IT'S SPRING!

SELF | March 20, 09 | swampsniper

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I haven't done much the past few days. I was riding down a narrow residential street the other day and saw a little front yard surrounded by these lillies. The yard was shady but the flowers were glowing like hot coals. I shot these through the car window.

[Richard Kimball]

Excellent camera. What lenses did you get? I work with a 70-200 2.8L and a 24-70 2.8L. I'm saving up for a 300 2.8L, but those are my workhorse lenses.

The only suggestion I'll make early on is to not use the preselected modes. To really control your camera, learn to use shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual. On Canons, for some reason, they call shutter priority "threshold value" or TV. Aperture priority is AV.

Oh, one other suggestion: Take 500 photos, pick out the best five and hide the rest. Everyone will think you're a genius.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I don't really try hard to sell anything, that would make it too much like work,LOL

My health isn't reliable enough for me to set schedules and make committments, nothing I can do about that, so I don't sweat it.

I'm enjoying myself, learning new things every day, and that's enough!

When I can't do that any more, the gators can have my old carcass!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

This is a link to SIMCAM, I think it is a great tool.

http://www.photonhead.com/simcam/

[Richard Kimball]

I hear you. I started doing photography for the love of it. People started asking me to do jobs, so I charged money just to keep the requests down, and they started paying it! I hear people get into prostitution the same way.

I love doing photography just for the art, but I also love the challenge. That's one of the reasons I do sports.

You've got a good eye and understand composition.

[rustbucket]

I hadn't thought of web worms. We've had numerous sod web worm infestations in our area. The webs don't look like that at all. Nor do they look like tent caterpillars. These little webs (~3 inches across) are not the usual kind of tent caterpillar nests that I'm used to that house dozens of caterpillars and surround limbs and leaves. The upward pointing cones or domes of the webs in my photo are between twigs and seem designed to trap insects that are flying upwards.

My webs look more or less like the second picture on this "tent web spider" link: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Cyrtophora/Cyrtophora.html. Perhapsthey were made by some related species.

[Gator113]

Thanks, I’ll check it out.

[siamesecats]

You folks take some wonderful pictures!

Thank you so much!

[Gator113]

My gear:70-200 2.8L IS with Extender EF 1.4x II , 24-70 2.8L, EFS 10-22, 28-135 IS kit lens, 580EX II Speedlite, Hoya polarizing and UV filters ( those hurt to buy$), Manfrotto tripod with joystick like head, a monopod, two gear bags and other misulainious items. I too want the 300 2.8L or maybe the 400.

After buying that stuff, “Yes Dear” informed me that I would have to stay with Aperture II on my Mac and wait until at least next year before getting within 50’ of Photoshop. ;>)

I know it’s nuts for a rookie to start will that pile, but I am 60 now, I have much to quickly learn—some things I never will, and I feel a clock ticking away within me. I will never be a pro this late in my life though I think I would have enjoyed it, but I think I can learn to capture a few beautiful moments that someone might someday appreciate.

Thank you for your suggestions...

[Gator113]

One more thing. I figure that if Obama and those crooks in DC continue to plague us and drive us over the cliff, we are all going to be broke, so I might as well be prepared to document the Depression when I’m not too busy shootin’. ;>)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Check your PM

[Gator113]

Just did... you have email. Thank you very much.

[Islander7]

It seems we share a love for macro photography! I absolutely love that green hopper on the purple flower.

Japanese Magnolia

Bee busy!

Nikon D200, Sigma 105 EX APO Macro

[Islander7]

Oh, one other suggestion: Take 500 photos, pick out the best five and hide the rest. Everyone will think you're a genius. .

Ha! Damn, you gave away my secret!!!

[DeLaine]

Oh goodie, a new desktop picture for me!

[nicolezmomma]

I don’t post every time you ping, but please know that your pictures always put a smile on my face.

[Hot Tabasco]

I figured it was you again, rub it in why dontcha..........

Its been so cold in the mornings that the tulips that were starting to come up have gone back undergound.....They left a note saying "see you in June...."

[Hot Tabasco]

What kind of digital camera will take those kinds of close-up? I’ve tried to take some closeups of bugs with my Canon Powershot but just can’t do it......

[TnGOP]

Leica lens on my Panasonic

Tell us a little more about that little "polaroid" you have there. I bought the better half a Sony H10 for Christmas - 8.1 Megapixel, 10x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom, and it accepts lenses, but we haven't looked into it. I wish now I had bought the H 50. The camera takes great pictures, but not quite like yours. Is it the camera, or the one pushing the little button that makes the difference?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Go ‘head, rub it in.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Go ‘head rub it in. I took my grandson to the playground yesterday. It was sunny but windy and chilly. There were patchs of snow on the ground in shady places and the wind bit my face. It went down to 15 F last night.

I know that the apparent sun, corrected for aberation but not refraction, has transited zero degrees of ecliptic longitude, but, somehow, it doesn’t feel like Spring to me.