Hosts Note: Are we loosing some interest in this thread lately? I see lots of new members and it would be great to see whatever you are shooting. It doesn't matter if it's your cat or some odd ball experiments. Just take a moment to show off your stuff! Everyone is welcome.

Welcome to Potw #39 01/12/08 - 14/12/08

This week's photos will cover these dates: Sunday Nov 30th till Sunday December 14th.

Let's keep up the high standard of shots we have seen over the past weeks.

Rules as before:

1) No theme just your favorite stuff.
2) Let's keep it to about 4-6 images per post just so the thread doesn't get too big each week .
3) Any Pentax camera is fine, film, P&S, DSLR (or Samsung DSLR)
4) Runs for 14 days. Sunday Nov 30th till Sunday December 14th.
5) Enter anything you shot last week or this current week until the thread closes.

Previous 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, 20 Bamela, 21 Syb, 22 & 23 maxwell1295, 24 dantuyhoa, 25 Gawan, 26 Peter Zack, 27 borno, 28 daacon, 29 gawan, 30 Damn Brit, 31 & 32 maxwell1295 , 33 dantuyhoa, 34 daacon, 35 Peter Zack, 36 Damn Brit, 37 Borno, 38 Kevint, 39 Peter Zack

Thanks for hosting last week, Kevint

So to get things going this week, I have a few experiments. These were taken on Saturday in -4 with a brisk wind off the ocean. Fortunately the salt water doesn't freeze as fast as fresh water. It was just at dawn with all that the great light at that time of day offers.








This last one was part of the reason I took the 3 above. I was contracted to shoot a group of cottages for a web gallery (they are rentals) and wanted a dramatic opening shot to get the customers attention. So I shot some sunsets at the location (the cottages are on a low cliff overlooking the ocean). Then I turned and took some outside building shots. The image below was a layered composite of 2 images to give a more dramatic look. I tried HDR versions but I'm less and less 'sold' on HDR. it's so tough to get a natural looking image from that type of software IMO. Maybe I'm just not good enough at it.


So I hope everyone joins in and posts lots of images. I for one always enjoy everyone's work and like to see what interests you.

[paden501]

Hey I think there's a typo in rule 4. It still has last week's dates on it.

Thanks,

[dave kitson]

After managing to persuade the home financial analyst (Mrs K) that I was suffering badly from LBA and needed immediate treatment, I managed to find a couple of ducks to help me test my Xmas present.

DA*50-135mm




dave

[borno]

Here are some Eagles from Sat.







Sunday playing with the 300 wide open (my squirrels are getting FAT)



And this AM:

[Eaglerapids]

Would you guys please quit posting absolutely awesome bird pictures till I can get an absolutely awesome bird picture?
Thank you.


Great shots also Peter. The cottage picture is incredible, you're getting into the kind of gigs I'd love to get into, great work!

Borno and Dave, you guys are really putting out some great images, I hope you know I was kidding above:-).

[ll_coffee_lP]

That cottage shot is freakin' awesome!

c[_]

[georgweb]

Peter,
number 3 for me, great colors and composition.
About the composite shot, maybe a little desaturation would make it look more natural in my eyes. I've also dwelled into HDR and composite shots and could not get to the natural look either. I'd like to learn doing composite shots from one single exposure, which a landscape guy told me would work OK sometimes.

Dave Kitson,
these ducks look like I could grab them right out of the screen, incredible rendering from that lens.

Borno,
great shot from the eagle 'standing' in the lake. I'd vote for the squirrel though, it looks so trustworthy :-) (why you're saying: 'my squirrels'?)

It's gotten cold and grey here but I promise to take some shots soon.
Keep 'em coming,
Georg (the other)

[borno]

Hey Georg,
I call them "my squirrels" just because they come running when I go out to the garage as they look for a handout. I feed the birds so I feed the squirrels also. A few of them are pretty tame.

[bbpa103]

A bit of a political buzz in town and thought I would try capturing a few shots. Ken.

[roentarre]

Here are a few from me

[stevebrot]

Sorry for the lack of posts this last several weeks. No good shots means nothing to post. I did take a few of an Egret this last Saturday, but not quite up to forum standards.

Steve

(particularly embarrassed since all of the above look soooooo goooood...)

Sorry I haven't posted for the past couple of weeks. I'm back at work at long last and I've been too stiff and tired to go out and take any pictures.
Peter, those first three shots are masterful and I'd stay in that chalet.
Paden501 if you go back to the early days of POTW, the dating conventions were shall we say "organic", this current format just stuck.
Dave, the first one is comical, the reflection looks like one of those crudely carved ornaments you can get. Love the colours in the second one, almost metallic looking.
Tom, you are certainly nailing those eagles. Great study of a squirrel, looks like it is looking through a window. Nice sunrise.
bpa103, good coverage of those brave (or is it mad>) people. I'd rather be protesting in warmer weather.
James, back with a blast, beautiful colours, #3 is stunning.

[daacon]

I have also noticed the participation in these threads dropping. It's too bad , like you said with all the new members it 's a great place to post whatever you are doing that week. The viewer gets to see such a variety and some great shots all consolidated in one thread ! Here's hoping your plea brings back the passion this thread started with (I think we have gone over 100 posts at times).

Like Gary I have not been out much the last couple of weeks. Perhaps it was the brown funk weather here which has now been replaced with snow and ice - I could probably go stand on one of the local bridges and capture a few fender benders. At least the snow gets rid of the brown. This weekend is suppose to be -24 or so yeah !!!

Peter - Those are some neat shots. I love the design. Taken at dawn well done. The lightening in #2 is wow. The cottage great green grass so late in the year.

Dave - those are as sharp a picture of ducks as I have seen. Wow. Those are poster material.

Tom - you sure have a good spot for the eagles. It must be awsome to watch them hunt. Great shots. The squirell and sunset are good as well.

Ken - great shots of what can only be a Canadian moment - I don't have to comment on the fiasco our government is facing - I did see a funny story where the situation was applied to the Stanley Cup it went something like "Stanley Cup taken away from Detriot and handed to Leafs ...:" what a country.

James - wow #2 and #3 are spectacular. What beautiful scenery. Those are postcards.

Hope to get out this week or weekend , -24C might put a damper on that then again haha.

[Venturi]

I haven't been shooting much of anything the past couple weeks but I did manage to spend a little time getting acquainted last week with my new $140 AF540FGZ (you just gotta love open-box returns ). Here's one of the better ones - my young heir to the throne attempting a jail break.

k20d, 50-135, 540FGZ bounced off ceiling

[Bramela]

I have hardly had the camera out of the case in the last couple of weeks, (work,Christmas functions etc etc).
Here is the only photo I have to post taken this week.

The soft hues of a Calla Lily.