POW - 1/3/09

[bob_marz]

<p>Happy New Year !!!<br>

Hope 2009 is better for everyone who felt the pain of 2008.<br>

So, my wife and I took a walk on New Year's Day. Actually we spent the night before in subzero weather in Saratoga Springs' First Night event and I thought about trying my hand at fireworks photography but - 20 below zro fahrenheit was a little more than I am ready for. New Year's Day I told her I was bringing the camera because, well, you never know, something different might come up.<br />The wind chill was well below 0 degrees fahrenheit. Perfect for Justin on Algonquin or somewhere else.<br>

We took a walk and crossed over a snow covered bridge. The wind was blowing at intervals and the sun was shining at intervals. The stream below was dark in contrast to the blowing "snowclouds".<br>

Me, the fish guy, sometime landscape guy, thought creative, for once.<br>

Not sure if I am the only one who has photographed this experience, but here it is.<br>

It has been said that there are no two identical snowflakes ever, just like finger prints. I have no evidence on the contrary. But, in these photographs I might have to say that there may be no two snowclouds that are identical either.</p>

<p>Here is a link for all of the unique "snowclouds". Choose fast to scroll faster.<br /><a href="http://s407.photobucket.com/albums/pp153/marzrw/?albumview=slideshow">http://s407.photobucket.com/albums/pp153/marzrw/?albumview=slideshow</a><br>

Again, Happy New Year!!!!</p>

[bob_marz]

<p>Here is som eof the pics</p><div></div>

[bob_marz]

<p>Cloud 5</p><div></div>

[bob_marz]

<p>And Cloud 3</p><div></div>

[jgredline]

<p>Here is a landscape shot L.A. style.<br>

In the forefront is Hollywood. We have a rare fog between Hollywood and SM and BH....Out to the left is Santa Monica and to the far right is Beverly Hills...on the other side of the fog.<br>

<img src="http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/091.jpg" alt="" /><br>

For a larger version click link. http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/?action=view&current=090.jpg</p>

[jgredline]

<p>Here is another view..<br>

<img src="http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/093.jpg" alt="" /><br>

For a larger image. http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/?action=view&current=092.jpg</p>

[jgredline]

<p>Here is a wild coyote I encountered in one of my hikes last week.<br>

<img src="http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/0912.jpg" alt="" /><br>

For a larger version click http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp128/jgredline/Trips/?action=view&current=0911.jpg</p>

[ian s. forsyth]

<p>First Photo of 2009, cold morning and a few minutes of setup I was able to capture this deer in the early morning sunrise</p><div></div>

[michael_elenko]

<p>Javier, that second one is a pretty cool shot of LA. Nice and sharp with interesting color. What lens did you use?<br>

Coyotes are amazing how they adapt and thrive in so many environments. Seattle has a lot of them living in parks and green belts. Some areas have fox too. I have too many raccoons and deer.<br>

This week i had some time off and got back hiking and shooting locally. I was feeling very rusty.<br>

My family and I hiked to Lost Lake which still has some snow and fog around:<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/448362480_rSCQh-L.jpg" alt="" width="398" height="600" /></p>

<p>Wet madrona wood is a rush to the eyes in the middle of winter, especially if you are holding a K20D fitted with a Voitlander 125mm macro, f3.5, 1/20 ISO 400:<br>

<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/448362457_yS8Eq-L.jpg" alt="" width="398" height="600" /><br>

Yesterday I took a day off and did exciting stuff like unclog bathroom drains and reattach befallen baseboard heaters that my kids love to stand on to look out the window. But coming back from the hardware store I stopped at a favorite local nature preserve to shoot the frozen pond with my Bigma:<img src="http://www.smugmug.com/photos/448362514_jPu5D-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="531" /></p>

<p>ME</p>

[roseberry guitars]

<p>Beautiful animals those coyotes. Very good capture Javier. My Border Collie supposedly lived with a pack of them before we got her. Doesn't often happen but once in a while they allow a domestic dog in.</p>

<p>Here's a shot taken with a Ricoh XR Rikenon 1:2.8 135mm on my K10D, AF 540 flash. Just going through my late fathers massive camera collection to see what to keep and what to sell. I might keep this lens.</p><div></div>

[roseberry guitars]

<p>And out with my mother on New Years Day.</p>

[roseberry guitars]

<p>And the picture.</p><div></div>

[jgredline]

<p>Thanks Michael, Thanks Scott!<br>

Those Images I took with K10D, Tamron 18-250mm lens. I did notice that blueish tint to that second image and was going to attempt to fix it, but I rather liked it, so I left it. I am pretty sure that the WB is off on that image as it should look more gray like the first. As for the Coyote, more and more those animals are popping up, but it was the first time I got to shoot one.</p>

[james_chen8]

<p>Taken with DS+K24<br /> Comments are highly valued and welcome.</p><div></div>

[hagar]

<p>And here I thought that being on Cloud 9 was the cat's miaow! I think I'd rather be on Cloud 3 myself :-).. but it's close.<br>

Javier, great views of the city.. did you think of trying a pano shot from that vantage point? And good catch of that coyote.. now that I've moved to the middle of the city, I hardly see any of them anymore.<br>

Ian, I was about to say "I love your deer".. but it might be misconstrued.. Nice setting :-)<br>

Michael, beautiful texture on that wood.. and the frozen pond is pretty. Is it thick enough to wander onto and skate?<br>

Scot, I really like both of your shots.. great colors in both shots!<br>

I've just been around town.. the sunset shot is one I took a few weeks ago, just got around to processing it. An overview of Phoenix from one of the small mountains. Then I went looking for some dates..</p><div></div>

[hagar]

<p>My first date</p><div></div>

[hagar]

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

[chune_hoong_pong]

<p>Great punchy pictures Haig, especially of the birdie feasting :)<br /><br />Threw a party with some friends to usher in the new year.<br />Most pics were poor, i should've been arrested for SUI (Shooting Under Influence).<br />Here's a casual shot unbeknownst to the poser, coupled with my half-baked b&w postprocessing.<br /><br />Have a fantastic 2009 everyone!<br /><br /><img src="http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr235/hchune/Web%20Uploads/IMGP7628.jpg" alt="" width="415" height="615" /> <br /><strong>Michael</strong></p>

[markus maurer]

<p>One more week to go until my holidays in Costa Rica and for that reason I tested the light Pentax F-80-200mm 4.7-5.6 zoom yesterday in my favorite park. Using macro lenses as standard equipment, every zoom looks now soft to me at the very long end but still this one is sufficient and handy enough to come with me. </p>

<div></div>

[markus maurer]

<p>winter at the construction site</p><div></div>

[markus maurer]

<p>as close as possible with that zoom and integrated flash</p><div></div>

[markus maurer]

<p>it's quite good at the wide end</p><div></div>

[musings]

<p>It's been raining almost non-stop here in Raleigh, so I have been staying inside and working on some still lifes (and Happy New Year to everyone, by the way!).</p><div></div>

[bob-c]

<p>I imagine that all of the shots in this week's pow look great but with my mac laptop in the shop for repairs, I am viewing them on an old pc that I think came over with Columbus. Uploading my shots for the week could proof interesting but here goes.</p>

[bob-c]

<p>Well, I thought it would be too much for this computer!</p><div></div>