Welcome to Picture of the Week #252 covering 3 Feb 2013 through 17 Feb 2013. Hello and thanks to Dr Orloff for his excellent hosting and superb images in the weekly challenges. If you would like to host next week please send me a PM, otherwise I will be asking you. This POTW lets you show off any shots you took last week but haven't processed until now. In other words, you can post your shots from this week AND last week. POTW is a great place to show what you've been shooting day-to-day. We can share ideas, learn from one another, tell stories, and have a good time. There are just so many splendid photos out there so let's see you post them to this POW 252.

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 records of 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, 217 Exandr, 218 Noelcmn, 219 Noelcmn, 220 sergiu, 221 sergiu, 222 sergiu, 223 sergiu, 224 sergiu, 225 sergiu, 226 sergiu, 227 sergiu, 228 Davidw08, 229 reeftool, 230 reeftool, 231 cif, 232 mecrox, 233 mecrox, 234 glennbp, 235 glennbp, 236 pentaximus, 237 pentaximus, 238 pentaximus,239 Paul, 240 Nick Nero, 241 Arnold, 242 Arnold, 243 Arnold, 244 Arnold, 245 Nick Nero, 246 ramseybuckeye, 247 ramseybuckeye, 248 Douge, 249 Douge 250 Douge, 251 Dr Orloff,

[Douge]

Wow Doug, I'm happy for you, you sure picked the right day to get a long lens! You've already found a the key to the 55-300, which is using the quickshift to defeat the slow and noisy autofocus. I almost always quickshift before autofocusing on the lens, usually on TAv also, and always center autofocus. You'll find with good lighting, the lens is awesome, with poor lighting it's a lot more difficult. I'm really jealous of the waxwings, I've never seen one of either type. The robins are actually around all winter, they just go into the woods during winter, then spring comes and they head to yards looking for worms. I'm not sure, but some of them may migrate too.

That sure was a great day you had, I had a good one Saturday, especially seeing a pileated woodpecker, but not as good as yours. Today after work I went to a "bird sanctuary", walking the "loop" trail there of about a half to 3/4 mile, I saw all of 2 birds, both Canada Geese, that makes those good days even better.

Thanks Tom. And thanks for the tips!
Wondering if you ever back off from 300mm for extra sharpness. I'll have to read a detailed review on the lens to see what it's strengths are.
The first time I've ever seen a waxwing was march of last year. They sound a bit like a bunch of crickets chirping. (I should post a video i took)
Your pileated woodpecker was a great find. I remember being told the previous owner of our cottage used to shoot them (not with a camera) over 20 years ago. I don't see them often.

I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of birds soon I've had a drought of birds for about a month, then suddenly birds everywhere.
Today it was snowing, and I only saw a couple of ducks.

[xjjohnno]

Lukulele, thanks for hosting, some pics from a demonstration/ stop work from our local teachers and supporters, myself as an included supporter.

[Dr Orloff]

Some from a few days skiing earlier in the week, handy to have the little Q in the pocket:

Over The Top





No Place For A Stroll




Cold Chair




Trees




Redundant Snow Cannon




Just A Snapshot But A Nice View

[Douge]

Some from a few days skiing earlier in the week, handy to have the little Q in the pocket:


Just A Snapshot But A Nice View

Handy indeed! That's a beautiful view

[paulh]

Some from a few days skiing earlier in the week, handy to have the little Q in the pocket:

Nice ones! All good, but esp like the first three "whiteout" shots.

[mecrox]

Many thanks for hosting, lukulele. Some seriously amazing shots this week, particularly of birds. I've only been able to get out once, the weather has been lousy here, 1600 ISO at midday kind of stuff. A few from me, K5 and K 55mm f1.8 or M 75-150mm f4 both just acquired for not much from a certain well-known internet site.



oxford-6-150213



oxford-5-150213



oxford-4-150213



oxford-2-150213


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[Dr Orloff]

Here's that rock that passed by today, asteroid 2012 DA14. It's in the white rectangle passing through Ursa Major. The long track to the left is a satellite. The asteroid is only visible at larger sizes than the forum will allow so there is a crop of the boxed area too. I could have photographed it much closer but it's only a line next to blobs so I preferred to put it in a recognisable context. Plus it was easier to find that way.

[wolfiegirl]

Thanks for all your nice comments, Paulh, noelcmn, jmschrei and NickNero

No more photos for this week. Hopefully will have some more to share next week.

noelcmn - haha. no, sleepless nights are still very much in force. she's getting close to 9 weeks now.

jmschrei - some amazing shots from you! really liked that bending shadows one.

Two scary and too sweet. Two bugs and one that at some point will bug ya You put those 4 images together deliberately, didn´t you?

Nick Nero - haha. ye-eess... you got it in one.

dcBear78 - that first shot of the kookaburra is amazing! I've never looked at one face on like that before. And the sharpness! You got that focus/DOF spot on!

Dr Orloff - Wow, you shot that with a DA 14mm? Almost makes me want to lash out the big bucks and get a fancy AF lens (my LBA veers towards <$50 manuals).

mecrox - love that first macro!

[Dr Orloff]

The asteroid is called DA14. I don't have that lens. I also like manuals, particularly K series. Some of my favourite shots come with <$50 lenses and they are also as sharp or sharper than many fancy AF lenses.

[wolfiegirl]

The asteroid is called DA14. I don't have that lens. I also like manuals, particularly K series. Some of my favourite shots come with <$50 lenses and they are also as sharp or sharper than many fancy AF lenses.

bwahahaha. signs of a LBA'r... I assumed the lack of the 'mm' was simply you abbreviating. I didn't read close enough to realise da14 was an asteroid name and not a lens. *snarf*

[russell2pi]

A few from an afternoon in Melbourne today.

[paulh]

A few from an afternoon in Melbourne today.

Very nice photos! Thanks for dropping in at the POTW & hope to see more soon

[noelcmn]

Mecrox, that bridge shot is awesome!

[paulh]

Mecrox, that bridge shot is awesome!

Agree! The reflection of the arch in the water made me look twice - great photo.

[mecrox]

Agree! The reflection of the arch in the water made me look twice - great photo.

Thanks! And to Noelcm. I must go back with a different lens and try for a whole reflection, which is there. The 55mm wasn't wide enough to show it. Apparently it's called Paradise Bridge, nice name, nice bridge.