Canon Thursday Photo 2011: #30

[greenjeans]

<p>Rose of Sharon and bee. Didn't know the bee was there when I took the shot.</p><div></div>

[bruce_gibson1]

<p>Alpine Sundew growing on a Cushion Plant</p><div></div>

[pete_ferling]

<p><strong>Black Eyed Susan</strong>, <em>Rudbeckia hirta</em></p><div></div>

[jmorian]

<p>Ok, I swear I am not stupid, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get my pics to post correctly on the forum. I have done it before-and I know it posted correctly at least once, but since then I seem to have a file that is too big and my pics shows up as a link even when I have resized it to the specs. I have LR3, but am not well versed in it. If someone could help so that I can get a pic to post, I would really appreciate it!</p>

[Andrew Gosden]

<p>There's a praying mantis that's living on my oregano that I keep trying to get pictures of. This one is a little gimmicky - holding a close-up lens like a magnifying glass - but I like the way it turned out. Rebel xsi, 18-55 lens @ 53mm, f/5.6.</p>

<p><a title="Mantis Face Cropped by Bmore Beachy, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5986461756_ee08fc6494_z.jpg" alt="Mantis Face Cropped" width="640" height="495" /></a></p>

[nathangardner]

<p>Jan,<br />After you write, submit, and confirm your comment the next page that pops up will have a place where you can attach an image. Click the 'browse' button and don't forget to leave a caption.</p>

[dcstep]

<p><strong>Rufous hummingbird on Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. </strong><br>

Canon 7D, EF 500mm f/4L IS, ISO 800, 1/6400 second, f/4.5:</p>

<p><a title="Rufous hummingbird (female) sizes up a wildflower by dcstep, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6013/5986110228_6b0a4c6892_z.jpg" alt="Rufous hummingbird (female) sizes up a wildflower" width="640" height="640" /></a></p>

[rohin2k]

<p>Hi everyone,<br>

Here's my contribution for the week. Hopefully this time it shows as a picture with the text rather than a link :)<br>

@ Daniel Harris and Mark Kissel - Thanks for your comments!<br>

Special thanks to Ken Papai for sharing his re-sizing technique for posting here. <br>

Cheers!<br>

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

[dhauschild]

<p>To homestead in Kansas, one was required to mark the perimeter of your farm with a solid wall or a four wire fence. As there were no trees on the prairie, native limestone was used, eight inches wide, eight inches thick and six feet long, they averaged 250 - 500 pounds. A large wagon and good team could haul 8 posts at most. Post rock fences were used over 40 thousand miles of country, predominately throughout Washington county 200 miles north to Ford county. This post was recently carved by an artist living near lake Wilson, KS. he plans to carve many more.</p><div></div>

[dean_schreuder]

<p>A lot of good shots this week... I almost forgot it was Thursday so here's mine...<br /><br /><a title="Amber by Dean Schreuder, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/5983933538_5194b4c63a_z.jpg" alt="Amber" width="427" height="640" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Amber</strong><br /><br />Camera: Canon EOS 7D<br />Lens: Canon EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM<br />Exposure Program: Manual<br />Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)<br />Aperture: f/2.8<br />Focal Length: 45 mm<br />ISO Speed: 400<br />Exposure Bias: 0 EV<br />Flash: Off, Did not fire</p>

[daveinwilton]

<p>Fantastic images on this thread as always, I particularly like the caiman shot Jeff.  I am setting up for my yearly sabbatical to the Mendocino County coastline, so nothing new this week either.  Instead, I thought I would share a hand held theater shot of the Aladdin show at Disneyland.  It was supposed to be the last showing, but has now been held over indefinitely by popular demand.  Personally, I was particularly pleased at the quality, regardless of ISO 2000 on a 50D.<br>

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

[larry h.]

<p>Lee, Paul, Marcel & Lupo, thanks for the kind words.</p>

<p>Lee, I don't know where you live, but I know I've seen the SR-71 at other air museums. This museum is great, though. Other favorites are the Enola Gay (B-29), Concorde, Gossamer Albatross, Flying Tiger, Corvair (?) from the Black Sheep Squadron movie, Space Shuttle Enterprise (never flew in space; saw it in Huntsville long ago), American version of the V-1 Buzz Bomb, F-4 Phantom, and a huge version of a Wankel Rotary Engine (which for some reason, I did not take a picture of it). I thought I remembered a big controversy about how the Enola Gay was to be presented, but it was very low key--neither rah-rah nor PC.</p>

<p>Paul, I got various angles (from front, front of engine, rear of engine, etc.) and had a hard time picking one to post. Ultimately, this angle and the rear of the engine were, I think, the most different. I particularly like the orange glow near the rear engine in the shot I presented.</p>

<p>Marcel & Lupo, I agree... One of the most beautiful aircraft I've ever seen. I was hoping they'd have a U-2 for comparison. There were a few others I was hoping to see there. I couldn't get a good shot of the Gossamer Albatross, but in its own way, it was as finely engineered as the SR-71, Concorde or Space Shuttle.</p>

[Doug Obert]

<p>Lupo,<br>

Interesting guess on location. No, western Washington. Here is my trick for getting this close: Take 77 year old mother, wife, daughter and 19 month old grand daughter to a wildlife park and cram into a tram/bus and let them drive you close! ;-) I have never taken my camera gear to a zoo and this is my first time at a wildlife park...I found some challenges taking photos there (herky-jerky bus that never stopped and light ranging from blinding to deep shadows) and with our first grandchild having so much fun there, I'll probably go back!</p>

[daniel_harris]

<p>I was backpacking in the Sierra most of this past week. Trying to go light, I didn't take my dSLR along, instead used a Kodak P&S. So this photo is from the previous week's day trip to Yosemite.</p><div></div>

[kazwiltshire]

<p>Late to the party this week, been away visiting family in the Beatles hometown.... This is a shot of a local Folly near to where i live in Dorset (Wimborne) called Horton Tower. It was built as an observatory about 1750 but has succumbed to the modern day by being used by Vodafone as a tower for their aerials. Seems a shame its not a bit more romantic! I was trying out my new lens and the sheep seemed quite worried and was keeping an eye on me.</p><div></div>

[rick_janes]

<p>From Laguna Seca last weekend, V Rossi on the Ducati GP11.1.<br>

Canon EOS 1D Mk IIn, EF 400/5.6L + TC 1.4x II: a maneuverable package for these these very brief glimpses at Rainey Corner. </p><div></div>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Pantheon Rome Sigma 8mm Fisheye</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Missed adding the shot - here it is</p><div></div>

[mbkissel]

<p>A fantastic week of photos all around, folks. Nice work.</p>

<p>@ Nathan - lovely wedding shot. A bit dark, but I think it lends itself to the mood of the shot.<br>

@ Jeff Spirer - Wow, simply wow! Great post work on this one.<br>

@ James Dean - I would be very pleased with the shot, James. I think it's terrific!<br>

@ Vladmir Wegner - subject a bit too centered? These shots are often a struggle to get the exposure right with the bright background. Maybe add a bit of fill flash next time?<br>

@ Spencer Chrouser - good in b&w, works well for this shot. Nice balanced composition.<br>

@ Jeff Lear - nice and clean high ISO shot. I like the upper third of this shot; would make a nice composition by itself.<br>

@ Lee Derrickson - I keep wanting to get a nice closeup of a goldfinch like this one. A bit too centered?...regardless, nice closeup. I always struggle with composition on these, especially when the subject is a moving target.<br>

@ robert colameco - How could that bride not be pleased with this shot? I like the composition and lighting. Very nice, Robert.<br>

@ Randall Farhy - the post work "saved" this one very nicely. Reminds me of '60s vintage b&w shots.<br>

@ Dan Park - I've never been much of a fan of Sepia toning, but this one works well. Looks like a painting.<br>

@ Larry Clement - I have a hard time seeing that bee; a little fill flash might light it up. It looks like there might be another on the flower on the far left. That kind of heat makes it hard to concentrate; we've had several 100+ days with high humidity recently. Ugh!<br>

@ Jan de Bever - did not know kiwi was a vine like that. I might have cropped out some of that white area on the left to give a slightly better balanced shot.<br>

@ David Cavan - there is a mill close to my home with considerably less mechanical components, but they are in deep shade. Love the natural light in this shot and the slow shutter speed gives a nice sense of movement.<br>

@ Dan Ferrin - yes, I can see how they were pleased. Nice "showy" shot with good balance/composition. Exposure is perfect.<br>

@ Robin Smith - I would have cropped this one on the left to "move" that foreground bend slightly more to the left.<br>

@ Gordon Lonsdale - nice stop action shot! I don't like the tilted horizon, but I do like the straight up look of your subject. Would be hard to change any of that in post on this one without wrecking subject placement. <br>

@ Mark Poseley - nice colors. I think a tighter crop, removing the dark clouds at the left might work well.<br>

@ Louis Meluso - I like the composition; you're getting pretty good with the lighting from that ring light. ;-)<br>

@ thom polimeros - love the sky colors, thom. Exposure was perfect on that stitched set.<br>

@ Rob Bernhard - nailed the focus on the stamens. Good overall composition.<br>

@ Michael Dulac - interesting sky with nice composition. Works great in b&w.</p>

<p>Second batch coming right up...</p>

<p> </p>

[mbkissel]

<p>@ David Huff - great composition! The little blob of white light to the far right of the building is slightly distracting.<br>

@ Tony Leinster - probably one of the most photographed places in Virginia. I can almost overlay some of my own on this one. Nicely captured. It's a beautiful spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway.<br>

@ Jeff BacKer - good low angle. I like the reflection of the eyes in the water. Not too crazy about the vignetting.<br>

@ Randy Cooprider - interesting looking place. I can't help but wonder how this one would look if shot from a slightly less acute angle.<br>

@ Nimesh Patel - good in-flight shot of the GBH. Dislike the tilted look of the horizon and centered bird, but on the "fly" composition like this is really tough.<br>

@ John Crowe - fun shot. So what's the story behind this one, John?<br>

@ Ken Papai - I like my 16-35 a lot, Ken. This is a fine shot with that lens. Did you use a flash here?<br>

@ Michael Elenko - a busy composition, but I like that "spot of blue". <br>

@ James G. - that's a great ambition for a 16 yr. old. Foreground diver distracts my attention.<br>

@ DeLoyd Huenink - like the composition, but not the halo along the ridge. Nice colors.<br>

@ Andrew Harto - you captured this procession perfectly! Very nice photo.<br>

@ Larry H. - good composition. I like the angle. <br>

@ Stephen Cumblidge - fun shot; poor girl.<br>

@ Dave Collett - interesting sky; contrasts nicely with the mountains.<br>

@ William Khan - I would not have known that was an HDR shot, William. Nicely done.<br>

@ Alicia Miller - perfect lighting from the side on this one! <br>

@ Marcel Romviel - as much as I don't like square crops, this one might work well by eliminating some of the blank white space on the right.<br>

@ Doug Obert - nice elk shot! Tried to get some like these in Banff, but no go. I'm officially jealous now.<br>

@ Peter Meade - Composition is nice, Peter. I might like just a tiny bit more light on the left side of her face.<br>

@ Henry Wynands - and a nice hummingbird shot it is. Closer, get closer.</p>

<p>Round three coming up...</p>

<p> </p>

[mbkissel]

<p>@ JDM - so serene looking now. Hard to imagine the bloody battle that took place there.<br>

@ Gene Spearman - I like shots where I suddenly discover something in the frame that I didn't see while shooting. Flower just a tad too centered?<br>

@ Bruce Gibson - I might have cropped out that stem on the left altogether. Love the lighting in this shot but the white flower looks just a bit blown out.<br>

@ Pete Ferling - wow, I like this shot, Pete! Nice background really makes these flowers pop!<br>

@ Andrew Gosden - "gimmicky"? I don't think so. I like the shot. Interesting with good composition.<br>

@ David Stephens - Perfect! Killer bokeh!<br>

@ Rohin Mukhi - get that horizon out of the center! Nice sunset; I might have cropped out the sign and light post on the left and some of the foreground water to lower that horizon. Nice colors in the sky.<br>

@ Don Hauschild - thanks for the story behind that interesting looking post.<br>

@ Lupo - I agree, the quality of the photos seems better every week. What a delicious looking photo. I printed it and then ate it. Was a little dry and needed some salt. ;-) Another terrific looking food shot, my friend.<br>

@ Dean Schreuder - I like the pose and her expression. Exposure is spot on. Not crazy about the vignetting.<br>

@ DL Anderson - beautiful colors! It sure came out nice and clean at this size.<br>

@ Daniel Harris - good view of the falls. Lots of water flow that day.<br>

@ karen wiltshire - horizon placement is good, like the sheep in the foreground; tower might could have gone a bit more left without spoiling the rest of the composition? I like that the sheep is eyeing you; adds more interest.<br>

@ Rick Janes - oh, good one, Rick! Good timing!<br>

@ Philip Wilson - I like this one. I've seen a bunch of shots of the Pantheon ceiling, but none quite like this one, Philip. Nice photo.</p>

<p>Okay, that's all for this week. And my deep thanks to all of you who have made such nice comments about my photo submissions. I always welcome your comments and critiques. Thank you!</p>

<p> </p>