Potw #37 16/11/08 - 30/11/08

*borno* · 11-24-2008, 01:50 PM

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Potw #37 16/11/08 - 30/11/08
Welcome to POTW # 37

This week's photos will cover these dates: Sunday November 16th till Sunday November 30th.

Let's keep up the high standard of shots we have seen over the past weeks.

Rules as before:

1) No theme just your favorite stuff.
2) Let's keep it to about 4-6 images per post just so the thread doesn't get too big each week .
3) Any Pentax camera is fine, film, P&S, DSLR (or Samsung DSLR)
4) Runs for 14 days. Sunday November 2nd to Sunday November 16th.
5) Enter anything you shot last week or this current week until the thread closes.

Previous hosts: 1 Peter Zack, 2 Eaglerapids, 3 rmtagg, 4 Peter Zack, 5 daacon, 6 Bramela, 7 mtnbearhug, 8 dantuyhoa, 9 gawan, 10 roentarre, 11 daacon, 12 Kris, 13 mtnbearhug, 14 SCGushue, 15 daacon, 16 maxwell1295, 17 dantuyhoa, 18 daacon, 19 maxwell1295, 20 Bamela, 21 Syb, 22 & 23 maxwell1295, 24 dantuyhoa, 25 Gawan, 26 Peter Zack, 27 borno, 28 daacon, 29 gawan, 30 Damn Brit, 31 & 32 maxwell1295 , 33 dantuyhoa, 34 daacon, 35 Peter Zack, 36 Damn Brit,37Borno

Thanks for hosting last week Gary, Let me start it up again as I don't wan't it to die off

A couple of eagles this week:

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

virgilr · 11-24-2008, 02:16 PM

Since this seems to not be a too popular week for folks to post, I thought I'd put up a couple I took today with the fabulous K-30mm f/2.8. Just fooling around with shots of the mantelpiece decorations, but I adore this lens! All shot at ISO 800, f/2.8.

georgweb · 11-24-2008, 05:06 PM

virgilr,
your second shot looks filmlike, just noticed it's half mirror, well done, good tones! (no I don't need the legendary K30xxx, no I don't ....)

borno,
reason I'm posting now is really cause I've been waiting for 'you first!' and then I have finally gotten one bird shot which is something near the quality of your photos, which you are constantly shelling out, respect! I really thought that pictures like your eagle shots would only be possible with the big whites, but you're proving me wrong on a regular basis!

This is from about 5 meters distance. This heron is coming to the park's pond regularly. Wild bird but not really.

Greetings, Georg (the other)

*daacon* · 11-24-2008, 06:26 PM

Thanks for hosting Tom !

That is a wonderfull eagle - what is the second bird is it an eagle as well ?

Virgilr - nice shots lens performs well in low light.

Georg - wonderful capture I would be proud to call that my shot.

We still have no snow - we may exit November without any ! It was also 6 C here today another anomally I can get use to (although I do wish it would snow)

No snow but our local river still has ice - click on image for larger view

*borno* · 11-24-2008, 06:37 PM

Nice shots with the k30 Virgil, I like the second one too

I like the Heron Georg

I think the hard thing about Nature photography is finding good spots. I have a spot I like that has a pond, a river and a stream all together and I think the birds are pretty used to me ( and fishermen ) and I try not to disturb them. There is a dam nearby where eagles come to fish and you can get pretty close if you are lucky

I got a couple today of an Eagle snagging a Walleye:

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

*borno* · 11-24-2008, 06:46 PM

Hey Dave,
The second is an immature Bald Eagle or "juvie" they get the white head at sexual maturity 4 or 5 yrs. I think

I like the ice patterns, kind of abstract, If it's going to be cold it's nice to have some snow to make things purty. The reason I don't like snow is I'm the one shovelling

*kevindt* · 11-24-2008, 10:01 PM

As always, beautiful birds, Borno, and yes Georg, that heron is pretty!

Dave, I love the textures in the cracked ice

A few of my attempts at birds this weekend at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge:

I also have some longer distance shots of air-traffic mayhem - we're in the middle of the winter migration for geese and ducks up the Pacific flyway - to post later.

**Damn Brit** · 11-25-2008, 02:13 AM

Thanks for taking the reins Tom.
I nearly had to change my underwear looking at your second set of shots. I can see why you wanted to get the thread started.

Virgil, your shots gave me a warm feeling. Christmas seems to have come early to your house.

Georg, I love your shot, look closely at the background, I can see three or four ghostly figures standing there.
No I'm not crazy, I just have a vivid imagination.

Dave, I really like your second shot.
If the ice is still there, you've got to make yourself a paper boat and go and float it in amongst the ice floes.

Kevin, great work, #4 is really cool.

*borno* · 11-25-2008, 05:23 AM

Great bird shots Kevin

You must have gotten pretty close to that hawk! I'm not sure about him but I'll guess Meadowlark, Pintail and Snowy Egret for the others. I'm not real good at bird identification though.

virgilr · 11-25-2008, 07:08 AM

I have to give a big kudos to all those submitting these bird shots- being a Montana boy natively (now living in Montreal? hehe), I love the pintail duck shot, with the reeds behind! You are all posting such lovely captivating images- the patience and skill required for this kind of photography, with our lowly Pentax AF systems (kidding), is just stunning!

Thanks to all for the comments. I wanted to give a warm feeling, brit! Actually, the only Christmas item on the mantle is the boot candle- that's just how my wife decorates, and we love to burn candles on the mantlepiece whenever the mood strikes us.

The more I use the K 30mm, the more I love it- it's funny, I find it easier to focus than my m 50 f/1.7, and I find it exposes better than the 50mm with the AE-L button.

I went to France late September/early October, to the south and a few days in Paris- I shot about 85% of my shots with a Tamron 28-200 XR (non-DG) and have such a great collection of shots! I didn't take the K30 with me, though- a pleasure trip, not a photography trip. But, the slingshot AW100 was JUST the ticket for the trip- it's now like a glove when I'm on walkabouts!

*gawan* · 11-25-2008, 11:53 AM

Tom, beautiful eagles! I love the young one!
Virgil, love your light studies!
Georg, I am amazed you got that close to the heron, Wonderful bird portrait!
Dave, I can feel the crisp air in your superb river photos!
Borno, I am so envy to you and Tom for those wonderful photos of eagles, a city boy as I am

Kevin, this thread begins to be a bird photos treasure chest

Great series you have there!

We have here iour first snow, but hard to get photos, as it is still quite dark when I get to work and very dark when leave for home..

RoxnDox · 11-25-2008, 02:27 PM

Just a couple from last weekend's Bambi hunting trip. Late afternoon light and a cloudy sky - this was straight out of the camera, not an HDR

The old stone farmhouse is just a cool thing to photograph. The lonesome fella in hte field just caught my eye.

Jim

*daacon* · 11-25-2008, 02:46 PM

Tom - thanks for the explanation and wow those are awsome bird shots I wish I had a spot like that to go to - great capture on the fishing eagle !

Kevin - Thanks for the comments. Another great set of Bird shots. #2 is so sharp and colorful.

Georg - Thnaks for the comments. I wish there was some snow here - brown is getting old. The days sure are shot here as well Sunrise 8:15 sunset 4:30 not a lot of daylihgt. I long for those summer 05:30 am sunrises and 10:30 pm sunsets ! Looks like a few flakes hit that first shot.

Jim - very good #1 , you are right it does almost look HDR like. And nice eye on the sole survivor !

*daacon* · 11-25-2008, 02:51 PM

My daughter doing some homework ... ahhh those were the days ..

an old friend who gave up and let me take his picture

Just like the symetry of this one

*kevindt* · 11-25-2008, 03:24 PM

Thanks for all the nice comments about the birds from everyone. My first ever trip to the SNWR and it will be first of many. They also have a couple of photo blinds that you can book and use, or apparently you can also use the shooting blinds after the season ends in February.

All but the little meadowlark were shot from inside the truck on the "Auto Trail" with the K20D and DA*300 +/- a Rear Converter-A 2x, or the DA* 50-135. The meadowlark was so unafraid he was begging for a little of my lunch, at a parking stop on the trail. I think that your guesses for #2,3,4 are right, Borno - I'm no great one at bird ID either though. I believe the first was a red-tailed hawk.

Georg - I like the snow shots, especially #2. I haven't been out in snow near home since I left the MidWest (and I don't really miss it, after shovelling/ snowblowing several tons of the stuff each winter there.

Jim - that is real mood lighting, with the dark clouds and the yellow sunlight.

Dave - that old fellow is getting gray round the muzzle too.

A few more from the same trip:

I believe this one might be a red-shouldered hawk but not sure.