Welcome to another round of Picture of the Week. This is edition #294 covering 15th December - 29th December 2013
I was a little lax in finding a host this week so I'll do it again.

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.

Some 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, 271 mecrox, 272 Paleo Pete, 273 Paleo Pete, 274 geomez, 275 geomez, 276 geomez, 277 mecrox, 278 mecrox, 279 mecrox, 280 Noelcmn, 281 Noelcmn, 282 Noelcmn, 283 Noelcmn, 284 Noelcmn, 285Alkazalsir, 286 StephenHampshire, 287 StephenHampshire, 288 wolfiegirl, 289 Bucfan1234, 290 nosliwmit, 291 wolfiegirl, 292 wolfegirl, 293 ramseybuckeye,

[noelcmn]

More ice... from our evening walk. I really hate the short days (or long commutes).

Thanks jcdoss- We're friends for life

Thanks for hosting again Tom

Been out shooting birds again, should be no surprise...

All taken with Lentar 135mm M42 lens at f8, not the T mount I was using a few days ago. I think this one may be just a tad sharper. Still need to get a few more comparison shots though...This lens is a f2.8, the T mount is f3.5.

Thanks PP, always look forward to your bird pics. You've got the patience I gather! Lovely and sharp.

Tom, thanks for hosting (I forgot previously).

Clou, you make architecture photography look so easy! That BMW one is superb, what time was it shot? Lovely colours.

[wolfiegirl]

Lenses used would the 50-200mm Kit lens (really a super lens-hugely underestimated IMHO) for the first one, and only when I think I am not close enough with the 200mm, I will use the Sigma 70-300DG Macro, in this case coupled with a x2 converter. I wanted to physically get closer, but as mentioned the bird is quick to take off. Here's one where I was the closest and I could see it was getting ready for take-off.


Btw- the same meaning of "Cradle snatching" applies here-except when it is applied to a baby-loving dude, by parents who simply love the opportunity to hand baby over to someone who will Coo and ahhh for a long time! Imagine my pleasure when I get to baptise them!

Ah, I own a da 50-200. It hasn't had any love since LBA reared its ugly head. It was the first lens I bought after my sigma 18-55 kit lens. Your picture suggests I really should give it a bit more love.

Yes, all parents love having people coo and ahh over their babies I remember at wolfiepup's baptism, the priest was very enamoured with her. There was another baby of a similar age and that baby didn't get half as much attention. NOT that I'm bragging/competing or anything...

[josh-fuggle]

Hi Guys,

Here are some photos that I took while hiking last week.

The hike that I did is called the Overland Track, and it is quite famous here in Australia. My internet connection is poor, so I have only uploaded 4 photos for the moment. Maybe I'll put up a few more tomorrow.

I'll also post the next weekly challenge tomorrow morning.

[mecrox]

Hi there, @josh-fuggle, welcome to the thread. That's a lovely set there, makes me want to visit Tasmania. I saw a film not long ago called The Hunter wilh Willem Dafoe - set in Tasmania and with some amazing landscape shots.

[Clou]

Clou, you make architecture photography look so easy! That BMW one is superb, what time was it shot? Lovely colours.

Thanks!

The picture was taken during golden hour (the afternoon version), just 12 minutes before sunset.

Larger view - taken about the same time:



BMW-Ensemble

[derelict]

Just humor him and don't make eye contact.

I shall curse his name at every nights respite.


And, my last few for the year:

[ramseybuckeye]

Tom, thanks for hosting (I forgot previously).
Yesterday was a productive day, here are a few architecture shots.
Two more - no architecture, but just for the light:

Michael, you have been prolific with high quality work this week. I like all of the architectural shots, BMW certainly has a distinctive building. Olympiaberg-abends is just classic, great use of the light!

Woowoo, I like that silvereye shot- here we have a similar one called Cape White- Here's what ours looks like.

Noel, you 've got as many colorful birds as the Aussies do, I envy all of you! However that second bird looks as though he's ignoring you, won't look at you, don't trust him.

Hi Guys,
Here are some photos that I took while hiking last week.
The hike that I did is called the Overland Track, and it is quite famous here in Australia. My internet connection is poor, so I have only uploaded 4 photos for the moment. Maybe I'll put up a few more tomorrow.
I'll also post the next weekly challenge tomorrow morning.

Excellent work on the hike Josh, I feel you're just teasing us. I hope you connection suddenly gains strength!

Thanks!
The picture was taken during golden hour (the afternoon version), just 12 minutes before sunset.
Larger view - taken about the same time:
]

That BMW building is quite striking from a distance, at least in your photo. With the surrounding terrain it looks like it must be visible from quite a distance.

I shall curse his name at every nights respite.
And, my last few for the year:

Good car show shots. Is the Bentley yours?

Well I got a photo shortly after sunrise, and one at about sunset, unfortunately not much between.

[josh-fuggle]

Hi all, POTW 295 has now been posted.

[josh-fuggle]

Hi there, @josh-fuggle, welcome to the thread. That's a lovely set there, makes me want to visit Tasmania. I saw a film not long ago called The Hunter wilh Willem Dafoe - set in Tasmania and with some amazing landscape shots.

Love that movie, he did an excellent job acting it. Tasmania is definitely worth a visit, though I'd probably come in the summer. It's a very pretty little state.

[Paleo Pete]

I would say that is a female pine warbler, it's so sharp those feathers would cut you. Wow. Good group of photos, but that one is really special! Well done Billy-Pete!

Thanks a lot Tom, I was figuring the same thing, I can see slight signs of the streaked breast, and after some more looking I also see the diffrerence in the bill. The Goldfinch has a shorter, conical bill. SO I was thinking female too, with the lighter coloring, the other one is a male. And yeah that one is my favorite of the bunch too. One of the sharpest I've gotten yet.

Thanks PP, always look forward to your bird pics. You've got the patience I gather! Lovely and sharp.

Thanks noel, I've always liked that Lentar 135, it's been a keeper since the first time I tried it out. Does take patience though, some of these birds will come right to the feeder even if I'm only 3 feet away, others are pretty wary and I have to wait a half hour before they decide to try it. I usually sit on a stool about 10 feet away. The Pine Warblers will usually land then fly off quick 3 or 4 times before they get brave enough to sit there long enough I can get a shot or two. Chickadees never stay long, 2 seconds is about all I usually get, I miss probably 30 tries for every keeper shot I get. Cardinals are no problem, when they decide to light, they usually stay put for several minutes. Surprisingly though, no Goldfinches have decided to visit the feeder this winter. They were all over it last year along with a dozen Pine Siskins, none of the Pine Siskins this year at all, the Goldfinches are here, just haven't been to the feeder. Got some White Throated Sparrows today but they're still on the camera.

[jcdoss]

Mecrox, Josh, I've had The Hunter in my Netflix queue for ages, now... I think maybe I should watch it tonight.

[mecrox]

Mecrox, Josh, I've had The Hunter in my Netflix queue for ages, now... I think maybe I should watch it tonight.

Why not give it a go? That's how I saw it too. Willem Dafoe + Tasmania = good combination.

Well over 50 posts on this week's thread. Must make it a good one.

[josh-fuggle]

Michael, you have been prolific with high quality work this week. I like all of the architectural shots, BMW certainly has a distinctive building. Olympiaberg-abends is just classic, great use of the light!


Noel, you 've got as many colorful birds as the Aussies do, I envy all of you! However that second bird looks as though he's ignoring you, won't look at you, don't trust him.


Excellent work on the hike Josh, I feel you're just teasing us. I hope you connection suddenly gains strength!


That BMW building is quite striking from a distance, at least in your photo. With the surrounding terrain it looks like it must be visible from quite a distance.


Good car show shots. Is the Bentley yours?

Well I got a photo shortly after sunrise, and one at about sunset, unfortunately not much between.

Haha I think I'll have to wait for a couple more weeks before putting up too many more sorry Tom. Just capped my 4G quota unfortunately Ah well, more time taking photos!

Will be moving back to Brisbane for a couple of months in the middle of January, so will be getting a better connection then.