Welcome to another round of Picture of the Week (POTW).

POTW is a great spot to show off six or fewer shots you take or are editing within the thread's date range. In other words, you can post your shots from this week AND last week.

Please:

• consider including in your post any special circumstances or tips on technique or equipment which might be interesting to others.

• identify your camera and lens if that information is easily available to you.

And please invite other Pentaxians to join us.

Some rules:
1) No theme, just post your favorite pix
2) Six or fewer images per person per thread to prevent thread bloat
3) Any Pentax, Ricoh 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. If the thread doesn't start, please contact bluestringer, Moderator, via PM.

Here are the records of previous POTW thread hosts: 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, 294 ramseybuckeye, 295 josh-fuggle, 296 mattb123, 297 jcdoss, 298 jcdoss, 299 Papa Lazarou, 300 Bucfan1234, 301 Bucfan1234, 302-noelcmn, 303-noelcmn, 304-noelcmn, 305-noelcmn, 306 noelcmn, 307-atupdate, 308-atupdate, 309 mecrox, 310 mecrox, 311 mecrox, 312 Papa Lazarou, 313 Papa Lazarou, 314 lukulele, 315 lukulele, 316 cif, 317 cif, 318 mecrox, 319 mecrox, 320 pentaximus, 321 pentaximus, 322 pentaximus 323 pentaximus 324 StephenHampshire, 325 StephenHampshire, 326 Jessesdad, 327 Catscradle, 328 Catscradle, 329 Catscradle, 330 Catscradle, 331 Imatginarium, 332 Imatginarium 333 Imatginarium 334 Imatginarium 335 Imatginarium 336 Imatginarium 337 Imatginarium 338 Imatginarium 339 Imatginarium 340 Imatginarium, 341 phoenixvision, 342 dave kitson, 343 Wolfeye, 344 Noelpolar, 345 Noelpolar, 346 K David, 347 K David, 348 Hattifnatt, 349 Hattifnatt, 350 TimPGH, 351 TimPGH, 352 Glenn5995, 353-Simon_199, 354-Noelcmn, 355 noelcmn, 356 noelcmn, 357 noelcmn, 358 noelcmn, 359 noelcmn, 360 ramseybuckeye, 361 ramsbuckeye, 362 Flugelbinder, 363 K David, 364 K David, 365 K David, 366 K David, 367 K David, 368 Hattifnatt, 369 Hattifnatt, 370 Hattifnatt, 371 Hattifnatt, 372 SointulArt, 373 mecrox, 374 mecrox, 375 mecrox, 376 mecrox, 377 reeftool, 378 reeftool, 379 reeftool, 380 K David, 381 K David, 382 K David, 383 K David, 384 K David, 385 K David, 386 K David, 387 K David, 388 K David, 389 K David, 390 smf 391 smf 392 smf 393 smf 394 smf 395 smf 396 smf 397 smf 398 smf 399 smf 400 smf 401 smf 402 smf 403 smf 404 smf 405 smf 406 smf,407 ramseybuckeye, 408 ramseybuckeye, 409 stubyles, 410 stubyles, 411 stubyles, 412-423 SD_Bob, 424-427 dave kitson 428-441 smf

This thread begins with ice sculpture created during Zehnder’s SnowFest 2017 at Frankenmuth, Michigan.

I'll follow up with images of some of the festival's snow sculptures.

Some of the images were captured with an smc Pentax-F 1:4-5.6 35-80mm on a handheld Pentax K-x. Some images were captured with an smc Pentax-DA fish-eye 1:3.5-4.5 10-7mm ED (IF) on a handheld Pentax K-S2.

Also, the image of bottles which I'll post below was processed in Topaz Glow.

Comments, criticism and suggestions pertaining to those images are welcome — by PM if you prefer that to posting in this thread.

[smf]

As mentioned in this thread's first post, images were captured with an smc Pentax-F 1:4-5.6 35-80mm on a handheld Pentax K-x. and an smc Pentax-DA fish-eye 1:3.5-4.5 10-7mm ED (IF) on a handheld Pentax K-S2.

Also, the image of bottles was processed in Topaz Glow.

Comments, criticism and suggestions pertaining to those images are welcome — by PM if you prefer that to posting in this thread.

Best wishes to all!

[Hattifnatt]

Few images from hiking in Romanian mountains.

[Scorpio71GR]

As mentioned in this thread's first post, images were captured with an smc Pentax-F 1:4-5.6 35-80mm on a handheld Pentax K-x. and an smc Pentax-DA fish-eye 1:3.5-4.5 10-7mm ED (IF) on a handheld Pentax K-S2.

Nice shots, I really wish I could have made over to that part of the state. Unfortunately I was working too many hours. Maybe next year.

[Scorpio71GR]

These shots were taken last summer but I just got around to editing them today. They were taken with the K3, DA*60-250 and the 1.7 AF Adapter. All were taken at 425mm with the adapter hand held.

[nosliwmit]

I went for a hike with my son today on Lantau Island. A few macro opportunities...

[geomez]

[noelcmn]

Thanks for hosting again Smf, that image of the bottles is superb! Wonderful PP. Its been a a hectic 2 weeks, what with some repairs done to my car, and my laptop stolen on Friday that has made life frustrating. Now up and running with an old desktop computer that is much slower than a laptop. Anyway, a contribution from me.

Taken with the kit lens 50-200mm coupled with a magnifying glass. While taking this, I was accosted by two Canon shooters wanting to know what I was doing? They have just started photography. A long lecture ensued.




With just the kit lens


With the FA 35-80mm, again coupled with a Magnifying glass.


With the Tamron 70-300 Macro setting

[EvilBoris]

OK, so here goes

Mostly taken with the K1 and the DFA 24-70 and a CPL (as if you couldn't tell)
All edited in Lightroom, with the exception of the carpark, which I used perspective warp to get extra straight and content aware fill to full in some missing bits.

[noelcmn]

Welcome Evilboris, to PF, and POTW in particular. Those are great shots, I particularly like the 3rd one.

[geomez]

I forgot to cover my viewfinder on this 120 second shot and got some severe light leak. Decided to just go with it.

[sjwoodworth]

Hi all,

What great shots!

I'm new to the DSLR world, and have been using my K3-II and HD DA 55-300 f/4-5.8 WR to catalogue the birds I had barely even noticed before. Here are three taken from the last couple weeks, all edited in RawTherapee.


cedar waxwing and berries

Not 100% happy with the sharpness of the cedar waxwing here, though I love the pose –– should have probably upped the ISO but had just made a quick move from full sun to shadow...


cooper's hawk

Not much to say about this photo; I was impressed with how much I was able to bring the hawk out of the shadows with the curves tool.


western bluebird

This one is my personal favorite. Again I upped exposure with curves, though this time to up the contrast and to give the overcast sky a somewhat metallic look. I really struggled with chromatic aberration on the branches –– the sliders in RawTherapee helped a bit but didn't get it under control. In the end I put in a graduated density filter pointing toward the leaves in the top right corner (which also made the twigs better defined), and added some vignetting to help out with the bottom branch.

Would love to hear any criticism/feedback... like I say I'm new to DSLRs, having made a big jump from point and shoot at Christmas.

Will do my best to be a regular contributor, and thanks smf for hosting!

[smf]

The new thread is at Picture of The Week (POTW) 442 Feb. 4

Thanks to all who participated in this week's thread, and best wishes!