What are you shooting with your Sony/Minolta now?

<p>This past weekend we finally had some good weather and people were out. The wildflowers are appearing in our wooded areas now.</p><div></div>

<p>Weekend before last</p><div></div>

<p>Shot this last week - it's a whole Japanese theme. Pagoda-like lawn ornament, Japanese blood grass (that hasn't turned red yet) and shot through the branches of a Japanese maple tree.<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3616/3483938273_3f4edced42_o.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="800" /><br />Sony A700, Minolta 100-200mm, ISO 200, f/8, 1/250.</p>

<p>Bob S.</p>

<p>Whoops, must of crossed posts if the moderator prefers to combine the thread i just originated......</p>

<p>wayne</p>

<p>This is my latest shot, I didn't get the chance to shoot anything on the weekend, but this was taken yesturday. Opinions? First time trying a shot like this.</p><div></div>

<p>.</p>

<p>Rainy day, overhanging trees glowing, wet bark like snakes swimming in the green water overhead.</p>

<p>Peter Blaise 2009-05-04 8848 MDA1 Virginia US<br /> Minolta Sony capture @ 1/50 seconds f/3.5 50mm ISO 160<br /></p>

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

<p>There is a roll of Tri-X which I have been shooting at 1250 in an X-700. I will eventually develop it in Diafine. In another X-700 is a roll of 100 speed Centuria color print film from Japan. It is some kind of Kodak 100 speed film sold in Japan under the Centuria name. In a SRT 201 I have a roll of HP-5+ which must have been there for a year or more. I just got a 50/3.5 MD macro lens and I will take some test shots with the Centuria film as soon as the sun comes out. The 50/3.5 MD will join my three 50/3.5 Celtic lenses. </p>

<p>Lovely compositions Howard, Sam and Robert! Chris, that is a beautiful shot, the only thing I might change is to include a bit more sky in the brighter area. Lovely greens Peter, although I'm not sure I will ever feel quite comfortable again walking under a canopy of "wet bark like snakes" :-)</p>

<p>This was a week with ups and downs for me in more than one sense. I was grounded with a nasty cold these past few days, but last Wednesday I took the car in for service and while it was in the shop I went walking along the local river with my A700 and 500 f8 reflex. Light was pretty gloomy and for about an hour I had not much luck, even at a spot where black-necked stilts like to hang around every Spring.</p>

<p>Then (distracted by a song sparrow flying by overhead) I missed my step, slid out sideways and in going down - slammed my A700 into my nose! x-(</p>

<p>Fortunately I hit the top and not the LCD, so the camera and lens came out okay. I spent half an hour cleaning blood off my jacket, and walked around the rest of the morning with a tissue plug stemming the flow in my molested nostril. At least now I can confirm the camera is a lot sturdier than my face!</p>

<p>After all that I decided I definitely needed something more rewarding to bring back home, so went back one last time to the spot with the stilts. And there I caught them doing this:</p><div></div>

<p>The whole courtship ritual took about 15 minutes, I'll spare you the most graphic part of what happened next:</p><div></div>

<p>After the mating itself, they stood with crossed bills for a few minutes and then walked away slowly. Interestingly, through all of this they refused to be distracted by me lurking about, or by other stilts calling out a paperazzi alert!</p><div></div>

<p>Lovely pictures, Paul.</p>

<p>This last weekend we were walking in local woods - spring is definitely here:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3501850815_c4d9d6003e.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /><br>

A100 and Minolta f/1.7 50 mm</p>

<p>A young member of the local constabulary in my home town of Moultrie, Georgia, USA. Shot during an engagement shoot with his fiance. Sigma 10-20, 1/2000 sec. at f5.6, ISO100, off-camera 56 flash, high speed shutter.</p><div></div>

<p>We did a round trip of about 2000k over the weekend, down to the sw of victoria, then through the Coorong in South Australia, then back home throught the little desert and Mt Arapiles. Then back down the western Highway to Melbourne.....</p>

<p>try again.....</p><div></div>

<p>It'slimestone country down here. Amazing coastline......</p><div></div>

<p>Nelson is a small fishing village on the Glenelg River. I think the bird is a kingfisher, not sure if anyone can help, please do.....</p><div></div>

<p>The Southern Ocean at sunset</p><div></div>

<p>Beautiful shots Wayne, which lenses did you use for these? The bird looks like a species of heron or maybe a bittern, kingfishers have very short legs and bodies by comparison (I'm tempted to say they're almost "legless" - but not from having too much to drink :)</p>

<p>Paul, it could be a juvenile nankeen night heron which might explain how i got so close. I used the sony 70-200 f2.8 SSM on a KM7D. Sometimes the crop factor can be useful when you're not really equipped for birding....grin</p>

<p>These are a group of trees That everybody around here knows they are on farm land and almost impossible to get to I keep trying for that "shot" of them but haven't got it yet.</p>

<p>Wonderful pictures guys, These are a group of trees That everybody around here knows, they are on farm land and almost impossible to get to, I keep trying for that "shot" of them but haven't got it yet. Taken last weekend Sony A350 minolta 75-300mm lens 1/320 f8 3 bracket jpeg Hdr.</p><div></div>

<p>Wayne, it looks like a Little Green Heron, female.</p>

<p>Let's see. Tuesday I found a Snowy Egret:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3501487933_4a600bfbc6_o.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<br /> This morning, some Pelicans:</p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3587/3513761446_a1ebd8ee70_o.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="692" /></p>

 

<p>Shot some tulips recently</p><div></div>

<p><em>Wayne, it looks like a Little Green Heron, female.</em></p>

<p><strong>I'm now 99% sure it's a juvenile nankeen, Rick, about halfway through it's fledge. There's a photo of a juvenile in the Wiki entry and the markings are the same. The bird's fairly common in Aus. and i'm not sure whether the little green heron makes it down here</strong> .</p>