landscapes.<br>

<a title="Catskill Mountains - Slide Mountain Wilderness" href=" title="Catskill Mountains - Slide Mountain Wilderness"> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/3082/3183607243_8e80fb620e_d.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> </a> <a title="Catskill Mountains - Slide Mountain Wilderness" href=" title="Catskill Mountains - Slide Mountain Wilderness"> </a></p>

<p>Finally, a little available light with the K10D and 21mm at f/3.2 and ISO 1600. Hand held at 1/8th of a second. Didn't quite work in color but (at least to me) worked perfectly in black and white.</p>

<p><a title="Registering (or deregistering?)" href=" title="Registering (or deregistering?)"> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/3337/3183606997_4a03dea365_d.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> </a></p>

<p>Overall not a bad trip photographically considering the ground we covered. It helps that we don't care if it gets dark, so the only time constraint is not falling asleep while walking.</p>

<p>Wow.. such different landscapes.. Those shots look incredibly good Justin.. Love the pano, but the third shot I find extremely good.. B/w came out pretty good looks like. I'm sure the color version was probably looking a tad blotchy in the dark areas. That 21mm is looking more and more attractive..</p>

<p>Aha! I have something to contribute. This is from a few days ago. Went to an abandoned hotel in the hills outside town at dawn with a buddy. Here are some of the results:</p>

<p>The Apocalypse Hotel:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/3175729032_a5f9501afa.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>

<p>Ghost rising in the Apocalypse hotel:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/3175729312_047c4cf03e.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>

<p>Sunrise through the grasses:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/3174892299_828f20468a.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>

<p>1.</p><div></div>

<p>The skyline's awesome, Haig :) do you intend to convert any to b/w?<br /><br />Went down to a resto that just opened recently, and their specialty ... ducks!<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr235/hchune/Web%20Uploads/IMGP7684.jpg" alt="" /><br /><strong>Duck King</strong><br /><br />I'm aware that we have duck lovers among us ... the live kind, that is :)<br />No offence!</p>

<p>I've got nothin' but noisy hoops shots this week--and I'll spare you more of those. I really like the landscapes, guys--particularly Haig's first & Justin's first. Very effective Hyde park shot George!<br>

And not to worry, Chune-Hoong, I'm a fan of duck in that form, too!</p>

<p>Great photos everyone.</p>

<p>I have a couple from a recent winter walk.</p>

<p>It was very cold but not unbearable.</p><div></div>

<p>I was trying to capture the frosty pane of the windows of a booth when this skier crossed my visual field.</p><div></div>

<p>We have a few geysers in New York State, not like I saw in Yellowstone, but the color contrast with the steely gray waters of winter intrigued me.</p><div></div>

<p>S.P.A.C. as it's known to local people, Saratoga Performing Arts Centers has had a myriad of performers walk these hallways in warm weather, but in winter walkers, snowshoers, and skiers frequent these famous hallways.</p><div></div>

<p>I did some b/w portraits of local politicians for a flyer with the K10D & Tamron 90mm macro & 2 Metz flashes this week and only a few other snaps I can show here. I will be away for the next weeks mostly without having an internet connection and wish you all good light and happy moments :-)</p><div></div>

<p>working with ceramics on a kakadu in Bruno Weber's park</p><div></div>

<p>night scene in Dietikon Switzerland</p><div></div>

<p>a sample of my (small paid) portrait session with the Pentax K10D & Tamron 90mm macro. I Metz flash on the Pentax flash grip on the left bounced partly to the ceiling, a second Metz as optical slave bounced to a white wall on the right. Flash and camera on manual settings. I had to soften the skin in photoshop, you will not make anybody happy taking headshots with a dedicated macro lens ;-)</p><div></div>

<p>It looks unbearable to me, Bob! I like the X-Country Skier shot a lot (but think I'd play with crop options.) <br>

Love Mouse House and Snails, Markus!</p>

<p>Outstanding landscapes from Haig, Justin, Gary and Bob. And Markus, I wish I know how to use flash, a free tutorial from you is appreciated someday.<br>

<br /> As for me, I have been busy on and off in selling gear out of excess from LBA. It is GOOD feeling to have abandoned the outrageus plan in getting Nikon D90 as a 2nd system. The beauty and simpler white camera has blown the D90 out of my nutty mindset.<br>

<br /> I tried PTTL flash for the first time on my relatives. I told them that I would keep coming back until I get a picture of satisfaction. So far I get only a small percentage of keepers. Many are done poorly based on me not reading up the menu and have a thorough understanding on bounced flash and I don't have the mindset of a keen photographers for what needs to be tuned for the lighting direction and flash strength. Many still have shadows on the back in the use of single flash mounted on hot shoe. I need two flash with slave and the expansion on reflector, diffuser, bracket, wireless and most important of all a tutorial with basic knowledge.<br>

<br /> My relative and her very cute Snoopy.</p>

<p align="center"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3187843694_c7088acfc3_b.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p align="center">And I tried earlier on a tight room with her beautiful daughter, but I fell short in adjusting the right angle and strength of the flash. The background shadow in some of the other keeper pictures add distraction and the skin tone seems wash out from her beautiful face better than a point and shoot but still far from the keeper shots with proper standard.</p>

<p align="center"> </p>

<p align="center"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3490/3187807314_ce943c43cc_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="680" /><br /> And they have a super daddy who arrange his home with beautful color that many walls are photo friendly. And her dog is not only cute but human like who can stop in front of a piece of yummy food until the super daddy says 'Go Snoppy'</p>

<p align="center"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3187839446_24fc8d471e_b.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="1024" /><br /> I will come back to this wonderful family with hopefully better knowledge, another flash for the shadow on the back, and more tuning on flash strength, bounced angle, diffussing light means, reflector and more pratice time with the family. All portraits are done with Pentax K20D, Pentax <a href="http://techtheman.blogspot.com/2008/11/pentax-fa-77mm-f18-limited-is-insanely.html"><b>FA 77mm f/1.8 limited</b></a> and <a href="http://techtheman.blogspot.com/2008/12/lazy-eyes-with-pentax-pttl-af540-flash.html"><b>AF540 in PTTL mode.</b></a></p>

<p align="center"> </p>

<p align="center"><br /> And finally some old photos for a friend who just passed away in the holidays after fighting with seisures and diabetes along with old age</p>

<p align="center"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/225/448533254_28ddf1b768_b.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p align="center"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/3065498893_16617da436_b.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="1024" /></p>

<p align="center"><a href="http://hintheman.blogspot.com/2009/01/passing-of-gus.html"><b> Passing Of Gus</b></a></p>

<p>Let's see if I can do this right...<br>

This is from 1-9-09 at the Como Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul, MN. This is the "Sunken Garden", one of the wings of the conservatory. The first photo is from the far end of the wing looking back to the entrance from the conservatory lobby. The second shot was from the entrance end, and I lucked out by suddenly finding myself alone for just a minute or two along with two other shooters (pink sweater and red hat from below) at the same point, all taking long shots of the space. K20D, Sigma 18-50 F2.8 lens (first time out with this lens). First photo 18mm, F18, 1/5 second on a monopod. Second photo 18mm, F11, 1/20 second on monopod. (Playing with manual modes.) White balance set for cloudy- no artificial lighting, and the sky was evenly overcast just before noon. Most of the dome had lightly tinted glass, though.<br>

<img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/stevet_010/K20D0492-2-1.jpg" alt="" /> <br /> <img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/stevet_010/K20D0492-3.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/stevet_010/K20D0500-2.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<br /> <img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/stevet_010/K20D0500-1.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>This week was exceptionally wet. Things dried out enough for me to get out with the camera by week's end. Yesterday morning, my family and I arose early and joined our local Audubon group for a birdwatching outing. We went to various waterfront locations and watched shorebirds. With the wet wind it was just uncomfortable enough, plus I'm a lousy bird photographer. But the excuse to test out the Bigma was just perfect, so my only worthy shots were of non-birds:<br>

Here is the group. Those scopes are remarkable.<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907281_ovCxU-L.jpg" alt="" /><br>

At a lagoon it was very quiet and a little quaint, with some wind protection; this is a typical Puget Sound winter day.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907354_MJ7SW-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907332_6XHPv-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>At a different location, I kinda liked the look of this battered place, it's part of a historic general store that is now closed:<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907246_Xh2hj-L.jpg" alt="" width="769" height="600" /></p>

<p>I also started working on shooting material for a local juried art exhibit this summer. One theme I'm playing around with concerns my commute from home to work. These are the stairs that greets everyone who walks from the parking lot down to the ferry dock.<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907179_2QaYP-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>And a commuting skies shot, this time from the mid-afternoon:<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/452907201_2QvZY-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>ME</p>

 

<p>Our poor bridge didn't survive the snowstorms here. We're probably going to replace it with a floating dock as that requires less engineering and permits.</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/3188676546_f914b988c2.jpg?v=0" alt="" width="334" height="500" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Some shots from my recent trip to Sinaloa De Leyva, Sinaloa, Mexico</p><div></div>

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