[Colorado CJ]

I took a ride yesturday up into the Snowys (Snowy Range, Wyoming).

It was windy, cold and I got hit with a near whiteout blizzard at 12,000 ft. on my bike, I HAD A GREAT TIME!

Shot with my K20D and Super Takumar 28mm F3.5 (bike shot taken with the SMC Takumar 55mm F1.8)




My trusty steed, an '08 V-Strom 650. This bike has taken me everywhere, even some pretty extreme 4x4 trails.







The "trees" at the top, you can see which way the prevailing winds blow







Looking back at the Laramie Valley

[dummyfoto]

Here are my first attempts using a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 adapted to an Olympus E-PL1

[Pepe Guitarra]

I really would like to see the gear you are wearing riding on that bike in that weather.

Nice shots, good for Colorado!!!

I took a ride yesturday up into the Snowys (Snowy Range, Wyoming).

It was windy, cold and I got hit with a near whiteout blizzard at 12,000 ft. on my bike, I HAD A GREAT TIME!

Shot with my K20D and Super Takumar 28mm F3.5 (bike shot taken with the SMC Takumar 55mm F1.8)




My trusty steed, an '08 V-Strom 650. This bike has taken me everywhere, even some pretty extreme 4x4 trails.







The "trees" at the top, you can see which way the prevailing winds blow







Looking back at the Laramie Valley

[Colorado CJ]

I really would like to see the gear you are wearing riding on that bike in that weather.

Nice shots, good for Colorado!!!

I have decent all season waterproof gear, a Transition 2 jacket (with removable winter liner) and RevIt pants (with removable liner). I always have heavy gloves along in case of bad weather as well. An Armor all baklava is in the bag as well. With that gear and heated grips, I can ride in pretty much any weather.

Here was a trip I took last March. It was snowing for a couple of hours, then the road started to get pretty slick, so we pulled over and luckily found a camping area. This picture was taken only 10 minutes after pulling over.

[Pepe Guitarra]

Attachment 129967
Super Takumar 55/1.8

Attachment 129968
Super Takumar 55/1.8

Attachment 129969
Super Takumar 55/1.8

Yellow CATs playing in yellow clay
Attachment 129970
S-M-C Takumar 200/4

Homeless Man's Home (on left with no pants on - hot, humid day)
Attachment 129971
S-M-C Takumar 200/4

Nice bicycle!

[Argenticien]

Yellow CATs playing in yellow clay
Attachment 129970
S-M-C Takumar 200/4

Where'd you find yellow clay around here?! Are the color settings right on this? I have only ever found red clay...
--Dave

[samtr87]

Colorado CJ, those pictures are beautiful. The scenery is incredible.

[Argenticien]

I noticed a few days ago that the cool birdhouse from my sister-in-law and her husband is inhabited again this year, chickadees this time. I outfitted the K20D with the Super Tak 135/3.5, my longest. ("Weak!" I hear you say; yes I know I need a 200 ... and a 300 ...). No matter; the mother bird was so preoccupied with feeding her young that she ignored me even though I was only 4 - 5 meters away. All these shots are wide open, so not surprisingly slightly soft. (No post-processing other than resize and crop.)




Checking to see if the coast is clear before going in. (You'll see why momentarily.)



Feeding:






Now in deep shade, but hoping to freeze high-energy bird motion, so cranked to ISO 1600 where the K20D gets noisy:



We have a pretty fully functioning ecosystem out behind the house, including a few of these guys. (K20D + 135, but this time from indoors through a window.)



Unfortunately for this chickadee, we think she may be a widow with small children. The day before I made the pictures of her feeding them, a hawk went by my window in a blur. I looked up from my work to see the birdhouse swinging and the hawk standing at the nearest convenient perch, holding a small bird in its talon, methodically and quickly pulling all the feathers off with its beak. It then flew away with the kill. (As my wife said, he took the poor little guy as a snack and left behind the wrapper!) The victim could have been a random other curious bird visiting the birdhouse, but I'm thinking more likely the above chickadee's mate, lover, pool boy, or similar. That perch where the hawk flayed the kill was unfortunately the bird bath (!) a meter away from the surviving chickadee's house, leaving a sort of sad memorial or grisly warning to her and the other small birds.




I'm one to let nature run its course, but I did hose out the bird bath soon after this...
--Dave

[vladimiroltean]

Very strange day today. After it rained non-stop for the last week, today I went outside to take my guitar amp from repair. The repair guy asked me a question that made me think a little, if I always take pictures, or why am I always keeping the camera around my neck. I said that I rarely take photos, but I want it to be handy in case something picture-worthy appears in my sight. Truth be told, I thought it would be another one of those days when I simply carried the camera all day with me without taking any picture, or only shitty ones.
Then, on my way to the bus station, some random kids of the street appeared and asked me "Mister, can you take a picture of us?" Well, I said to myself, why not? Then they asked for money of course
While the pictures themselves are rather clumsy, it's certainly a thing that doesn't happen to me every day, and I thought I'd share it with you. Their attitude kind of surprised me too, that raised thumb shows a lot of optimism despite their actual condition. I didn't tell them what to do, they were 100% natural.








The pictures are all taken with my 50/1.4.

[paulh]

I really like these spontaneous kids shots Glad to hear that the camera around your neck wasn't just dead weight today!

[redfalcon]

Love those!

[rkappleby]

While the pictures themselves are rather clumsy

Nothing clumsy here Vladimir, there is something special about these - nice job
Robert

[vladimiroltean]

Hey, it seems they were received warmer than I expected! Thanks a lot

[yustr]

Smc 105/2.8

[dude163]