cowan stark

I guess the border dispute isn't a new one. Anyway, I just called and talked with the Nortons today, and they've been landing everyday (including today) and there have been no trips cancelled....so far.

Try enabling DMA (direct memory acces) in your Device Manager under the hard drives tab, then reboot, this will allow it to capture at a higher frame rate and should get rid of the choppy video. I had a similar problem that was fixed that way.

I spoke to Captain Norton a couple of weeks ago to book a trip in three weeks time. As of then the trip was on, but if I hear differently I'll pass it along.

Hmmm, they just shipped me 5 propacks of Reala yesterday (grey market). I hope that didn't deplete the stocks! I haven't had any problem with grey market Reala in the past. If it's gettin' scarce, I may have to order a load for the freezer. Awsome film, I hope they keep it around.

OK, a few things. Herons as pointed out can be very skittish, especially if they're not used to a human presence. As Frank pointed out, they are reasonably easy to shoot in Florida. This photo was taken at Ding Darling with a 300mm lens from behind a bush and the bird didn't even blink an eye. Where I live in NH, we have tons of Blue Herons but I've found them very tough to photograph. If they're intent on feeding, I think you may have a better chance on sneaking up on them. Also, as you approach, stop and freeze as soon as you see those head feathers pop-up, it's a sign that the birds

getting alarmed about something. Wear a hat...your head feathers flapping around are also a sign of alarm. If you can't get close, get creative. Make the bird part of a larger scene instead of the overdone closeup bird portrait. Leave room in the frame for a reflection, or catch it doing something in its environment to make it more interesting. I have to admire your persistence anyway!<div></div>

The Bogen 3434 Micro, or Mini 3009 should work, try B&H.

Just wanted to add my recent experience. I have a 787 also, and managed to rip off the tab that holds the O-ring on the belt which attaches the shoulder harness. Probably had more to do with the way I sling the thing over my back when I pick it up fully laden, than any inherent defect. Anyway, they not only fixed it promptly under warranty, but also reinforced both sides with double stitching to make sure it doesn't happen again. Also, the webbing on the outside pocket that holds the tripod was getting worn down and abraded, and they replaced the whole thing without asking!

Andy, I've used the Bogen 441 with a Pentax 67 and did OK with lenses up to the 165/2.8. However, I found that I need to hang my backpack on it for ballast to get the best results. I do this by attaching a carabiner to the carrying strap ring and make really sure the whole rig won't topple. For 35mm, no problems with up to 400/5.6 lens on an EOS 3. I don't feel a need to move up to a heavier duty Gitzo (I like the leg setup on the Bogen better) but I guess if I had it to do over again, I might think about a 12xx or 13xx Gitzo if I could find a good price on one.

Velvia's going to be a lot contrastier than Sensia, especially pushed a stop. Take that into account with the lighting conditions you find yourself in. Arthur Morris seems to have done OK with Velvia +1 over the years! Just a personal preference, (and I know this has been re-hashed here many times)I rate Velvia at 80 and push it one stop. I'm going to give Provia 400F a try this year just for fun at Corkscrew. I also like 100F a lot-it might be worth a try.<div></div>

There's not a whole lot near Corkscrew itself, but Naples or Bonita Springs are an easy drive and I'm sure there'll be appropriate lodging within 1/2 hour of the the swamp. I agree with Richard, it's hard not to find something to photograph there. The birds are very tame. The boardwalk is nice, but if there are a lot of people there, just be a little careful. There are observation areas where you can set up tripods, but they can get easily kicked. Also, there can be some vibration from the foot traffic on the deck. I usually use a 300/4 IS with a 1.4 tc if needed. Bring a flash for fill, it's very useful for owls (keep it off camera to avoid eye shine), and hawks. Go around the boardwalk several times. You'll often see things you didn't on the first try. The large birds (woodstorks, egrets, etc) are easy, but look around, there's a lot of action in the woods also. For film, I use Provia F or Velvia pushed a stop. This year, I'll try some Provia 400F,as well if the lighting demands it. During non-peak times of the year, you can hit Corkscrew in the morning, and Ding Darling in the afternoon as long as the causway to Sanibel isn't packed. You'd be better off at Ding Darling for sunrise/sunsets, since Corkscrew is mostly wooded, and there's really not much in the way of open water there to get those nice reflection shots. Have a great trip!<div></div>

Heres's one taken just past peak foliage here using a Moose filter and Velvia under very contrasty midday sun. <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo.tcl?photo_id=97193&size=lg">Moose Filter</a>

I've been to Fatali's gallery in Zion, and have really admired his work. His prints are absolutely stunning. Ironically with every print, as well as the captions on his website, he makes a point to describe how long he waited for the light to get his image-sometimes days. I've always respected that. If, and this is a big IF, this is true, I'll always have to wonder how many of the other images were made with the flick of a Bic. I agree we should wait until we hear the whole story first before conducting an e-trial here, but thanks Dan for pointing out the story to us.

I'm assuming you're talking sea kayaks here and not white water!

 

I had the pleasure of a kayak trip in Alaska this summer to the Shoup Glacier in Prince William Sound. I pretty much did the same as you. We had to drag the kayaks through some tidal flats over slippery rocks, and on the way back got caught in some pretty fast tidal outflow which was a bit hairy and unexpected. I brought a drybag and secured it to the boat in case the boat and I parted company so I'd have at least some chance of meeting up with my equipment later on. I put the camera in a padded Kinesis case ready to shoot on my lap under the sprayskirt (lots of wildlife)and put that inside the drybag if it looked like things were going to get a bit rough. Oh, yeah, one more thing...insurance!

Just to update this thread, you can pre-order the new Professional Field Techniques book which should be out next month <a href=" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0817440593/o/qid=969246562/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_3/103-2450569-8643858">here</a>

Did you ever wish that somedays you never even should have bothered? Well, I missed the alarm this morning, and the sunrise. Got pulled over for speeding on route 16 near Wakefield (just a warning TG). Ripped the shoulder strap off my photo-backpack. Had to give a ride to a hiker who just came out from a week in the woods to find his car vandalised in the Glen Ellis Falls parking lot. They had ripped out the radio, stolen the cell phone, smashed a window and cut the battery cables. Not that it was any bother to help, it was just a bummer to see that stuff going on there.

 

Oh, yeah the photography....it was in the 80's, windy as heck, the snow's all gone and looks like the leaves have a long ways to go.

 

For the moderators: Would it be possible to maybe consider a section under "travel" or "locations" where we can post updates for current conditions?. Around this time of year, there are frequent questions about fall foliage timing in various hotspots around the country. Unlike the July 4th fireworks barrage we get on the general forum, 'nature's fireworks' are more variable, and not something that can be searched in the archives. I'd be happy to help contribute to something like that. What do others think?

Can't predict when, and whenever someone tries to here, a fight breaks out as to what factors make them look best and when. Anyway, biology aside, the White Mountains just had their first hard frost the last several nights, and there's snow atop Mt Washington. I spoke to someone today who lives in Glen (near Pinkham Notch) and he says there isn't much going on yet. I'll be going up tomorrow to have a look for myself (I live in southern NH) and can report back this weekend. Search the database here, there are lots of websites with current conditions, but they're usually a bit rosy since they're often run by the tourism industry. Generally you'll be fairly close around the first week of October +/- 1-2 weeks. (how's that for a hedge?) The topography here has enough variety that it's hard not to find something in the area that's peaking. If you want to keep an eye on things, the Mt Washington Observatory website at www.mountwashington.org has a 'valley cam' and a 'summit cam' you can click on and get a live shot and see for yourself. They also have weather reports, summit conditions, and useful links. And oh yeah, some nice images.

Which species? Greater, Lesser, Chilean? For Lesser flamingos, try Kenya. For Greater flamingos, try the Carribean. For Chilean flamingos...well, you know.

 

They're either vagrant or zoo/wildlife park escapees in the US.

I had the same problem using IE 5.5 Turns out there were 3 cookies for photo.net in there. Check c:/windows/cookies. After I got rid of them, and re-registered, it's been working fine.

To address Howard's question about scanning 6x7's:

 

I was really getting frustrated with trying to do 1200 dpi scans in that format with the scanner. The slide holders that came with mine were lousy, and wouldn't hold the film flat. I tried masking off the "Brownie" sized holder, but couldn't get that to work. I was getting Newton rings, all kinds of scan lines, usually magenta horizontally across the image. I tried the SilverFast demo with multipass scans-no luck. I cleaned the glass, the TPU to no avail. Tech support suggested there was a problem with the TPU, and to send the unit in. However, after trying some 4x5 scans for which the holder seems a bit better designed, there was no problem. It definitely had to do with the slide holder.

 

Solution: I got some FoldMats from Light Impressions which are reusable black presentation mats with a Re-tac surface inside, 4x5" with a 6x7cm opening. They come in a package of 10 for about $10. They are just thick enough to keep the slide just off the surface of the glass, and for whatever reason the lines have disappeared and the scan quality has picked up significantly. Just thought I'd pass it along in case anbody else has had the same problem.

It is not necessarily true that IR film will be totally fogged with the A2E. People have had varied results with this. The fogging occurs on the bottom near the sprocket holes and may only protrude a mm or so into the frame. Try a roll and see how you do-it'll cost less than a new body. Konica IR is less IR sensitive than HIE and it may not even be a problem at all. You can use IR film in the EOS 630,10s,1,1RT,1n, and some say the 1V (hardly a backup camera!) which I've heard has a different type of IR transport than the A2E and 3. I've used a 630 for IR and as backup-it's a good, solid camera and you can get one in great shape for $250-275 on the used market. KEH often has them. Check this thread for more discussion on fogging of IR film and EOS bodies: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000ZqY&topic_id=23&topic=photo%2enet

Another vote for the Epson 1200U. Not the best Dmax in the world, 3.0 I think, but certainly more than adequate for web use. I'm using it for 6x7, my only gripe is the film holders. Other than that, it works fine, it's fairly fast and I think it's OK for proofs to 8x10. Software is adequate at best. I've pushed the size up to 12x16 using Genuine Fractals with fairly decent results.

Bogen actually makes one part# 3419, it's on the Manfrotto website under tripod accessories.

http://www.manfrotto.com/products/index.html?doc_from=home

 

I saw one in my local store for under $70

Here's the listing on Barnes and Noble's website.

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<a href="http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=1LNGW19NTR&mscssid=1E96UHD1A1S92NQE0017QUW4XK5J3SD2&isbn=0817463798">B&N LINK</a>

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The recipe for the image is in the Introduction section for those who want to know.

Bob, I haven't seen the calendar, but it sounds suspiciously like a photo of his I saw in his "Virtual Wilderness" book (oxymoronic title-got it as a gift from a well meaning relative-honest!). It appears on the cover and in the introduction section. It's a captive wolf from Montana superimposed on an image from Waterton Lakes N.P. at sunrise. The frosty breath issuing forth from his mouth was airbrushed in Photoshop. Again, not sure if it's the same image, but sounds like it may be...

I just got back from a conference in Valdez-was there for 9 days, I got to make several photo side trips, so here's my two cents worth. I spent 3 days in Kennecot/McCarthy. To get there, you have to drive to Chitina, then either pick up a small plane (Wrangell Air-they have a website)or drive 2 hours on a washboard road. The rental car agencies won't let you drive up there, (at least Hertz won't-they are even talking about not letting you park in Chitina and leaving the car there while you fly in due to recent episodes of vandalism). There is van service between Chitina and McCarthy. I took the plane, it was well worth the $65, if you don't mind a little rain leaking through the windows. You can stay in McCarthy, or stay at the lodge in Kennecot which is not cheap, but comfortable. There were nice views of the Chugach range and the Wrangells from there, as well as the often photographed copper mill (I know, not nature...). Moose, bears (from the air), arctic ground squirrels were about all I saw for wildlife, wildflowers were around, but I don't know what'll be there in the fall. If you fly in, you can take only 40lbs, and one bag-these are 4-6 seaters. They didn't have a scale to weigh anything anyway, but that's the policy. The Richardson Highway through Thompson pass to Valzez I thought was very scenic-lots of construction going on, and a bit slowgoing-lotsa motor homes. Nice, easy to photograph roadside waterfalls near Valdez-Bridal Veil, Horsetail Falls. Several easy to do hiking trails into the rainforests around Valdez also. My favorite trip was a seakayaking trip to the Shoup Glacier in Prince William Sound (Anadyr Adventures in Valdez)-it was spectacular! Lots of wildlife opportunities, I took a 300/4 IS and 28-135 IS in the Kayak-getting the LF equipment in would be difficult, but might be do-able. I only wish I had more time, but I definitely want to go back sometime. Feel free to e-mail me if you want anymore info-sounds like a great trip! I'd advise planning as much ahead of time as possible.