Take a picture once a day, whether you need to or not

[Merusk]

I got a new toy before vacation.  Here's some shots using it.  Clicky for larger versions, but I only uploaded 1050 max short-side width.


120326 - 2012 Disney Animal Kingdom- 6342 of 6.jpg by MasterJarem, on Flickr


120326 - 2012 Disney Animal Kingdom- 6352 of 16.jpg by MasterJarem, on Flickr


120330 - 2012 Walt Disney World Vacation- 6236 of 233.jpg by MasterJarem, on Flickr

[JWIV]

Yah, that's a fun new toy.   Shoots nice and clean too from the looks of the snaps.

[Merusk]

Yeah I was amazed when reviewing them yesterday.  The difference between the D7000 and the D60 is truly stunning.  I'm much happier with this camera and had been really feeling the limitations of the D60 when doing things.

Then on top of that, the 18-105mm lens the kit comes with just seems far superior to the old 18-55 of the D60 in terms of optics.  Things don't seem as off-color and are much crisper.  Which makes me feel good because I'd been looking at getting one previously and the reviews had kept me away.

[JWIV]

Yeah I was amazed when reviewing them yesterday.  The difference between the D7000 and the D60 is truly stunning.  I'm much happier with this camera and had been really feeling the limitations of the D60 when doing things.

Then on top of that, the 18-105mm lens the kit comes with just seems far superior to the old 18-55 of the D60 in terms of optics.  Things don't seem as off-color and are much crisper.  Which makes me feel good because I'd been looking at getting one previously and the reviews had kept me away.

Only thing I might suggest - do you have a circular polarizer on the lens? 

[Merusk]

No, I didn't get a chance to buy any filters before I left for vacation.  I got the camera on the 23rd and we left on the 25th.   A polarizer or UV filter was going to be my next purchase... because of course it's a 54mm lens and the 18-55 that I DO have one for is a 52 and I don't have an adapter.  

ed: Tho I want to ask, why that was your first question?

I really wished I had a polarizer in Downtown Disney. The pictures of the doll-dresses in the storefront could have really benefited from it, but I'm not sure where else it might have been helpful.

[JWIV]

Dragged the camera down to the waterfront today for some more pictures of the air show practice sessions.

[JWIV]

Blue Angels still flying over my house, so I'm still taking pictures.  Figured I'd throw together a quick collage or two. After three straight days, you'd think I'd be tired of this, but not even a little bit.  It's been awesome.

[Mosesandstick]

Nice. I still like the first photo because the planes look like something out of a cartoon with 2 cockpits.

[JWIV]

I like the color on this one a bit more I think.  Picasa is such trash for this.  Like I know I'm shitting all over what the color balance and exposure should be, but I'm just having to guesstimate and hope my monitor isn't too off.

[Trippy]

Get a display colorimeter.

[JWIV]

At some point, I really do want to redo all of my gear and actually invest in some of the smaller things (like lightroom and a flash and some non kit lenses). 

Though I accidently grabbed the wrong lens today (18-70) and between that and actually just using everything in Raw Therapee to do the work seem to be getting better results (I'll need to go back to yesterdays shots to see if the difference between the 55-200 and the 18-70 in image quality is that drastic or not).

[Strazos]

Rather than trying to hotlink everything, I'll just leave a link here of some random beach shots I took this afternoon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76281093@N02/sets/72157630271157850/

Not fantastic, but at least you get to see Africa, right?

[MisterNoisy]

Spotted while leaving the shooting range:

[MahrinSkel]

Spotted while leaving the shooting range:

You should send that to There, I Fixed It.

--Dave

[MisterNoisy]

You should send that to There, I Fixed It.

I just might.  I love that they apparently ran out of spray paint after painting the grille, so the 2x4 has a 'Aww, fuck it' quality to the paint job.

[Merusk]

Took a walk-around for an hour or so at the State Park that's 20 mins away yesterday.  I was sweating literal rivers and then a storm blew-in so I didn't get to the Bison Herd or the river where I suspect the birds were hiding.

 Here's the 3 best shots I had. I need to stop hand-holding when taking pictures of butterflies.


Big Bone Lick St. Park  20120701   74 of 111.jpg by J.A. Mounteer, on Flickr


Big Bone Lick St. Park  20120701   55 of 111.jpg by J.A. Mounteer, on Flickr


Big Bone Lick St. Park  20120701   42 of 111.jpg by J.A. Mounteer, on Flickr

[Merusk]

Baby birds!  Past the cute stage so they go in here.  Morning dove chicks in the Cleveland Pear in my front yard.

[Mosesandstick]

The state park photos are really well done. Unfortunately those chicks are definitely past the cute stage!

[K9]

I really like the picture of the frog.

[Merusk]

Thanks, guys.  I'm really damn proud of those.  The frog was a total accident, too. I was sitting on the bank of the lake trying to find a bird I was hearing.  After deciding it was on the other side and under the canopy I was about to leave when I scared him out of wherever he was hiding.  Sat right back down and got a bunch of shots.

I've been taking a little more time composing and waiting for shots since getting the new camera and I think it's been helping a ton.  (The bird shots, however, were done holding the camera over my head and snapping quickly so I didn't scare mom away from coming back to them. Sooooo many shots of branches and birds half out of frame.)

This one's my favorite Architecture picture of the latest round of things:

[Khaldun]

Up early in the morning on a recent trip to Kanazawa Japan, was shooting pictures of this crow on a rainy, windy morning near a bamboo forest when we had a surprise visitor.


crow and interloper by swarthmoreburke, on Flickr

[Khaldun]

Gathering water at one of the two ritual sources at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto.

water at kiyomizu-dera, kyoto by swarthmoreburke, on Flickr

[Strazos]

I'm no pro photographer, but at least you can see what parts of Lagos look like, right?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76281093@N02/sets/72157630670977352/with/7611454756/

[Hammond]

Hey I always enjoy seeing new areas.   It is just as interesting seeing it from a amateur's  standpoint as a pro's.  The picture of the yacht is a bit bonkers though but I guess Oil money will do that.

[Strazos]

Yeah, the yacht is pretty silly. No idea who it belongs to, as it's near the Consulate but there are no oil companies or large houses nearby...

[Strazos]

Annnnnd...more stuff. This time a trip through Ganvie and Ouidah in Benin.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76281093@N02/sets/72157630672503522/

[Bunk]

After two nights here, I stopped complaining about the heat in Scottsdale. Yay company hotel rates! Forgive the crappy phone camera.



and just because:

[Khaldun]

Nice photos, Strazos.

I'm glad Bunk added that was a hotel. I was thinking, "FUCK, that is some backyard."

[ghost]

Way to get the Sheriff Joe sign.  You should have stolen one as a memento of your trip.

[angry.bob]

Way to get the Sheriff Joe sign.  You should have stolen one as a memento of your trip.

And get 90 days of pink jumpsuit, green bologne eating, living in an outdoor tent jailtime? Fuck no. Do not want.

[Bunk]

Yea, the bottle of Don Julio will do just fine as a memento. I had no interest in meeting any of the local law enforcement. I only actually saw one cop while I was there - they really do wear those hats.

[ghost]

He's Canadian.  It would have been just fine.   

[MisterNoisy]

Who says you can ever be too old for LEGO?

[Count Nerfedalot]

Some shots from my June trip to D.C. - My beloved Olympus is dead, this is my wife's Sony.  I'm not happy with it.


Capitol Rotunda


From a diorama in the Smithsonian museum of American history - how I felt after a day on concrete and marble.


Jefferson Memorial


Smithsonian Air & Space Museum - My Dad pointing to a part of the Saturn V booster that he helped design.

[Thrawn]

14 piglets born at my in-laws a few days ago.