Welcome to the 149th edition of the Pentax Forum's Picture of the Week!

A special thanks to Bruce (Bramela) for stepping into the breach and hosting the last TWO editions of POTWs and for passing the torch to me for this week.

This edition covers photos taken between January 16th and January 30th, 201. That lets you 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! Not a bad deal, eh?

A special welcome to all new members: Join us old hands and post your shots from this week and last week!

POTW is a great place to show what you've been shooting day-to-day. It gives us all a chance to see what other members are up to with their Pentax (and Samsung) cameras in the parts of the world in which they live or have visited. We can share ideas, learn from one another, and have a good time.

So show us what you've seen in your little corner of the planet! Looking forward to seeing all of what's out there this week.

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) Date: Sunday January 16th to Sunday January 30th 2011. 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 Peter Zack, Moderator via PM.

Previous hosts: Each one is a hotlink to that POTW thread to look back at the previous POTW's.

1 Peter Zack, 2Eaglerapids 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 xjjohonnol, 138 KarenH, 139 Rense, 140 daacon 141 Tamia 142 JeffJS 143 bbluesman 144 fotaki 145 fotaki 146 Woof 147 Bramela 148 Bramela

[Tamia]

I'll kick things off from this cold part of the world. Zero degrees even in full sun is cold!

Ice Knife I found this icicle standing upright in the snow under a steel structure. I found the intricate patterns inside the ice to be interesting, so held it up the the light to emphasize them.




Ice-Encased Leaf




Ice Formation Abstract

[Paleo Pete]

Haven't been able to get online for a few days, bad weather seems to shut down every wireless I can find. Did some picture taking but not a whole lot in the freezing drizzle we had then freezing and very windy...but got some nice sunsets...I think my A series 50mm was the lens for all these shots.

Sunset a couple of days ago.



Looking to the right from close to the same spot, this egret was too much to resist...



Other end of the lake, same evening



Sunset yesterday evening, very close to the same spot as the first picture.

[jaymiz]

I've been trying to get in the habit of taking my camera with me all the time rather than only when I am going out specifically to take photos. I use a 24mm most of the time but have been finding that 50mm works a little better for me indoors. Maybe I just need to practice more.


@ 55mm

Not sure how I feel about adding such a heavy vignette on this one. Honestly the top right felt awkwardly empty and to me it seems like it hides the compositional flaw a little bit. The black bar on the left bugs me a little too.


@ 24mm

This is from an early morning cotton gin adventure.


@ 24mm

[jmschrei]

Thanks for hosting Tamia. Your winter images have been spectacular. Her we get excited by zero degrees but in celsius that's the freezing point, 32F for you!

Paleo Pete, that first shot is fantasic and jaymiz carrying your camera around all the time is good practice as I have learned by participating in the Single in January game on this forum.

Yesterday it was gorgeous, sunny and warm so I took my 55-300 to the zoo. I was surprised how shooting with this lens everyday has greatly improved my ratio of decent images from such a trip. I will probably be processing them for a few days. Here are a few, the first is my SIJ album entry for the day.








-Joe

[Tamia]

We're off to a good start, guys.

Pete (Paleo Pete), beautiful scenes. I love the colors. Are those rafts of waterfowl in the first and last photos of the sunset?

Jacob (Jaymiz), welcome to the forum! If only your avitar had been photographed this week you could have entered it in this week's P52 challenge, "Frame It"! A great selection of pictures. I'm intrigued by your first photo. The vignetting in the second one suits me -- it looks like a room with strong sunlight washing through the windows, with equally strong shadows outside it's beam. I like the bold shapes and lines in the third photo.

Joe, thanks for your kind words. It will be MINUS 32 degrees F tonight here! The 50-300mm lens looks like a winner. The zebra photo is fabulous. Your lions photo is touching (no pub intended). I wonder what they make of the snow? The wolf surely is well camouflaged. They always seem to me to have spooky eyes. Your young deer is like the one who was looking in my office window at me the other night -- hungry. "Mine" found the leftover birdseed.

Keep 'em coming everyone!

[Clou]

Not much, but this is what I saw on a short walk yesterday.


Statue mit Stab


Pavillon - Anschnitt


Wildes Spiel

[SpecialK]

[IMGtall]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/KylePix/Places%20Generally/Long%20Beach%20Area/LB%20Marina%20and%20Harbor/110122-7074SkateboardCurve.jpg[/IMGtall]

[Nomad]

Pretty cold and windy here in Maine but not like the -20 to -30 that a lot of the north is facing!!
[IMG] [/IMG]

[ramseybuckeye]

Tamia, thanks for hosting. Were at a balmy 5 degrees F so I feel for you. Be careful out there! This POW is of to a great start!

Our dogs had their teeth cleaned yesterday, they have to go under anesthetic for this, they look pretty pathetic suffering from this the rest of the day. They laid around like this and cried most of the day.


I hope to add more this week.

[rparmar]

Tamia... nice ice, especially the knife.

So I'd better add some ice shot last week.

ice granules




iced surface

[Tamia]

Clou, the statue is intriguing. I like it's rough texture and bold stance. Nicely done convesion to monochrome. The pavillion must be in shade in summer, with all that moss on the roof. Die Hunde sind charmant!

SpecialK, ahhh, warmth, and sun! The skateboarder photo is perfect, and I love the lizard picture, especially the bokeh.

Keith (Nomad), the pale blue sky and snow in the background make it clear that it's cold there. Doesn't have to be below zero to feel cold!

Tom, the poor dogs. I hope they're perky today. There's nothing so pathetic than a dog who's under the weather, unless there are TWO dogs under the weather.

Robin, thanks. I like ice, and your photos are great.

Here's more ice for you. On the windows this morning with an outside temp at -22 degrees F...

Filigree




On a Monochrome Morning Before Sunrise This is a color photo, and mono only because the dawn was.




Finally the Sun Approaches




A Lot to Melt

[Paleo Pete]

Paleo Pete, that first shot is fantasic and jaymiz carrying your camera around all the time is good practice as I have learned by participating in the Single in January game on this forum.

Thanks, jmschrei. I really like the colors and contrast in that one, probably the best shot of the day.

jaymiz - I agree, carrying the camera all the time is an excellent idea. I learned the hard way years ago when I left my first Pentax (KX 35mm) at home, and missed a chance at some great shots. Never again, since that day it's always in the seat beside me when I hop on the vehicle.I also keep a towel handy to throw over it when I go in a store or restaurant so it's not visible, and sometimes it gets put on the floor and covered too.

Pete (Paleo Pete), beautiful scenes. I love the colors. Are those rafts of waterfowl in the first and last photos of the sunset?

Tamia - Thanks, I always look for lots of color for sunset/sunrise shots. Your average day I don't bother, but if I see lots of reds and yellows, plenty clouds, out comes the 50mm...The first shot probably has a heron or two sitting out there but they will be almost impossible to make out, well over 100 yards away with a 50mm. It's probably two miles to the tree line in the last shot, to give you an idea how much territory the pictures cover. The last shot certainly has a heron or two, but again very difficult to make out, it's mostly stumps in both shots. The stumps are closer in that shot, maybe 100 yards at most. The lake has lots of stumps all over the place out in the middle, from every place I can get to. Herons and Egrets (mostly Herons) like to sit out there on the stumps and hunt. The occasional Cormorant or Anhinga can be seen drying its wings, but usually 90% of the waterfowl in the stumps will be Herons. I have another shot I need to look up with two Herons in a red sunset, not sure if I've posted it yet but from 2 or 3 weeks ago, taken from the pier in the third picture. Nice sunset, but the herons make the shot.

Thanks for the compliments, and thanks for hosting again.

[tessfully]

Thanks for the heads up Tamia. I see we can enter more than one. Maybe something good will come up over the next few days.

[Tamia]

Thanks for the heads up Tamia. I see we can enter more than one. Maybe something good will come up over the next few days.

Beautiful photo, Tess. It looks quite cold and of course snowy. In fact, it looks like here! And yes, typically it's six pictures or less per post, but post as often as you like to the Picture of the Week. Looking forward to more from Algonquin.