david_s5

The 17-55/2.8IS has a very limited ability to work with an extension tube. Anything longer than 12mm, and you won't be able to focus at all.

Make sure you stop at a <a href="http://www.xerces.org/Monarch_Butterfly_Conservation/sites_to_visit.htm">Monarch Butterfly overwintering site</a>. Bring a long lens and a macro lens, as you'll want both.

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If you go past San Simeon, stop for the elephant seals.

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Check out the redwoods.

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Take a look at Morro Rock.

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Visit a few places at either end of your trip, like the La Brea Tar Pits and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

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Check out the numerous state parks along the coast.

People talk about a 1.5x or 1.6x crop camera. The idea is that the sensor is smaller than the amount of 35mm film ordinarily exposed by a 35mm camera, so the camera is essentially "cropping" the image.

 

The 1.5x or 1.6x refer to the effective focal length magnifier -- the crop is as is you had a lens 1.5x or 1.6x longer than you would have if you used a camera with a full frame sensor. (But note well: the cropping doesn't change the depth of field)

Some of the 4-channel models are have problems with Canon flashes -- depending on which channel they're set to, they trigger the flash when they're not supposed to.

If you click on "details" there's a big hint: it indicates that she dodged, burned, and adjusted colors.

Old Sigma lenses for Canon film bodies have a history of not working with the newer digital bodies, although the old Canon-made EF lenses generally do work.

 

Sony has been promising that at least some Minolta-made lenses will work with the new bodies, but they don't make any promises about 3rd party lenses.

 

If you can, I suggest walking into a retailer and trying out your old lens with the new body. It may or may not work.

It tends to be dry at this time of year.

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See <a href="http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N40W124+2200+042910C">this site</a> for monthly rainfall data from Eureka, CA

The GIF file format stores 8 bits per pixel, and a palette map to map those 8 bits into a fairly large color space. This isn't enough to produce print-quality photographs.

 

Try shooting in raw mode, converting to photoshop's native file format, and manipulating everything in that format. As your final step, either print or convert to a JPG for web display.

The back is orangey, and the Allen's hummingbird isn't often seen in Washington State, so Rufous.

If you have a long lens, try visiting the <a href="http://www.egret.org">Audobon Canyon Ranch</a>. The egrets and herons are nesting right now, and you can get up onto the ridge above them, and look down into the nests.

I've seen fields of domestic sunflowers along I-80 on my way up to Tahoe from the Bay Area for the 4th of July weekend. I THINK they were at the <a href="http://www.consrv.ca.gov/index/news/2005%20News%20Releases/NR2005-26_McConeghy_Ranch_Easement.htm">McConeghy Ranch</a>, but am not 100% certain.

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There is also a type of short wild sunflower called Mules' Ears. They grow all over the place, but form really nice meadows in the Sierras. I've seen some really good examples along the Tahoe Rim Trail on the west side of Lake Tahoe. They're usually in full bloom in that area over the 4th of July, but we've had a lot of snow this year, so I'd expect to see them bloom a week or two late.

At the Pinnacles National Monument, they <a href="http://www.nps.gov/pinn/visit/bgstatus.htm">seasonally close one of the caves to all visitors</a> -- not just to photography, in order to protect the bats.

How high up and how far north are you going to be? You'll likely find flowers at the bottom of the foothills right now, and still find snow on the mountaintops above Tahoe during the first week of July.

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You can get information about snow conditions <a href="http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/">here</a>, and California state-wide wildflower reports <a href="http://www.calphoto.com/wflower.htm">here</a>.

Canon gives away a piece of software called "Canon EOS Capture" which does what you describe. You can download it <a href="http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=DownloadIndexAct">here</a>, although it should show up on a CD in the box with your camera.

Get yourself an underwater housing, grab a mask, snorkel, and if you know what you're doing, scuba gear, and go on one of the tours to the outer reefs. Away from sand and shore, the water is clear, and you'll see a LOT of a fish and other sea creatures.

Before you spend anything, take a look at <a href="http://www.autostitch.net">this software</a>. It may be enough for you.

Did you photograph some individual leaves?

Kai: I haven't seen one for firefox, but the current version of the <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/">Thunderbird mail reader</a> has an automatic scam detector built in. You get a warning at the top of the message telling you that its likely a scam.

The Exif information embedded in Example 5 indicates that the flash did indeed fire when you took that picture last November.

I think that you're seeing small specs of dust floating in the air near your camera, which are illuminated by the flash.

Try joining a local birding mailing list, such as <a href="https://po.missouri.edu/archives/mobirds-l.html">this one</a>.

I suggest taking a look at land owned by the <a href="http://www.thetrustees.org/">Trustees of Reservations</a>; they own (and make open to the public) a lot of really beautiful places around Massachusetts.

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Do note that you'll need to <a href="http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/18_recreational_activities.cfm">get permission</a> to make commercial use of any photographs taken on Trustees land.

Thanks to the folks at archive.org, who save copies of just about everything on the web, you can find an archived version of the site <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20050331090310/www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/f_index.htm">here</a>.

I can't be sure without seeing a photo of the camera, but it sounds like you cracked the LCD. If you <a href="http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/main/kmpi/content/cam/RepairTracking/RepairStatusSearch">send the camera back to Konica-Minolta</a> you can get it repaired; if the camera is still under warranty, and you didn't sit on it or bang it against a hard object, make sure you include enough documentation proving when you bought the camera.

If the ground in Massachusetts isn't snowcovered, I suggest stopping at the <a href="http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/298_dinosaur_footprints.cfm">dinosaur footprints</a> as you pass by.