Welcome to Picture of the Week #263 covering 21 Apr 2013 through 05 May 2013.

Thanks to ruggiex for taking on the hosting duties last week. If you would like to host next week please send me a PM, otherwise I will be asking you. POTW is a great spot to 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 them here at POTW 262!

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, 252 lukulele, 253 lukulele, 254 nosliwmit, 255 nosliwmit, 256 nosliwmit, 257 casil403, 258 casil403, 259 Davidw0815, 260 Davidw0815, 261 ruggiex, 262 ruggiex


Over to you!

[wolfiegirl]

Thanks for hosting, mecrox! Many nice photos already. I'm kind of partial to the miniature traffic accident. Intense!

YES!! What pentaximus said! I only just saw that. Love the way it's framed and focused too!

Wonderful shots pentaximus! Especially like the first two and you got bang on the money on the kitty with the DOF at 1.4 too!

[Douge]

Am at my mum's this week and decided to take the Industar 50mm/2.8 out for a spin to see what its bokeh is like.

So far I'm finding it sharp, although I may have just gotten lucky on the focusing. Still haven't done the zoomy thing yet.

Awwww those are so cute! Is that the room lighting? I really like the lighting on these.

This one made an appearance on the monochrome thread. We were waiting out a storm, complete with hail and tornados. F35-70 @70mm.

This is also the Rokinon 85mm, but wide open at f1.4. The family cat:

Really like the lighting on the first one. Get those electronics charged up before the storm
And the cute kitty hehe. Looks sharp even at f1.4. That reminds me, I've been been neglecting my Rokinon 35mm.

[pentaximus]

and you got bang on the money on the kitty with the DOF at 1.4 too!

Yeah, that was kind of a "let me get wide open and see if I can nail the focus on this cat" shot. Whaddaya know!

Really like the lighting on the first one. Get those electronics charged up before the storm

There's a lamp right over his head just out of the frame. That and the unfinished basement wall made for a nice contrasty bw image.

[ruggiex]

Thanks mecrox for hosting!

It's dance week in S.F. Bay Area. We had a chance to go watch performance by Temple of Poi. I was quite worried about FF/BF with DA* 50-135 as I didn't use it that much after re-adjusting focus a couple weeks ago. Glad that it turned out good. After shooting for about 4-5 hours throughout the day due to a couple events we had to attend, I got my first sore arm from photo shooting. It's hard to pick just a few to show but here are some of my favorites.

[Douge]

Wow! Great photos @ruggiex

[wolfiegirl]

Awwww those are so cute! Is that the room lighting? I really like the lighting on these.

Thanks Douge. Yes, mum's living room faces north west and has lots of large windows. I might've upped the highlights slightly but that's about it.

[paulh]

Like the picture of your dog in the flowers Paul I'd love to be around where all of those boats are hehe.

Thanks Douge. While I admire the beauty of your ice-wrapped trees (and cars), I'm thinking, "WTH?" It's May 1st for cryin out loud - almost summer down here in Texas! I'm hoping you get a nice Spring up there - eventually .

[ChatMechant]

Doing some volunteer work at a local park and I nearly put my hand on this guy. He was quiet as a mouse. Glad I happened to have my camera in the truck. K5/50-135

[Douge]

Thanks Douge. While I admire the beauty of your ice-wrapped trees (and cars), I'm thinking, "WTH?" It's May 1st for cryin out loud - almost summer down here in Texas! I'm hoping you get a nice Spring up there - eventually .

Heheh. Ya we've been having a very long winter this year. Complete opposite of last year. That ice is from the other week. We were still getting snow last week. This week it is in the 60s/70s thankfully.

Doing some volunteer work at a local park and I nearly put my hand on this guy. He was quiet as a mouse. Glad I happened to have my camera in the truck. K5/50-135

Yikes! Great capture
That's the sort of snake I don't want to find

[jeffryscott]

meanwhile, we're in summer mode already in Tucson - nearing 100 and swim season has started. Just got a K5II last week to replace my K7. Brilliant camera ....

[mecrox]

@Douge - nice set there, particularly (imho) the first. Doesn't look like spring has really turned up yet where you are. Here, today was bright warm sunshine and lots of magnolia flowers. They aren't any easier to photograph but, sigh, I think I'll take them over subzero.

@paulh - love your first picture, so cute and atmospheric in the flowers. Good to see some sailing pictures, the season will be just starting here too. At one time in my life, I used to go out nearly every weekend in season.

@wolfiegirl - well, sooo irresistible and I don't really mean those soft tones and the pastel colours! Looks a pretty OK new lens you have from here.

Atmospheric shots there, @pentaximus, I really like the first with the subtle lighting just on your son's face and arms, and also the last as I can rarely resist cat pics.

Wow! That is a killer set, @ruggiex, the lighting is wonderful and so is your choice of shutter speed - so the pictures are sharp where needed but still have a great sense of movement without the fire torches whizzing away into a blur. Congrats! It looks as if a fab time was had by all.

OMG, @Chatmechant!! I mean, great pic which shows how effective their camouflage is but I would have freaked and am sooo glad that there aren't any beasties like that here.

Welcome to the thread this week, @jeffryscott - those pictures are simply great fun and very colourful, folks enjoying themselves. Looking at the water droplets and faces, with everything being in fast movement, well I guess this shows the KII being a pretty darn nifty focuser.

[wolfiegirl]

@wolfiegirl - well, sooo irresistible and I don't really mean those soft tones and the pastel colours! Looks a pretty OK new lens you have from here.

Thanks, mecrox.

@ruggiex - those shots of yours are wonderful!

[Arn]

Thanks for hosting, mecrox. So many great photos in this thread this week. Spring is here in Vancouver, but we had lots of wind last week, and a few sailboats dragged anchor. The one that sank got pounded up on the rocks at low tide. The Coast Guard came to check it out, but another big wind finished it off. Also, some nice tulips in the house, and blossoms on the trees.

[ruggiex]

@ChatMechant man that would freak me out!

Thanks all!

Got another for the week, working on my abstract skill... Suggestions welcome!

[AgBr]

Thank you, mecrox, for hosting and comments.
Yes, they are crocuses, as my mother said.
And these, too - crocuses. Posted today. Be sure, a third color is not in our lawn.
Yes - " This is an all-round ace time of year for bokeh, I think " - and autumn too, I think.