Welcome to another round of Picture of the Week. This is edition #271 covering 16 June through 30 June 2013.

POTW is a great spot to show off any shots you take in the upcoming week, or last week that you haven't processed until now. In other words, you can post your shots from this week AND last week.

Same rules:

1) No theme, just post your favorite pix.
2) 5 or less images per post just so the thread doesn't get too big.
3) Any Pentax or Samsung camera, film or digital.

The current host will invite a new host 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, 263 mecrox, 264 pentaximus, 265 pentaximus, 266 SpecialK, 267 SpecialK, 268 filoxophy, 269 mecrox, 270 mecrox

Hi folks, I hope you have a great week wherever you live and are able to share with us the world through your eyes.

Just a couple from earlier in the week:


Big old college buildings in the centre of town:

untitled-2211-Edit


I spent yesterday at Harcourt Arboretum a few miles away helping to hang a photo exhibition which a local group of us are
putting on to chime with the Arboretum's 50th anniversary of becoming part of the university:

oxford-1-220613


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[lukulele]

Thanks for this week mecrox,
Back from a working week with forty teachers from all over our state documenting seminars. Thursday morning out the front door, Blue Ridge Parkway on the way to town, and wild day lilies along the Crooked Road Trail in Virginia

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Last edited by lukulele; 06-30-2014 at 11:46 AM.

[alamo5000]

Lol, said fan looks rooted to the spot, lovely shot alamo5000.

That's one of her redneck idols appearing out of no where with no warning or notice LOL!!!

Willie is a really kind person though...

Thank you for the compliment on my shot! Do they have Duck Dynasty over in the UK?

[mecrox]

Hi lukulele, I'd give an awful lot for a breathtaking view like that - and wild lilies! We have some lovely wildflowers here but not really anything so exotic as that.

I think Duck Dynasty may be available here on Sky, alamo5000 - satellite/cable TV. Actually I hadn't heard of it before so I looked it up online. They look like classic good ole boys from over here, one almost expects Burt Reynolds from back in the day to walk in on the shot and ask about hog roasts. I like the bandanas.

[Alkazalsir]

Did said fan get a hug? He looks like such a big teddy bear.
What a great picture. That is one very lucky fan.

[alamo5000]

Did said fan get a hug? He looks like such a big teddy bear.
What a great picture. That is one very lucky fan.

I am pretty sure Willie just talked to her a little bit. There were a number of people out there. I think Willie wanted to give her a hug but you gotta be careful these days with kids...especially strangers and so forth.

He is a big teddy bear. Without a doubt. A genuinely very nice guy...

[noelcmn]

Wow, another fab selection for this weeks POTW. Thanks for taking on hosting duties again Mecrox. Its appreciated. Visited Montecasino Bird Gardens with my visiting son, 2nd time in 3 years. That not too bad I guess. Interesting bird show they put on, here's a few shots from that.
Eurasian Eagle Owl


Lanner Falcon- 2nd (I understand) only to the Peregrine Falcon when it comes to speed.


A burrowing Owl


The weirdest snake you will ever see


A lemon


Montecasino buildings

[nosliwmit]

Wow, there are some really nice shots this week. I don't feel worthy to participate, especially with this bit of photographic plonk, but anyway... This is a fishing boat off Costa del Este in Panama City. There were hundreds of pelicans around and a handful of cormorants as well. Haven't seen too many frigate birds lately but usually they're around too. I suppose I may have eaten fish caught in this area but I certainly wouldn't do it if I knew in advance where it came from. This is some really polluted water... Taken from my balcony with K-5 and DA 55-300 and rather heavily processed I'm afraid (it was just too dull...). I'm looking forward to getting my new DA* 300 f4 (next week)--I'll be able to get much better photos from the comfort of my balcony with margarita in hand!

Attached Images

 

[ramseybuckeye]

Tonight

[alamo5000]

ramseybuckeye--- 3rd shot down is gold!

[Dr Orloff]

Probably the best POTW I've seen, very high quality. I'm adding to the bird tally with a few portraits:








Bit samey these two but I can't decide which I prefer. And in answer to a question raised when I submitted this to the galleries, the subject is alive:

[lukulele]

Probably the best POTW I've seen, very high quality. I'm adding to the bird tally with a few portraits:








Bit samey these two but I can't decide which I prefer. And in answer to a question raised when I submitted this to the galleries, the subject is alive:

Adrian,
I'd like some background on the lighting, exposure, and the venue. As to which of the two, the classic military profile or the CEO power pose? Both.

[mecrox]

Montecasino looks well worth the visit, noelcmn. I've never been to a bird garden or sanctuary for birds of prey and about time I did. I love the second shot of the falcon diving in. And that snake is certainly strange. At first glance, I'd have figured it for a pipe-like fish in an aquarium. Not poisonous, I hope

That's far from an ordinary shot, nosliwmit, with the wavy lines of the net and the deep dots of the birds contrasting with the soft grey-brown water and with the boat which is nicely off-centre. I'm raising a glass in anticipation of your DA* 300mm!

Another nice set from ramseybuckeye. That third shot is awesome with the towering clouds looking quiet but threatening too. The stars and stripes add a great touch to it and to the last shot. This could be nowhere else.

Those are very fine photographs, Dr Orloff. I can't pick a fave, it would be invidious. They are all too good for that, I think. Nuff said. The vulture (?) does look a bit more human, though. The two eagles have that look in their eye which says they live in a far, far away world.

[noelcmn]

Montecasino looks well worth the visit, noelcmn. I've never been to a bird garden or sanctuary for birds of prey and about time I did. I love the second shot of the falcon diving in. And that snake is certainly strange. At first glance, I'd have figured it for a pipe-like fish in an aquarium. Not poisonous, I hope

It is I'm afraid, pretty much like all Vine Snakes. But not as deadly as our own Vine snake, which if you are injected with its venom, will require several blood transfusion to save your life. Fortunately, bites are rare.
This is what ours looks like-a thin extremely well camouflaged snake.

[Dr Orloff]

Adrian,
I'd like some background on the lighting, exposure, and the venue. As to which of the two, the classic military profile or the CEO power pose? Both.

Sure. The venue was a falconry centre in Rocamadour in the Lot department of France. If you type the town into Google images you will see what an amazing place it looks. I went there to accompany a school daytrip, I didn't know which attractions we were going to visit so unfortunately I wasn't well prepared. The lighting was tricky, middle of the day and full sun with dappled shade provided by trees (although changed a lot as it was windy) and the odd passing wispy cloud. I used the DFA100macro at f5.6 or f6.3 with the exposure set manually calculated initially with the subject in full sun to avoid clipped highlights (my bugbear) and then adjusted shutter speed based on guesswork as the conditions changed fast and the birds moved around in the patches of light. I tried to get angles to provide a dark background and then burned them further and got rid of the unavoidable brighter bits. I didn't have the tripod or a longer lens or enough time so I missed quite a few shots. But it is a good place and I shall return after the tourist season finishes better prepared to explore the possibilities further.

[Papa Lazarou]

I was given a free ticket for the Formula One British GP Practice at Silverstone yesterday. Never shot motorsport before, in at the deep end!
All hand held with K-5 IIS and DA 18-135WR or DA*300 (actually my first ever use of the latter). Some are very heavily cropped.











































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