POTW #227 - 5th August 2012 - 19th August 2012 Report

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Welcome to the Picture of the Week #227. Let's see plenty of great postings over the next week.

This week covers 5th August to 19th August, 2012.

Again same rules as always:

1) No theme, just post your favorite pix.

2) Lets keep it to fewer than 6 images per post just so the thread doesn't get too big each week.

3) Any Pentax camera or Samsung SLR is fine, whether it's film, P&S, or DSLR.

4) Enter anything you shot last week or during this current week until the thread closes.

5) The current host will appoint the new host as an invitation via Private Message (PM). If possible, the new thread will be linked to the previous one and the new thread will start between Noon EDT and 5PM EDT on Sunday. If the thread doesn't start, please contact bluestringer, Moderator via PM.

Here are the links to previous POTW threads:

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, 19(2) daacon, 20 Bramela, 21 Syb, 22 maxwell1295, 23 maxwell1295, 24 dantuyhoa, 25 Gawan, 26 Peter Zack, 27 borno, 28 daacon, 29 gawan, 30 Damn Brit, 31 maxwell1295, 32 maxwell1295, 33 dantuyhoa, 34 daacon, 35 Peter Zack, 36 Damn Brit, 37 Borno, 38 Kevint, 39 Peter Zack, 40 Timbo13, 41 daacon, 42 daacon, 43 gawan, 44 dantuyhoa, 45 daacon, 46 Rense, 47 daacon, 48 Rense, 49 borno, 50 Rense, 51 daacon, 52 Peter Zack, 53 Peter Zack, 54 dadipentax, 55 David Whiteley, 56 planedriver, 57 daacon,58 Bramela, 59 daacon, 60 gawan, 61 virgilr, 62 daacon, 63 RickL, 64 Peter Zack, 65 Peter Zack, 66 Causey, 67 daacon, 68 Bramela, 69 georgeweb, 70 daacon,71 seacapt, 72 daacon, 73 AOski, 74 Rense, 75 eccs19, 76 daacon, 77 xs400, 78 daacon, 79 Bramela, 80 Borno, 81 legacyb4, 82 daacon, 83 gawan, 84 Rense, 85 Peter Zack, 86 davef, 87 davef, 88 xjjohnno, 89 Bramela, 90 Peter Zack, 91 daacon, 92 stevebrot, 93 reeftool, 94 jezza323, 95 oldschool, 96 Iris, 97 Rense, 98 planedriver, 99 xs400, 100 Peter Zack, 101 Netuser, 102 Photolady, 103 Tamia, 104 Irishwhite, 105 Ramseybuckeye, 106 xjjohnno, 107 Bumbibop, 108 JeffJS, 109 Tpeace, 110 Nomad, 111 Photolady, 112 rparmar, 113 Peter Zack, 114 casil403, 115 Tamia , 116 JeffJS, 117 bbluesman, 118 Clou, 119 ruggiex, 120 Jimbow007, 121 jmschrie, 122 VaughnA , 123 pop4, 124 casil403, 125 woof, 126 twitch, 127 stevebrot, 128 ohce, 129 jmschrei, 130 photolady, 131 photolady, 132 bbluesman, 133 rparmar, 134 reeftool, 135 reeftool, 136 Oldschool, 137 xjjohonno, 138 KarenH , 139 Rense, 140 daacon, 141 Tamia, 142 JeffJS, 143 bbluesman, 144 fotaki, 145 fotaki, 146 Woof, 147 Bramela, 148 Bramela, 149 Tamia, 150 Nomad, 151 Clou, 152 drugal, 153 rparmar, 154 Nomad, 155 jmschrei, 156 noelcmn, 157 noelcmn, 158 rwfarnell, 159 ramseybuckeye, 160 christophleipzig, 161 JeremytheIndian, 162 SpecialK, 163 emetcalf, 164 emetcalf, 165 stevebrot, 166 rparmar, 167 Mattt, 168 JeffJS, 169 jmschrei, 170 fotaki, 171 xs400, 172 TOUGEFC, 173 TOUGEFC, 174 Warped, 175 MaryAD, 176 Davidw0815, 177 baro-nite, 178 baro-nite, 179 pentaximus, 180 lukulele, 181 lukulele, 182 rob 1234, 183 lukulele, 184 lukulele, 185 pentaximus, 186 ramseybuckeye, 187 ramseybuckeye, 188 StDevious, 189 Free Soul, 190 Clou, 191 brvnara, 192 Pentaximus, 193 Noelcmn, 194 Noelcmn 195 GmcarsMAN, 196 jmschreii,197 wolfiegirl, 198 xjjohnno, 199 Arn , 200 Peter Zack, 201 bluestringer, 202 cif, 203 Rollsup, 204 noelcm, 205 Davidw0815, 206 Davidw0815, 207 cif, 208 ramseybuckeye, 209 paulh, 210 Oldschool, 211 SpecialK, 212 mecrox, 213 Pentaximus, 215 bramela, 216 jmschrei, Exandr, 218 Noelcmn, 219 Noelcmn, 220 sergiu, 221 sergiu, 222 sergiu, 223 sergiu, 224 sergiu, 225 sergiu, 226 sergiu

[pentaximus]

Wow, a lot of outstanding shots already this week. I love FrostyJack's hurling shot, nosliwmit's series is incredible(!), and David's fireworks make me want to be there.

Here are some I've taken recently:

The hourglass made me like this as a B/W conversion, and yes that's the spider's own missing leg caught in the web!



And here are a few following the K-30 event in Atlanta:






Shot over my left shoulder while driving down Peachtree (eyes were on the road). Let's hear it for Pentax autofocus!



And a laundromat next to our dinner spot after the event:



Thanks for taking a look!

[lukulele]

Every evening this week this fellow has appeared between 6 and 7pm. The manual focus on the F50 1.7 is an interesting learning experience on a moving target.

[lukulele]

Love that Splash facade Kevin. The portholes(washers) look like an old Mckeen motor car just arrived waiting for passenger boarding.

[pentaximus]

Love that Splash facade Kevin. The portholes(washers) look like an old Mckeen motor car just arrived waiting for passenger boarding.

Thanks! Yeah, all that chrome inside made for some interesting reflected lighting.

[ramseybuckeye]

Thanks for taking a look!

Nice work on the cityscapes,but that poor spider, having to look at his own leg!

Every evening this week this fellow has appeared between 6 and 7pm. The manual focus on the F50 1.7 is an interesting learning experience on a moving target.

Nice pics of your visitor! Sometimes you don't see a swallowtail for weeks, then they show up, beautiful, well captured!

Got a chance to explore an old bank on a "photo walk"::

[smf]

Here are two of my first photos using a Raynox DCR-150 macro conversion lens on a Tamron 70-300mm 1:4-56 LD mounted on a Pentax K-x. Shutter speeds were 1/125 and 1/200. Other data: f/5.6, exposure bias -2, aperture priority, center-weighted averaging, ISO 400, iPhoto, Nik Software's Viveza 2 as a plug-in to Photoshop Elements.
The flower is a geranium.
I am very interested in floral raindrop photography.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.

[Runegutt123]

This is our local soccer field. The sign says: The Field is closed.

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[ramseybuckeye]

Here are two of my first photos using a Raynox DCR-150 macro conversion lens on a Tamron 70-300mm 1:4-56 LD mounted on a Pentax K-x. Shutter speeds were 1/125 and 1/200. Other data: f/5.6, exposure bias -2, aperture priority, center-weighted averaging, ISO 400, iPhoto, Nik Software's Viveza 2 as a plug-in to Photoshop Elements.
The flower is a geranium.
I am very interested in floral raindrop photography.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Very nice Stu! I've never done any flower shots except for hand held. On a tripod if you go to say ISO 100 and F10 on shutter priority do you get a good exposure, or too much plant movement. It seems that flowers are always moving, with the slightest breeze, it seems I have the best luck with low wildflowers in the woods, where there is little wind.

This is our local soccer field. The sign says: The Field is closed.

Good stuff, re-seeding?

[noelcmn]

Thanks fo hosting -Again Sergui.
I was in the Kruger National Park for about 6 days last week. Had a fabulous time, resting and relaxing, enjoying God's beautiful creation. It is very dry, barren and was pretty cold too. Here are some pics of the over 2000 I took in the 6 days.
En route there, I pass a Paper Mill-a real stinking spot, smell like heated rotten cabbage. I have been wanting to take a shot of this factory for a while now, and finally plucked up the courage to do so. Risky business, as I travel alone, and it means stopping to take the shot. I still want to take a shot of this factory at night as well.


Hornbill- this looks a bit like an art piece. This is a clever bird, and becomes very used to people, and very daring too. In picnic spots it can snatch food off plates of unsuspecting visitors.


A cousin to the Hornbill, but a much more shy bird, and I consider it a blessing to be able to have seen this Trumpeter Hornbill. It does not hang around for long.


With the wanton slaughter of Rhino, seeing one is also a blessing, though I should mention I saw a lot of these magnificent creatures.


At a bird hide, watched this Heron "spear" what it hoped was a fish. Turned out to something other than a fish, and it was stuck on its beak. Had a laugh watching it trying to dislodge it. 20 minutes later it finally managed.


A beautiful Water Lily


And what I consider my shot of the trip-this reflection of a Hippo at the same hide where I saw the Heron.


Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead.

[lukulele]

With so many great shots this week on so many critters, I'd like to follow Kevin's spider with another Swallowtail returning from a sortie with much strafing damage on both wings. Have a great week all.

[Runegutt123]

Good stuff, re-seeding?

Who knows?

[Davidw0815]

And what I consider my shot of the trip-this reflection of a Hippo at the same hide where I saw the Heron.

Amazing hippo image! I love the reflection!

[ramseybuckeye]

Thanks fo hosting -Again Sergui.
I was in the Kruger National Park for about 6 days last week. Had a fabulous time, resting and relaxing, enjoying God's beautiful creation. It is very dry, barren and was pretty cold too. Here are some pics of the over 2000 I took in the 6 days.
En route there, I pass a Paper Mill-a real stinking spot, smell like heated rotten cabbage. I have been wanting to take a shot of this factory for a while now, and finally plucked up the courage to do so. Risky business, as I travel alone, and it means stopping to take the shot. I still want to take a shot of this factory at night as well. .

Noel, thanks for sharing these fabulous wildlife photos, I always look forward to the treasures you bring back from Kruger. And I will have to say that the photo of the paper mill was worth the effort, it's really cool. Be careful taking that night shot.

With so many great shots this week on so many critters, I'd like to follow Kevin's spider with another Swallowtail returning from a sortie with much strafing damage on both wings. Have a great week all.

I can never see enough of these swallowtails, well done. Sometimes I'm amazed that they can still fly and wonder what they have been through. With the fragility of their wings, how lightweight they are, and the seemingly inefficient way they fly, I'm amazed that some butterflies migrate thousand of miles.

Yesterday morning I went to a parade:

[noelcmn]

Thanks David and Tom. That oversized men on undersized motobikes is hilarious!

[smf]

I rarely attempt indoor still life photography, but these — bought for lunch — looked too good to pass up.

Sunlight came through a sliding glass door behind me and through large windows in front of me.

I used a small, collapsible, fabric lightbox (bought used) and a handheld K100D with an SMC Pentax F 35-80 1:4-5.6 set at 68 mm.
1/45, f 5.6, -2 exposure bias, center-weighted averaging, 400 ISO.
Edited in iPhoto.

Comments, criticism and suggestions are welcome (via PM if you prefer not to clutter this thread).

Thanks to everyone who posts in this forum.