# Picture of the Day (Dial-up internet users enter at own risk!)



## swift

I know there are some great TUG photographers out there. I thought it would be neat to see some of your favorite vacation photos and start a thread where we could post only one picture a day. They do this on another board I belong to and it is very fun to see what other people have seen and done.  

Here is my POTD- Drummers in Japan at Epcot's World Showcase.


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## swift

Nobody has photos to share?!?!


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## Rose Pink

I enjoyed looking at yours.  But I don't know how to put pictures in a post and mine are not of timeshares, anyway.  They would be of Moab--or Disney when the kids were little.


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## ricoba

I agree with Rose....but alas, I too don't know how to put pictures in the post.

I have tried before, but haven't had any success.


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## TUGBrian

I thought there was a thread somewhere about how to post pics....

anyway...ill give a 10 cent version =)

basically you first have to find somewhere to "host" the picture for you.

a variety of sites will provide this for you...some at minimal cost...some at no cost

examples are imageshack, photobucket, flickr etc etc.

also aol has their FTP service for free with membership (and membership is free also)...but the interface there is clunky and such.

anyway...once you find a host to upload your picture to...you simply use the little square yellow icon at the top of the post box to paste the address into.

for example if you look at tugs homepage  http://www.tug2.net

the TUG logo in the top left hand corner is merely a single image.

that image address is http://tug2.net/images/tuglogo3.gif

(this will show up as a link above...as I have not chosen to click the yellow box to indicate its a picture)

now with using the same link and putting the proper image tags around it...it will show as a picture.  these tags are [img.]http://tug2.net/images/tuglogo3.gif[/img.]

i have added periods so the code shows up....if the periods were missing obviously it would not be displayed that way

so when I remove the periods...it looks like this






clicking the yellow box brings up a new window in which you can type in the address and it will put the IMG tags around it for you...or you can simply just type them in yourself.


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## TUGBrian

in the example above....the picture LINK is:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd189/tl_swift/Disney World/12-26-2007-33.jpg

without the  tags around it...it is just a regular link to click on.  (notice swift uses photobucket as their image hosting software)

however surrounding it with the proper tags makes the forum software display it in your browser as the full picture.


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## TUGBrian

man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.

fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!






sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D


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## wackymother

Well, the sky is very blue.


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## swift

This picture is an old one, obviously by the date, but it is still a great vacation memory. It is of the Grand Tetons out side of Jackson Hole.


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## swift

TUG Improvements! said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!




Have you been to Los Angels lately?!?!


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## ricoba

Finally......I think I got it!

Thanks Theresa


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## ricoba

swift said:


> Have you been to Los Angels lately?!?!



I was going to point that out to Brian, that traffic like that is everyday here!


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## TUGBrian

swift said:


> Have you been to Los Angels lately?!?!



ha...no!

My only california gig was in salinas....fantastic little city there! although flying back and forth between jax and san jose every week for 6 months was really brutal on my sleep patterns!

I havent seen traffic as bad as houston since I lived in DC!

and excellent pic!  it works!


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## TUGBrian

also if you wish to post a pic and dont care to sign up for one of those service...email the pic to me at tug@tug2.net and ill host it for you.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

Moonrise over Solmar Beach - Cabo San Lucas


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## TUGBrian

guess comcast doesnt allow remote linking anymore...pic only shows up when you cut/paste the link into a browswer window.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Improvements! said:


> guess comcast doesnt allow remote linking anymore...pic only shows up when you cut/paste the link into a browswer window.



Are you saying the Moonrise pic I posted doesn't show up in your browser??


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## swift

No it doesn't appear. It shows only a box with a red X in it.


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## swift

This is the easiest way I have found to post pic's.

If you have your pics on a disk, or on your computer go to http://photobucket.com/ you will have to join but there is no fee. 

Upload some pics.

Once uploaded you will have a selection of choices in Photobucket. For TUG click on "Direct Link" this will copy info.

Once you are back in TUG click on the Insert Image (the one that looks like a postcard with a mountain on it below the redo arrow)

A box will pop up. Use your back up key to erase the http that it has already started. (Your direct link will already have that in it.) Right click to paste your Direct Link info and then click OK.

That's it! It really is pretty simple.
Have fun whether pic's are old or new they are fun to share.

Theresa


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## T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Improvements! said:


> guess comcast doesnt allow remote linking anymore...pic only shows up when you cut/paste the link into a browswer window.





swift said:


> No it doesn't appear. It shows only a box with a red X in it.



Looks to me like a browser issue.  Using two different computers, the photo appears in Firefox, but does not appear in Internet Explorer.

Anybody using Firefox, but not seeing my photo of Moonrise over Solmar Beach?

*****

Here it is on Picasa - see if that works.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> This picture is an old one, obviously by the date, but it is still a great vacation memory. It is of the Grand Tetons out side of Jackson Hole.



Your photo makes it easy to understand why the old French fur traders gave the mountains that name!


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## Emily

Steve - I see your picture - It is fabulous.

Theresa - I don't see any pictures you have posted but if you are using photobucket, they are blocked by a filter on our network.


Houston is just the way I remember it.


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## cindi

*Disney Boardwalk*


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## cindi

Steve,

FABULOUS picture!


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## jules40

still trying


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## naudette

Why won't using the attachment feature work when replying and just downloading it from one's computer?


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## ricoba

Steve, I see both your pictures in firefox.  It's a beautiful picture by the way.

For those of you still trying, try Theresa's (Swift) idea and use Photobucket.

I was unable to get anything uploaded with either Picasaweb or Kodak Gallery.

It seems like it should be simple, but nothing except opening the photobucket acct worked for me.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

njwhite said:


> Why won't using the attachment feature work when replying and just downloading it from one's computer?



That should work as long as the photo is less then the 100 kb maximum file size permitted for a jpg attachment.


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## swift

Beautiful Picture!!!!


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## swift

*Picture of the Day*

The Italian Christmas Witch - La Befana. You can read about her story here: http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/ourpaesani/labefana.htm


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## dmharris

Beautiful photo, Steve.  Seeing it via Internet Explorer.


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## teachingmyown

*This may be my all time favorite vacation pic...!*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_2143.jpg[/IMGL]


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## TUGBrian

pics all showin up fine now!


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## Elli

Great pictures - but most of them are very large, and I have to scroll back and forth to see the whole picture, except Steve's - that was a bit smaller.


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## swift

Elli said:


> Great pictures - but most of them are very large, and I have to scroll back and forth to see the whole picture, except Steve's - that was a bit smaller.




Ok, in Photobucket under edit there I can resize to fit for message boards like I did my first picture of the drummers. I will resize them in the future.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

Elli said:


> Great pictures - but most of them are very large, and I have to scroll back and forth to see the whole picture, except Steve's - that was a bit smaller.



Tx. I generally resize my pics to no more than 900 pixels width before uploading to the web.  That way they will show on most people's screen - as long as they have their monitor resolution set higher than 600x800.

A note if you do this. If you resize a picture smaller you will lose information (detail) in the picture. If you subsequently resize the picture back to it's original size, it will not be as crisp and detailed as it originally was.  This will affect you if you want to do a large print.  Many of th e pictures I've posted I have saved in both the original size and in the reduced size.


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## AwayWeGo

*Pucker Up.*

I know, I know -- it's supposed to be vacation pictures. 

But when it comes to these things ( -- photogenic, eh? -- ) I can't always help myself. 

So it goes. 
























-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## dmharris

Alan,

What no picture of the chief of staff on an entry called "pucker up"?  What's with that?


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## AwayWeGo

*Vacation Picture.*




dmharris said:


> Alan,
> 
> What no picture of the chief of staff on an entry called "pucker up"?  What's with that?


You're right about the appropriateness of that -- bigtime. 

Just click that _Married to The Chief Of Staff since 1964_ link for a picture of her taken September 2005 at HGVC Sea World -- a genuine vacation picture. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## naudette

This was taken at sunrise this last November from the deck of our timeshare unit at El Dorado Royale, Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  I sure wish I was back there!


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## swift

*POTD*

We went to the Seminole Indian Reservation and this was an alligator that was roaming around there.


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## johnmfaeth

Tim and the locals - east end of St. John - 2004


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## tomandrobin

Our crew at Atlantis this past June!


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## naudette

Tom and Robin,
Great photo!  Everyone looks so happy!
Nancy


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## TUGBrian

swift said:


> We went to the Seminole Indian Reservation and this was an alligator that was roaming around there.



ha...those things grow on trees down here...had one living in the lake in the back yard for awahile!

he was just a lil guy...they took him away after some other neighbors complained.  






pic taken from about 3' away right on the edge of the shore...he wasnt shy at all!  too little to do anything bad...shame they took him away he was only about 4' long.


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## tomandrobin

njwhite said:


> Tom and Robin,
> Great photo!  Everyone looks so happy!
> Nancy



Thanks! Everyone was happy, except the oldest how had to miss the trip becuase of work.


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## T_R_Oglodyte

*Our Gang on SXM June 2007*


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## Elli

Great picture on SXM, Steve.  I enjoy pictures much more when they are the correct size and you see everything at once.

BTW, I really enjoyed all the pictures you posted a while back of Hawaii.


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## teachingmyown

*San Francisco, taken from the Golden Gate Bridge*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_1405.jpg?t=1199577442[/IMGL]


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## swift

TUG Improvements! said:


> ha...those things grow on trees down here...had one living in the lake in the back yard for awahile!
> 
> he was just a lil guy...they took him away after some other neighbors complained.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pic taken from about 3' away right on the edge of the shore...he wasnt shy at all!  too little to do anything bad...shame they took him away he was only about 4' long.




 Nope, wouldn't want one of those things in my back yard. I don't like the bite of chihuahuas and I think that little shy guy might bite a little bit harder.


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## taffy19

TUG Improvements! said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D


That is a very sharp picture! What camera did you use? 

I enjoy looking at all these pictures!


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## Aussiedog

*here goes -*

keeping my fingers crossed that this works






Ann


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## Aussiedog

*Africa*

this is a scanned pic so not as clear






Ann


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## naudette

The picture of the lions is fantastic!  I'm sure there is a story behind it.  Would love to hear it.


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## Aussiedog

*Africa*

Thanks!

Once a year we try to go on an ecotourism vacation.  We have been to Tanzania twice on photo safaris, spending most of our time on the Serengeti.

On this particular occassion we drove up to a hippo watering hole and found a huge pride of lions and their cubs.  The cubs were playing around - about a dozen total, and when a few of them went to the water's edge for a drink we were all snapping pictures like crazy.  I was lucky to be able to frame up these three cuties!

(as long as you stay in the Jeep you are not part of the food chain so you are "pretty" safe - even the guides are not allowed to carry guns for self defense in the national park)

Ann


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## jules40

Aruba






Hope this works.


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## Aussiedog

*it worked!*

looks wonderful!

Ann


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## T_R_Oglodyte

*Amazing Two-Headed Giraffe at the Lincoln Park Zoo*


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## Aussiedog

*excellent pattern match!*

great angle, and the pattern match in their markings is perfect!

Ann


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## T_R_Oglodyte

Aussiedog said:


> great angle, and the pattern match in their markings is perfect!
> 
> Ann



Tx - the match isn't quite perfect though; you can see a few spots where the light markings end.

I didn't plan out or set up this picture at all.  We were visiting the zoo in the late afternoon the day after Thanksgiving, walking by the giraffe enclosure, and I snapped off four or five photos while the animals were still in the sun. Only after reviewing the photos later did I realize how lucky I had been with the angle and how the markings happened to align.

**

And here are the camels






The guy on the right was awfully cute:


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## Aussiedog

*So ugly she's cute?*

my baby albatross picture - right up there with the good looks of a camel....






Ann


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## Fletcher921

I took this one at the Banff Springs hotel this last summer.
Beautiful place.






And this one in Bora Bora a few years ago.


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## Aussiedog

*oh my goodness*

that is beautiful!

is this a timeshare property?

Ann


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## naudette

Ann,
I keep looking at the lions.  They are so cute and I'll bet that was a fantastic trip!

Nancy


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## billymach4

*LAZY River at Aruba Surf Club*


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## TUGBrian

iconnections said:


> That is a very sharp picture! What camera did you use?
> 
> I enjoy looking at all these pictures!



I believe it was a nikon coolpix S somethingorother.

it broke earlier this year and i tossed it out...sorry I dont recall which model :/


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## T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Improvements! said:


> I believe it was a nikon coolpix S somethingorother.
> 
> it broke earlier this year and i tossed it out...sorry I dont recall which model :/



Nikon S1. Taken at ISO-50, 6.9 F-stop, 1/69 sec shutter speed and 6 mm focal length. (Info stored in file properties.)


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## swift

*POTD*


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## tomandrobin

Disney this past New Years Eve trip


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## dmharris

*water at Poipu Point in Kauai*

This photo is sanity for me in these endless gray days of winter in Western Pennsylvania. Click on the thumbnail and it should open in a more viewable size. 

I uploaded to Photo Bucket and followed Theresa's well written instructions, but the "Once you are back in TUG click on the Insert Image (the one that looks like a postcard with a mountain on it below the redo arrow)

A box will pop up" failed because the box did not pop up. Must be some blocker on my computer, though I clicked to let things come through.


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## silvib

You guys truly have shared some lovely photos.  Thanks for sharing.  Guess I reduced the photo too much.


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## TUGBrian

dmharris said:


> This photo is sanity for me in these endless gray days of winter in Western Pennsylvania. Click on the thumbnail and it should open in a more viewable size.
> 
> I uploaded to Photo Bucket and followed Theresa's well written instructions, but the "Once you are back in TUG click on the Insert Image (the one that looks like a postcard with a mountain on it below the redo arrow)
> 
> A box will pop up" failed because the box did not pop up. Must be some blocker on my computer, though I clicked to let things come through.



if you do not have tugbbs.com in your list of trusted sites...IE7 and perhaps other current browsers will block the script from running to show the popup box (and instead you have to click manually to approve it)

so if you add tugbbs.com and tug2.com for that matter to your list of trusted sites....it will prevent many common issues we have on the technical side of things.


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## dmharris

Dear Admin,

That's is helpful info, but how do I add tug to "trusted sites"?  I've never done this for anything.  Didn't know I could.  

Living in ignorance.


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## swift

dmharris said:


> This photo is sanity for me in these endless gray days of winter in Western Pennsylvania. Click on the thumbnail and it should open in a more viewable size.



I could stare at that all day!!



DMHARRIS said:


> I uploaded to Photo Bucket and followed Theresa's well written instructions



Thank you


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## dmharris

No, thank you Theresa, you should be a technical writer they were so good!

I love to do photography and I also do artistic scrapbooking.  So I've learned to take some photos of the components of the subject matter, like not only the baby, but the baby's toes, ears, etc.  So I did the same with a gorgeous site and focused on the color of the water that was like a moving jewel.  It mesmerized me and couldn't take my eyes off it, so I captured it and glad I did as it's one of my favorites.  When I look at it, I can hear the sound of the ocean and almost feel it moving.


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## Aussiedog

*Theresa - thank you!*

This has been a fun thread PLUS I learned how to use PhotoBucket!

Ann


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## naudette

I agree, and I, too just learned photobucket.  Now, let's see if I can download a photo.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





ok...fixed this...you have to use the "direct link" code in photobucket to get it to appear in the post here.  -Brian


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## naudette

I'm sorry, I give up.  It appears I'm not smart enough to do this!!


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## luv2vacation

Hope this works!

This is Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort at sunset.  It is from this past July.


[img.]http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh282/coachwoodward/IMG_1132.jpg[/img.]



Didn't work but it works in the next post when I followed Theresa's directions.

{Edited : it didn't work because after the "img" tag you put a period  If you take the period away it works fine / Bill4728}


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## luv2vacation

Tried Theresa's way this time.  Let's see if it works.

Disney's Saratoga Springs at sunset this past July.








WooHoo - it worked!!
Thanks Theresa!


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## tomandrobin

loved the pic of Saratoga, our favorite DVC!


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## luv2vacation

tomandrobin said:


> loved the pic of Saratoga, our favorite DVC!



It's currently the wallpaper on my laptop so I look at it all the time!


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## Jaybee

I got it, Steve.  It's beautiful.  Browsers are quirky.  I just got a new computer, and unfortunately...Vista.  Now I have to9 go to IE for some things, like games, and Gary's beautiful Hawaiian slide show.  I was happy to see your pic of Solmar's moon.  Jean




T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Are you saying the Moonrise pic I posted doesn't show up in your browser??


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## Jaybee

So, who's the only "other" one on the beach, wearing a suit?  Hmmmm?  Jean



T_R_Oglodyte said:


>


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## T_R_Oglodyte

Jaybee said:


> So, who's the only "other" one on the beach, wearing a suit?  Hmmmm?  Jean



The gentleman in the white suit had become my SIL about 30 minutes previously.


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## TUGBrian

luv2vacation said:


> Hope this works!
> 
> This is Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort at sunset.  It is from this past July.
> 
> 
> [img.]http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh282/coachwoodward/IMG_1132.jpg[/img.]
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't work but it works in the next post when I followed Theresa's directions.


'

gotta get rid of the periods...


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## cp73

Here is one I took. One of my favorites.


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## Nicole D.

I did it. Yeah.
Anyway, I was amazed at all of the rosters and chickens freely roaming the roads in Kauai. It made me wonder if I ate one for dinner one night.


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## TUGBrian

Nicole D. said:


> Hope you can see it!



you can when you click on it...however it wont show up as a picture in the thread unless you paste the "direct link" into the post.

if you click on the link above and look on the righ side you see "share url" "direct link" "html code" and "img code"

what you want to use is either "direct link" if using the picture icon on the BBS.

or simply paste in "IMG CODE" into your post for it to show up.

same link with the IMG CODE pasted below


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## TUGBrian

when does he/she get fried up for dinner =D


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## Nicole D.

TUG Improvements! said:


> you can when you click on it...however it wont show up as a picture in the thread unless you paste the "direct link" into the post.
> 
> if you click on the link above and look on the righ side you see "share url" "direct link" "html code" and "img code"
> 
> what you want to use is either "direct link" if using the picture icon on the BBS.
> 
> or simply paste in "IMG CODE" into your post for it to show up.
> 
> same link with the IMG CODE pasted below


Thanks for the help. I was determined to learn how to do it. I think I was making it harder than it was.


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## teachingmyown

*Sunset on St Pete's Beach, FL*

I'm ready to go back...

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_0259.jpg?t=1199718821[/IMGL]


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## dmharris

Chris,

Awesome study of color!  Love the blues!  Where was this?


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## Hophop4

*Sunset over Cozumel - (A Dinasour on a Pedestal)*







This photo was taken from our balcony across the street at Fiesta Americana Hotel.  Captured a diving boat coming into the dock at sunset!!

I have this pic as my Tug avatar but it looks better enlarged.


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## Hophop4

*It worked here is another*







This was taken couple years back on our way back from Branson.  We stopped at a gas station in Arkansas and while waiting in the car these leaves were on the ground ..... well I took out my camera and here's what I got.....


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## swift

*POTD*


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## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kilauaea lighthouse*

I posted this in my Hawai'i picture thread last fall, but I thought it was worth reposting. Our last night on Kauai'i we were were heading from Princeville to Kapa'a for dinner.  We decided to take the quick side trip to look at the lighthouse again.  When we got there, just before sunset, the lighthouse was illuminated by the sun through a break in the clouds, while most of the grounds were still in shadow and a rain squall was passing by at sea.


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## Kay H

I am really enjoying the pics.  Thanks for this thread.


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## Cathy in Boston

These photos are just wonderful, thanks everyone for posting them!

Here are a few of ours:






[/IMG]

Sunset in Aruba






[/IMG]

Aerial view of Lazy River, Aruba Surf Club






[/IMG]

Grand Canyon


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## Stressy

dmharris said:


> Chris,
> 
> Awesome study of color!  Love the blues!  Where was this?



Yes, where? My guess is Kailua/Lanakai Beach.


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## Stressy

Steve,

Do you subscribe to Hawaii Magazine? I'd submit the pic of the Kilauea Lighthouse to their annual photo contest. It's breath taking.


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## Pit

Sunset from Smather's Beach, Key West.


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## Cathy in Boston

This thread just inspired me to finally move my Hawaii photos from 2006 over to Photobucket, where my more recent stuff is.  Here are a few:






[/IMG]

From the summit of Diamond Head, Oahu






[/IMG]

Sunset, Waikoloa, Big Island






[/IMG]

Kona, Big Island


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## TUGBrian

if you are going to use the "img code" link...you dont have to click the little picture icon when you make the post.

just simply paste that code into your post and the pic will show up =)


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## T_R_Oglodyte

*This is a fun thread!!!*



Cathy in Boston said:


> This thread just inspired me to finally move my Hawaii photos from 2006 over to Photobucket, where my more recent stuff is.


Don't you agree that Hawai'i must be about the easiest place in the world to get nice pictures??  

Here are another few of my faves - this is the lava field below Kilauea on the Big Island - taken from a helicopter during an early morning flight:






****

This one is of the grasslands along the Mamalahoa Road near Waimea, on the BI.  The grasses are bent over by the wind - it was blowing so hard I couldn't stand up while I took the picture.  I had to brace myself against a pole.

I like the fine texture of the grasses and the golden hue they picked up in the sunlight.


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## Ginny

Final 640 ft of the Half Dome hike, Yosemite National Park, and no, I didn't do it! DH was up there.


http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygu...photo?authkey=2v6KE8_6NVw#5058515144804842834


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## GrayFal

Cozumel Beach









Ireland - Gram and Popa in the Gap Of Dunloe






Sunrise in the Canary Islands - Tenerife






Rocques de Garcia and Mt Tiende Volcano - Tenerife


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## folashade

*Japanese Tea Gardens San Francisco*

these are some awesome photos you guys have posted.


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## cp73

*Oahu*



dmharris said:


> Chris,
> 
> Awesome study of color!  Love the blues!  Where was this?



Diane and Stressy

This is on Oahu at Lanikai. Its located on the South Eastern portion of the island. Its my favorite beach in all of Hawaii. Its very picturesque due to the two small islands right off the coast. You can rent paddleboards and go out to them.  This beach has been listed on many top beaches list. Many advertisements use this beach. In fact Marriott has an ad with a lady holding an umbrella and she is on this beach. Be sure to see it the next time you go to Oahu. There are no tourists there. Except me!!!


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## luv2vacation

Not sure what this is.  We were walking along the beach in California (Laguna Beach) in November.  We came across an area with a lot of rocks and tidal pools.  Took this through some _very_ clear shallow water (about 8 inches deep, maybe).  My 9 yo great-niece, who is way into sea-life, was watching and watching and noticed that when anything came close by, this would close around it (trying to catch it, eat it, who knows?).  Anyway, she very softly laid the end of a longish piece of sea grass in it, and it closed completely around it.  I got before and after shots.  _Pretty cool!_  She was impressed.









Notice how the underside of it blends right in with the sand and pebbles when closed.









BTW, thanks for starting this thread Theresa.  I'm really enjoying seeing all of the great pictures and never knew about photobucket - it's a cool website!!


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## NYBrit

*epcot center*

(I tried to do it from my Snapfish account, but nothing showed up.  I then joined Photobucket, and would you know that as I was uploading my photos, the site decided to have a maintenance!  I will put my photo on here as soon as I can!)

This was taken during the sun setting in May 2005 at Epcot Center. 

Christine


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## tomandrobin

swift said:


>



Nemo ride at Epcot?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*St. Augustine's Church - Kapa'au*


----------



## thinze3

TUG Improvements! said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!
> 
> sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D



Your photo is of the West Loop just north of Hwy 59. Years ago (80's) there was a network television special about traffic. It was stated during that program that the intersection you have shown in your photo was, at the time, the most congested intersection in the US. YIKES!!

It is still bad today (as your photo suggests)  even after a major renovation.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

tomandrobin said:


> Nemo ride at Epcot?


I'm guessing it's the Monterey aquarium.


----------



## NYBrit

*Ok hopefully this is it!*

Here is Epcot Center at Sunset!  This was taken end of May 2006.

Christine


----------



## NYBrit

*Seaworld*

Firstly, I want to say THANKS to Theresa for helping all of us to upload here!  It does work!

These next 3 photos were taken at Seaworld, also end of May, 2006.

Christine

This is one of my favorites!











And just look at these two 'Love Birds'!


----------



## NYBrit

*Animal Kingdom*

These were taken at Animal Kingdom at the end of May 2006.  Yes, I do love to photograph animals!

Christine

"Yo, you talking to me?"






"Aw, ain't I just pretty?"






"Don't anybody move!"






"Is this love?"






And finally I just had to add my own "little girl", my cat, Boo-Boo, who frequently sleeps like this!


----------



## swift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I'm guessing it's the Monterey aquarium.





tomandrobin said:


> Nemo ride at Epcot?




And the winner is ---------tomandrobin     Part of the Nemo ride at Epcot


----------



## tomandrobin

swift said:


> And the winner is ---------tomandrobin     Part of the Nemo ride at Epcot



I thought so, we just got back last week from WDW and i have that same photo!


----------



## tomandrobin

Myrtle Beach


----------



## dmharris

Should we think about starting a new thread?  This one is starting to get "heavy" and slow to load.  Love the photos, folks!  Virginia, WOW!  Where was that? Steve, you have a great eye for photography.  Your lighthouse could be on a calendar.  Chris, so could your beach shot.  I looked through my photos and realized they're all crap compared to some of these.


----------



## thinze3

*Tarleton State University*

My neice took this photo at her college bon fire last year. Don't think she even knows what a great photo it is.


----------



## thinze3

*Bull Shed Restaurant in Kauai*

My BIL setting down for dinner in Kapa'a at the Bull Shed Restaurant.


----------



## DeniseM

dmharris said:


> Should we think about starting a new thread?  This one is starting to get "heavy" and slow to load.



I am really enjoying the pictures! - an Admin. might have a suggestion about how to manage or set it up better.


----------



## KristinB

Okay, here's a random sampling of some of my travel shots...

Inverary Castle, Scotland:





View from Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA:





White egret at Assateague National Wildlife Refuge:





View of Narragansett Bay from Conanicut Island (Jamestown, RI):





Butterfly at the Grand Cayman Butterfly Farm:





Here are my galleries, if you'd like to see more...


----------



## teachingmyown

*"What were we thinking???"*

It's a little dark, but if you look closely you can see the feet dangling from the riders on the front row of the Griffin, just as they pause at the top of the drop to contemplate their choice.     Taken at Williamsburg, VA, during the first week that Griffin was operational.  A truly breathtaking ride!!!

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_0753.jpg?t=1199845370[/IMGL]


----------



## mshatty

Rare headless seagull at HHI, Christmas 2007


----------



## rod

*French Lick Creek Bridge, French Lick, Indiana*






This bridge is a riveted steel Pratt through truss design built in 1904.

The train in the background is the French Lick Scenic Railway on its way from the Indiana Railway Museum in French Lick to Cuzco, where it will reverse course and return to French Lick.


----------



## TUGBrian

new thread wouldnt help much...as it would just fill up with pictures too. =)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wai'oli Hui'ia Church - Hanalei*


----------



## swift

*POTD*

My baby girl....She is growing up on me.    This was taken in the Tower of Terror waiting area. She decided to wait with her chicken mom for the boys.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Should we think about starting a new thread?  This one is starting to get "heavy" and slow to load.  Love the photos, folks!  Virginia, WOW!  Where was that? Steve, you have a great eye for photography.  Your lighthouse could be on a calendar.  Chris, so could your beach shot.  I looked through my photos and realized they're all crap compared to some of these.


Here's a workaround for that.  Instead of left-clicking to open the thread, right click instead.  Then from the pop-up menu that appears, select the option to open in a new tab. The thread will then load in the new tab, while you can continue working in the other tab.  When the thread finishes loading, just switch to the new tab to view it.

I go to the New Posts link immediately when I come to the BBS (I actually have it bookmarked), then I just go down the page and right click on all of the links I'm interested in.  After I'm done, I start reviewing them tab by tab, closing each tab when I'm done.


----------



## tomandrobin

Jamaica


----------



## Pit

Ginny said:


> Final 640 ft of the Half Dome hike, Yosemite National Park, and no, I didn't do it! DH was up there.
> 
> 
> http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygu...photo?authkey=2v6KE8_6NVw#5058515144804842834



I did that hike once, several years ago. I still remember a warning sign (near Vernal Falls, I think) that was very direct. It read: "Do not play in the water. If you go over the falls, you will die."


----------



## dmharris

Steve,

Clever, very clever. And I'm starting to hate you because your pictures on Kauai of the same objects are much better than mine.   

Just a little green with envy of your skill.


----------



## ricoba

Oh Canada!

Peace Arch Park on the I-5 entering Canada.


----------



## Ginny

The picture of the cables on the rocks was taken where you ascend the last part of the way up Half Dome, in Yosemite Park. It was a 16 mile hike, took 14hours (left at 6 am, got off the mountain at 8 pm), with 4800 ft elevation gain. My DH couldn't walk very well for several days afterwards! You have to be in very good shape, start early, and bring lots of water and food.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Marigot*

*Ferry to Antigua*






*******************

*Marigot Public Marketplace*


----------



## GrayFal

*Antigua*

Shirley Heights at Sunset











Mamora Bay - View from the Village at St James Club


----------



## dmharris

Steve, what is that lodging structure in the Ferry to Antiqua photo?  Looks lovely!  I'm looking for a caribbean island destination.


----------



## swift

*POTD*

Taken out at the Seminole Reservation.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Steve, what is that lodging structure in the Ferry to Antiqua photo?  Looks lovely!  I'm looking for a caribbean island destination.



I don't know, but perhaps someone who has been to SXM more than I would.  It's certainly attractive and makes the photo.  In fact a better photo would have been to take the picture after the ferry was gone.  It's just that my daughter and SIL happened to be on the ferry.


----------



## dmharris

Steve,

Is SXM = St. Marteen?  Where have you stayed on these islands?  Timeshare or hotel?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Steve,
> 
> Is SXM = St. Marteen?  Where have you stayed on these islands?  Timeshare or hotel?



Yes. SXM = Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.  We stayed at the Flamingo last June, for my daughter's wedding.  That was our only visit, so I'm not an island expert.  There are some TUGgers who visit SXM regularly, including at least one who spends at least two weeks on SXM annually.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*El Malecón de Puerto Vallarta*

We were walking on the Malecón the week after Easter - still the MX Holy Weeks - just as a couple of guys were finishing this sand sculpture.


----------



## jlr10

Hope this works:

Even the restroom signs are pretty in Hawaii


----------



## jlr10

Painted Church on the Big Island


----------



## Rose Pink

Steve (T_R_Oglodyte), did you paint that picture of the Marigot Public Market?  I loved the colors!

The sand sculpture is amazing.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Rose Pink said:


> Steve (T_R_Oglodyte), did you paint that picture of the Marigot Public Market?  I loved the colors!.



Thank you!! Compliments always accepted.

It's not a painting; it's actually a photograph; I added the brush effects with a photo processing program.

When I took the photo, what I wanted was to capture exactly that swirl and mix of bright colors. The photo I got was pretty disappointing.  A couple of days ago I was PMing with another TUGger about the photos in this thread, and that gave me the idea to see what would happen if I brightened the photo, increased the color saturation, and then applied a brush effect.

Voila!! The result was exactly what I was looking for - even better than what I was trying to get with the original photo. Even made the garbage cans look good!

That was the first time I ever tried using the brush effect.  Over the last couple of days I've tried it on a couple of other photos, but the results haven't been any kind of improvement.  But for this picture it was perfect. 

For comparison, here it is side-by-side with the raw photo I started with:


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## dmharris

Hi Steve,

That sand sculpture was amazing and you happened to be at the right place at the right time.  What photo software program did you use for the photo to painting effect?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> What photo software program did you use for the photo to painting effect?



I use Corel Paint Shop Pro.  It's got almost all of the features of the expensive version of Adobe Photoshop, but a fraction of the cost. I picked up my copy at CompUSA for about $70, but I think I've later seen it advertised as low as about $30 after rebates.


----------



## Fletcher921

I took this in Lahaina during the Canoe festival in May 2006 during our Whaler stay on Kaanapali.





And this on Moorea that fall the same year.


----------



## teachingmyown

*The Beach at Tulum, Mexico*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_4874.jpg?t=1200100211[/IMGL]


----------



## dmharris

Ya know, I just don't understand why the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela  Rivers don't have these same unbelieveable blue colors as they do in Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean. After all, water is water, right?   :hysterical:


----------



## Aussiedog

*Night crossing of the Panama Canal*






The best time to cross!

Ann


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hanakapi'ai Falls*

Side trip off the Kalalau Trail at the first beach. Photo quality isn't so good, but I love the image of my daughter sitting in front of the waterfall.  It was the two of us on the hike, and the photo is a memory of a special day.


----------



## swift

*POTD*

Are we there yet?!?!


----------



## Fletcher921

Maybe our families are related??
my son:




My husband:


----------



## Keitht

View from Muleshoe lookout near Banff.


----------



## taffy19

What lovely pictures.  "Are we there yet?" What a wonderful memory to hang on to of a close family.   

T_R_Oglodyte, I recognize your pictures right away.    They are beautiful but there are so many other ones too in this thread.


----------



## teachingmyown

*The Ruins of Tulum*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_4869.jpg?t=1200198256[/IMGL]


----------



## Nicole D.

dmharris said:


> Steve,
> 
> Clever, very clever. And I'm starting to hate you because your pictures on Kauai of the same objects are much better than mine.
> 
> Just a little green with envy of your skill.



Yeah I noticed that. I was wondering what kind of camera he's using.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Punta de Mita - Bay of Banderas*


----------



## Keitht

Nicole D. said:


> Yeah I noticed that. I was wondering what kind of camera he's using.



The quality of a photo isn't all about the quality of the camera.  It's not even mostly down to the quality of the camera.  I've seen stunning shots taken with cheap cameras and rubbish shots taken on expensive kit.


----------



## swift

*POTD*

Yellowstone -Right now I don't remember which fall this is.


----------



## swift

iconnections said:


> What lovely pictures.  "Are we there yet?" What a wonderful memory to hang on to of a close family.




Thank you-- All three of my children are close. I am very proud of that.


----------



## marcmuff

*Full Moon Rising Over the Grand Canyon - 12-23-07*






and sunset reflecting off the rocks!  Our first trip to Grand Canyon - What a beautiful sight.


----------



## rickandcindy23

tomandrobin said:


> Jamaica




This picture could be used to start a postcard company.  :rofl: Wait, I think it was on my most recent postcard.  :hysterical:


----------



## Fletcher921

My computer's new wallpaper - I have this 'thing' about taking a photo of my feet relaxing on vacation.  I shot it on Mopion in the Grenadines in June of 08.





And - this one is on on Mustique, same vacation - the wind blew the yellow flag into the photo at the last second - looks quite planned...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Puerto Vallarto from Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta*


----------



## swift

*POTD*

Me  and my baby


----------



## stmartinfan

dmharris said:


> Steve, what is that lodging structure in the Ferry to Antiqua photo?  Looks lovely!  I'm looking for a caribbean island destination.




Isn't that the upscale shopping mall built within the last five years or so?  Haven't been in there myself - too busy enjoying the beaches and great restaurants to spend lots of time buying pricey designer clothes (especially with the value of the $$ versus the euro on the French side of the island).  But I recall one of its claims to fame are spectacular restrooms!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*El zócalo de Tepic*

The _zócalo _(central plaza) in Tepic, a city of about 300,00 that is the capital of Nayarit state. The twin bell towers are the Cathedral of the Purísima Concepción de María, built in the 18th Century.  

We drove to Tepic from Nuevo Vallarta on a Saturday. Since Saturday is market day the zócalo was filled with activity and the shops bordering the zócalo were busy.

Tepic is the closest large city to the area where the Huichol Indians live.  The partly obscured stalls behind the orange wall are set up by Huichol who come to Tepic from their villages in the nearby mountains on Saturdays to do their shopping and sell their crafts.  The craft prices in the stalls were not too much different from the prices charged in the less expensive Huichol galleries in Puerto Vallarta, but when they sell here the middleman costs are eliminated. If you happen to speak Huichol you can talk to the artists, but there aren't many people other than the Huichol who speak the language. We were quite happy to buy from the Huichol directly instead of giving our money to a gallery owner.


----------



## jmeiners

What a great idea.  Thanks for starting the thread.  I thought I'd add a couple with more to come.





Pike St. Market - Seattle





Interesting rays of light - Kauai


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## tomandrobin

rickandcindy23 said:


> This picture could be used to start a postcard company.  :rofl: Wait, I think it was on my most recent postcard.  :hysterical:



Say its not so! 

We took that picture from outside our room. We were staying at Sandals - Whitehouse, it will be 3 years ago in March.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*El Malecón de Puerto Vallarta*

More pictures taken along the Malecón:


----------



## swift

Too Close For Comfort!!!





We were stuck in traffic, because everyone had to stop to see the Bison, and these guys came up and put their nose right up on my window!!


----------



## Rose Pink

Steve, what does that ladder sculpture depict?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Rose Pink said:


> Steve, what does that ladder sculpture depict?



I believe it's titled _"In Search of Reason"_. It appears to show two children climibing a ladder, while a woman (the mother?) is standing below with outstretched hands.

Here's a link with a brief description of all of the Malecón sculptures. Sculpture _al fresco_ on the Malecón.


----------



## RDB

*East of Cedar Breaks National Monument, UT*

Deleted, while learning


----------



## ricoba

The Grand Canyon at sunset.


----------



## teachingmyown

*From the top of the Washington Monument*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_3653.jpg?t=1200544580[/IMGL]


----------



## jmeiners

A couple more...





Prague Castle





Oahu Sunset


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pelicans Taking an Afternoon Break - Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

deleted - changed mind


----------



## swift

*POTD*

It's Been A Long Day!!​


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Calle Zaragosa*

more scenes from Puerto Vallarta.  These are views of Calle Zaragosa, in the heart of the "Gringo Gulch" area just east (and uphill of) downtown Puerto Vallarta.  These pictures were both taken near the intersection of Calle Zaragosa and Calle Miramar, but looking in opposite directions.  

*************
*
Northwest view (toward the waterfront) from Calle Zaragosa at Calle Miramar.*  The bell towers (one large, two small) are _Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe_, the principal cathedral in Puerto Vallarta.  The Punta Mita coastline is barely visible in the distance. 






***********

*Southeast view from Calle Zaragosa at Calle Miramar.*   The pink and white bridge over Calle Zaragosa was built by Liz Taylor and Richard Burton to connect two houses they owned.


----------



## Ginny

*France and Big Island Kohala*

Market in Vence, France

http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygunville/Screensaver/photo?authkey=AsuSY5f67hU#5156622373032072322

Doorway architectural detail, Aix en Provence, France

http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygunville/Screensaver/photo?authkey=AsuSY5f67hU#5156623012982199442


Old Town Annecy, France

http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygunville/Screensaver/photo?authkey=AsuSY5f67hU#5156623416709125282


Kohala Coast Drive, Big Island

http://picasaweb.google.com/ginnygunville/Screensaver/photo?authkey=AsuSY5f67hU#5156623562738013362


----------



## teachingmyown

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_3611.jpg?t=1200622353[/IMGL]


----------



## Aussiedog

*scanned pic so not as clear*






Ann


----------



## RDB

*Hwy 143, east of Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument*


----------



## ricoba

Tulip fields in Mount Vernon, Washington area.








My wife, Cora, our son Ben and daughter Annie, in the fields a few years back.


----------



## Kay H

Wow, I thought only Holland had tulip fields like this.  Amazing!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kay H said:


> Wow, I thought only Holland had tulip fields like this.  Amazing!



FYI - info on the Skagit Tulip Festival


----------



## ricoba

Steve is correct, we took these during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

If you ever have a chance to go, make sure you have the Salmon BBQ sponsored by the Kiwanis as well as enjoy the fields.

Here's a few more that show a mix of the colors.  As you can see from the first pic, our son didn't quite appreciate the experience as much as us oldtimers did!


----------



## swift

Great pictures Rick!


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Mother and Daughter*

Of all the pictures I've ever taken, this one is my favorite.


----------



## teachingmyown

*Kentucky Down Under*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_5065.jpg?t=1200714179[/IMGL]


----------



## ricoba

Steve, which is Mom & which is Daughter?


----------



## tomandrobin

Jamaica


----------



## jmeiners

A couple more...





Mayan ruins (obviously)





Kauai rainbow


----------



## RDB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Mother and Daughter*
> 
> Of all the pictures I've ever taken, this one is my favorite. ...



You are soooo blessed. What a photograph!!!!!


----------



## RDB

*South Mountain Sunset - Phoenix*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset Over Lana'i*

Taken upcountry Maui (south of Tedeschi Winery) at the end of the day as we were completing the entire Hana loop.


----------



## tomandrobin

Tulum, Mexico


----------



## Kay H

Steve,

I think that is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.


----------



## Polly Metallic

From our last vacation at the Hacienda del Mar resort in Cabo San Lucas:

[IMGL]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k187/kay7979/Cabo%20San%20Lucas/100_0404.jpg [/IMGL]


[IMGL]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k187/kay7979/Cabo%20San%20Lucas/100_0304.jpg[/IMGL]


----------



## rickandcindy23

Steve, that picture of your wife and daughter is wonderful!  I see why it is your favorite.   

What camera do you use?  I think all of your photos are amazing.  How many Megapixels is it?


----------



## Brett

tomandrobin said:


> Tulum, Mexico
> 
> I recognize that beach!  I was there just a couple of weeks ago!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Flowers - Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden*

The Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden (not to be confused with the National Tropical Botanical Garden) is located on the BI a bit north of Hilo.  We weren't sure about whether it was worth the admission fee.  But Andrew Doughty, writer of _The Big Island Revealed_ guideblook, said it was worth it.  Because we had always found Andrew reliable in the past, we decided to do it.

Andrew didn't fail us - it was worth the admission.  

I suspect most TUGgers spend their time on the BI in Kona-Waikoloa areas, with  a quick visit to the volcano and an occasional Hilo and Akaka Falls drive by (or flyover). The Hilo, Puna, and Hamakua areas are worth some time and attention.  If you're heading to the BI, try to take a couple of extra days and spend two or three nights on the east side of the island.


----------



## teachingmyown

*I thought at first that this was my photo*



tomandrobin said:


> Tulum, Mexico




...but no, mine is #156 on page 7 of this thread.   I wonder how many other Tuggers have the same or nearly the same shot?

The world continues to shrink....


----------



## DeniseM

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Flowers - Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden*
> 
> The Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden (not to be confused with the National Tropical Botanical Garden) is located on the BI a bit north of Hilo.  We weren't sure about whether it was worth the admission fee.  But Andrew Doughty, writer of _The Big Island Revealed_ guideblook, said it was worth it.  Because we had always found Andrew reliable in the past, we decided to do it.
> 
> Andrew didn't fail us - it was worth the admission.



Steve - we thought the garden was outstanding!  This last summer we spent a couple nights at the Volcano and then we drove north around the island and spent a day sightseeing on our way to Kona.  The garden was one of our stops - it's a hidden gem!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

DeniseM said:


> Steve - we thought the garden was outstanding!  This last summer we spent a couple nights at the Volcano and then we drove north around the island and spent a day sightseeing on our way to Kona.  The garden was one of our stops - it's a hidden gem!



Spectacular, isn't it???  Except for the macros of flowers (such as I posted above) most of my pictures didn't come out. We'll be back on the BI this summer, and I'm hoping to get back so I can get some good shots of the waterfalls, the paths and bridges, and the coastline.

***

I know this thread is "Picture of the Day" (not "Picture*s* of the Day"), but I can't resist posting one more.  From the same trip in 2003 - same day, as a matter of fact. That was my first digital camera and I was just starting to play with photos a bit.
*
Akaka Falls:*


----------



## tomandrobin

teachingmyown said:


> ...but no, mine is #156 on page 7 of this thread.   I wonder how many other Tuggers have the same or nearly the same shot?
> 
> The world continues to shrink....



That is funny


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## dmharris

*Monk Seal on Poipu close up*

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/MonkSealBuddyonPoipu.jpg


OK, I tried to follow Theresa's and Admin's instructions, but all I'm able to view is the link.  Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## dmharris

*HELP!*



TUG Improvements! said:


> if you do not have tugbbs.com in your list of trusted sites...IE7 and perhaps other current browsers will block the script from running to show the popup box (and instead you have to click manually to approve it)
> 
> so if you add tugbbs.com and tug2.com for that matter to your list of trusted sites....it will prevent many common issues we have on the technical side of things.


 

So I'm trying to learn how to do this, but don't know where to look for "trusted sites". It looks like I have a Google tool bar on my Internet Explorer browser window.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> So I'm trying to learn how to do this, but don't know where to look for "trusted sites". It looks like I have a Google tool bar on my Internet Explorer browser window.



From the "Tools" dropdown menus at the top of the page, select "Internet Options".  This should open a box that has a bunch of tabs on it. Click on the tab that says "Security".  You will then see a white box that has some icons in it, including a green check mark above the words "Trusted sites". Click on that check mark.  Just below the white box is a click box labeled "sites".  Click on that box. 

A new popup should show called "Trusted Sites" and "www.tugbbs.com" should be show as an option to "Add this website to the zone"  If www.tuggbbs.com isn;t listed as the website to add to the zone, then enter it into the box.  Click "Add", Close everything you opened, and TUG will now be in your trusted zone.


----------



## teachingmyown

dmharris said:


> http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/MonkSealBuddyonPoipu.jpg
> 
> 
> OK, I tried to follow Theresa's and Admin's instructions, but all I'm able to view is the link.  Any help would be appreciated.




[IMGL]http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/MonkSealBuddyonPoipu.jpg[/IMGL]

You need to put [ IMGL ] on the front end and [ /IMGL ] on the back end of the photo's link (but leave out all the spaces between the "[" and the "]"   

Did you click on the flag/postcard looking icon just above the text box?  For me it's the second from the right just above the field that I'm typing this response into.  It automatically inserts the photo link into the IMG field.  Or you can just put them in manually.

In case anyone is wondering...the pic in this post is Diane's, not mine.


----------



## dmharris

[imgl]http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/MonkSealBuddyonPoipu.jpg[/imgl]

Teaching my own,

Thanks, that was the trick for me! Much appreciation!

Steve, Thanks now TUG is my first trusted site. Who knew? Some days it gets too complicated. Your thorough instructions made it simple! Deep gratitude!

And isn't this monk seal adorable!  I was so lucky to have him lift his head so nicely as they tend to sleep on the beach!  Seen on Poipu beach while at the Marriott Waiohai.


----------



## dmharris

*Sunset and umbrellas at the Princeville Hotel Kauai*

[imgl]http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/UmbrellasinthePrincevillePool.jpg[/imgl]
Sorry for the second photo today, I want to test it one more time.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Sorry for the second photo today, I want to test it one more time.



And a lovely photo is, Diane!!!


----------



## teachingmyown

*Kentucky Down Under*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_5007.jpg?t=1200947181[/IMGL]


----------



## Kingwayne

*Aruba Pelican*

 Pelican going for some food


----------



## Kingwayne

390 Aruba sunset


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Summer Twilight on Eagle Harbor - Bainbridge Island, Washington*

I took this picture on a late June evening as we were lined up waiting to board the ferry back to Seattle from Bainbridge Island.


----------



## swift

Steve- your Summer Twilight picture isn't coming up on IE.


----------



## swift




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> Steve- your Summer Twilight picture isn't coming up on IE.



Tx.  Looks as if the problems with Comcast and IE have come back.  Come back in a few minutes and I'll have it transferred over to Picasa.

[edit] ok - fixed now.


----------



## dmharris

*I thought we all could use a little spring today*

[imgl]http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/LondonandIreland05260.jpg[/imgl]

Tulips in April in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland.


----------



## pwrshift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> ...A new popup should show called "Trusted Sites" and "www.tugbbs.com" should be show as an option to "Add this website to the zone" If www.tuggbbs.com isn;t listed as the website to add to the zone, then enter it into the box. Click "Add", Close everything you opened, and TUG will now be in your trusted zone.


 
do you mean https://www.tugbbs.com instead of tuggbbs?

Brian


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

pwrshift said:


> do you mean https://www.tugbbs.com instead of tuggbbs?
> 
> Brian



Yeah  - when I did it I wasn't signed in, so it didn't show the secure address.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kepuhi Beach and Make Horse Beach - Moloka'i*

Moloka'i is a wonderful serene island if you like peace and relaxation and you don't get bored easily.  The only timeshare on the island is Ke Nani Kai - this is part of the coastline near Ke Nani Kai.

Make (pronounced "Mah-kay") Horse Beach is the beach in the background, immediately below the steep cliff. Make means "dead" in Hawai'ian.  Supposedly, wild horse populations on west Moloka'i were formerly controlled by herding the horses toward the cliff, then forcing the horses off the cliff face.


----------



## teachingmyown

*Virginia*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_3751.jpg[/IMGL]

We had enjoyed a ski vacation at Massanutten without a trace of snow for the entire week.  In fact, it was barely cold enough for the snow making machines to work.  The night before check-out the storm front moved through, dropping several inches of great snow.  Unfortunately, instead of having time to play in it, it was time to drive in it.

This shot was taken on the interstate highway...


----------



## swift

I have enjoyed this thread so much. You guys post some of the most breath taking photos. :whoopie:   The spring photo came none to soon. LOL


----------



## swift

Taking a rest in San Diego


----------



## tomandrobin




----------



## NYBrit

*Reflection*

This my DH took and he calls it "Reflection'.


----------



## dmharris

*Another spring day in Ireland*

Enjoy!

[imgl]http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj250/dbureman/LondonandIreland05261.jpg[/imgl]


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ha'upu*

The first Indiana Jones movie opens with a view of a jagged tropical mountain peak, then pans down the face of the mountain to show Indiana Jones chopping his way through the jungle.  Ha'upu is the mountain shown in that opening scene - though this is the other side of Ha'upu from the shot that was used in the movie. 

This view of Ha'upu is from the splendid oceanside Makewehi Cliffs trail on the south shore of Kaua'i, east of Shipwreck Beach.  A portion of the The Po'ipu Bay Golf Course (on which the PGA Grand Slam of Golf was held through 2006) is in the midground.


----------



## KristinB

I am loving the wide variety of images we're seeing from everyone!  Here are a few more of mine...

U.S. Air Force Memorial (fisheye view):






Residents of the National Zoo:
















Resident of the Phoenix Zoo:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> I am loving the wide variety of images we're seeing from everyone!  Here are a few more of mine...



Beautiful shots, Kristin!


----------



## cindi

tomandrobin said:


>



I absolutely love this photo. How did you manage to get it without all the heads in the way? I have tried so many times and there are always throngs of people.


----------



## TUGBrian

pwrshift said:


> do you mean https://www.tugbbs.com instead of tuggbbs?
> 
> Brian



just to clarify...there is no https://www.tugbbs.com 

the trusted site to add would need to be http://www.tugbbs.com to eliminate errors with cookies and or popups.

if it wont let you add it you will need to UNcheck the box at the bottom of your settings that says "require secure verification for all sites in this zone" which will allow you to type in regular http:// sites


----------



## TUGBrian

oh and this thread is most excellent =)


----------



## ace2000

TUG Improvements! said:


> oh and this thread is most excellent =)




How about making it into a new category with certain guidelines to follow in labeling the photos???  I agree, I've enjoyed it also!

Scott


----------



## TUGBrian

eh...im not quite sure it warrants its own sub-forum...but I dont mind this thread growing forever =)


----------



## TUGBrian

and you guys can also be emailing these photos to the review managers for inclusion into the resort reviews for the resorts in question for all to see!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Improvements! said:


> and you guys can also be emailing these photos to the review managers for inclusion into the resort reviews for the resorts in question for all to see!



I often do that when I have pictures of the resort itself - and the resort doesn't already have a good representative pictures available.  I don't figure that is appropriate for other pics that don't specifically pertain to the resort.


----------



## teachingmyown

*The Jellies at Monterey Bay Aquarium*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/jellies2.jpg?t=1201206276[/IMGL]


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rain Squall on Ha'upu*

This picture was taken the year before the Ha'upu picture I posted yesterday. The weather most of the week was pretty unsettled, with occasional rain squalls drifting over Kaua'i from the south.  As we were walking along the Makewehi cliffs, I got this photo of the late afternoon sunlight slanting in under the rain clouds.  

We turned back shortly after this because of the approaching rain squall. About ten minutes after I took this picture the entire coastline in the picture was getting hit with a torrential downpour.


----------



## swift




----------



## RDB

*Glacier Nat'l Park*

Views along Going-To-The-Sun-Road.
















In the 2nd photo, you'll notice a ledge mid-way up on the right side. That is the road. 
The last photo= That white score across the mountains is the roadway.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hapuna Beach*

One of the nicest beaches on the Big Island in Hawai'i.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Beautiful shots, Kristin!



Thanks!

And thank you also for the lovely shot of Hapuna Beach... I'll be seeing it for myself in May.  We're spending the first week at Paniolo Greens, the second week at the Bay Club, and the last week at Wynfield Kona Hawaiian Resort. Looking forward to celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in such a gorgeous location.  Just counting the days! :whoopie:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Thanks!
> 
> And thank you also for the lovely shot of Hapuna Beach... I'll be seeing it for myself in May.  We're spending the first week at Paniolo Greens, the second week at the Bay Club, and the last week at Wynfield Kona Hawaiian Resort. Looking forward to celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in such a gorgeous location.  Just counting the days! :whoopie:



'Anaeho'omalu Beach (next to the Waikoloa Mariott) might be the best place on the BI for beach sunset photos.  Bring your tripod.  I'll post a pic tomorrow.


----------



## Elan

RDB, excellent pictures of God's country (esp #1)!  I love GNP -- truly breathtaking.  

  Thanks for sharing.

                           Jim


----------



## RDB

Elan said:


> RDB, excellent pictures of God's country (esp #1)!  I love GNP -- truly breathtaking.    Thanks for sharing.      Jim



It was WOW WOW WOW on that GTTSR.   
Looking at the pictures, it is hard to believe we were really there. 
Here, we at least got up into the mountains, not just look at them from the valleys.

We got to see a lot of God's Country on our cross country drive, but I'll have to say GNP was, as you say, "truly breathtaking." 

We enjoyed what little we passed in the northwest of your state. Where abouts are you located?
Send me an "IDAHO" email.

Robert


----------



## teachingmyown

*Yosemite National Park*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_1542.jpg?t=1201325038[/IMGL]


----------



## Elan

Another awesome shot, teachingmyown!  I love all of the island pictures, but I have a decided weakness for the mountains and the trees.  Thanks for the pic!

                                     Jim


----------



## swift

*POTD*

On the way up to Tahoe


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset - 'Anaeho'omalu Beach*

'Anaeho'omalu Beach is in Waikoloa, just south of the Waikoloa Mariott.  The fish pond in the foreground and the fringe of palm trees between the pond and the ocean make a lovely setting.  I think 'Anaeho'omalu might be the best place on the BI for beach sunset photos.


----------



## Karen G

Here's a picture from Bryce Canyon.


----------



## geoand

Just got back from the Big Island this past Wednesday.  Hit a lot of beaches and I too think this is one of if not the best beach on the Island.  Isn't this the beach that is assciated with the Mauna Kea resort that is closed for repair?  If so, don't confuse it with Hapuna Beach State Park which is just one mile south of this gem.  Going to Hapuna Beach State Park is also a great beach.



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Hapuna Beach*
> 
> One of the nicest beaches on the Big Island in Hawai'i.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Just got back from the Big Island this past Wednesday.  Hit a lot of beaches and I too think this is one of if not the best beach on the Island.  Isn't this the beach that is assciated with the Mauna Kea resort that is closed for repair?  If so, don't confuse it with Hapuna Beach State Park which is just one mile south of this gem.  Going to Hapuna Beach State Park is also a great beach.



Well - we came down Hapuna Beach Road and parked in the Hapuna Beach State Park parking lot, and then followed the trial to the beach.  I thought we were at Hapuna Beach, but I'll check a bit more.

***

[edit -added note]  I checked satellite imagery to verify the location.  This is definitely Hapuna.


----------



## geoand

*This a Test*

of the geoand vacation photos broadcast system.  This only a test.

I have resized the pic twice now and the image is still as large as it was originally.  If it takes too long to load, please let me know and I will do it again.

Photo was taken at Denali National Park in mid September of 2007.  I was using 200 telephoto lens and bear was about 15 yards from me.


----------



## geoand

*It was just a guess*

Steve, I am sure you are correct.  I was confused because of the calmness of the water.  I have been to Hapuna Beach many many times and have never seen the water so calm.  Mauna Kea Resort is also a beach (less than a mile north of Hapuna) that should not be missed.  The waters are very calm and the beach is shorter for lack of a better term than Hapuna.  The resort is closed for repairs due to the earthquake in 10/06.  Beach is still open and they allow only 30 cars to come to the parking lot.  We were at both beaches 3 different times within the past 2 weeks.  Had to get to the MK beach no later than 10 am to get parking.  They control it via gate and attendant.  As a result, there is no problem with crowds on this beach.

My bad on not recognizing the differences.

I am going to try to edit the photo I posted to resize it cuz I think it might take too long to open for many users.


----------



## RDB

*Olympic Mountains & Puget Sound over Magnolia Marina*


----------



## teachingmyown

*Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/sanfranseals.jpg?t=1201408107[/IMGL]



Cool!  I just realized this is my 500th post!!

I'm enjoying this thread very much also.  The range of subjects is great and I especially appreciate the comments and remarks identifying the locations, explaining the subjects, etc.  And, "Thank you" to Elan for the compliment!  I've never been able to decide which I love the most...mountains or beaches!
tmo


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Meerkat Cuteness*

Almost suffocatingly cute, aren't they???

We spent Thanksgiving 2007 with DD and SIL in Chicago.  The day after Thanksgiving we visited to Lincoln Park before catching the plane back to Seattle.  This is the same day I got the photo of the awesome two-headed giraffe I posted many pages back in this thread.


----------



## DeniseM

teachingmyown said:


> [IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/sanfranseals.jpg?t=1201408107[/IMGL]



I can remember the smell clearly....


----------



## geoand

*POTD from Volcano National Park Big Island*

Taken from the lava fields


----------



## TerriJ

I would like to try posting a picture, are there easy instructions to do this?  Thanks.






*added her photo - Brian

Thank you!

This is Big Meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park, we stayed at Ram's Horn Village.


----------



## swift

Hi Terri, go to the 19th post on this thread. You will find instructions there.


Enjoy!!
Theresa


----------



## RichM

We've had quite a bit of snow here in So Cal lately - even had to drive through some on the freeway one morning in Monrovia/Duarte.  Here's a shot of the San Gabriel Mountains taken from Diamond Bar looking north across the 57 freeway:







___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## Kingwayne

*NYC from the top of the Empire State Building*


----------



## TUGBrian

fabulous shot.. next to vegas ive always loved the nyc skyline at night.


----------



## cindi

*Jackson Hole*






View from top of Signal Mountain


----------



## cindi

*Jackson Hole*






Hiking above Jenny Lake


----------



## swift

A little Disney fun at Animal Kingdom


----------



## Banker

*two additional pics*






  This is taken at Club Land'Or when we got married there October 2004.  We own there and go the same week every October.


----------



## Banker

*oops, pic #2*






 Daphne, the Himalayan mix.  She is sooo verrrryyy spoiled!


----------



## teachingmyown

*Yosemite Redwood*

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_1618.jpg?t=1201491768[/IMGL]

Now, those are some big trees!!!!!


----------



## teachingmyown

DeniseM said:


> I can remember the smell clearly....



I don't remember the smell as clearly as I remember the noise...But they were lots of fun to watch.


----------



## RDB

cindi said:


> ... Hiking above Jenny Lake



Cindi, thanks for this reminder. Great shots. Thorougly enjoyed the Tetons.


----------



## RDB

*East of Cody, WY*

Sky as we head along US-14W.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Luciano's Wedding Serenade*

My daughter's wedding last summer was on Simpson Beach in Sint Maarten.  (I posted a couple of pictures from this event previously in this thread.)

After the ceremony, the wedding party headed up the beach several hundred yards to Mary's Boon, where we had a post-wedding dinner.  We had about one-half of the dining room reserved for our party.

As we were finishing our dinner, we heard a bit of commotion and then some music coming from across the dining room.  There was Luciano giving an impromptu solo concert in the dining hall!!!  (For those unfamiliar, Luciano is an immensely popular reggae artist in the Caribbean Islands.  See here and here.)

Someone told him there was a wedding party going on in the other part of the room, and he sent his blessings to DD and SIL.  We invited him over, and he serenaded them for about 15 minutes, singing wonderfully spiritual songs asking for God's blessings on them, their marriage, and their children.

Luciano had a concert coming up that Saturday night (twin bill with Sean Paul - the biggest concert to hit SXM in years), and he was staying at Mary's Boon while he was in Sint Maarten.  He came down to the dining room just because he felt like sharing some music that night.

What a topper for an already special occasion!!!


----------



## TerriJ

These are so fun.  Still trying to figure this out!


----------



## ricoba

The Grand Canyon.....


----------



## geoand

*One of the most exciting days of the trip*


----------



## RDB

geoand;459270[QUOTE said:
			
		

> WOW geo!!!


----------



## geoand

Captain of the boat told us that this was a form of communication between whales.  Seemed to make sense.  There were 3 whales in one group and 2 to 4 in another group about 3 miles apart.  Whales from both groups were breaching and they joined up.  I'm using Nikon D200 with Nikkor 70 200 zoom lens.  I have several shots of the breaches and one series of shots was the beginning thru to the tremendous splash at the end.  If folks are interested I will post those (much much smaller size tho).  I forgot to mention that this was about 45 minutes of pure excitement and I am using automatic focus.  As a result I did have many missess.  I am not good enough to use manual focus while bouncing around on a moving boat on a rolling ocean.


----------



## TUGBrian

TerriJ said:


> These are so fun.  Still trying to figure this out!



I posted your picture for you up top Terri. =)

you should be able to click the "edit" button on it and see what it looks like!


----------



## TUGBrian

and holy cow geo!!!  id be looking for a fishing pole


----------



## mshatty

*Up Up away in a hot air balloon at Wyndham Pagosa*


----------



## RDB

*Gerald on Trip West at the Canyon*


----------



## geoand

*When in Hawaii*

We all should try a little






but I am a chicken so will take photo instead.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Dave in Hanapepe*

After a day of showing my brother and SIL around the south shore of Kaua'i, we ended up in Hanapepe for the art festival as the sun was setting. We went over the swinging bridge and, as usual, I was way behind every one else because I was always stopping to take pictures.

While the ladies went on to the galleries, my brother waited for me out by the main road.  As I was catching up to him, I saw him standing in a shadowed area next to a ti plant, but with sun slanting through an opening and illuminating him and the ti plant.


----------



## swift

Getting little brother to stay still for a picture.


----------



## geoand

*Another sunset from the "A" beach*

This is from the same beach as Steve's sunset.


----------



## RDB

*Grand Grand Canyon seen from South Rim*

Every minute changes as the sun goes down and strikingly different in early morn. We caught this on Oct 6 at 5:55. 






We were up early to see the canyon in different light. This was taken prior to sunup on 7 Oct at 6:14.






This one, 42 minutes later at 6:56.


----------



## cindi

That grand canyon sequence was really cool.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sittin' on the Dock - Grand Case*

A couple of local boys sitting on the dock on  a summer afternoon in Grand Case, Ste. Martin.


----------



## swift

Looking for a Prince


----------



## Kingwayne

*Looking up the Hudson river from New York*


----------



## RDB

*Thanks Cindi*



cindi said:


> That grand canyon sequence was really cool.



I hope others who view them will want to stay the night and see sunset and sunrise. Definately changes with various lighting conditions.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Sea Cliffs*

from the Polulu Trail, Big Island.  I probably took about 30 shots total in this area, starting at the parking area at the end of the road, contrinuing from various vantages as we went about 2/3 of the way down the trail to the beach.  

We were dodging rain showers, and set out on the trail when it looked as if there might be a short break in the weather.  Just before we turned around and headed back to the parking lot, the sun poked out briefly through a hole in the clouds.  Where the full sunlight hit the ocean the water picked a bit of a glow that I was able to capture.


----------



## taffy19

I love all these pictures here.   

Steve, I love your pictures too.  Do you edit or manipulate them a little bit?  Some look almost like paintings to me.  I am curious.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Steve, I love your pictures too.  Do you edit or manipulate them a little bit?  Some look almost like paintings to me.  I am curious.


See this thread.


----------



## RDB

*Manipulation, enhancement...*

I refer to it as "Making something out of nothing."

Many photos taken are not at their best, from the camera. They most often can be improved upon by editing prior to presentation.  

It takes much time and effort to make mountains stand out from a washed-out sky. Or make cloud formations viewable in a plain whitish sky. Coloration can be added, hues changed.  Lighting of rocks, trees or peoples faces for example can make, otherwise disinteresting  photos, something of beauty.

I know I want my photos to show others the beauty that I took in. Many hour are spent cropping, straightening (or tilting), coloring, etc. I don't take the time in the field to setup and compose properly. I hand-shoot on the run and make the most out of it on the computer in the comforts of home.

My hats off to those that take perfect pictures.


----------



## swift

We met up with some TUG'ers in our neck of the woods and took their children to Armstong Woods. The Govenator is sadly trying to close this park


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

RDB said:


> I refer to it as "Making something out of nothing."
> 
> Many photos taken are not at their best, from the camera. They most often can be improved upon by editing prior to presentation.



I don't think of it as making something out of nothing.  I regard it as completing the photo. A painter first creates the basic framework and structure of the image; then develops the final painting on that base.  Same thing with photos; the base image returned by the camera is the framework for producing the final image you want to create.

I'm with you Robert.  Most of the time I want to shoot.  I have a very difficult time seeing in my mind how compositional elements fit together; I have to physically see it.  Around the house I don't do well imagining what a room would really look like if it were a different color, for example.  I can see the color, decide whether or not I like the color in isolation.  But when I try to put the color in the room I have a very hard time seeing how the color would work with other colors in the room.  I can't envision how different pieces of furniture would coordinate or clash.  In the yard, I have a hard time planning gardenscapes because I can't see how the colors, textures, shapes, etc. will all fit together.

So time spent trying to do that when I'm holding a camera is also unproductive.  But when I'm working with the image I can see immediately what I'm doing.  One hour spent working with images on the screen is far more productive for me than one hour spent tweaking camera settings in the field.

That doesn't mean I ignore compositional elements in the field.  I try to be aware of them and if I can see them as I'm setting up I'll take advantage.  Also, where I do have time to wait - as when I'm doing a sunset picture and waiting for the sun to go down - I do take more time to plan things out.

But mostly what happens is that I see a scene that I like - most often it has to with the way something is illuminated - and I grab the camera and shoot.  I pan back, figuring I can always crop to get the composition.  With lighting even a mundane subject can be attractive.  

The photo below of the Wo On Store in Halawa on the Big Island is an example.  This picture is totally about the way the light was filtering through and catching the storefront and surrounding vegetation; without the lighting this is just a mundane picture of a nondescript older building with some bungled remodeling and a parked car. We were driving into Halawa in the afternoon, and I saw the building.  I quickly pulled off to the side of the road (as DW was rolling her eyes and developing that "This is getting annoying!!!" look in her body language), grabbed the camera and shot off about four pictures.  It wasn't until later that I learned the building actually had some historical significance.  But the photo isn't made because of what the building is - the photo is made by the lighting.


----------



## swift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I quickly pulled off to the side of the road (as DW was rolling her eyes and developing that "This is getting annoying!!!" look in her body language),









 Your poor DW. As much as I love taking pictures as you were saying in your other post that you took 30 pictures between the parking lot and the end of the road I was thinking of your poor DW.  She must have a ton of patients.  My DH would have gone off and left me in the dust of anoyance.


----------



## geoand

*The road through Polychrome Pass Denali National Park 9/07*


----------



## RDB

Kingwayne said:


>



With permission from Kingwayne, modifications were made to his river shot, just to show abit of what editing can do. These took only a few minutes.

A few changes were made to bring out the trees on the hillside and the bank, far in the distance. Still the same photo.






I added some color and modified the light and shadows. It was overly done to make the changes pronounced.






Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> Your poor DW. As much as I love taking pictures as you were saying in your other post that you took 30 pictures between the parking lot and the end of the road I was thinking of your poor DW.  She must have a ton of patients.  My DH would have gone off and left me in the dust of anoyance.



As my skills have improved over the last couple of years she's become more tolerant.  The photo I took of her and DD, which I posted earlier in this thread, helped a lot.  That one earned me points _beaucoup_.

Her larger frustration now is that it takes me awhile to get images handled and printed after our trips.


----------



## boyblue

Some like it hot












We like it cold

Near Witefish Montana 2005

Got it!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*West Maui from 20-Mile Beach - Moloka'i*

Some like it hot. DW loves a warm tropical beach.







***************

Re discussions of the role of adjusting and manipulating images.  For comparison, here is the unedited image I started with. A good photo shop program is the digital photographers friend.  I've done it enough now that I can make the adjustments shown in this photo in about five to ten minutes.  I wasn't that fast to start with, but as I've gained experience there are some standard adjustments that I can make pretty quickly.  

Occasionally I do get into something more elaborate that takes more time.  The picture of my daughter at the waterfall many pages back, for example, is also a combination of three pictures.  So it took me some time to align the images, and get the exposure settings to match on the overlays. That was the first time I attempted something such as that, so it took me longer because I was learning as I went on that one.  The new version of Paint Shop Pro (which just arrived two days ago) will now handle that task automatically.  Sweet!!!!


----------



## RichM

Yesterday at the Ostrich Farm in Buellton, CA:







__________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## SueDonJ

This whole thread is so interesting!  I don't know which ones I like more - the beautiful scenery shots or the ones of people enjoying the scenery.  Thanks to everyone for the directions - I'm off to figure out how to do this.

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

This is from the dock in back of the Boathouse II restaurant on Hilton Head.





Our "kids" (l-r) Steve and Eileen, with their friends Steve and Allie - they and we love bringing company with us on our trips.





My current wallpaper, from a day last September when the surf kicked up before a storm.





(crossing my fingers, hoping this works)
Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

Wow, that was surprisingly easy!  The pics are a bit large, though, aren't they?  I'll be happy to resize any more that are added to the thread, if you can tell me how.  I'm on a Mac using iPhoto and Photobucket, if that matters.

thanks again,
Susan


----------



## swift

My DH walking along the beach in Fort Lauderdale. 

After seeing the above pictures I am going to pick up Paint Shop Pro this weekend. I can't wait to get it and start playing with it with pictures such as this one.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> After seeing the above pictures I am going to pick up Paint Shop Pro this weekend. I can't wait to get it and start playing with it with pictures such as this one.



Make sure you get Paint Shop Pro X2 - that's the current version, just released.  You might check on line - you may be able to save some money buying it someplace such as Amazon or direct from Corel.

Paint Shop Pro is a full featured program - that means it's comparable to Adobe Photoshop CS, which costs several hundred dollars.  Photoshop Elements is a stripped down version of Photoshop that is targeted to the casual user.  For the additional $40 or so, I think it worth it to get the full-featured program.

I suggest you also get a book that hs the fundamentals of digital image processing. Stop by your local Barnes & Noble so you can actually look at the books and find one that matches your interests and skills.


----------



## geoand

*just for the further edification of the members*

Don't know how old this link is:  http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/vs_elements.html

There are reviews on all 3 programs PS, elements, and PSP available for reading.  Google all 3 items.


----------



## SueDonJ

Theresa sent directions for how to resize so here goes....

I love this one because it reminds me of when he was a little boy (just months ago it seems)





and the last testing one - I scrapbook and lately I've gotten into the Photobooks that are so easy to do with the iPhoto program (and beautiful when finished - I was shocked at the quality when I ordered the first!)  Anyway, some of my shots are attempts at composing certain pages, this one is the cover of the book that we gave to our guests after returning home.





Now what do they say about creating monsters?  This is a whole lot of fun.
Susan


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Don't know how old this link is:  http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/vs_elements.html
> 
> There are reviews on all 3 programs PS, elements, and PSP available for reading.  Google all 3 items.



Seems like a good article, though outdated. His comments on some of the limitations of PSP are clearly dated.

I think PSP has been put together with an easy user interface, but when you need to access more powerful stuff it's all there. It's clearly a program that can grow a long way with as your skills and interests develop.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Koi Pond - Grand Hyatt Kaua'i*

The grounds of the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i are beautifully landscaped and maintained. It's a nice place to stroll through.  Here's a view of one of the koi ponds, with Shipwreck Beach and the Makewehi Cliffs in the background.


----------



## Elan

Great pic Steve! (Koi pond)


----------



## Pit

Fall color


----------



## swift

This probably does not need to be said but I am going to anyway. 

I want everyone to feel comfortable posting pictures here. It is not a contest of who is the best photographer, (no matter how green with envy I become   ) If you look through the thread you will see all types of pictures from scenery to family. No one should ever feel bad about posting a picture because they do not feel it is good enough. This is all about fun!!!   



Post away!!!!


----------



## swift

The Attitude
Can we just get going already!!!


----------



## SueDonJ

Last night we had wild wind and rain, thunder and lightning ... I prefer this:





Susan


----------



## geoand

swift said:


> This probably does not need to be said but I am going to anyway.
> 
> I want everyone to feel comfortable posting pictures here. It is not a contest of who is the best photographer, (no matter how green with envy I become   ) If you look through the thread you will see all types of pictures from scenery to family. No one should ever feel bad about posting a picture because they do not feel it is good enough. This is all about fun!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Post away!!!!



Agree 100%.  I hope that people feel free to share their pictures.


----------



## ricoba

I agree Theresa. 

I have Photo Shop and have never taken the time to figure the darn thing out!! 

But my kids use it and are quite good with it.

So my pictures here are unedited, though I do like Steve's and others edited pics that really bring out the color contrasts.


----------



## RDB

swift;462481... It is not a contest ... No one should ever feel bad about posting a picture because they do not feel it is good enough...[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> Boy, I hope nobody feels like that.
> I want to see as much of this planet as I can. We all get to see much more though your eyes.
> 
> I want to see your photos. Please share your travels, your family and the many things you all see and do!
> 
> Robert


----------



## SueDonJ

RDB said:


> Boy, I hope nobody feels like that.
> I want to see as much of this planet as I can. We all get to see much more though your eyes.
> 
> I want to see your photos. Please share your travels, your family and the many things you all see and do!
> 
> Robert



I agree, and know you all made it very easy to join in.

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


>



Ah-HA!!  I've got it!  Finally it's come to me - your brother reminds me very much of Peter Gammons, Steve.

Susan


----------



## RDB

*Bryce Canyon*

Between Gerald and I, I bet we took over a hundred shots in this area while on our Trip West journey. Many turned out not so good.  This one, I played with and want to share it with you.

It's an example of getting two photos from one shot. The first was actualy cropped from the original. The second is another cropped portion that has been enlarged.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Winter in Mercer Slough*

There pics are from Mercer Slough here in good old Belly-View, Washington, taken this morning as i was jogging with a friend.  The red bushes are blueberries.


----------



## silvib

Steve - you really do take the most wonderful photos.


----------



## swift

*POTD*

I can't help myself. I love Disney.


----------



## SueDonJ

It's a big sports day, right?  This is from Dice-K's nationally-televised Spring Training game against the Pirates last March.






Susan


----------



## dmharris

*Chihuly in Pittsburgh*

Hi All,

This is an untouched photo. The Chihuly exhibit at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. I waited patiently for the fish to appear in the reflection of the Chihuly glass ball, as if it were encased in the globe. I love what water does for photography!


----------



## mshatty

Scenic overlook near Wolf Creek Ski Resort, Colorado


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Heiva I Kaua'i*

Heiva I Kaua'i is an Polynesian dance fair and contest that is held annually on Kaua'i at the oceanfront park on the north side of Kapa'i.  We caught part of the program last summer.  Here are photos of some of the dancers.


----------



## dmharris

*Chihuly at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh*

Imagine all silvery and white foliage plants in this room of blue glass globes and spires. It was stunning and the picture can't give the shock value when you first see this room.


----------



## SueDonJ

It's gray and gloomy here today.  I like Diane's idea of adding color...






Susan


----------



## dmharris

*In the spirit of the season*

My local chapter of American Marketing Association held a meeting at Heinz Field after the Steelers won their "one for the thumb" and attendees had two great opportunities. One to have their photo with this magnificient trophy and two, to meet Art Rooney. I took advantage of both.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Napo'opo'o Vista*

A view of the south Kona District coast on the Big Island from Napo'opo'o Road.  _Pu`uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge)_ is the point of land near the middle of the photo.  The haze is VOG created by sulfurous gases emitted from Kilauea volcano.


----------



## dmharris

*Path at Sissinghurst Gardens, April in England*


----------



## geoand

*Denali from airplane Late June 2007*

I was a member of the ground support team.  My responsibility was to make sure that the airfield at Talkeetna did not disapear.  DW and our 2 friends who live in Anchorage took this site seeing trip.


----------



## geoand

Same airplane ride as the previous picture.  Moose's Tooth is quite visible in this picture.


----------



## swift

My dream house here in Sonoma County. It is surrounded by vineyards overlooking the river. Of course it would come with a full time cook and housekeeper.


----------



## dmharris

*Tulips at Disneyland Feb 2 Groundhog's Day*

These tulips proved the groundhog wrong, at least in Anaheim, CA!


----------



## dougp26364

*Montezuma's Castle just south of Sedona, AZ*


----------



## geoand

I remember visiting Montezuma's Castle and came away thoroughly impressed.  Thanks for the reminder.


----------



## geoand




----------



## teachingmyown

*There is something very disturbing about this pic...*

At first it may just look like a couple of houses built too closely to one another, but look again...

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_4318.jpg?t=1202330392[/IMGL]


Some things are just never forgotten.  One of those things for me will always be the unique smell of New Orleans' neighborhoods 6 months post-Katrina

[IMGL]http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/teachingmyown/100_4221.jpg?t=1202330718[/IMGL]


----------



## dougp26364

*Winter ice strom 2005*


----------



## swift

*POTD*


----------



## dougp26364

St. Marks in Venice


----------



## dmharris

*Marriott Newport Coast pool on a gray day*

This was an amazing sight and the photo doesn't capture it, so maybe those who like to play with photo editing can make this happen. The sun was coming out behind the clouds onto the horizon on the ocean, so there was a bright line of sunlight way out on the horizon line. It was a magnificent contrast between the gray and the bright light. Wish you could have been there!


----------



## geoand

From the rt front seat.


----------



## SueDonJ

geo - your photos are stunning!

I'm beginning to think the sun is never going to come out again.  It's been raining since last weekend, today it turned to a sleet/snow/freezing rain mess and goodness only knows what the morning will bring.  I'd like to see this:






Susan


----------



## geoand

Susan,

Thank you for the compliment.  DW Andi takes the wideangle shots and I take the telephoto shots.  I will definitely pass the compliment along.

Weather here is a real bummer too.  We leave in less than 2 weeks for road trip to Palm Springs area for another 2 to 4 weeks in the sun.


----------



## DeniseM

*The William Wallace Monument*






This is the William Wallace Monument in Scotland (you know, "Brave Heart") viewed from Stirling Castle across a valley in between.  It was breath taking!  The castle and the tower are about 2 miles apart and I used a 10x zoom for this photo.  This is my desktop picture right now.  To get an idea of the scale, the tiny dots at the base of the tower are people!


----------



## RDB

dmharris said:


> This was an amazing sight and the photo doesn't capture it, so maybe those who like to play with photo editing can make this happen. The sun was coming out behind the clouds onto the horizon on the ocean, so there was a bright line of sunlight way out on the horizon line. ...QUOTE]
> 
> Diane, I am playing with your line of sunlight. ... I'll mess around a bit longer. Did the line supposedly run all the way across the horizon? AND were the palm glowing with backlight?
> 
> Robert


----------



## RDB

dmharris said:


> This was an amazing sight and the photo doesn't capture it, so maybe those who like to play with photo editing can make this happen. The sun was coming out behind the clouds onto the horizon on the ocean, so there was a bright line of sunlight way out on the horizon line. It was a magnificent contrast between the gray and the bright light. Wish you could have been there!  ... QUOTE]
> 
> Here's a guess. The sky is probably too yellow and dark. What do yo think?
> 
> We can delete this stuff if you like.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Robert


----------



## dmharris

RDB said:


> Did the line supposedly run all the way across the horizon? AND were the palm glowing with backlight?
> Robert


 
Hi Robert,      

The line of light did run across the horizon.  I don't know that the palms glowed, but they did have a bit of back light.  Tomorrow I'll post a close up of the palms for my potd which will show an interesting framing of the palms in gray with the line of light.  Stay tuned.  The gray was true gray, no color, it was almost like a black and white photo which gave it even more uniqueness.


----------



## geoand

Approaching the landing zone.


----------



## swift

A picture of a picture.


----------



## dmharris

*Stormy Day at Newport Coast*

Here's a closer look at the band of white light at the horizon. This turned out to look almost like a black and white photo.


----------



## SueDonJ

Theresa, I love Disney too, and hope to get back there sometime in the next year or so.






Susan


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Makewehi Cliff Jumping*

At Shipwreck Beach, near the Po'ipu Point Resort


----------



## geoand

CLOSER!


----------



## swift

Incredible pictures Geo !!


----------



## easyrider

swift said:


> This is the easiest way I have found to post pic's.
> 
> If you have your pics on a disk, or on your computer go to http://photobucket.com/ you will have to join but there is no fee.
> 
> Upload some pics.
> 
> Once uploaded you will have a selection of choices in Photobucket. For TUG click on "Direct Link" this will copy info.
> 
> Once you are back in TUG click on the Insert Image (the one that looks like a postcard with a mountain on it below the redo arrow)
> 
> A box will pop up. Use your back up key to erase the http that it has already started. (Your direct link will already have that in it.) Right click to paste your Direct Link info and then click OK.
> 
> That's it! It really is pretty simple.
> Have fun whether pic's are old or new they are fun to share.
> 
> Theresa




We cant find the insert image postcard dealie or the redo arrow. We do have a refresh with nothing under it.
Thanks


----------



## cindi

*Animal Kindgom Villas view from lobby*


----------



## cindi

*Another AKV-beautiful landscaping*


----------



## RDB

dmharris said:


> Here's a closer look at the band of white light at the horizon. This turned out to look almost like a black and white photo.



Diane, 
Hopefully this is close. I'm not sure the actual can be recreated. I'm only trying to put a bright line in where you say.


----------



## swift

easysider said:


> We cant find the insert image postcard dealie or the redo arrow. We do have a refresh with nothing under it.
> Thanks




This is after you have clicked on Post Reply

The Reply to Thread will come up (where you type your message) and the insert image button will be there.


----------



## dmharris

Good job Robert, that looks about right.  Now do tell, what did you do to highlight the band of white light?

Thanks,


----------



## taffy19

*Stormy Day at Newport Coast*



dmharris said:


> This was an amazing sight and the photo doesn't capture it, so maybe those who like to play with photo editing can make this happen. The sun was coming out behind the clouds onto the horizon on the ocean, so there was a bright line of sunlight way out on the horizon line. It was a magnificent contrast between the gray and the bright light. Wish you could have been there!


Diane, this is very typical as we have seen many sunsets like that on the west coast. Here is another somber gray sunset in southern California which I like and have several of.






Here is a big contrast of a very fiery sunset which looked almost unreal and the photo wasn't edited or manipulated either. The colors kept changing constantly that evening. I have them under my signature file under Picture Trail in the albums of Laguna Beach or Laguna Surf.






Here is a photo of another somber day but then the sun was trying to get through and finally did. We love watching the ocean with all the different moods as it constantly changes.







Emmy


----------



## taffy19

*Mevagissey in Cornwall*

Here is another picture I like and it was taken by my DH or SO when he visited this little harbor.


----------



## easyrider

*Daughters 1st marlin*


----------



## geoand

easysider said:


> We cant find the insert image postcard dealie or the redo arrow. We do have a refresh with nothing under it.
> Thanks



I use photobucket also.  The method I use is to double click the picture I want to display on Tug.  This will enlarge it and you will see to the right of the picture a section that lists 4 items.  The item on the bottom the 4th will read IMG Code - Forums and Bulletin Boards.  In the small window below IMG Code is the url for your picture.  All I do is click on it and I get a little message that says "copied."  Then I go to Tug and hit post reply, place cursor in appropriate box and then got to edit and paste.  The address shows up and then I hit "submit Reply."

SAFELY on the glacier


----------



## easyrider




----------



## easyrider

*dinner ?*


----------



## geoand

swift said:


> Incredible pictures Geo !!



I'm glad you like them.  I am impressed with all the photos that have been posted.  There are a lot of people on TUG who obviously enjoy using their cameras and know how to use them.


----------



## dougp26364

*Black bear club in Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Cades Cove*


----------



## swift

Best of friends, worst of enemies. My youngest idolises everything my older son does.


----------



## Kingwayne

*Aruba eagle beach*






[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## RDB

*Photo sharing is wonderful*

I'm sure many of you have pictures of family and places. 

I ran into difficulty and was guided by a member. Please take the time to learn how and do some posting. 

The photos are great. Not only are some real fantastic but all are great to see. 

Never been way up on top of a glacier. Never been to the British Isles. Never been to Baha. Etc, etc. Your pictures help make the world smaller. I may never get to all those places but we can dream though your lense.

Emmy, I think that last photo had the line of light that Diane was referring to.
Thanks for posting. I know you have many pix to share and are great.


----------



## easyrider

*Top of Mt. Adams*


----------



## easyrider

*My angel in Hell , Grand Cayman*


----------



## dmharris

Emmy,

LOVELY photos!  You captured that magic light my camera couldn't get; way to go!  Your sunsets in California hypnotize me; it's not the same in Pittsburgh!


----------



## swift

Going down the Lazy River at Orange Lake Resort in Florida


----------



## easyrider

*Cabo fun to snow fun*






I think we found the edit option. Thanks Threasa


----------



## dougp26364

*A smart car in Rome*


----------



## ricoba

On a side note Doug, I've seen the Smart Car here in LA already....on the FREEWAYS!!!! The drivers have to be braver than me!!!


----------



## swift

The vineyards near my home. I love to watch them change through the seasons.


----------



## dougp26364

*Grand Casino in Monte Carlo*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Papohaku Beach - Moloka'i*


----------



## Rose Pink

I have questions.  Do you need to other people's permission to post pictures if their image is in them?  Are you concerned re copyright--some of you have really fantastic pix and someone else could possibly "steal" them and copyright them thus taking your property--and maybe making money off them.  Probably not something that would keep you awake at night but I am just wondering.


----------



## dougp26364

Rose Pink said:


> I have questions.  Do you need to other people's permission to post pictures if their image is in them?  Are you concerned re copyright--some of you have really fantastic pix and someone else could possibly "steal" them and copyright them thus taking your property--and maybe making money off them.  Probably not something that would keep you awake at night but I am just wondering.




If you needed someone else's permission to post their picture, then the tabloid magazines and newpapers would have been out of business years ago. 

Since none of my photo's are of professional quality I've never worried about someone stealing them. One advantage of just using decent but not professional point and shoot camera.


----------



## Rose Pink

dougp26364 said:


> If you needed someone else's permission to post their picture, then the tabloid magazines and newpapers would have been out of business years ago.


 
Good point.


----------



## dmharris

*Oast Houses, Sissinghurst Garden, UK*


----------



## swift

Russian River at Sunset


----------



## dougp26364

*Loch Ness Scottland*


----------



## geoand

*First visit to Joshua Tree National Park*






On subsequent visits, we found this spot to be filled with a beautiful blue water.  Sign made much more sense.


----------



## TUGBrian

easysider said:


>



ok what on earth is that offshore?  jaws?  or just a rock.

If that is a shark I wouldnt even take a bath for a month....yeesh!


----------



## geoand

I saw that when first viewed by these eyes.  Was way too scared to ask!


----------



## easyrider

Those are 3 whales in the surf at La Pastora Beach near Todos Santos. They played there for about two Coronas. We could feel the spray at times.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Keahou Bay Cliff Jumpers*


----------



## dougp26364

*Pollanass Falls Glendalough Ireland*


----------



## RDB

*Basalts of WA seen from OR across the Columbia River*


----------



## dougp26364

*Wildfire roller coaster Silver Dollar City Branson, MO*


----------



## geoand

*World War II Memorial*


----------



## sandesurf

*A boy and his dog*






Our son with his dog, Charlie. Lake Havasu, AZ 9/07


----------



## sandesurf

*Ko'Olina sunset Feb. 06*

Our 25th anniversary at Ko'Olina 06


----------



## swift

The canoeing on the lake at Big Sky Lake Condominiums in MT.


----------



## dougp26364

*Pigeons of St. Marks square Venice, Italy*


----------



## easyrider

*Hill top above Cabo*


----------



## easyrider

*Right before the green flash*


----------



## taffy19

sandesurf said:


> Our son with his dog, Charlie. Lake Havasu, AZ 9/07


I love this picture  as well as so many others.  I enjoy following this thread every night.


----------



## swift

Yellowstone----This was quite a site to see.


----------



## dougp26364

*Reflection Lake Mt. Rainer National Park*


----------



## dmharris

*Chihuly glass spheres off to sea at the Phipps Conservatory*


----------



## geoand

*Oklahoma City Memorial*


----------



## RDB

*Bryce Canyon*


----------



## geoand

*Another view WWII Memorial*


----------



## dmharris

*Our little Valentine*

Disneyland - California Adventures February 2008


----------



## easyrider

*Mt. Adams moon rise*


----------



## geoand

*Another view Oklahoma City Memorial*


----------



## swift

I don't remember taking this one. I think my DH did. I am pretty sure this is inside the Arden Mall in Sacramento.


----------



## geoand

*First trip to Alaska about 4 years ago*

We needed to take in the view and to get a bit of rest.  We are sitting on the side of the trail.  However, it is so steep that we are almost standing up while sitting.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Third Hole - Kaluakoi Golf Course*


----------



## RDB

*Mount Baker National Recreation Area, Washington*


----------



## geoand

*This was at the top of the trail*


----------



## Timeshare Von

*BODIES - The Exhibition*

Preserved bodies on exhibit, this one in a soccer pose, doing a bicycle kick:


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Sun Dogs*

This one was the "left dog" over a farm house in Iowa on in January 2008:






And this one was just taken this past week near Platteville, Wisconsin and has both "dogs" even though they aren't quite as towering or exquisite as the one in Iowa last month:






Sun dogs are a solar light phenomenon, when the rising or setting sun refracts light in ice crystals in the air.  The first one was taken shortly after sunrise and the second was taken near sunset.


----------



## dougp26364

*The Original Starbucks. Pike Place Market Seattle, WA*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Timeshare Von said:


> Sun dogs are a solar light phenomenon, when the rising or setting sun refracts light in ice crystals in the air.  The first one was taken shortly after sunrise and the second was taken near sunset.



Last week when I was in western Minnesota I considered getting some sun dog photos when I was out getting some other early morning pics. But with a -50 degrees wind chill factor, I decided to stay in the car instead.


----------



## swift

These pictures make me want to pack up and hit the road so bad!!!! Darn it!!!! - 4 more months till school is out.  




RDB said:


>


----------



## geoand

This thread is so much fun.  I get to see pictures from around the world and share in the joy of all the photographers.

Thanks to all of you for sharing.


----------



## dmharris

*Japanese Garden, Portland Oregon - June*


----------



## dougp26364

*Gettysburg, PA*


----------



## easyrider

*Napili Coast*


----------



## easyrider

*Napoli Coast*


----------



## Timeshare Von

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Last week when I was in western Minnesota I considered getting some sun dog photos when I was out getting some other early morning pics. But with a -50 degrees wind chill factor, I decided to stay in the car instead.



I hear ya Steve.  The cold weather photos can really be painful with those wind chills.  I'm just in training for my return to Fairbanks next month, where I'm pretty sure it will be well below zero most nights (and days for that matter).

I'd love to see other photos of the sun dogs, especially since it's still a rather new thing for me to see (and photograph).


----------



## Conan

*Corgarth Castle, Scotland*





*Mazatlan: sunset stroll*





*Kona: end of day*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

I was sitting in the car waiting for the sun to rise high enough to break through some trees to illuminate the scene.  When the lighting conditions were right I ran to my vantage point - about 40 yards away and through 6 to 12 inches of snow.  I positioned myself, got the picture framed, checked the results, made some exposure adjustments, and reshot.  Repeat for a third set of exposures and dash back to the car.  

All told, I'm out there for no more than five minutes without gloves on.  As I'm finishing the last set of pictures I've reached full numb in my fingers above the knuckles - I can't feel the camera in my fingertips anymore.  When I get back to the car all of my fingers are numb and the pale blue color is starting to show in my finger tips.  After I'm back in the car my entire hand starts aching - no stinging; just pain throughout the entire hand.

The weather folks say that at -40 wind chill exposed flesh freezes in ten minutes.  That sounds about right.

I'm no stranger to subzero temps.  I grew up in Minnesota and was a news carrier delivering newspapers in similar temps.  I also cannot remember school ever being closed due to cold weather.  But I always knew to stay covered up.

If my hand hadn't still been hurting, I might have tried to get some pics of the snow dogs.


----------



## RDB

*Try a mountain trail stroll in China*

Shagnut sent these and I wanted to share in case you all might wish to travel to China. It looked to me like a Do & See all in one.  
http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/23110283/m/1391065716/inc/-1

First, take the cable UP. 





Keep an eye on the person in front of you.





Be sure to hold onto the railing.





Getsa little steeper here - so put your toes in the holes.





The computer memory is full. Will have to get the rest of the trail photos posted in another reply.


----------



## Transit

I love this thread there should be a photo of the year contest or something simular.


----------



## RDB

*Continuing on with the China Teahouse Trail.*

Just follow the trail





Now just up a few steps [on the left of the photo]





Be very cafeful when passing someone going in the opposite direction.





A few more steps to go.





Finally in sight, the Teahouse!


----------



## swift

Oh my gosh!!!!! My knees are knocking just looking at the pictures!!!!


----------



## easyrider

Wow, that must be some great tea.


----------



## TUGBrian

easysider said:


> Wow, that must be some great tea.



:hysterical:


----------



## ricoba

I think I'll stay with coffee....

That's an amazing site!


----------



## geoand

*on the steps of Ma Johnson's hotel in McCarthy, Alaska*


----------



## geoand

*I'm going to let this horse take me up the trail to the Bonanza Copper Mine*

Trip started at Kennicott Mill and was to end up top of Bonanza Ridge.


----------



## dmharris

*I love all your photos especially seeing you!*

I especially enjoying connecting a face to a poster! Makes it feel more like we're buds.

How do people navigate that tea walk, I'd be passed out from fear!?


----------



## dmharris

*Water lilies of glass - Chihuly*


----------



## Timeshare Von

*My morning drive "to work" today*

Hwy20 approximately five miles east of I35 in Iowa: 






and someone who didn't make it to work today on time:






I should talk, however.  After seeing the whiteout conditions from the blowing of YESTERDAY'S snow in Iowa, I turned around and went home.  I'll try to get to Milwaukee tomorrow.


----------



## Lee B

*A Town Called Hanalei*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Timeshare Von said:


> I should talk, however.  After seeing the whiteout conditions from the blowing of YESTERDAY'S snow in Iowa, I turned around and went home.  I'll try to get to Milwaukee tomorrow.



About eight years ago I was returning to Seattle from Yakima in late winter.  Traveling on I-90 just west of Ellensburg, I ran into a sudden intense snowfall at a location where the road climbs about 500 feet elevation in three climbs spaced over about one mile.  The snow squall was so intense that in less than one mile the road went from fully clear to more than one foot of snow. The squall developed so suddenly the State Patrol hadn't had time to respond. 

I was driving a Ford Ranger 4-WD with snow tires and was in good shape, but lesser equipped vehicles were spinning off the road everywhere. I pulled over onto the shoulder to let the storm pass. As I was on the shoulder, a Dodge Caravan type minivan went skidding off the road behind into the ditch.  When it hit the ditch it flipped on its side and rolled over twice, coming to rest on its wheels about 40 yards from me. A young woman forces open the banged up driver-side door open, screaming about her babies in the back seat.   I get out to help, and there are two kids under three years old in car seats in the back seat.  They're strapped in and perfectly fine - still too young to be frightened about what just happened to them.  

I do the 911 call - takes me about five minutes to get through because of the volume of calls coming in.  Four emergency vehicles come by, totally ignoring us, on their way to other accidents further up the road. Roadside emergency assistance triage in action - if you weren't gravely injured they were going to get back to you later.

After helping the lady she decided to stay in her car; the engine worked and windows were cracked (but not broken) to wait for help.

After the snow eased up I continued on my way.  Over the next half mile until I hit the top of the grade, I stopped counting vehicles off the road after I reached somewhere around 50.  There were three major accidents with grave injuries, which were the primary foci of attention.  

Within about five to ten miles, the road was once again clear with just scattered ice patches.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kalaupapa Pali*

_if the pics don't load, click on the direct links._

This was taken while riding on a mule down the trail on the face of the cliffs.

Direct link






Here are some of the switchbacks on the trail.

direct link


----------



## swift

Hey Steve, your pictures are disappearing on IE again.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> Hey Steve, your pictures are disappearing on IE again.


right click on the icon with the red "x" and select "Show picture" from the popup menu.


----------



## swift

That doesn't work either.


----------



## Kingwayne

*One of my favorite Places in upstate NY*






[/URL][/IMG] Hains Falls NY


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> That doesn't work either.



I'm chatting with tech support at Comcast to try to find out what the problem might be  The first level contact opined, naturally, that the problem was with the software here.  I pointed out that every other host serves up pages to IE browsers without any problem - it's only Comcast that seems to have problems.

_[update]_
I blew past the second level technician and am being sent higher yet.

_[next update]_
Ticket written and supposed response in 48-72.  I'm not holding my breath.

Meanwhile I've added the direct URLs to my previous post.


----------



## swift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I'm chatting with tech support at Comcast to try to find out what the problem might be  The first level contact opined, naturally, that the problem was with the software here.  I pointed out that every other host serves up pages to IE browsers without any problem - it's only Comcast that seems to have problems.
> 
> _[update]_
> I blew past the second level technician and am being sent higher yet.
> 
> _[next update]_
> Ticket written and supposed response in 48-72.  I'm not holding my breath.
> 
> Meanwhile I've added the direct URLs to my previous post.




Beautiful pictures Steve. Thanks for going through all the trouble so that we may enjoy your art!!!


----------



## geoand

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I'm chatting with tech support at Comcast to try to find out what the problem might be  The first level contact opined, naturally, that the problem was with the software here.  I pointed out that every other host serves up pages to IE browsers without any problem - it's only Comcast that seems to have problems.
> 
> _[update]_
> I blew past the second level technician and am being sent higher yet.
> 
> _[next update]_
> Ticket written and supposed response in 48-72.  I'm not holding my breath.
> 
> Meanwhile I've added the direct URLs to my previous post.



Steve, comcast is my provider also.  Pics do not show.  However, when I control click and select new window, they show up.  I am Mac user - Safari is my browser.

Just noticed that the pics now do show up!


----------



## swift

Yellowstone Steam Pots


----------



## dougp26364

*Amlfi Coast Italy*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pinel Island - French St. Martin*


----------



## Pit

*Days gone by*


----------



## dougp26364

*The Bird Cage Theater, Tombstone, AZ*


----------



## geoand

*Trail ride started very close to the Kennecot mill*


----------



## dmharris

*Lady Liberty from Marriott in the Financial District - January*


----------



## swift




----------



## dougp26364

*Jupiter Lighthouse viewed from patio dining area of Jetty's restaurant in Jupiter, FL*


----------



## geoand

This structure is left over from the old copper mining days.  Ore was sent down from the mines above to mill below on a cable and big bucket type thing.






This is around the corner and I decided that it was too steep and narrow of a trail for me to go any farther.  DW decided to continue to the top of the trail.  She does not have the respect of height that I do.


----------



## taffy19

Timeshare Von said:


> Hwy20 approximately five miles east of I35 in Iowa:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and someone who didn't make it to work today on time:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I should talk, however.  After seeing the whiteout conditions from the blowing of YESTERDAY'S snow in Iowa, I turned around and went home.  I'll try to get to Milwaukee tomorrow.


Are we spoiled weather-wise in southern CA.


----------



## dmharris

"This is around the corner and I decided that it was too steep and narrow of a trail for me to go any farther. DW decided to continue to the top of the trail. She does not have the respect of height that I do"

Hey Geo, somebody had to take the pictures of her, right?


----------



## dmharris

*Ceiling of the church in Hanalei, Kauai*


----------



## sandesurf

*Captain Charlie going under London Bridge, Lake Havasu, AZ*


----------



## geoand

dmharris said:


> "This is around the corner and I decided that it was too steep and narrow of a trail for me to go any farther. DW decided to continue to the top of the trail. She does not have the respect of height that I do"
> 
> Hey Geo, somebody had to take the pictures of her, right?



The riderless horse in these pictures actually belong to a young girl of 14 or 15.  She was mesmerized by Andi's camera and Andi let her do the picture taking.  She was the only one who had the energy to scamper around, up and down, and catch up with the trail riders.  We never slowed down for her.  She and the guide were the only 2 that went to the top with Andi.


----------



## geoand

View of the Bonanza mine in upper left of picture.











At the top.  Amazing to see all of this copper ore.  A side note on all of this is that the copper that was processed at the Kennecot mill was shipped by train and boat to Tacoma, WA.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rich Passage - Puget Sound*


----------



## geoand

*I will be away on road trip for next month or so*

These will be my last 2 pictures for a month.





View coming back down the trail





This is the lodge at the Kennecot Mill site in Wrangell St Elias National Park.


----------



## easyrider

*Hana Hwy stop*


----------



## easyrider

*Hana Hwy Waterfall -- Maui*


----------



## swift

geoand said:


> These will be my last 2 pictures for a month.




I hope we will see lots of pictures when you return. Have a great trip!!


----------



## dmharris

*My handsome boy, Joshua, in the snow looking in the house yesterday.*

Taken through a window, thus the hazy look plus snow falling.




He came in from the cold moments later.
Have a good trip Geo, take lots of photos!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Seven Pools on the Road Beyond Hana*

This is among my earliest digital photos.

A couple of hours after this picture was taken, a flash flood came through the canyon and a young boy was swept into the ocean.  The boy's father jumped in to the water to try to save him, and drowned.  Some bystanders, though, were able to rescue the boy.

The family was staying at the Embassy Ka'anapali - the same resort we were staying at.


----------



## swift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Seven Pools on the Road Beyond Hana*
> 
> This is among my earliest digital photos.
> 
> A couple of hours after this picture was taken, a flash flood came through the canyon and a young boy was swept into the ocean.  The boy's father jumped in to the water to try to save him, and drowned.  Some bystanders, though, were able to rescue the boy.
> 
> The family was staying at the Embassy Ka'anapali - the same resort we were staying at.



Wow!! How sad. That poor family. I am glad your still with us.


----------



## swift

DH and daughter having lunch and a meaningful conversation together. Picture taken in Fort Lauderdale.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> Wow!! How sad. That poor family. I am glad your still with us.



We did the tour with my wife's cousin and her husband.  They were living in Maui at the time.

The words of advice they gave was to "listen for the bongo drums".  If you are near a stream and you hear noise that sounds like distant bongo drumming, then you need to head to high ground right away.


----------



## dmharris

Theresa, I LOVE your daughter's body language!  LOL!  Ah, teenagers!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Winona Road - Alexandria, Minnesota*

Winter on the northern prairies is often stark and subtle.






click here for some added notes on this photo.


----------



## dmharris

*Rainbow in Wailua Falls*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waterfall and Bamboo - Akaka Falls State Park*

Another one of my early digital photos. I was feeling pretty discouraged after the preceding 30 or 40 shots were duds, but this one encouraged me to keep working on it.


----------



## dmharris

*Tea Cups by Day*






My 18 year old, college Freshman daughter did some intersting views of Disneyland; here's one for today and I'll post more for a few days.  I think she's got a good eye for "the photo" for an 18 year old.  Her camera doesn't have as many pixels as mine, so I'm curious how hers look here.  When printed, some are more "pixelated".


----------



## swift

Your pictures are great!!!!

I miss placed my camera!!!     I am so mad right now.


----------



## dmharris

Thanks Theresa.  I'd be anxious if I lost my camera.  Did you look in the freezer?  I once put my reading glasses in there!  

Hope you find your camera soon!


----------



## easyrider

*Akaka Falls near Hilo*


----------



## easyrider

*Wakiki Beach verus Waimanlo Beach*






Too many people at Wakiki. We like Waimanlo Beach.


----------



## cp73

*Turtle Beach Oahu Feb 2008*

Here is a picture I took at Turtle Beach a couple of weeks ago.


----------



## taffy19

How appropriate, Chris!    I enjoy the photos so much and visit here almost every day.


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Winona Road - Alexandria, Minnesota*
> 
> Winter on the northern prairies is often stark and subtle.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> click here for some added notes on this photo.


I love the result, Steve and I read your other post too how you changed it.


----------



## cp73

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *click here for some added notes on this photo.*


*

Steve, 

Great job on your post processing. I know that is a very time consuming process and there is a big learning curve to get the hang of it. I really appreciate what you had done by taking a photo and turning it into something really dramatic. 
Since you came clean on yours I thought I would also share what I did with mine. The last couple of weeks (also years of post processing on my own) I have been reading Scott Kelby's 7 point system for Adobe Photoshop. Great book where he walks you though many of his photos you download and make adjustments to. So I tooks some technicques I learning in the second chapter and used them on my photo. 

When I took this picture I knew there were people in it I had to get rid of. But after I saw it I noticed that the turtle and sand were blown out (too white). So I created two layers of photos and exposed the top half appropriately and the bottom half appropriately then flattened the image (plus about 20 other steps). You can see the difference it made in mine. I still think I could have made it better.

Here is the original photo with no post processing. Note the sand and people.






Now here is the improved image:



*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

cp73 said:


> Steve,
> 
> Great job on your post processing. I know that is a very time consuming process and there is a big learning curve to get the hang of it. I really appreciate what you had done by taking a photo and turning it into something really dramatic.



Thanks, Chris.  It is time consuming, though I think it goes faster as a person gets more skilled.  For me, virtually all photos that I deem worth keeping get at least some touchup - usually adjusting tonal balance, color balance, and color saturation.  Other pictures get more work.

The winter scene was one that I had almost given up on.  I started working on it mostly just for practice before I started tackling some other photos.  The overall content of the photo was pretty simple, so I thought it would be easy to practice on. But as I started working with it, the image revealed itself as I let the image guide me.

The authors of _Creative Digital Darkroom_ describe that as "letting the picture talk to you".  It was personally exciting to see it actually work.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Sea Cliffs*

on the north shore of the Big Island. Reflections in the photo are from the window of the helicopter.


----------



## dougp26364

*Kansas Ice Storm Jan. 2005*


----------



## easyrider

We really like the picture of the mighty sea turtle. Were into turtles.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pioneer Square - Seattle*


----------



## dmharris

*Tea Cups by Night*


----------



## easyrider

cp73 said:


> Here is one I took. One of my favorites.



That kind of looks like Waimanlo Beach.


----------



## easyrider

*Waimanlo Beach*







Looks like it maybe ?


----------



## dmharris

*Who doesn't like Peter Pan?*


----------



## Rose Pink

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Pioneer Square - Seattle*


 
Just how long do you get to stay for 75 cents?


----------



## swift

Lewis Falls


----------



## Karen G

Rose Pink said:


> Just how long do you get to stay for 75 cents?


That's a good one!:hysterical:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Rose Pink said:


> Just how long do you get to stay for 75 cents?



As the guides on the Seattle Underground Tour like to mention, for a city that had virtually no garment industry Seattle in the late 1800's had an an inordinate number of single women who listed their occupation as "seamstress". I guess it's accurate in as much they apparently did quite a bit of work on linens.


----------



## DeniseM

You know those green sticks they sell in the Hawaiian airports?  They really do grow into Plumeria!  This one was about a year old when I took the photo - it bloomed from July to Dec. this last year.  Now it has 3 branches and it's about 2.5 feet tall.  I have a pink one started now.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Blackcomb Mountain from Whiski Jack Ironwood*


----------



## dmharris

*Whirling Good Fairies!*


----------



## easyrider

*wee haa*


----------



## dmharris

*Different angle of Sword in the Stone*


----------



## sandesurf

DeniseM said:


> You know those green sticks they sell in the Hawaiian airports?  They really do grow into Plumeria!  This one was about a year old when I took the photo - it bloomed from July to Dec. this last year.  Now it has 3 branches and it's about 2.5 feet tall.  I have a pink one started now.



Denise,
  Aren't they just beautiful!? This is the Plumeria stick I grew for almost 15 years! Last winter we had a couple of below freezing nights and I lost it. 
I'll plant another this Spring!


----------



## DeniseM

sandesurf said:


> Denise,
> Aren't they just beautiful!? This is the Plumeria stick I grew for almost 15 years! Last winter we had a couple of below freezing nights and I lost it.
> I'll plant another this Spring!



I really enjoy mine and they are fun to grow since the way they grow is quite unique.  I live in northern CA where cold nights are the norm and I read that Plumeria can't stand temps under 40º so I bring mine in for the winter.  They go dormant around December, and then I use a fertilizer recommended for encouraging blooming in the spring, and put them back outside.


----------



## dmharris

*Sunrise in Princeville*


----------



## cindi

DeniseM said:


> You know those green sticks they sell in the Hawaiian airports?  They really do grow into Plumeria!  This one was about a year old when I took the photo - it bloomed from July to Dec. this last year.  Now it has 3 branches and it's about 2.5 feet tall.  I have a pink one started now.




So now I am definitely going to bring one home from the Hawaii airport! We are going to be there in Jan.     

Thanks for the beautiful photo.


----------



## SueDonJ

We've had a few storms this winter with heavy snow and wind; two of them included thunder and lightning which is beautiful in a weird nature sort of way.  I took the dog walking out back last week and found some of the damage.  It's amazing how powerful nature is.

Since that walk we've had melting with warmer temps and now we're back to freezing with another storm due this weekend.  This cold/warm/cold stuff drives me bonkers - I want a sustained freeze so we can ice skate.  Us people, I mean, not the dog!  Bandit just slides.

Susan


----------



## Lydlady

DeniseM said:


> I really enjoy mine and they are fun to grow since the way they grow is quite unique.  I live in northern CA where cold nights are the norm and I read that Plumeria can't stand temps under 40º so I bring mine in for the winter.  They go dormant around December, and then I use a fertilizer recommended for encouraging blooming in the spring, and put them back outside.



Thank you for the tips.  I love Plumeria plants.  I have so many in my backyard.  They don't do as well as I would like.  The So Cal Santa Ana winds don't always help but I keep trying.


----------



## easyrider

*China Town SF*






Inspired by DeniseM`s SanFrancisco page we ended up here one day.


----------



## easyrider

*And Here Too*


----------



## DeniseM

Inspired by DeniseM`s SanFrancisco page we ended up here one day.[/QUOTE]

I'm so glad!


----------



## dmharris

*Sissinghurst Garden*




http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj20/dbureman/LondonandIreland05104.jpg


----------



## easyrider

*Waimea Canyon*


----------



## easyrider

*checking the weather*


----------



## cindi

*Animal Kindgom Villas- view from our balcony*


----------



## swift

The boys taking a break from the long car ride this last weekend from Eureka.


----------



## easyrider

*Animals*






[/IMG]


----------



## easyrider

*Crocks*


----------



## easyrider

*Flamingos*


----------



## Kingwayne




----------



## swift




----------



## dmharris

*This is for Steve*

Mt. Rainier from the air


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Since I mentioned the Makewehi Cliffs in another thread, I thought I would post another pic from that area. It's one of my favorite spots in the world.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Mt. Rainier from the air



Tx, Diane. 

This hasn't been a good winter for Mt. Rainier pics.  I've got a couple of locations I'm occasionally check.

A few days ago as I was walking down the street from the bus stop near my house, I could see all the way to Mt. Baker, near the Canadian border.  Didn't have my camera with me, though.


----------



## dougp26364




----------



## dmharris

Doug, LOVE the swan photo; I'm obsessed with water reflections! 

Steve, You're welcome!  And great color in the cliffs photo!


----------



## RDB

SueDonJ said:


> We've had a few storms this winter with heavy snow and wind; ...  It's amazing how powerful nature is.
> 
> ... I want a sustained freeze so we can ice skate.  ...
> 
> Susan



Susan, Thanks for sharing the winter scene. Reminds me of an area in Michigan where I walked to school as a kid.

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Let's go back to St. Martin.

*Baie L'Embouchure from Pic Paradis*


----------



## swift

This was a great show at Disney's Hollywood!! (aka MGM)


----------



## SueDonJ

RDB said:


> Susan, Thanks for sharing the winter scene. Reminds me of an area in Michigan where I walked to school as a kid.
> 
> Robert



I went back out there every day this week because it's been sunny and much warmer, but wouldn't you know it today is the only day I took my camera and it's quickly turning gray before tomorrow's storm.  Anyway, with this one you can really see how the storm just ripped out those trees:






I found this guy sitting and waiting on some little birdie to fall prey:






Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

I'm convinced Photobucket is one of those things that serve a good purpose but will drive you bonkers!  Resizing is hit or miss (or I'm not doing it right), the pics in this thread show up in different sizes every time I open the thread, and now today there seems to be a new editing process.  I am _trying_ to not eat up bandwidth, honestly.

Susan


----------



## swift

It is still just as easy to change the picture size with the new form as the last one. I had to figure it out too at first I thought I would have to memorize screen sizes but you don't.

Above each picture is a tab labeled "edit" click on it.

To resize click on the button labeled "Resize"

For simple resizing there is a bar labeled "Preset Sizes" click on the drop down menu arrows for it. Generally I will use "Message Board", 15"screen or 17" screen then click on "Save"

You will then be brought back to your album where you can click on "Direct Link" and post your picture on TUG.



Have fun with your pictures. Save more than one copy of them and play with the Crop feature to bring out images in the pictures. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you have saved more than one copy you can always delete the one you don't like.


----------



## dmharris

*Shearwater Fledgling early November Kauai*


----------



## swift

*New Toy!!!!!*

In the new Photobucket edit feature there are lots of new buttons to play with on your photos. You will find them under the Tabs on the top after you click into edit. Some of the Tabs are "Effects", "Decorate", "Beautify". Here is a picture that I had of a bridge that I used the "Old Photo" button under the tab "Effects".


----------



## swift

Here is one more that I played with.







Here is the original.


----------



## SueDonJ

swift said:


> ... Have fun with your pictures. Save more than one copy of them and play with the Crop feature to bring out images in the pictures. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you have saved more than one copy you can always delete the one you don't like.



Oh no, I do like Photobucket's new editing options - they're very similar to the ones in iPhoto, which is where all of my original photos are saved.

When you resize in Photobucket, do your pictures always show up on this board in the correct size?  That's where I'm having problems, because mine don't!  For example, in my post from yesterday the first picture was small and the second was large in both the preview and original posts.  Now today both pictures are small.  The same thing happened with my last pic in this thread.  That's how Photobucket is driving me bonkers.

Remember Goldilocks?  I prefer the medium size to either the small or large!  Like you I do the Message Board preset but next time I'll look for that 15" or 17" screen size that you mention, set it to 17", and maybe that will help.

And finally, if you have any hints about better focus in cropped shots I'd love to hear them.  The hawk pic was cropped a few times but any more and it gets blurry.  I took it with a telephoto lens after the camera had been out in the cold/damp for over an hour.

Whew, what a lot of words about a fun thread!
Susan


----------



## cindi

swift said:


> Here is one more that I played with.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is the original.




Really cool effect with the water. Makes it kind of look like it was all done with tiny mosiac tiles.


----------



## SueDonJ

Now this one should be medium-sized, it's resized to Message Board.  That sound you hear might be me bonking my head on the desk.  Ha.

(Another odd thing I just noticed about Photobucket since they changed things.  Any editing done in iPhoto is not transferring; Photobucket uploads the original image even though I'm importing my saved edit.  That's different from before.)

It's the little things that will send us over the edge, donchaknow?
Susan


----------



## KristinB

Just loving all these wonderful images...  Here are some from my recent Wyndham Flagstaff exchange.

Two different views of Cathedral Rock, Sedona (from the Crescent Moon Ranch, Red Rock Crossing):











Montezuma's Castle:






Mandrill at the Phoenix Zoo:


----------



## SueDonJ

I went to the spring flower show in Boston today.  It's sunny here but cold and windy still so it was really nice to see and smell spring!  Some of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society-judged displays were way out there, but this is my favorite new plant for a flower garden:






It's called "campanula medium".

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

These were in one of the displays at the flower show.  They don't look real at all - we thought they were woodcarvings until they moved!






Susan


----------



## cindi

SueDonJ said:


> These were in one of the displays at the flower show.  They don't look real at all - we thought they were woodcarvings until they moved!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Susan



They really don't look like they could be real.


----------



## Elan

KristinB, love that first Sedona pic.  Almost looks 3D -- great depth in spite of the monochromic scenery.


----------



## easyrider

*Cathredral with Jesus on display*


----------



## dmharris

*Road Hogs in Ireland - April*


----------



## swift

*POD*


----------



## KristinB

Elan said:


> KristinB, love that first Sedona pic.  Almost looks 3D -- great depth in spite of the monochromic scenery.



Elan,

Thanks so much!   It's funny, depending on what day you ask me, I keep changing my mind on which one I like better.  The scales of other people's opinions have been slightly tipped towards preferring the second Cathedral Rock shot...


----------



## TUGBrian

this thread has given me inspiration for a new idea...more to come later!


----------



## cindi

This is my favorite thread!

Come on people, there have to be more of you with pictures? 

Some of these photos are incredible, but all of them are fun and interesting.

Let's keep this going!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Grand Case - French St. Martin*


----------



## sandesurf

Pool view at the Marriott Wailea, Maui


----------



## easyrider

*Kona - Kamehameha Burial Site*


----------



## dmharris

*Sunset via the air*


----------



## dmharris

*retouching photos*

I think it's great that some of you have the talent and time to retouch your photos.  I must not have my passion wired in that direction.  I'm amazed at the depth of work some put into their photography.  I'm happy to have a photo come out of the camera not be blurred and to make some sorta statement about the topic in how the photo is composed.  

Just speaking for those of us who don't have editing talent or drive.


----------



## swift

I love your pictures Diane. As I said before this is not a contest. Like you said I appreciate everyone's talent but I also appreciate looking at the world through others eyes.


----------



## DG001

*In Kauai after a quick splash...*

In Poipu, near Marriott Waiohai..







Fixed the link ... now points to photobucket. Hopefully you can see it now.


----------



## cindi

DG001 said:


> In Poipu, near Marriott Waiohai..



Is it just me? I can't see your photo.


----------



## IngridN

I can't see it either.

Ingrid


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Aurora Borealis - Alaska*






Taken 3/15/08 approximately 12:45am ADT with an Olympus EVolt500, ISO 400, 14mm, f/2.8, 6 sec exposure.

More images are on my PictureTrail album/account:  http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=19263963&uid=1946666&members=1


----------



## Jestjoan

Diane, all I see is a red X..............


----------



## easyrider

Hey Timeshare Von
When and where should a person be to see the Norther Lights ? if thats what your picture is.
Thanks
Bill


----------



## cindi

*WOW*



Timeshare Von said:


> Taken 3/15/08 approximately 12:45am ADT with an Olympus EVolt500, ISO 400, 14mm, f/2.8, 6 sec exposure.
> 
> More images are on my PictureTrail album/account:  http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=19263963&uid=1946666&members=1




That is incredible!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*GCI Open North American Championships - WINNER*

This is Egil Ellis, the winner of the 2008 event.  He has won a record tying eight GCI Opens!!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*. . . but this is my favorite photo of the day*

Today wrapped up the three day "sprint" races with dog teams running 28 miles after two days of 18 miles each.  This is the ramp up from the frozen Chena River, at about the 27 mile point, just one mile from the finish line.

On a couple of occasions, there were dog teams lined up to come up the hill from the river to head downtown to the finish line.

Congrats to all of the mushers and dogs!!


----------



## swift

DG001 said:


> In Poipu, near Marriott Waiohai..
> 
> 
> Fixed the link ... now points to photobucket. Hopefully you can see it now.




Working fine now!! I love photobucket it just makes everything easier.:whoopie:


----------



## Jestjoan

Now I can see it, too. It's absolutely beautiful. Thanks. I've enjoyed all photos all y'all have posted.


----------



## dmharris

Hi Yvonne,

Where was this dogsled race?  It's not the Iditarod?  Wow, no Huskies!  Those dogs look happy!  Great photo!

Hi DG001,

What a fabulous rainbow! and your capture of it is excellent!  I've never seen rainbows like the ones in Kauai!  Amazing!


----------



## dmharris

*Happy St. Paddy's Day - Irish Pub - old town Dublin*


----------



## Timeshare Von

dmharris said:


> Hi Yvonne,
> 
> Where was this dogsled race?  It's not the Iditarod?  Wow, no Huskies!  Those dogs look happy!  Great photo!



The sled dog race was in Fairbanks.  It was the GCI Open North American Championship, which is a three day aggregate time sprint race.  They mush approximately 20 miles on Friday and Saturday and 30 on Sunday.  The winner is determined by the total time it took to do all three days of racing.

They start and finish right in downtown Fairbanks on Second Avenue.  The haul in tons of snow each night to groom the trail in town.  The rest of the trail goes onto the Chena River and then off through a somewhat undeveloped area of town including the local sled dog racing association's course.

As for the breeds of dogs, they generally race with hybred mixes, to keep the dogs in or around 45-50 lbs.  I was reading about the winner's breeding theory and he's been using Alaskan Huskies along with European pointer breeds.  It is a very interesting sport.

Last year there was one dog team that was all matching huskies (like 16 of them).  It was a beautiful sight!  Here is a photo I took at that event:


----------



## dmharris

*I love dogs!*

Hi Yvonne,

Dogs are so honest!  Look how happy they are working so hard!  Great photo!  It looked like there were Dobermann in the other photos.

This must have been a thrill to watch!  You are a lucky lady!


----------



## Timeshare Von

If you ever have any doubt about their excitement and desire to run, all you have to do is see them when they are at the starting line (they go off one team at a time, with a two minute stagger).  The dogs are held for the ten second count down.  They can be seen jumping and prancing as it gets down to 3, 2 . . . 1 and off they go.  They really do enjoy running.

It really is a spectacular sight, one I feel blessed to have experienced.

Here is the link to all of my photos from 2007's races:  http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/ff87/TimeshareVon/Sled Dog Races 316-1807 - Fairbanks AK/


----------



## cindi

Off topic, complying with request


----------



## easyrider

*Mexican Shamrock*


----------



## geoand

*My arm was twisted and I got in to a small plane at Wrangall St Elias NP*






Was amazed to see such huge hunks of ice floating around at the end of many of the glaciers


----------



## Lisa P

*Sea World Orlando 3/08*

Love the blue markings on this bird's face...


----------



## Lisa P

*Sea World Orlando 3/08*

Shamu with trainer...







...and "refreshing" the crowd sitting in the "splash zone"...


----------



## Lisa P

*Sea World's hungry, barking, begging sea lions*


----------



## Lisa P

Manatees feeding on lettuce...


----------



## Lisa P

*Dusk in Orlando, FL, 3/08*


----------



## Lisa P

*Grinchmas at IOA, 12/07*

The Grinch in his lair Universal's Islands of Adventure in FL during the show and narration...







The make-up on the Whoville characters was designed by the same folks who did the live-action movie.  The dog was awesome, so well-trained!   Here's the whole cast singing the finale song...


----------



## geoand

*More views*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden*

Take the road past Mismaloya. When the road turns inland and begins climbing into the interior stay on the road for about ten more miles.


----------



## geoand

*spent pretty much the last month in So Cal*

Parts of 2 days in the San Diego Wild Animal Park


----------



## Lisa P

I'm unable to see any of Geo's photos.  Any tips, anyone?


----------



## swift

Lisa P said:


> I'm unable to see any of Geo's photos.  Any tips, anyone?



Are you still having a problem? They are coming through for me.


----------



## TUGBrian

they are hosted on photobucket...show up fine...what error is displayed for you?  little red xs?


----------



## Lisa P

TUG Improvements! said:


> ...what error is displayed for you?  little red xs?



Yes, exactly.


----------



## TUGBrian

can you right click on the xs and choose "show picture"?

can you right click on them and choose properties?  if so what does it say?

can you click on this link?


http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee25/geo1new/Alaska/GeoAlask122.jpg


----------



## Lisa P

WOW!

Thank you for that link.  When I clicked on it, I discovered that it was blocked by our firewall.  So I added photobucket.com to allowable domains.  Thanks again!

Awesome pics!!!


----------



## dmharris

*Celtic Cross in Irish Cemetary*

With this the week of two holidays, St. Patrick's Day and Easter, I thought this Celtic Cross was a good photo to submit to help celebrate the two. Enjoy!


----------



## geoand

Thanks to Tug Improvements for covering for me while I have been off playing around!

Thanks Lisa for your appreciation of the pics.


----------



## geoand

*San Diego Wild Animal Park*


----------



## geoand

*Trying something new*

I discovered this feature with my .Mac account.  I experimented with my windows friends and they said it worked for them.  So, here is the url and some of the pics have already posted, but there is a slideshow button on bottom left hand corner.  I like it a lot.  Will change the photos soon if you folks are able to see the pics.

http://gallery.mac.com/gtaperry#100031


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Road to Hale 'O Lono*

Crossing Moloka'i Ranch on the way to Hale 'O Lono harbor.


----------



## cindi

*Bear Tooth Pass---look down and see the road below!*






This one is real white knuckle driving according to DH.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

cindi said:


> This one is real white knuckle driving according to DH.


Beartooth Highway (US 212 between Red Lodge and Yellowstone) is probably one of the top 10 Scenic drives in 48 States.  IMHO, the descent to Red Lodge is the most spectacular part of the drive.


----------



## RDB

cindi said:


> ... Bear Tooth...



Cindi, I love the picture.
On Trip West, we went through Cody on the way to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Thought that was lovely.

Only learned of this spectacular drive after retuning to Virginia. We could have done both and will definatly do Bear Tooth on our way next trip.


----------



## easyrider

*Pool art at PB cabo*


----------



## geoand

If you go to the following address, you will be able to view about 9 other pictures from our visit to the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  You can click on the thumbnails to get a larger view or you can click on the slideshow button on bottom left corner to get even larger views.

http://gallery.mac.com/gtaperry#100031


----------



## dmharris

Hi Geo, 

Nice to have you back.  I took a look at your photos in your album and they're great.  What type of lens did you use?  Fixed or removable?  I especially love the one you posted here.  I wonder what the gorilla was thinkiing?  Are they in a nice environment?  I haven't been to this animal park in years and don't remember seeing gorillas.

Best,


----------



## dmharris

*One of the many "Doors of Dublin"*

There are hundreds of these doors to town homes and it is said that no two are exactly alike. I took lots of photos of them and couldn't decide which one to post. Hope you like yellow (I thought it was a bit different).  Most of these town homes are now businesses.  Shame.  The windows on the first floor are the tallest and the top floor (usually fourth) are the shortest, giving the impression that the building is taller than it really is.  Intentionally.


----------



## geoand

dmharris said:


> Hi Geo,
> 
> Nice to have you back.  I took a look at your photos in your album and they're great.  What type of lens did you use?  Fixed or removable?  I especially love the one you posted here.  I wonder what the gorilla was thinkiing?  Are they in a nice environment?  I haven't been to this animal park in years and don't remember seeing gorillas.
> 
> Best,



Hi Diane,
Thanks for the compliment.  I used a Nikon D200 with the Nikkor 70 - 200 telephoto lens.  It is removeable but since DW uses the D70 with wide angle we do not need to interchange lens.  I think the animals are in as good an environment as one could get for captivity purposes.

Question - Did you see a difference in the size of pictures when using the slide show option versus clicking on thumbprint?


----------



## dmharris

Geo,

Yes, they're larger and (this was cool) in the thumbnails there was a slider so I could make the thumbnails larger or smaller.


----------



## dougp26364

*Seattle, WA skyline*


----------



## dmharris

*View from Marriott Aruba Surf Club - Jolly Pirates Ship*


----------



## geoand

Great Blues in the ocean and sky pic.  Very interesting perspective of Seattle Skyline.  Don't think I have seen that one.


----------



## dougp26364

geoand said:


> Great Blues in the ocean and sky pic.  Very interesting perspective of Seattle Skyline.  Don't think I have seen that one.



We were walking down along the waterfront and I thought the space needle between the two buildings was an interesting shot.


----------



## RDB

dmharris said:


> ...


Jolly Pirates Ship ... those colors are lovely. Great photo


----------



## dmharris

Thanks, God made the colors, I just pointed the camera and pushed the button! ;-)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset on Howe Sound*

As we pulled into Horseshoe Bay yesterday ...


----------



## swift

OH WOW Steve!!!! That one is gorgeous!!!!


----------



## swift

Not a very good quality picture. My camera was on the wrong setting but here is a view from the local boarding school. I think it would make school not quite so bad waking up to this every day. At least for me.


----------



## luv2vacation

I haven't been on in a while - went back to school to finish my degree and just finished basketball season (I coach middle school girls' team) - so no time for anything.  Just finishing up a week's vacation here in sunny South Florida.  I have read 2 books, swam, went biking, kayaking, and finally got to spend some time on one of my favorite websites, TUG.

Enjoyed catching up on the great pictures.  Wanted to add a few of my favorites.  


Fantasmic  WDW  (I don't care what anybody says - it's better in WDW)


----------



## luv2vacation

A few more:


Mississippi River - as seen from top of Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans - May 2004







Balcony of a home (I think on Royal Strret) from same trip to New Orleans







Sunrise from balcony in Fort Lauderdale






Daytime shoreline view from same balcony (19th floor)


----------



## dougp26364

*The Seafood Bar in Palm Beach, FL*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Thornbrough Channel*

On the Langdale Crossing north of Vancouver


----------



## easyrider

*weee haaaaaa its still snowing*


----------



## dmharris

*Sunset on Aruba with palm tree silhouette from the Hyatt Hotel*


----------



## swift

Went out to Bella Winery today. Had some of their 07 Late Harvest Zin--- YUM!!!!    The tasting room is really neat as it is in a cave on the side of a hill. Below are a couple of pictures of it.


----------



## easyrider

*The Golf Course at PB Sunset Beach*







This first class course still has many sand traps, rough areas and no golfers. It will eventually get better.


----------



## RDB

swift said:


> Went out to Bella Winery today. Had some of their 07 Late Harvest Zin--- YUM!!!!    The tasting room is really neat as it is in a cave on the side of a hill. Below are a couple of pictures of it.
> ...



You will take us next time, right?

We enjoyed several tastings, about 8 years ago. Stayed at timeshare on Clear Lake at Nice. We liked one neat layout, I believe it was Fetzer at Hopland. Bought wine and sandwiches, ate at tables under arbor. We picked strawberries from their garden.


----------



## swift

RDB said:


> You will take us next time, right?
> 
> We enjoyed several tastings, about 8 years ago. Stayed at timeshare on Clear Lake at Nice. We liked one neat layout, I believe it was Fetzer at Hopland. Bought wine and sandwiches, ate at tables under arbor. We picked strawberries from their garden.




You betcha!!!! Just give me a jingle next time you are down my way!!!


----------



## dmharris

*where is that golf course?*

Hi easyrider,

Exactly where is that golf course?  Aruba?


----------



## dmharris

*Irish cemetary*


----------



## swift

More winery pictures.    These are of Ferrari * Carano. It is so beautiful there!!! I can just imagine people using the facilities to have their weddings at. The Wine Tasting Associate said that several famous people come through there and rent out the facilities and use the area by the reflecting pool. I wanted to get a picture of that but it is closed off to the public and you can't get any where near but the area that that is in is just breath taking!!!


----------



## easyrider

dmharris said:


> Hi easyrider,
> 
> Exactly where is that golf course?  Aruba?



This is the course the Pueblo Bonito guys have talked about for the last 4 years or more at Sunset Beach , Cabo San Lucas. It looks like they may be starting the course. More than likely they are just parking equipment here used to build the condos above the resort.


----------



## easyrider

My wife got a kick out of the Irish Cemetary photo as her Grand Father was Melvin Keegan. Mel is the artist who did alot of carvings at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood including the Rams Head Table. His work is displayed on many older builgings in the Portland Oregon area.


----------



## dmharris

Wow Theresa!  We've not seen green since October in Western PA, so those photos were so delightful to know that somewhere in this country there is green.  Gorgeous!


----------



## swift

dmharris said:


> Wow Theresa!  We've not seen green since October in Western PA, so those photos were so delightful to know that somewhere in this country there is green.  Gorgeous!




Thank you.   The weather was wonderful!!! Rain in the forcast soon thou.


----------



## swift

Here are some pictures of Lake Sonoma. North West of Healdsburg, CA


----------



## RDB

*Not mine but a very memoral photo to me*






The words below the photo are on the picture. I hope that doesn't make the posting taboo. They say what the photo is about.


----------



## swift

More Spring Pictures


----------



## swift

Instead of street signs over here we have winery signs. Who cares if you can't find someones house just show us where the wine is!!!


----------



## dmharris

*Governor's Palace at Christmas - Williamsburg*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fisherman's Whart - Monterey, CA*

taken in the late afternoon of 1 April.


----------



## dougp26364

*Great Smokey Mountain National Park Roaring Fork*


----------



## Transit

*Westin Key West*






Ok I'll make an attempt at this...I tried to post this on the pic of the day thread and I ended up posting a new thread. Would a moderater be kind enough to move it to it's properer place...thanks  (Done!!   )


----------



## RDB

swift said:


> Instead of street signs over here we have winery signs. Who cares if you can't find someones house just show us where the wine is!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Hey... over this way.
> 
> Robert
Click to expand...


----------



## dmharris

*Colonists making merry at Christmas time - Williamsburg*


----------



## KristinB

I posted a link to my Washington DC cherry blossom gallery in a thread of its own, but here are some shots for this thread...


----------



## swift

Kristin, I love the one taken in the early evening!!! Beautiful!!!!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Monterey, CA Boat Harbor*

California wild poppies go well in almost any photo.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Lovers Point Park - Pacific Grove, CA*

Another one from last week in Monterey


----------



## swift

A local vineyard that I pass everyday on my route. It is beautiful on the mornings we get a glowing sunrise. It can take your breath away.


----------



## KristinB

swift said:


> Kristin, I love the one taken in the early evening!!! Beautiful!!!!!



Theresa,

Thanks! 

P.S. Actually it was taken at oh-dark-thirty, otherwise known as sunrise, LOL!


----------



## KristinB

swift said:


> A local vineyard that I pass everyday on my route. It is beautiful on the mornings we get a glowing sunrise. It can take your breath away.



Wow, you're so fortunate to see such beauty each day -- I'm glad you don't take it for granted!  Lovely photo, thanks for sharing...


----------



## ciscogizmo1

Okay... thought I join you...

The Disney ship docked in Ville Franche






Another one of the beautiful port Ville Franche


----------



## easyrider

*plant we like*


----------



## easyrider

*bar we like*


----------



## dmharris

*Tarpley's Store at Christmas Tide - Williamsburg*

The shops and houses are decorated for Christmas with natural elements that ideally reflect the purpose of the building.


----------



## dmharris

*Close up of the decorations - Shells, boxwood and pomegrantes*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Footbridge at Ruby Lake Resort*

Ruby Lake is on the Sechelt Peninsula, north of Vancouver.  I took this picture the same day as the Howe Sound photo I posted a little over a week ago.

I shot about 20 pictures at this location, trying to capture the calm of the water and the misty mountains above the lake .  None of the pictures really captured the mood.. 

Then I decided to try converting one of the better images to black and white.  When I added an orange-yellow filter to the conversion, the mountains suddenly came out of the mist, the lake picked up a dark color, and the wood bridge brightened up.  I think the black and white adds to the ethereal mood.


----------



## Blues

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Lovers Point Park - Pacific Grove, CA*



Thanks for the pictures of Monterey and PG, Steve.  Lovers Point Park is where DW and I were married, 23 years ago on Valentine's Day.  Almost where the couple in your picture are standing -- actually just toward the camera and to the right.  It was a beautiful sunny day in Feb; out of character for coastal CA, but someone was watching out for us.

Thanks for the memories.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Blues said:


> Thanks for the pictures of Monterey and PG, Steve.  Lovers Point Park is where DW and I were married, 23 years ago on Valentine's Day.  Almost where the couple in your picture are standing -- actually just toward the camera and to the right.  It was a beautiful sunny day in Feb; out of character for coastal CA, but someone was watching out for us.
> 
> Thanks for the memories.



Thanks for the note. I enjoy those little tidbits of connection.  I have some more photos of the Monterey and Pacific Grove, as well as some Big Sur shots, that I will post as I finish working on them.


----------



## Denise L

*Can I post an old photo?*

I couldn't resist. This is one of my favorite photos, taken at the Beijing Zoo in November 1987:


----------



## geoand

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thanks for the note. I enjoy those little tidbits of connection.  I have some more photos of the Monterey and Pacific Grove, as well as some Big Sur shots, that I will post as I finish working on them.



Steve,
DW and I took Big Sur Highway back from Palm Springs in Mid March.  She had not done this before.  Between our 2 camaras we have over 500 photos.  It only took us 11 hours to drive the Big Sur!  Next day we took about 10 hrs to continue on Highway 1 up to near Eureka.  We have many pics.  Will be posting also.  I haven't worked on them yet.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Steve,
> DW and I took Big Sur Highway back from Palm Springs in Mid March.  She had not done this before.  Between our 2 camaras we have over 500 photos.  It only took us 11 hours to drive the Big Sur!  Next day we took about 10 hrs to continue on Highway 1 up to near Eureka.  We have many pics.  Will be posting also.  I haven't worked on them yet.



We did a half day trip last week - went a bit beyond Point Sur then turned around and came back.  I had more than 100 shots, but since I now do bracketed exposures on most shots, that was more like about 40 actual photos.  I've now winnowed that down now to about 15 that I think are worth keeping.  I've got a similar backlog from my trip to Canada the week before - but I haven't done much cleanup on those. 

Then I've still got some left from my February trip to Minnesota - those are almost entirely family photos, not "travel" pics.  From December I've got some Puget Sound pics from Magnolia and some Deception Pass.  The conditons weren't too good at Deception Pass so I'll only keep three or four of those.

After I do those I'll be caught up!!  I want to get caught up before we leave for Hawai'i this summer.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Davis Bay Beach*

Near Sechelt, BC on the east shore of the Georgia Strait.  The land across the Strait is Vancouver Island, near Nanaimo and Pacific Shores resort.


----------



## geoand

*Searching through our collection of 260 gigs of photos*

Found a series of shots taken from Alaska Air flight on our first trip to Alaska in 2004.  Took off in the evening from Seattle and landed at Anchorage around midnight.  DW was fascinated by the clouds and colors.  This was our first experience with dslr's.






For first couple of years, we always bracketed our shots.  Then we went to taking photos in RAW format and decided that bracketing was not necessary. (adding clarification- we don't bracket everyone of our shots as we did when shooting in jpeg format.  There are a few times that we think that bracketing is still necessary but those are rare.)


----------



## cindi

Could one of you guys explain bracketing? I am still trying to learn all this stuff. 

Thanks for the gorgeous photos. It is my favorite thread of all.


----------



## easyrider

Wow, Is that the real colors of the clouds or is it enhanced ?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

cindi said:


> Could one of you guys explain bracketing? I am still trying to learn all this stuff.
> 
> Thanks for the gorgeous photos. It is my favorite thread of all.



Bracketing is taking multiple photos of the same scene, but with the light exposure settings changed in each photo so that the primary light exposure is bracketed with darker exposure and a lighter exposure. Many digital cameras have a bracketing setting.  

With bracketing, if the camera doesn't read the lighting properly, one of the bracketed photos will likely give a better picture.

Bracketing also helps in situations where there is extreme bright and dark contrast in a photo.The tonal range of a camera sensor is not as great as that of the human eye.  In some high contrast situations a mid-range setting (what the camera usually selects) will result in a photo in which all of the bright tones are blown out to pure white, while many dark tones are rendered as complete black.  You see this often in landscape photos with bright clouds in the sky and shadows in the landforms. Pictures of snowy mountains often suffer this way as well. With bracketed exposures and a robust photo processing program, you can create an image that captures the tonal range by combining appropriate elements from the bracketed exposures. Here is a Corel tutorial on High Dynamic Range (HDR), as this process is known. It's not as easy as the tutorial makes it seem. Actually, the combining of images using the HDR feature is easy - what's difficult is shooting images that an automatic HDR function can combine without resulting in ghosts or fuzziness.  If the pictures can't be handled in an HDR function, then the combining has to be done manually using selections and blending.

The picture of Davis Bay beach above is an example of a high contrast setting.  The shadows in the foreground are very dark, but if I used a brighter exposure the light on the water in the left side of the photo would blow out to pure white and the glints of the wavetops would disappear.  In making that photo I cropped the photo to remove an even more brightly illuminated area of water on the left side of the photo.  In the exposure that I used for the photo some of that water area that I cropped out was blown out to pure white.  I did have a bracketed exposure with a lower exposure in which the detail remained in the water in the directly lit area, but in that exposure the shadow areas in the foreground were even more black.  I selected the exposure and cropped the photo as I did primarily because I liked the composition of the cropped photo more than the original, but the reduced dynamic range of the photo after cropping was also a consideration.

****

BTW - the bracketing option on many digital cameras uses a default setting of ±0.3 EV.  That range is far too small to be useful in most cases.  I suggest using a setting of at least ±0.7 EV. I shoot at ±1.0 EV.


----------



## geoand

I know what bracketting is but durned if I could explain it in any understandable fashion!  I saw Steve's explanation and would never have made it as understandable.

All the photos that I have posted have never been touched by me.  DW does all of the touchups.  I am the village idiot on this subject.  DW showed me how to check to see if the photo has been enhanced in any way on the Aperture program.  There is a slight exposure change and a slight contrast change.  No colors were changed at all.


----------



## cindi

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Bracketing is taking multiple photos of the same scene, but with the light exposure settings changed in each photo so that the primary light exposure is bracketed with darker exposure and a lighter exposure. Many digital cameras have a bracketing setting.
> 
> With bracketing, if the camera doesn't read the lighting properly, one of the bracketed photos will likely give a better picture.
> 
> Bracketing also helps in situations where there is extreme bright and dark contrast in a photo.The tonal range of a camera sensor is not as great as that of the human eye.  In some high contrast situations a mid-range setting (what the camera usually selects) will result in a photo in which all of the bright tones are blown out to pure white, while many dark tones are rendered as complete black.  You see this often in landscape photos with bright clouds in the sky and shadows in the landforms. Pictures of snowy mountains often suffer this way as well. With bracketed exposures and a robust photo processing program, you can create an image that captures the tonal range by combining appropriate elements from the bracketed exposures. Here is a Corel tutorial on High Dynamic Range (HDR), as this process is known.
> 
> The picture of Davis Bay beach above is an example of a high contrast setting.  The shadows in the foreground are very dark, but if I used a brighter exposure the light on the water in the left side of the photo would blow out to pure white and the glints of the wavetops would disappear.  In making that photo I cropped the photo to remove a more of the brightly illuminated water on the left side of the photo.  In the exposure that I used for the photo some of that water area was blown out to ure white.  I had a bracketed exposure with a lower setting in which the detail remained in the water, but then the shadow area in the foreground were even more intense.  I selected the exposure and cropped the photo as I did primarily because I liked the composition of the cropped photo more than the original, but the reduced dynamic range of the photo after cropping was also a consideration.  I still left some deep shadows in the foreground.  I could have selectively lightened those areas,  but when I opened those areas up I thought I lost some of the moodiness of the photo.




Wow, thanks for the detailed explaination!

I am going to have to sit down and read this about 5 times before I get it all.  

Man, do I have a lot to learn.


----------



## cindi

geoand said:


> I am the village idiot on this subject.



:rofl: 

In spite of all you say, your photos are spectacular.


----------



## dougp26364

*St. Kevin's church Glendalough Ireland*


----------



## easyrider

*Alys first spring chinook*











Caught on pink spinners ( her pick ) below Bonneville Dam.


----------



## geoand

cindi said:


> :rofl:
> 
> In spite of all you say, your photos are spectacular.



Thank you very much and all the credit should go to DW.  I give full 100% credit for the patience and outstanding instruction of DW!


----------



## geoand

Easyrider,

Love the expression on daughter's face and the face of the forlorn fisherman in the background on the right.


----------



## easyrider

geoand said:


> Easyrider,
> 
> Love the expression on daughter's face and the face of the forlorn fisherman in the background on the right.










Thanks, but Aly is my Grand Daughter, this one is my daughter, Alys mom, with her first marlin last feb in cabo.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*On Top of Mauna Kea*

The summit of Mauna Kea is the highest point in the Hawai'ian Islands and is home to the largest concentration of telescopes in the world.  When you're higher than 14,000 feet elevation, the sky is an amazing deep blue, and the colors in the ash and volcanic rock are incredibly vivid. The summit is totally devoid of any vegetation - since it's higher than the tops of the clouds brought in by the trade winds, it gets little rain and is an alpine desert.  Because it's a still active (but not currently erupting) volcano, the top is very much a "moonscape, distinctly more eerie than is Halekala on Maui.

We drove our compact size rental car to the top; we trusted the Big Island Revealed guidebook when Andrew said it could be driven without 4-WD if the road was in good condition.  Andrew was right.  We did notice that the engine labored heavily on the last legs of the climb.  We did this trip in August of 2003.

I was also marginally experiencing altitude sickness at the top.  Some of the telescopes require going up a couple of flights of stairs to get to the public viewing area - I had to take frequent rests as we were going up the stairs.  I often ski at over 10,000 feet without a problem, and I have a stong cardiopulmonary system, but 14k feet is apparently at the edge of my abilities without acclimation. DW was much less affected than I was.


----------



## geoand

*Our first trip to Alaska was in June 2004*

I purchased a Nikon D100 for my DW as a gift.  I knew she would be able to take some incredible pictures.  She constantly told me that this was "our camera."

This picture was taken on the highway to Wrangel St. Elias National Park.  Lake is located very near Copper Center and there is a Copper Princess Hotel back about 10 miles towards Anchorage.  Our buddies said this was the first time that they had seen these mountains and the reflections in the lake.  All other times, clouds got in the way.






As I was lugging the camera gear (bag, tripod, etc) around following my DW as she set up to take various shots, she blurted out "We are going to have to get you your own camera!" Buddy and I laughed and laughed.

I was not wrong though.  She did take some outstanding photos.


----------



## geoand

*Relaxing at the Copper Princess*

She wanted a pic of me and with her portrait and the mountain in the background.

This is one of the same mountains in the previous picture


----------



## easyrider

Cheers Geo

How did you get the mountain pic so long. Is that a few pics put together ?


----------



## geoand

I took this photo from the lake area with the D100 and a 500 telephoto Sigma lens that was designed for Nikon 35 mm film camera.  I think it is decent enough photo.






DW took the following photograph with the same set up above but from the grounds of the Copper Princess.  Far better picture in my opinion.


----------



## geoand

easyrider said:


> Cheers Geo
> 
> How did you get the mountain pic so long. Is that a few pics put together ?



Our buddy from Alaska showed DW the many panoramas he has taken.  He uses a special program for it, however, DW uses photoshop to create the panoramas.  She too enjoys putting them together.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Cabrillo Highway*

California Highway 1 on the Big Sur coastline. Got a nasty dose of poison oak climbing up the hillside to get this shot.


----------



## pwrshift

Great pic Steve ... the only area that rivals that one is the Amalfi coast in Italy and it probably doesn't come with poison oak.

Brian


----------



## dougp26364

*Precious Moments Chapel*

This is just south of Carthage, MO and is open to the public without charge.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

pwrshift said:


> Great pic Steve ... the only area that rivals that one is the Amalfi coast in Italy and it probably doesn't come with poison oak.
> 
> Brian



But does it have ticks?  The thread on ticks reminded that I picked up a couple of ticks on my hillside hike as well as the poison oak. 

BTW - I took the photo on April 3 and I still have remnants of the rash.  There are several areas around my ankles where the rash clearly shows the path of the tendril as it dragged across my leg.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Tree Tunnels on the Puna Coast*

I believe that most of the trees forming the canopy are Moluccan albizia.  Albizia are the wonderful trees that soar into the air, then form a flat crown.  The shorter trees that are more erect are probably 'Ohia.

The Puna Coast is a wonderful area of the Big Island that doesn't get much tourist traffic.


----------



## geoand

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> But does it have ticks?  The thread on ticks reminded that I picked up a couple of ticks on my hillside hike as well as the poison oak.
> 
> BTW - I took the photo on April 3 and I still have remnants of the rash.  There are several areas around my ankles where the rash clearly shows the path of the tendril as it dragged across my leg.



Steve, great shot. I recognized it immediately.  In fact, we have a similar photo.  We were there in mid March and sun and clouds were tremendous.  I am so glad that I did not get the poison oak or tick problem.  Probably due to fact I am sceeered of heights and never left the shoulder of the road.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*What's My Bridge???*

Anyone recognize this location?? 

I'll play John Charles Daly and flip over a card for each wrong guess. As with Mr. Daly I will flip over all of the  remaining cards at once if I deem it appropriate. In anticipation of the first question I will say, "Yes, it's a bigger than a breadbox." (I suspect many young TUGgers will have no idea what I'm talking about. The OFs should plug right in, though.)


----------



## Passepartout

I'm thinking Tacoma Narrows. And it IS bigger than a breadbox. (whats a breadbox?)

Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Passepartout said:


> I'm thinking Tacoma Narrows. And it IS bigger than a breadbox. (whats a breadbox?)
> 
> Jim Ricks



Assuming my best John Charles Daly persona (and I wish I were as good-looking as he), I lean towards my microphone and say "Good Guess, but the answer is 'No'". I reach out in front of me and turn over the first card.  "That's $5."


----------



## Elan

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Assuming my best John Charles Daly persona (and I wish I were as good-looking as he), I lean towards my microphone and say "Good Guess, but the answer is 'No'". I reach out in front of me and turn over the first card.  "That's $5."



  Just a wild guess, but is it St John's in Portland?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elan said:


> Just a wild guess, but is it St John's in Portland?



Another excellent guess, but nope. Flip another card - we're now at $10.


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Tree Tunnels on the Puna Coast*
> 
> I believe that most of the trees forming the canopy are Moluccan albizia. Albizia are the wonderful trees that soar into the air, then form a flat crown. The shorter trees that are more erect are probably 'Ohia.
> 
> The Puna Coast is a wonderful area of the Big Island that doesn't get much tourist traffic.


Steve, I love your tree tunnel pictures.  Every time we drove through one of them, I wanted to take a picture too but my SO didn't want to stop so I never took a picture. I have seen them on other islands too but Maui lost most of the trees that made their tree tunnel road to Kihei. These trees were removed because they needed to widen the road or they may have been deceased, most likely. I don't know what the reason was but what a shame that they are gone.

PS.  I am glad that this thread is still going strong as most pictures are beautiful and tell where they are taken too so give us an idea of that certain place.


----------



## gary01

Steve, is that an old photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

gary01 said:


> Steve, is that an old photo of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco?



And we flip another card - $15.  BTW - the photo is less than three years old.


----------



## RichM

Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver?


___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

RichM said:


> Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver?



We have a winner!!! If we ever wind up timesharing at the same location, first drink is on me.


The photo was taken from Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver a little over a month ago.  It's not a common vantage point for the bridge.  The hill on the right anchorage is Stanley Park, and the left shoreline is North Vancouver.  The view looks straight up Burrard Inlet to the Port of Vancouver and the Burrard Inlet industrial area.

It was pretty cloudy over Vancouver that morning, so there wasn't a lot of color. On a sunny day, the views of Vancouver and Georgia Strait from Lighthouse Park are awesome.  If you're ever heading to or from Whistler and you've got an extra hour or so. Lighthouse Park is worth a visit. It's very near Horseshoe Bay and the junction with the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Take Exit 2 - Eagleridge Drive - off of Hwy 1 and go downhill to Marine Drive.  Go right  *left* on Marine Drive about 5 km, and look for the sign telling you where to turn right. 

BTW - for comparison here is the photo before b&w conversion.  Just before making the conversion I also edited out a few tree branches in the upper left corner that I thought detracted from the photo. 





To me the b&w conversion altered the mood of the picture.  The gray skies and lack of contrast, the industrial structures in Burrard Inlet, the steam from some of the buildings, the grain of the photo after the conversion - all gave the b&w photo a somber tone. I used an orange filter in the conversion; that brightened the sky a bit and darkened the water.

And, yes, there is a lighthouse in Lighthouse Park.


----------



## RichM

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> The photo was taken from Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver a little over a month ago.  It's not a common vantage point for the bridge.



After googling suspension bridges and narrowing it down to Lion's Gate or one of the two in Halifax (MacKay and MacDonald) I looked at the aerial imagery and Lighthouse Park appeared to be the likely vantage point.  The foreground trees meant it couldn't have been from a ship in the water.  The taller hotel-looking building on the left helped to give it away when compared to other shots of the same bridge found on the 'net. Although mostly obscured, you can just make it out in this shot: 
http://www.netadssell.com/vanwalk/images/lions.jpg 

and this one:

http://www.visitvancouver.com/travel/images/vancouver_bc/dv_1.jpg

Thanks for the quick little scavenger hunt 


___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## geoand

*Another Cloud photo from airplane to Anchorage*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waiting for a Wave*

This flock of ducks was holding their position in the water, right at the point where the waves were breaking. They weren't doing anything in particular, just hanging out together.  They reminded me of surfers congregating near the break point, waiting to catch a wave.

The photo was taken at Davis Bay in British Columbia.  The town in the background is Sechelt.


----------



## swift

*Washington Monument*


----------



## geoand

*Another photo from air to Anchorage*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Halfmoon Bay*

Obviously not Halfmoon Bay in California. This is the BC Sunshine Coast. (Was anyone fooled?  Didn't think so.)


----------



## swift

*Korean War Monument*


----------



## geoand

*same airplane*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Bixby Creek Bridge, Cabrillo Highway, Big Sur*







Same bridge as in my previous Cabrillo Highway photo:


 

This photo is looking back at the bridge from the other direction.  That prominent hill is prime poison oak habitat.  And it has ticks as well.


----------



## geoand

*Same airplane*


----------



## swift

*World War II Memorial*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Changing Light*






One of the beauties of Big Sur is the ever-changing interplay of light, land and mist.  This is another shot of Bixby Bridge, taken about three hours after my previous photo.  It's close enough to sunset that the reds are starting to show. Also, with the clouds dissipated, the lighting is more harsh, and shadows are sharper and deeper.


----------



## KristinB

*Virginia's Eastern Shore*

Sunset at Bay Creek Lighthouse, Cape Charles, VA






Sunset at Bay Creek, Cape Charles, VA






Full moonrise over Oyster, VA






Sunrise at Oyster, VA






Sunrise at Oyster, VA


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Nice shots, Kristin!!!


----------



## swift

Beautiful Kristin!!!


----------



## KristinB

Thanks Steve & Theresa!  I just took these shots this past long weekend... For those who may not be familiar with this area, it's about an hour south of Chincoteague, VA or an hour north of Virginia Beach, VA (across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel).  It's a wonderful area to visit, quite lovely and unspoiled.

This is the Smith Island Light, visible from the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge:






And here are a few birds that I saw along the way during my visit...


----------



## swift

Here are some Ducks from my trip.


----------



## taffy19

KristinB said:


> Sunset at Bay Creek Lighthouse, Cape Charles, VA
> 
> Sunset at Bay Creek, Cape Charles, VA
> 
> Full moonrise over Oyster, VA
> 
> Sunrise at Oyster, VA


These photos are so beautiful.


----------



## taffy19

KristinB said:


> Thanks Steve & Theresa!  I just took these shots this past long weekend... For those who may not be familiar with this area, it's about an hour south of Chincoteague, VA or an hour north of Virginia Beach, VA (across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel).  It's a wonderful area to visit, quite lovely and unspoiled.
> 
> This is the Smith Island Light, visible from the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here are a few birds that I saw along the way during my visit..


What a nice shot and also of the birds.  What a lovely area too and what a great eye you have for photography.


----------



## geoand

*I liked this cloud formation*


----------



## geoand

*I like this cloud formation*


----------



## thinze3

You must have really really liked it! :hysterical:


----------



## geoand

thinze3 said:


> You must have really really liked it! :hysterical:


Liked it so much that I couldn't figure how to delete one of them.!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Another Shot of Ruby Lake, BC Sunshine Coast*


----------



## KristinB

swift said:


> Here are some Ducks from my trip.



Lovely!  And just... ducky!


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Another Shot of Ruby Lake, BC Sunshine Coast*



Steve,

How beautiful and serene!  Makes me wish I were there right now...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Steve,
> 
> How beautiful and serene!  Makes me wish I were there right now...



Did you see this picture of Ruby Lake I posted a couple of weeks ago?  These shots are about 180 degrees different direction (and about two hours difference in time). It was raining when I took the picture with the footbridge, and this vista (the one above that shows the main body of the lake) was pretty nondescript at that time.  (I did about four or five setups of the main lake at that time and deleted them all.)  Coming back past the lake a couple of hours later, the clouds had lifted a bit and the wind had completely calmed.  So the mountains came out, a patch of blue shown, and the lake water reflected it all.

I was on a time schedule (needed to catch the ferry back to Vancouver) and couldn't stick around, but if the clouds continued to lift there was an absolutely spectacular sunset about three hours after I took this shot.


----------



## KristinB

No, I missed it, thanks for pointing it out.  I don't visit the thread every day (although I should, shame on me), I'll try to do so more often.  That one is  stunning!


----------



## swift

I like this one of my son and his two buddies. He is such a ham.


----------



## geoand

*Same airplane*


----------



## Elli

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Did you see this picture of Ruby Lake I posted a couple of weeks ago?  These shots are about 180 degrees different direction (and about two hours difference in time). It was raining when I took the picture with the footbridge, and this vista (the one above that shows the main body of the lake) was pretty nondescript at that time.  (I did about four or five setups of the main lake at that time and deleted them all.)  Coming back past the lake a couple of hours later, the clouds had lifted a bit and the wind had completely calmed.  So the mountains came out, a patch of blue shown, and the lake water reflected it all.
> 
> I was on a time schedule (needed to catch the ferry back to Vancouver) and couldn't stick around, but if the clouds continued to lift there was an absolutely spectacular sunset about three hours after I took this shot.


What a nicely framed shot of Ruby Lake, Steve.  I had seen the previous picture - did you actually shoot it in black and white?

Kristin, I enjoyed your bird pictures, actually all the pictures in this thread are very interesting - I look at the updates of this thread every day.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elli said:


> What a nicely framed shot of Ruby Lake, Steve.  I had seen the previous picture - did you actually shoot it in black and white?



Thanks, Elli.  Re the b&w photo, I shot it in color and then converted it to b&w, using a strong orange-yellow filter effect.  The filter caused reds and yellow to lighten, while darkening blues.  That filter caused the footbridge to stand out more against the water.  It also increased the contrast of the mountains in the background - made them stand out better in the mist.

I've not always had a lot of success with b&w conversions, though I was pleased with that one.  The references I've read recommend that even if you intend to produce a b&w photo, the process generally works better if you shoot in color and convert to b&w rather than putting the camera in b&w mode when you shoot.  Shooting in color gives you more options to select a filter; if you put the camera in b&w mode, your only opportunity to apply a filter is at the time of shooting.


----------



## KristinB

Hi, Elli!  

Nice to "see" you on this thread -- it was so nice meeting you and Eric at Morritt's back in 2006!  I don't remember if I ever sent you a link to my photos from that trip or not.   If I didn't, you can go to my galleries here -- just scroll down a little bit and look for the Grand Cayman album.  Oh, and thanks for the compliment!


----------



## Lisa P

Elli said:


> actually all the pictures in this thread are very interesting - I look at the updates of this thread every day.


Same here - gorgeous photos and great variety.    Thanks for keeping them coming.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Let's Go to Maui*

*Hana Road*

These are from my early digital days.






***********






This is along the Kaupo Coast, on the south slope of Haleakala, and beyond the point where most people turn around and go back on the north side of the island.  

To get into the shadows where the tree was, the sky got overexposed.  The file is too small to crop out the sky.

********


----------



## Elli

KristinB said:


> Hi, Elli!
> 
> Nice to "see" you on this thread -- it was so nice meeting you and Eric at Morritt's back in 2006!  I don't remember if I ever sent you a link to my photos from that trip or not.   If I didn't, you can go to my galleries here -- just scroll down a little bit and look for the Grand Cayman album.  Oh, and thanks for the compliment!


Hi, Kristin, I don't remember if you actually sent me the link, but I did look at them when you mentioned your photos on other posts. By the way, some great shots of butterflies at that place on Cayman.

If I remember right you are going to the B.I. this year and staying at Paniolo Greens?  Eric and I are going in Sept. for 2 weeks and added another week at Kona Hawaiian Village.

Say hi to your hubby - was nice meeting the two of you.

Elli


----------



## Elli

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thanks, Elli.  Re the b&w photo, I shot it in color and then converted it to b&w, using a strong orange-yellow filter effect.  The filter caused reds and yellow to lighten, while darkening blues.  That filter caused the footbridge to stand out more against the water.  It also increased the contrast of the mountains in the background - made them stand out better in the mist.
> 
> I've not always had a lot of success with b&w conversions, though I was pleased with that one.  The references I've read recommend that even if you intend to produce a b&w photo, the process generally works better if you shoot in color and convert to b&w rather than putting the camera in b&w mode when you shoot.  Shooting in color gives you more options to select a filter; if you put the camera in b&w mode, your only opportunity to apply a filter is at the time of shooting.


Thanks for the explanation, Steve.  As you mentioned, in b&w the footbridge really looks great.


----------



## swift

I thought this Korean Monument was very well done. Not a great picture photography wise but a good memory.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Lil Miss Heidi*

THEN (her pound puppy photo):





NOW:


----------



## Timeshare Von

I've just been told that this photo will be featured in May 08 issue of Dog & Driver Magazine, the official publication of the Int'l Sled Dog Racing Association.  This will be my first published photo.





Timeshare Von said:


> This is Egil Ellis, the winner of the 2008 event.  He has won a record tying eight GCI Opens!!


----------



## Lisa P

Von, does that breed always have white toes and tail tip?  Looks like Heidi has a french manicure!   

And I love the face of the far left dog in the dogsled photo!!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Trail Islands*

Georgia Strait, just north of Sechelt, BC.


----------



## swift

Went to Tilden Park last weekend. Tilden Park is a huge regional park up in the Berkeley hills. I haven't been there since I was a little girl. This is a picture of the little steam engine ride we went on with the kids.


----------



## geoand

*Anza-Borrega State Park*


----------



## KristinB

Timeshare Von said:


> I've just been told that this photo will be featured in May 08 issue of Dog & Driver Magazine, the official publication of the Int'l Sled Dog Racing Association.  This will be my first published photo.



Von, 

Congratulations, that's wonderful!    How nice to be recognized!


----------



## KristinB

Elli said:


> Hi, Kristin, I don't remember if you actually sent me the link, but I did look at them when you mentioned your photos on other posts. By the way, some great shots of butterflies at that place on Cayman.
> 
> If I remember right you are going to the B.I. this year and staying at Paniolo Greens?  Eric and I are going in Sept. for 2 weeks and added another week at Kona Hawaiian Village.
> 
> Say hi to your hubby - was nice meeting the two of you.
> 
> Elli



Elli,

Wow, you have a good memory! Yes, we're leaving for the B.I. on May 10th, but we ended up switching things around a bit -- we're staying one week at Paniolo Greens, one week at the Bay Club, and one week at Wyndham Kona Resort.  I'll let you know how we like everything when we get back...  And yes, I'll tell Kenny you say hi!  Give Eric our best, please.


----------



## Elli

KristinB said:


> Elli,
> 
> Wow, you have a good memory! Yes, we're leaving for the B.I. on May 10th, but we ended up switching things around a bit -- we're staying one week at Paniolo Greens, one week at the Bay Club, and one week at Wyndham Kona Resort.  I'll let you know how we like everything when we get back...  And yes, I'll tell Kenny you say hi!  Give Eric our best, please.


Thanks, Kristin, do let us know which unit you liked at the Wyndham Kona and Paniolo Greens - we are going the end of Sept. and are staying 1 wk at Wyndham and 2 wks. at Paniolo Greens.

I am leaving May 28 for a Med. cruise with my sister, so I'll get back after you return from Hawaii.  Have fun!  "Talk" to you then.

Elli


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Evergreen Cemetery*

*Until Then It Was Always Six*

I got out of the car and looked around, squinting as my eyes adjusted from tinted car interior to bright outside sunlight. I saw what I was looking for - five chairs set up on the grass, about 50 feet away. Then I looked further, to the horizon. It was a fine early September day in western Minnesota. It was actually cool for the week after Labor Day, and a bit breezy, but the sun was shining brightly amid a few broken clouds. The nearby fields and trees had the dark green hue of late summer on the northern prairies, when the foliage is still robust but autumn is just starting to gain a foothold and harvest is nearing.

I knew that the row of trees a couple of miles away was the near shore of a lake. I laughed to myself, thinking “Fifty years ago today he could have been fishing that lake.” When he was in his 30’s, this was the type of late summer day when he might have gone out fishing for a couple of hours after work. With fall approaching he would try to get in a bit more fishing before he stowed his pole and tackle box for the winter. 

Mom got out of the car and grabbed my right arm with her left hand. She clasped my hand, and then buried her head in my shoulder. My older brother came around on her right side. My two sisters came alongside us, and the five of us walked together to the five chairs, following the pallbearers and the minister.

Five chairs. Until then it was always six.

I only half-listened to the graveside service. Instead I continued sorting through events of the last several months. I was glad we were saying our goodbyes, and that the end had come as it did.

Dad really left us a few years earlier. Dementia had been slicing him away for five or more years, leaving him less than a shadow’s shadow of what he had been. Sometimes a big chunk would suddenly disappear; more often it was little nicks and slices that inexorably added up. Finally the last remnants were gone, and that was it. We all missed him, but none of us wanted him back as he was at the end. So it was time to go; actually, it was a good time to go.

I reviewed the funeral again in my mind. Dad loved hymns and sacred songs, so we included his favorites in the funeral service. The five of us had looked through a couple of hymnals from his personal library page by page, as we shared memories triggered by the songs. We remembered, and he was with us again. Though his body was finished, who Dad really was remained with us as strongly as ever.

So, as I sat in front of the grave, I felt peaceful. I realized this was a time of joy for Dad’s life, not of sadness at his passing. This was a time to recognize the richness and grace he gifted us. This was a time to appreciate his love and his life.

I am glad for the treasures he gave us while he was alive. I am glad that he was not snatched from us prematurely and that the agonizing descent ultimately ended gracefully. And I am glad he had reached the Peace he had looked forward to most of his life.​
**********






I visit here every trip to Minnesota.  When I took this picture last February, the temperature was -20 F, with a wind chill of -40.  That's cold.


***************

See here for discussion of digital darkroom work on this photo.


----------



## geoand

*View to the west from Fon't Point - Anza-Borrega*


----------



## geoand

*View from roadway running thru Anza Borrega*


----------



## geoand

*California Coast*

Was taking pictures down towards the waterand happened to look above me because I saw a shadow.  Was lucky to catch this shot.


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Until Then It Was Always Six*
> 
> 
> I am glad for the treasures he gave us while he was alive. I am glad that he was not snatched from us prematurely and that the agonizing descent ultimately ended gracefully. And I am glad he had reached the Peace he had looked forward to most of his life.​**********
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I visit here every trip to Minnesota. When I took this picture last February, the temperature was -20 F, with a wind chill of -40. That's cold.
> 
> 
> ***************
> 
> See here for discussion of digital darkroom work on this photo.


Steve, a very touching story and a beautiful photograph. I also read your discussion how you made this photo shine. You are so smart and talented.


----------



## taffy19

geoand said:


> Was taking pictures down towards the waterand happened to look above me because I saw a shadow. Was lucky to catch this shot.


What a stunning picture and your other ones too. I love this thread and all the beautiful pictures. It's seeing the country without having to drive.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Until Then It Was Always Six*



Wow, Steve, very moving and a great job of post-processing.  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Was taking pictures down towards the waterand happened to look above me because I saw a shadow.  Was lucky to catch this shot.



Geo,

What a fabulous capture of a BIF!  Very nice...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Steve, a very touching story and a beautiful photograph. I also read your discussion how you made this photo shine. You are so smart and talented.





KristinB said:


> Wow, Steve, very moving and a great job of post-processing.  Thanks for sharing.



Thank you.  This is a photo I spent some time thinking about before working on it.  I didn't do anything with it for almost two months while I pondered it.  I hadn't originally thought about doing it as a B&W tint; I got the idea from one of the references I mentioned in the other thread.

******

This is a timeshare site, so let's add some timeshare connections.

The roots of the photo and of the accompanying narrative go back to former TUGger PJ Siegel.  PJ was a gallant lady, and her untimely death in 2004 was a tragedy. I only knew PJ through TUG, but I was greatly moved as we TUGgers shared with her and cried with her as the leukemia advanced through her body. Some TUGgers who lived near her visited with her in the hospital.

Her death started me reflecting on my father's death almost six years earlier, and elements of the graveside narrative I posted above started forming in my mind.  That summer we had exchanged into Pahio Shearwater.  One day as I was walking near the golf course, I felt it was time to start collecting those thoughts.  I spent a good part of the flight back to the mainland creating a first draft, then I finished it up a couple of weeks after we were back.

So, PJ, even though I never met you that post and that photo has a lot of you in it as well.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

George - nice shots.  The bird is superb!!  I tried catching some soaring raptors during our Big Sur drive, but I couldn't get any decent photos at all.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thank you.  This is a photo I spent some time thinking about before working on it.  I didn't do anything with it for almost two months while I pondered it.  I hadn't originally thought about doing it as a B&W tint; I got the idea from one of the references I mentioned in the other thread.
> 
> ******
> 
> This is a timeshare site, so let's add some timeshare connections.
> 
> The roots of the photo and of the accompanying narrative go back to former TUGger PJ Siegel.  PJ was a gallant lady, and her untimely death in 2004 was a tragedy. I only knew PJ through TUG, but I was greatly moved as we TUGgers shared with her and cried with her as the leukemia advanced through her body. Some TUGgers who lived near her visited with her in the hospital.
> 
> Her death started me reflecting on my father's death almost six years earlier, and elements of the graveside narrative I posted above started forming in my mind.  That summer we had exchanged into Pahio Shearwater.  One day as I was walking near the golf course, I felt it was time to start collecting those thoughts.  I spent a good part of the flight back to the mainland creating a first draft, then I finished it up a couple of weeks after we were back.
> 
> So, PJ, even though I never met you that post and that photo has a lot of you in it as well.



Steve,

I remember BDK very well, we corresponded quite a bit -- how special that she was your inspiration for this.  Unfortunately we didn't ever meet in person.  We actually had quite a bit in common... we both had served in the military, were active in our local Lions clubs (and lived in the metro Washington DC area), worked in the IT field, and of course had Tug!  But my youngest sister had lost her life to a rare form of cancer in 2002 at the age of 31, and I was unable to bring myself to meet PJ as I was still going through the earlier stages of grieving at that time.  I go to her web site every now and again.  I wonder if anyone has contact info for her daughter... she must be be about to graduate high school by now.


----------



## geoand

*Thanks all for comments on Bird in Flight!*

I just checked the stats, for lack of a better term, on the photo.  The focal length was 200 mm, iso 200, aperture 6.3, and shutter 1/2500.  I caught the bird in flight (perhaps 25 ft above me) over my left shoulder and continued to shoot while it flew directly across me to my right.  Had absolutely no time to do anything but point the camera and hope the auto focus worked.  Truly a very lucky shot!


----------



## geoand

*Back to the Palm Springs area*

I really liked this shot of the trees against the sky.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Steve,
> 
> I remember BDK very well, we corresponded quite a bit --



BDK!! Bonzo de Kat.  I was trying to remember her log-in name, but my synapses ain't what they used to be.  Thanks for the reminder!


----------



## TUGBrian

took out the new yak today for a spin in the creek...im still too scared to take my nice camera...so this is the best I can do =)

also should have a suprise for you picture takers next week!


----------



## geoand

*another from PS area.  The wildflowers were out and showing off*


----------



## geoand

*Leaving for MHC early tomorrow am*

so I wll post several shots today.
Could never understand why DW didn't kick me out of the way to get a real good shot.


----------



## taffy19

I sure like these photos and you in it too.     It makes it more personal to see who our photographers are.    I hope that someone will post a picture of John Faeth too as a memory for us who he was.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Polihale*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kalalau Valley lookout*


----------



## PrettyKitties

Hope this works!

http://flickr.com/photos/prettykitties/2476738599/in/set-72157604957352914/[img]

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?  Thanks

I'm going to try this again - the sunrise on Haleakala

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettykitties/2476738599/" title="Sun Rising Haleakala by PrettyKitties53, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2476738599_7b1be8a00a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sun Rising Haleakala" /></a>


----------



## GrayFal

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Kalalau Valley lookout*



Steve, this is so beautiful it looks FAKE!  
I am so looking forward to my first visit in 2010!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

PrettyKitties said:


> Hope this works!
> 
> http://flickr.com/photos/prettykitties/2476738599/in/set-72157604957352914/[img]
> 
> Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?  Thanks
> 
> I'm going to try this again - the sunrise on Haleakala
> 
> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettykitties/2476738599/" title="Sun Rising Haleakala by PrettyKitties53, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2476738599_7b1be8a00a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sun Rising Haleakala" /></a>[/QUOTE]
> 
> You're almost there.  That part that is inside the quote marks after [I]src=[/I] is what you want. That is the URL location for the photo itself.  Put that part inside the IMG tags and you're home.
> 
> I'll do it below; click on the "Reply" button below this post and you will be able to see exactly what I did.
> 
> [IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2476738599_7b1be8a00a.jpg


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kaua'i north shore from Kílauea Lighthouse*


----------



## PrettyKitties

Thanks TR!  Let me try this again:






I did it!  I did it!  Thanks so much TR!


----------



## PrettyKitties

TR - you created a photo sharing monster!  
This is a composite shot of 12 different pictures I took on Maui.  Plus, I wrote the poem (not a very good one I know).


----------



## swift

Went out to Point Reyes today for Mothers Day. It was absolutely gorgeous!! Although, very windy. In the rangers station they had a wind meter that measured the wind to have 74 MPH wind gusts. The kids had a blast putting their jackets up and letting the wind blow them away. I read a plaque there that said Point Reyes is one of the windiest places on the Pacific Coast with a record of 133 MPH winds.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*David and I in Front of the Princeville Hotel*

David is my brother.  He's the handsome one. We were shooting some sunset pictures.  After the sun dropped low enough that the reds were gone, we were packing up our stuff to head back to our unit. I decided to set up a picture of the two of us before we left.






*Technical notes*

Fixing the harsh light from built-in flash units:

My camera is a point-and-shoot camera with one of those built-in flash units that throws a harsh light.  So in the digital darkroom I applied a warming filter and added a bit of soft lighting.

Aperture priority and blurring the background in a portrait:

Aperture is how wide the lens opens when the picture is taken. Aperture governs the depth of field of focus of the photo.  A small aperture creates greater depth of field.  A larger aperture shortens the depth of field. Portraits almost always come out better if the subjects are in focus and the background is at least slightly blurred. So when taking portraits, use a large aperture.  

In "Automatic" setting mode, the camera typically defaults to the smallest aperture setting given the lighting conditions, thereby creating the greatest depth of field.  If you have an aperture priority setting on your point-and-shoot camera you can use the camera controls to override the automatic aperture setting. 

For the photo of David and me, I aimed for just a bit of blurring because I didn't want to lose the beauty of the sunset behind us.  When the background doesn't matter, use a much tighter focus, as I did in the photo below of my nephew.


----------



## PrettyKitties

Wailea sunset


----------



## SDKath

Wow!  Beautiful sunset!  Katherine


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hole #2, Kona Country Club Ocean Course*

Speaking of sunsets:

We were staying at Mauna Loa Village.  The Hole #2 fairway is next to the resort, and it's a great place to get sunset pictures. This was still early; the sunset hadn't yet fully developed.






And here is the view looking the other direction, toward the tees.  The buildings visible through the palm trees are part of the Mauna Loa Village/Holua complex.






And this was taken a bit later, standing very close to the green and sand traps:






These photos were taken the day before Hurricane Flossie was predicted to hit the Big Island.  The clouds are some of the advance edge of the storm.  Flossie broke up just before reaching Hawai'i; one of Flossie's biggest impacts was to interact with the VOG to create some spectacular sunsets in the Kona area.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Grasslands - Mamalahoa Highway*

Driving the Mamalahoa last summer, there was a real eerie sunlight on the grasslands outside of Waimea, above Waikoloa Village.  Mt. Kohala is in the background on the first photo.


----------



## TUGBrian

since this thread was the inspiration...I figured id link the thread here!

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=523185#post523185


----------



## geoand

*Rock and grasses in Palm Springs area*


----------



## geoand

*Another from California Coast*


----------



## geoand

*California Coast*


----------



## geoand

*Guess Where*






View from a spot on Big Sur Highway


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


>



I know exactly where that one was taken.   I have some shots from almost the exact same location that I haven't finished working on yet.


----------



## geoand

Steve,
Before this shot was taken, there were 3 buzzards playing with the wind just forward of the fence in right corner and deeper into that "valley".  I didn't have time to take the shot of them before they decided to leave.  However, I did think it would have been interesting perspective.


----------



## PrettyKitties

Maui coastline:


----------



## Mosca

I dunno. I have some OK pictures, but I don't have the manipulative skills like some others do. And only in the last couple months have I decided to try to take exceptional pictures. Camera in the pictures is a Canon Powershot G9.

Here is one I took of my dad, who is 80 and has had a really bad year. Last June he had cataract surgery... then in July he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and underwent a couple months of radiation ending in October. Then around Christmas he started getting chest pain, and had bypass surgery  right after New Years... he had some complications and didn't get out of the hospital until mid February. Then on Easter Sunday, he fell and broke his hip while visiting friends 200 miles away! He's still rehabbing from that one, but at least he's home now.

This picture is a few days after the $3000 ambulance ride from Derby CT to Wilkes-Barre PA (that I had to put on my credit card). It was the first really nice day, so I brought the dog down and had the nurses wheel him outside so that he could get some ear-scratching time in; he loves that dog!


----------



## Mosca

We have some decent railroading here in NE PA. I'm trying to get a little artsy with this shot:


----------



## Mosca

Same scene, different angle. I'd like to get around to learning how to get that switchgear out of the middle of the frame, but hey; it is there, after all.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> I'd like to get around to learning how to get that switchgear out of the middle of the frame, but hey; it is there, after all.



In a photoprocessing program you use either the Object Remover or the Clone Stamp to remove unwanted items.

In this post, I used the Clone Stamp to remove the utility marker from the left foreground.


----------



## Mosca

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> In a photoprocessing program you use either the Object Remover or the Clone Stamp to remove unwanted items.
> 
> In this post, I used the Clone Stamp to remove the utility marker from the left foreground.




Thanks! Thanks for taking the time to look at my photographs, and thanks for the advice. I haven't gone on vacation since getting serious about taking a good picture, so I'm a little abashed that I wasn't "on theme".

I got the Canon G9, which retails at $500, for $279 as an "open box" at Circuit City. When I started playing with it, I decided I'd got such a good deal that I'd get the add-on lenses, at about $100 a pop. They are nice, but they undercut the idea of a good point and shoot; if you're going to carry the bag, take out a loan and get the good stuff to carry. And that's my advice; choose one, the point and shoot, or the other, the DSLR; because the middle doesn't give you the best of both worlds, it gives you the worst of both.


----------



## susieq

Mosca said:


> We have some decent railroading here in NE PA. I'm trying to get a little artsy with this shot:



I loved your train pics ~~ but not as much as DH will when I show him!!   He's a REAL train nut ~ most of our vacations have somehow included trains.  I lived in Pittsburgh for a while, and we have been back there.  We've been to Altoona quite a few times, Scranton, Allentown, & Bethlahem. 

I just really took the time to read this thread ~ some of the pics are really great!  I'll have to get to work and see if I can "follow instructions" and maybe post some. 

Thanks for letting us know "we're not alone!!" :whoopie: 

Sue


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> And that's my advice; choose one, the point and shoot, or the other, the DSLR; because the middle doesn't give you the best of both worlds, it gives you the worst of both.



I don't agree with that.  An upper end point-and-shoot will enable you to do more than basic point and shoot.  With a wise selection, it does give you some of the best of both - you can use it as a simple point-and-shoot relying on automatic settings.  Or you can take control of the camera.

If you bought polarizing and UV filters those can be used quite nicely and with good results.

I've been preparing to move up to DSLR, and I have concluded that when making that move it's not worth going entry level body and entry level lenses.

But even after someone goes DSLR, that upper end point and shoot will still enable good pictures in settings when you're not lugging that expensive gear around with you.


----------



## susieq

Think I've done it!!   Thanks for the help all!! This is the view of Sedona just before nightfall, from Airport Road.


----------



## Mosca

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I don't agree with that.  An upper end point-and-shoot will enable you to do more than basic point and shoot.  With a wise selection, it does give you some of the best of both - you can use it as a simple point-and-shoot relying on automatic settings.  Or you can take control of the camera.
> 
> If you bought polarizing and UV filters those can be used quite nicely and with good results.
> 
> I've been preparing to move up to DSLR, and I have concluded that when making that move it's not worth going entry level body and entry level lenses.
> 
> But even after someone goes DSLR, that upper end point and shoot will still enable good pictures in settings when you're not lugging that expensive gear around with you.



I was referring to buying the add-on lenses for the point and shoot. I find myself rarely using them, and when you add their cost to the retail cost of the G9, you're close to $800. For that, you might as well get the Rebel with its basic lens. You'll have a better camera and better glass for less money. The huge advantage for the G9 is that is fits in a shirt pocket and takes a great picture. Once you buy the extras, it doesn't fit into its role any more.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Sea Cliffs*

On the north shore of the Big Island


----------



## PrettyKitties

Point & shoots & DSLRs each have their place.  There are simply certain times you cannot take a DSLR along (such as a horseback ride):






But for certain things, such as a telephoto or macro lense, you need a DSLR:











But, I find that point & shoots tend to be the most verstile


----------



## geoand

"Point & shoots & DSLRs each have their place. There are simply certain times you cannot take a DSLR along (such as a horseback ride):"

I am sure that is true.  However, as I have shown on previous posts on this thread, the DLSR can go on horseback and climb several thousand feet to the top of ridge (name escapes me but it was in Wrangell St. Ellias National Park Alaska).

In addition, I am pretty sure that I have posted pictures of the humpbacks I took when in Kona this past January.  Those pictures were taken while standing on top level of rolling and pitching boat.  Camera was a Nikon D200 with 70 -200 zoom lens.  No tripod was used.  Was able to capture full breaches.

We have taken our dslr's everywhere and have not been limited.

I am not saying that the kind of camera we use should be used for everyone.  I am saying that we haven't encountered any difficulties in taking them wherever we go.


----------



## geoand

*Visit to Canmoor, Alberta Oct 2007*


----------



## geoand

*Big Island*

Driving to Hilo.  This was North of Hilo.






We were in Volcano National Park on Big Island and took several pictures of the lava flows from high above ocean.  This was picture I took while hiking back to car.


----------



## geoand

*South end of Potter's Marsh, Anchorage*


----------



## geoand

*California Coast*

Panoramic shot that includes a previous photo posted.


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## taffy19

Really nice.     I love looking at these pictures late at night.  The California coast is beautiful but many other places are too.  Thank you all for sharing.


----------



## cindi

What incredible pictures!

Thank you for posting them all.

PLEASE everyone, continue with the photos. I am enjoying them tremendously.


----------



## geoand

Thanks Cindi and Iconnections.

I think there are a ton of pictures out there in Tug land that should be posted.  My opinion is that way too many people are overly critical of their own pictures and think they are not worth of being posted.

I encourage all of you to try posting.  You will be surprised at how other folks feel about your pictures.  People want to see this great land of ours.  People want to see the world.  If you post your pictures, then we get to see the world through your eyes.


----------



## Mosca

geoand said:


> "Point & shoots & DSLRs each have their place. There are simply certain times you cannot take a DSLR along (such as a horseback ride):"
> 
> I am sure that is true.  However, as I have shown on previous posts on this thread, the DLSR can go on horseback and climb several thousand feet to the top of ridge (name escapes me but it was in Wrangell St. Ellias National Park Alaska).
> 
> In addition, I am pretty sure that I have posted pictures of the humpbacks I took when in Kona this past January.  Those pictures were taken while standing on top level of rolling and pitching boat.  Camera was a Nikon D200 with 70 -200 zoom lens.  No tripod was used.  Was able to capture full breaches.
> 
> We have taken our dslr's everywhere and have not been limited.
> 
> I am not saying that the kind of camera we use should be used for everyone.  I am saying that we haven't encountered any difficulties in taking them wherever we go.




I'll posit a very obvious yeahbut; Disney World. The Canon G9 fits in a shirt pocket when you go on Test Track, the DSLR needs to be put in a locker. And it will need to be lockered on almost every ride that you go on. 

I would absolutely LOVE to have a DSLR, though. The pictures you folks have posted are phenomenal.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> I would absolutely LOVE to have a DSLR, though. The pictures you folks have posted are phenomenal.



As would I. But my gosh - I've looked into what I could expect to get back in improved image quality compared with what I am getting now with my prosumer point-and-shoot.  To get enough of an improvement in quality compared I figure I would be looking at about $2500 more in gear, and that's based on quality used gear.

If I were starting from scratch, I probably wouldn't mind going to an entry level DSLR system.  But compared with what I have now, I don't see where an entry level DSLR setup is worth the added cost.


----------



## Mosca

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> As would I. But my gosh - I've looked into what I could expect to get back in improved image quality compared with what I am getting now with my prosumer point-and-shoot.  To get enough of an improvement in quality compared I figure I would be looking at about $2500 more in gear, and that's based on quality used gear.
> 
> If I were starting from scratch, I probably wouldn't mind going to an entry level DSLR system.  But compared with what I have now, I don't see where an entry level DSLR setup is worth the added cost.




Agreed completely. I was getting the "spendies" and I was thinking about relieving them on camera equipment... I decided to wait a couple weeks and see if the desire was still there. It wasn't. So that fits into the "it would be great if" category. Maybe when my sister upgrades her Rebel to the newest Canon full sized sensor DSLR, I'll make her an offer on her setup.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Harbor Seals Basking on the Shore - Hopkins Marine Station*

Hopkins Marine Station is in Monterey, California, just a few blocks from Cannery Row.  Seals bask frequently on the shore line here. Of course with that many seals so close together, you know there are seals nearby before you can actually see them.


----------



## geoand

Mosca said:


> I'll posit a very obvious yeahbut; Disney World. The Canon G9 fits in a shirt pocket when you go on Test Track, the DSLR needs to be put in a locker. And it will need to be lockered on almost every ride that you go on.



LOL
Yeahbut, I'm too fat of an old F.rt to be going on those kinds of things.  Emphasis on old and fat!

Just a fyi on the dslr.  We sold our D100 and D70 bodies and now have the D200 and D300 Nikons.  D300 was about $1800.
The D300 also has sold recently for under $2400 and that includes a Nikor 18 to 200 zoom.  Lens does have the vibration reduction feature.  It is a pretty good all in one lens.  Granted the lens does not compare to the 70 200 zoom.  Our setup will be the wide angle lens on one camera and the zoom on the other.  We decided that if the area we will be shooting does not have a lot of wildlife the zoom will be on the 200.  When we return to Denali or to the wildlife refuge next to the space center in Florida, the zoom will be on the 300.

I should also mention that I really enjoyed the pictures posted by mosca, suzieq, and prettykitties.

To tell you the truth, I have enjoyed all that have posted on this thread.  Some really good pics here.

edit cuz I didn't want "our resident cave man" to get upset as in some of the GEICO commercials.  Steve knows that I admire his work.


----------



## susieq

geoand said:


> I should also mention that I really enjoyed the pictures posted by mosca, suzieq, and prettykitties.
> 
> To tell you the truth, I have enjoyed all that have posted on this thread.  Some really good pics here.
> 
> edit cuz I didn't want "our resident cave man" to get upset as in some of the GEICO commercials.  Steve knows that I admire his work.



Want to thank you for your kind words.  I really enjoy all the pictures here too ~ I love to just sit back, dream, and travel vicariously through others adventures.    Now that I've figured out, (with a little help from my friends), how to post them, here's a few more of the Grand Canyon. (What a subject!!)


----------



## Mosca

I like the last one the best; the trees in the foreground help show the vastness beyond!


----------



## geoand

*While in Boston*






Had to move this so that we could get to a more convenient parking spot


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Deception Pass*

In the San Juan Islands of Washington.  This was a pretty unpleasant wintry day the last week of December of 2007.  No rain but it was cloudy, the wind was gusting about 40 knots on the bridge (about half that speed on the ground), and the temps were about 40 F.  Because of the overcast the lighting didn't provide much contrast.  I converted to black and white and added some sepia tone.


----------



## geoand

*Having lunch in Ninilchuck (sp), camera in the car!*

Had to rush to get camera.  Didn't even think about the settings in the camera.






Same eagle





Different Eagle





Third Eagle





Same Eagle


----------



## susieq

Those are really awesome pictures!!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*A Couple From Colonial Wmsburg (VA)*

Courthouse as the sun sets:






My MIL at Shields Tavern:






The Magazine:


----------



## geoand

*East Coast*


----------



## geoand

*Wildlife Refuge Merrit Island*


----------



## geoand

*Downtown Annapolis*


----------



## geoand

*Cape Cod area*


----------



## jules40

Jack


----------



## jules40




----------



## jules40

This pictures is a little blurry, but I got lucky and took the picture right when the two jets were lined up next to each other. Two Navy Blue Angel F-18's side by side. The jet in the foreground rightside up and the jet behind it is upside down.


----------



## susieq

Wow!! Great pics!!​
Sue


----------



## RDB

*Utah countryside view*

... from atop Bryce Canyon


----------



## geoand

*Newport area*


----------



## susieq

RDB said:


> ... from atop Bryce Canyon




Thanks for this _BEAUTIFUL_ pic!! I'm in the process of doing research for our St. George trip this summer, and I've been "stuck" on Bryce ~ mesmerized by it's beauty ~ for the past week or so. You make me wanna go NOW!! 

Sue


----------



## RDB

*More Bryce shots*



susieq said:


> Thanks for this _BEAUTIFUL_ pic!! I'm in the process of doing research for our St. George trip this summer, and I've been "stuck" on Bryce ~ mesmerized by it's beauty ~ for the past week or so. You make me wanna go NOW!!
> 
> Sue



Check posts 436 and 344. On my pc, they are pages 17 and 21.


----------



## geoand

*Newport area*


----------



## susieq

RDB said:


> Check posts 436 and 344. On my pc, they are pages 17 and 21.



Thanks for pointing them out ~~ thought I had seen them before, but I love seeing them again.  Checked out some others along the way, we plan on a trip to the North Rim too.  We were in Sedona a few years back, and saw the Canyon from the South Rim, But can't wait to go back and see the "other side".

Six weeks, one day & a wake-up!!  

Sue


----------



## RDB

*Missing Mouse*

Just had to post this. Don't let the cats in while at your resort.


----------



## RDB

*Pot at Rainbow's End*


----------



## swift

Too Cute!!! 










RDB said:


> Just had to post this. Don't let the cats in while at your resort.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

RDB said:


>


Clearly there's a pot at the end of that rainbow.  I'm pretty sure it's filled with something other than gold.


----------



## RDB

*Crater Lake, OR.  From week five of Trip West.*

Crater Lake Rim





Crater Lake





Patience pays off


----------



## silvib

geoand - did the bald eagle catch anything, or was he just joining the others?  Great photos.

Everyone - wonderful photos - they're always such a pleasure to look at.


----------



## RDB

*Caroll & Robert... 1973 and 35 years later... Great love!*

Does't get any better then this.


----------



## Brett

A couple of pics from my new Canon S5 - 

(Click on the thumbnail for full pic - they have been resized down!)


Fort Monroe Virginia Lighthouse 




Wanchese Fish Factory, Hampton, Va.


----------



## geoand

*geoand - did the bald eagle catch anything, or was he just joining the others? Great*

The eagle making the bank turn did snatch something from the water and I did not capture it on photo.  The eagle making the glide onto the beach did claim the halibut remains and the seagulls just watched.


----------



## tompalm

best beach on the island in Waimanalo

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/beaches/waimanalo_beach_park.htm


----------



## geoand

*Osprey Florida Wildlife Refuge*


----------



## geoand

Photo of old engines in Charlotte Firehouse.


----------



## jules40




----------



## jules40




----------



## geoand




----------



## Ron Donze

http://home.earthlink.net/~rdonze2/web/page/image32.html


----------



## geoand

*View from a "back porch"*

Breakers Mansion


----------



## geoand

*I am amazed at how far Bald Eagle can turn its head*

I was standing on the shoulder of Highway 20 on the Skagit River when I took this shot in December a few years ago.


----------



## geoand

*The downpour of yesterday is insult to injury*

We in the Pacific Northwest are wishing for SUMMER!

Photo is taken Westin Hotel in PV.


----------



## geoand

*July 4 Parade in McCarthy, Alaska*

Ok, I have posted Sunny environment pictures from South and North.  I am hoping this starts a change here.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> We in the Pacific Northwest are wishing for SUMMER!
> 
> Photo is taken Westin Hotel in PV.



Humorous!  Those were exactly my thoughts as I walked out of Spanish class at BCC last night (which partially prep for our trip to PV next Feb to get away from the never-ending NW winter).  At least we had good skiing this winter!!


----------



## geoand

*Yelapa*






DW decided to take the parasailing ride and took the camera along to take some pictures.  She and friends were at Yelapa and I was golfing.  After viewing the photos, I'd rather golf.  I have a "health respect" for height.


----------



## geoand

*College of the Sun Street Fair Palm Springs area*






Continuing to post pics of sunny experiences in hopes of appeasing the weather gods.

This rain has rattled my brain!  College of the Desert Street Fair!!!!!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Northern Lights Over Fairbanks*

One of my IA State Fair entries:


----------



## KristinB

Timeshare Von said:


> One of my IA State Fair entries:



Yvonne,

That's gorgeous!  I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights...


----------



## susieq

KristinB said:


> Yvonne,
> 
> That's gorgeous!  I've always wanted to see the Northern Lights...




Was thinking the same thing when I saw that.  Just beautiful!!

Sue


----------



## RDB

*Where are we?*

Somewhere east of Bryce Canyon along Utah route 12 or 24. Does anyone recognize what this is?





Robert


----------



## geoand

*PV Club Regina*


----------



## geoand

*4th of July Parade*


----------



## Timeshare Von

Thanks Sue & Kristin.  The aurora borealis (aka northern lights) are simply amazing.  I'm hooked, that's for sure!  I'm hoping to have a great viewing (and photography) opportunity when I go to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada in November of this year.


----------



## Rose Pink

Geo!  I loved the composition and colors in your street fair basket picture.  Wow!


----------



## susieq

Robert,
That picture in Utah is beautiful ~~ amazing colors!! You take pictures like I do ~~ I'll hold the camera cockeyed if it means I'll get more of my subject!! Hubby thinks I'm nuts ~~ but I know the truth!!  
Sue


----------



## RichM

RDB said:


> Somewhere east of Bryce Canyon along Utah route 12 or 24. Does anyone recognize what this is?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Robert



Between Cannonville and Henrieville, UT:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...52,-112.019928&spn=0.007654,0.016994&t=h&z=17

or

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1100199


___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## geoand

*Thank you!*



Rose Pink said:


> Geo!  I loved the composition and colors in your street fair basket picture.  Wow!



Credit must go to DW.  I couldn't see the value of this shot when she was taking it.  I just don't have the eye that she does.  Of course, when I saw it on the monitor, I wasn't surprised because I know she knows what she is doing.

Am also glad to see others posting their pictures.  I am seeing some great stuff.  In fact, DW wants to do a 2 weeks drive thru the canyonlands of Utah and Arizona this September and RDB posted a pic that reminded me why we want to to that.

Yvonne's photos of the Northern lights as well as many of her other shots has always impressed me.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Dogs of another breed!*





Sun dog over Iowa farm house (Jan08)





Matching sun dogs in Plattville, Wisconsin (Feb08)

Sun dogs are a weather phenomena, typically seen in cold climates shortly after sunrise or before sunset.  Good info is on Wikipedia . . . or www.spaceweather.com (where my IA photos were featured 1/15/08):  http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=15&month=01&year=2008 .


----------



## Timeshare Von

geoand said:


> Credit must go to DW.  I couldn't see the value of this shot when she was taking it.  I just don't have the eye that she does.  Of course, when I saw it on the monitor, I wasn't surprised because I know she knows what she is doing.
> 
> Am also glad to see others posting their pictures.  I am seeing some great stuff.  In fact, DW wants to do a 2 weeks drive thru the canyonlands of Utah and Arizona this September and RDB posted a pic that reminded me why we want to to that.
> 
> Yvonne's photos of the Northern lights as well as many of her other shots has always impressed me.



GEO . . . thanks for the complement.  I must admit that yours always seem so vivid and colorful . . . or striking in terms of the subject against the backdrop.  Keep up the good work!


----------



## RDB

RichM said:


> Between Cannonville and Henrieville, UT:
> 
> http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...52,-112.019928&spn=0.007654,0.016994&t=h&z=17
> 
> or
> 
> http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1100199
> 
> 
> ___________________
> WorldMark Owners' Community -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - www.wmowners.com



It doesn't get much clearer then that. That is great.
That helps a lot.

Robert


----------



## RDB

susieq said:


> Robert,
> That picture in Utah is beautiful ~~ amazing colors!! You take pictures like I do ~~ I'll hold the camera cockeyed if it means I'll get more of my subject!! Hubby thinks I'm nuts ~~ but I know the truth!!
> Sue



Sue, Not to pop your bubble, but I tilted that photo on purpose in Picasa editing. The original photo doesn't exphasize the road enough. All I could see was that big mountain.

The distant mountains were obscurd in the sky. I added contrast and played with highlights and color.

Robert


----------



## Timeshare Von

RDB said:


> Sue, Not to pop your bubble, but I tilted that photo on purpose in Picasa editing. The original photo doesn't exphasize the road enough. All I could see was that big mountain.
> 
> The distant mountains were obscurd in the sky. I added contrast and played with highlights and color.
> 
> Robert




That's a really cool technique Robert. I was looking at that photo for at least a minute trying to figure out how you shot it!  Thanks for helping me see it clearer


----------



## KristinB

From our recent trip to the Big Island, a Saffron Finch and a Yellow Billed Cardinal (the second one was taken on the grounds at Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort)...  _Edited to correct the name of the second bird_


----------



## jules40

*Gray Wolf*

Gray Wolf - Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Savannah, Ga. 
He's so beautiful!


----------



## jules40

*Fox*

Nicely Camouflaged


----------



## geoand

Kristin, beautiful shots of those birds.  What lens were you using?


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Kristin, beautiful shots of those birds.  What lens were you using?



Thanks, I took those with my Nikon D200 and my Nikon 70-300 VR lens.  My hubby had originally suggested that I bring my Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens (can you imagine? ),  but I wanted to have something I could handhold as well as carry around without too much trouble.


----------



## KristinB

Some views from our tour on Big Island Air:


----------



## NEVacationer

*Family Vacation Pictures*

Everyone seems to have planned their summer vacation and I am just getting started!  I'm looking for inspiration because it is so hard to choose a destination, so would you all *post a picture showing off your most recent summer trip?
*
As they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so lets see who can post the best picture!  I'm hoping that seeing a few of your favorite places will help me make a decision.


----------



## lprstn

*Our visit to Pompano Beach, FL*



My little guy at the beach at Sea Gardens, Pompano Beach


----------



## lprstn

*Surprise in come the waves*

My little guy at the beach at Sea Gardens, Pompano Beach


----------



## DeniseM

We already have an on-going photo thread in the TUG Lounge, so I'm going to move these posts to that thread.  Thanks!


----------



## Brett

*anyone use "focalpoint" ?*

anyone use "focalpoint" ? 

an example -

http://img183.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=48983_n_003_copyaa_122_405lo.jpg







it's a photoshop plug-in that simulates "controlling depth of field in the camera by using a large aperture lens producing a narrow depth of field."

great if you don't have a dSLR and want this type of focus!


----------



## swift

*A call for TUGBrian*

Just going back through the thread. Hoping our Timeshare Guru has a nice trip planed this summer and bringing his camera.  





TUGBrian said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> it's a photoshop plug-in that simulates "controlling depth of field in the camera by using a large aperture lens producing a narrow depth of field."
> 
> great if you don't have a dSLR and want this type of focus!



Many photoshop type programs have a similar feature now. Also any camera that has *m*anual, *a*perture, or *s*hutter speed priority settings can be used to create shallow depth of field. Since most digital cameras except the very cheapest ones have M-A-S options, you don't need a DSLR camera to work with depth of field.

++++++

A big limitation of the depth of field software tools is that you have to identify a specific oval or circle shape that is the area to remain in focus while the rest of the photo is blurred. If that oval contains background details, those details remain sharp and in focus instead of blurring as they would if the photo had been shot with a large aperture.  For example, in the photo you selected the carved-wood duck and the candlestick holder in the background next to the lamp are in sharp focus.  But the adjacent lamp, which is the same focal distance, is half in focus and half out of focus because the blurring selection passed through the middle of the lamp. There are some similar conditions at the base of the bowl.

Another  way to do the same thing (and get some added photo enhancement benefits) is to make a feathered selection of the area you want blurred, then apply a blur to that selected area.

I had similar issues creating a suitable blurred area with this photo of my nephew, his wife, and their daughter.  






With the range of objects in the photo I couldn't use the blurring tool to get everything to come out right.  The objects in the background directly behind the sofa are a particular problem.  The snowman figure and the chimes naturally draw attention, but using the blurring tool I couldn't blur them without also including peoples heads in the blurred area.  To get around that, I selected the areas I wanted to blur using the selection tool (including both the near field portions of the blanket close to my camera and the far field objects and wall behind the sofa).  I then applied a blur to that selected area.  I did some additional work on the photo to remove red eye and flash reflection, and adjust color balance and skin tones. Here's the final result:






++++++++++++

When you do the selection technique it allows you to do some other manipulations of the background that can further minimize distracting photo elements.

In this photo of another one of my nephews I thought the greenish wall behind him made an unattractive background and I found my attention sometimes being drawn to the color clash and the foliage behind his head instead of to my nephew's face.






 So after selecting the background area, not only did I blur the background, but I changed the background to a less obtrusive and more harmonious tone.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Many photoshop type programs have a similar feature now. Also any camera that has *m*anual, *a*perture, or *s*hutter speed priority settings can be used to create shallow depth of field. Since most digital cameras except the very cheapest ones have M-A-S options, you don't need a DSLR camera to work with depth of field.
> A big limitation of the depth of field software tools is that you have to identify a specific oval or circle shape that is the area to remain in focus while the rest of the photo is blurred. If that oval contains background details, those details remain sharp and in focus instead of blurring as they would if the photo had been shot with a large aperture.  For example, in the photo you selected the carved-wood duck and the candlestick holder in the background next to the lamp are in sharp focus.  But the adjacent lamp, which is the same focal distance, is half in focus and half out of focus because the blurring selection passed through the middle of the lamp. There are some similar conditions at the base of the bowl.
> 
> Another  way to do the same thing (and get some added photo enhancement benefits) is to make a feathered selection of the area you want blurred, then apply a blur to that selected area.
> I had similar issues creating a suitable blurred area with this photo of my nephew, his wife, and their daughter.
> With the range of objects in the photo I couldn't use the blurring tool to get everything to come out right.  The objects in the background directly behind the sofa are a particular problem.  The snowman figure and the chimes naturally draw attention, but using the blurring tool I couldn't blur them without also including peoples heads in the blurred area.  To get around that, I selected the areas I wanted to blur using the selection tool (including both the near field portions of the blanket close to my camera and the far field objects and wall behind the sofa).  I then applied a blur to that selected area.  I did some additional work on the photo to remove red eye and flash reflection, and adjust color balance and skin tones. Here's the final result:
> When you do the selection technique it allows you to do some other manipulations of the background that can further minimize distracting photo elements.
> In this photo of another one of my nephews I thought the greenish wall behind him made an unattractive background and I found my attention sometimes being drawn to the color clash and the foliage behind his head instead of to my nephew's face.
> So after selecting the background area, not only did I blur the background, but I changed the background to a less obtrusive and more harmonious tone.




right, I have a camera with those manual controls but I couldn't duplicate that narrow depth of field effect except with the add-on, I didn't follow up with the blur brush and using layers, etc. as I'm still at the learning stage with "post processing" and pictures.   It is amazing how much you can change a picture, with just a little skill you can improve bad photos - but some are not so salvageable !


----------



## NEVacationer

I'm still a novice with my new camera, but hopefully I'll get some crisp pictures of my family and I over the summer.  The pics you all have up here are gorgeous!

Just fyi, if any of these photos are from Royal Holiday vacations they have a photo contest at http://www.royal-holidaycontest.com/photo.html and the top-rated picture submitter wins 7 nights at the park royal cozumel.  The buffet is all I need at a place like that. :whoopie:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> right, I have a camera with those manual controls but I couldn't duplicate that narrow depth of field effect except with the add-on, I didn't follow up with the blur brush and using layers, etc. as I'm still at the learning stage with "post processing" and pictures.   It is amazing how much you can change a picture, with just a little skill you can improve bad photos - but some are not so salvageable !



Here's the easy way to do it.


Duplicate the photo into a new layer. So now you have the photo on two identical layers. Rename the topmost layer to something such as "blurred".
Make the "blurred" layer active, then Select=>All (from the dropdown menus or Ctl-A).
Blur the entire layer.  I suggest using the Gaussian blur tool - set the pixel blur to whatever setting gives you the amount of blur you want in the deepest part of the photo.  At this point the entire photo will look blurred, but that's OK.
With the blur layer still selected and entire layer selected, create a mask for the "blurred" layer. You can do this from the dropdown menu or by right clicking on the "blurred" layer in the layers palette.  If given the option to Hide Selection" or "Show Selection", select "Hide Selection".  A mask layer will now be added to the "Layers" palette on the right side of the image and it should be grouped with the "blurred" layer.  The mask layer should be completely black, and the picture should now be completely unblurred. (That's because the black mask completely hides the blurred layer.)
Make the bottom layer (your original unblurred photo) the active layer.  Do this by clicking on the icon for that layer in the layers palette.
Using the selection tools, make a selection of the areas that you want to appear blurred.  (It may actually be easier to select the areas you don't want to blur, then invert the selection.)
*Make the mask the active layer* by clicking on it in the layers palette.  Now use the bulk fill tool (probably shows a paint bucket icon) to fill the selected area *on the mask* with white paint.
Now you should see blurring only in the areas you selected to be blurred.  Note that this corresponds to the areas on the mask that you just painted white.  The areas where the mask is black will remain unblurred.
The nice part of this method is you can now go back and touch up your blurring by painting *on the mask*.  For example, if you blurred an area that you shouldn't have, you can fix it simply by applying black paint *on the mask* over the area that you want to have unblurred.  Or put white paint on the mask over areas that you do want blurred.

If there is an area that you want blurred, but without a full strength blur, paint on the mask with a gray color in that area.  The darker the gray, the less the blurring.  (If you're following this, black on the mask hides whatever is below the mask; white on the mask shows whatever is below the mask.  Gray partially hides and partially shows, with darker grays hiding more of the layer, while lighter grays show more of the layer.)

I know this sounds complicated but after you do it a couple of times the work with layers becomes a snap.  The most tedious part is making the selection


----------



## Makai Guy

Just back from a two week  Alaska cruise / land tour.  

Resurrection River, right across the road from our lodge in Seward.

_"Watch closely, Junior, this is how we catch fish .."_




Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


----------



## KristinB

Doug,

That is just an awesome shot!   How cool was that?


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Here's the easy way to do it.
> 
> 
> Duplicate the photo into a new layer. So now you have the photo on two identical layers. Rename the topmost layer to something such as "blurred".
> Make the "blurred" layer active, then Select=>All (from the dropdown menus or Ctl-A).
> Blur the entire layer.  I suggest using the Gaussian blur tool - set the pixel blur to whatever setting gives you the amount of blur you want in the deepest part of the photo.  At this point the entire photo will look blurred, but that's OK.
> With the blur layer still selected and entire layer selected, create a mask for the "blurred" layer. You can do this from the dropdown menu or by right clicking on the "blurred" layer in the layers palette.  If given the option to Hide Selection" or "Show Selection", select "Hide Selection".  A mask layer will now be added to the "Layers" palette on the right side of the image and it should be grouped with the "blurred" layer.  The mask layer should be completely black, and the picture should now be completely unblurred. (That's because the black mask completely hides the blurred layer.)
> Make the bottom layer (your original unblurred photo) the active layer.  Do this by clicking on the icon for that layer in the layers palette.
> Using the selection tools, make a selection of the areas that you want to appear blurred.  (It may actually be easier to select the areas you don't want to blur, then invert the selection.)
> *Make the mask the active layer* by clicking on it in the layers palette.  Now use the bulk fill tool (probably shows a paint bucket icon) to fill the selected area *on the mask* with white paint.
> Now you should see blurring only in the areas you selected to be blurred.  Note that this corresponds to the areas on the mask that you just painted white.  The areas where the mask is black will remain unblurred.
> The nice part of this method is you can now go back and touch up your blurring by painting *on the mask*.  For example, if you blurred an area that you shouldn't have, you can fix it simply by applying black paint *on the mask* over the area that you want to have unblurred.  Or put white paint on the mask over areas that you do want blurred.
> If there is an area that you want blurred, but without a full strength blur, paint on the mask with a gray color in that area.  The darker the gray, the less the blurring.  (If you're following this, black on the mask hides whatever is below the mask; white on the mask shows whatever is below the mask.  Gray partially hides and partially shows, with darker grays hiding more of the layer, while lighter grays show more of the layer.)
> I know this sounds complicated but after you do it a couple of times the work with layers becomes a snap.  The most tedious part is making the selection



OK, I'll copy and try that method but my skill with the mouse and delineating areas is not that great, (I like the quicker fixes where the software does the work!)   .. like the plug-ins that produce effects like "ReDynaMix" (in the filters) that simulates "High Dynamic Range" http://www.mediachance.com/plugins/redynamix.html

here is one where I used the Redynamix PS plugin changing a pic of an abandoned beach house -





it seems to improve landscape and building pictures, sure it's an illusion but still fun to play around with


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> OK, I'll copy and try that method but my skill with the mouse and delineating areas is not that great, (I like the quicker fixes where the software does the work!)


No q8estion that requires some practice.  But it's worth learning, because once you make good selections you can be even more precise in how you enhance your picture.  Doing adjustments to the entire picture is like using machete - one size fits all.  Whereas with selections you can be surgical.  Is there a picture that you like the whole thing except that you wish the sky was bluer?  (That's pretty common in my photos. If I expose for the scene the sky comes out too bright.) Select the sky and appl your darkening only to the sky.

I started out the same as you - adjusting the entire picture, and being frustrated at my ability to make selections.  But if you stay at it you'll get better.

Your software should have a tool that makes selections based on various parameters, such as color, or brightness.  That's a useful one and can save time using a mouse.  Of if you use the manual selection tool, there should be an option that identifies and follows an edge as you move the mouse.  That way you don't need to be so precise with your mouse movements. Also enlarge the picture.  Go as high as 1000% if you need to.  It's a lot easier to follow an edge when the photo is enlarged.



Brett said:


> sure it's an illusion but still fun to play around with


It's all an illusion - starting with the photograph.  

There's nothing sacred about the image that is produced by the camera. The joy is to produce an image that means something to us.

This photo (posted way, way, way back in this thread) is a favorite.  I wadn't a picture that showed all of the bright colors in the public market, but the original was pretty mundane.  With some adjustments in brightness, contrast, and saturation and applying an art media effect, I got a picture that was better than what I wanted when I took the picture:


----------



## Makai Guy

KristinB said:


> Doug,
> 
> That is just an awesome shot!   How cool was that?



Tres cool indeed.  We were just returning home from a Kenai Fjords boat tour and there were a bunch of people watching from the side of the road as we pulled into our lodge.  The mama bear and cub were slowly making their way up the river, with the mama occasionally pouncing on a small fish (too early in the season for salmon, probably hooligan).  Junior would watch intently for a while, but then would gambol off to play and splash, or chase a bird, or at one point, chase his almost-nonexistent tail.  I probably took 50 pictures, knowing I could sort them out later.  This is the best of the lot.

They weren't as close as that looked - this is cropped from a larger picture, taken at my max tele setting (about 500mm equiv on a 35mm camera).  I'm quite impressed with the image stabilization my new camera provides, as the focus and detail look very good for a tele hand held shot. (Panasonic Lumix FZ18, 8megs, 18xZoom).


----------



## TUGBrian

wow...way cool teddy bears.

of course...if I came across that id leave a Brian shaped cartoon style hole in whatever wall/tree/mountain/etc was behind me.

Thats so awesome.


----------



## susieq

Ditto!!!  Totally awesome!!  ​


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Is there a picture that you like the whole thing except that you wish the sky was bluer?  (That's pretty common in my photos. If I expose for the scene the sky comes out too bright.) Select the sky and appl your darkening only to the sky.



yes, that's one of the things I wanted, along with that "fluid motion" effect,  then  I realized it required a tripod, lense filters, etc. to do it right.  A lot of stuff can be done to a pic to improve it so I'm learning when I have time.  One thing you get from the other forums dealing with photography is that the professional spends a lot time setting up a shot and in "post processing" (along with using expensive camera equipment!)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> One thing you get from the other forums dealing with photography is that the professional spends a lot time setting up a shot and in "post processing" (along with using expensive camera equipment!)


But one of the beauty's of digital photography is that with a decent point-and-shoot and $100 of software, you can get 80% - 90% of what a similarly skilled person can attain using more expensive equipment and software.

And if you know what you can and can't do with the equipment you have, when the conditions are right you can produce some really quality stuff.  Every picture I've posted in this entire thread was done with a $400 point-and-shoot camera (that came with IR, UV, polarizing filters), a $19 tripod, and a $79 piece of software.

See this thread for additional technical discussion of digital darkroom issues.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Makai Guy said:


> Just back from a two week  Alaska cruise / land tour.
> 
> Resurrection River, right across the road from our lodge in Seward.
> 
> _"Watch closely, Junior, this is how we catch fish .."_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting




Very very cool especially for them to be so close "in town" so to speak.  The cub is young too, this winter's birth.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> But one of the beauty's of digital photography is that with a decent point-and-shoot and $100 of software, you can get 80% - 90% of what a similarly skilled person can attain using more expensive equipment and software.



that's the claim with the non-dSLR photo groups (I bought a Canon S5 for less than $300) and I believe it.  So far I've just been experimenting with the controls and software but the real test is later this month when I will attend a wedding and next weekend an air show.  then I'll want to the pictures to count --   I'm just practicing now!


----------



## RDB

NEVacationer said:


> Everyone seems to have planned their summer vacation and I am just getting started!  I'm looking for inspiration because it is so hard to choose a destination, so would you all *post a picture showing off your most recent summer trip?
> *
> As they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words, so lets see who can post the best picture!  I'm hoping that seeing a few of your favorite places will help me make a decision.



Check my signature links for trip and photos.


----------



## KristinB

Flowers from the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Flowers from the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island...



Spectacular place, isn't it???

I posted some macro flower shots from there earlier on this thread.  Hoping to get back there again in August.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Spectacular place, isn't it???
> 
> I posted some macro flower shots from there earlier on this thread.  Hoping to get back there again in August.



Steve,

It sure was!  Although I didn't get to spend as much time shooting there as I would have liked...  We didn't heed the warnings about needing bug repellent and my hubby was getting eaten alive, so he was rushing me a bit.  He claimed he left there anemic from the blood loss, LOL , and given what transpired later in our trip, as you know, he needed every drop!


----------



## susieq

OMG Kristen!!! Those pictures are just beautiful!!  Thanks for sharing them with us.


----------



## KristinB

This one is going to require more than a little explanation... I alluded to it in my previous post to Steve, who knows what happened from a PM exchange we had last week.

While my husband Kenny and I were on a three week vacation on the Big Island recently (celebrating our 20th anniversary), we chartered a fishing boat, along with his sister, brother-in-law, and some friends, and we had some other friends who stayed on shore as well.  While we were on the boat, Kenny suffered an accident that amputated his left ring finger -- his ring caught on an edge of a stanchion as he was climbing down the ladder from the flying bridge to get into the fighting chair.  The boat pitched, his foot slipped, and his finger was ripped off.

Fortunately his sister had been a volunteer EMT, so she knew what to do to keep him from going into shock, etc. and we weren't very far from the harbor, so the ambulance was waiting when we pulled in.  Unfortunately there was no way for the finger to be saved, but we were very grateful that it wasn't any worse.  And I can't tell you how much it meant to have the support of family and friends with us at such a difficult time.  They all left within the next few days, but we stayed for another week as planned, mostly relaxing at our resort (we stayed at Paniolo Greens the first week, the Bay Club the second, and Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Village the third).

Which leads me to this photo.  As it so happened, two of my colleagues from work arrived on the island two days after Kenny's accident.  They had wanted to take the sunset/stargazing tour to the top of Mauna Kea, but we found that all the tour companies were fully booked for the nights that my colleagues were free.  So Kenny and I told them if they wanted to, we could just rent a 4WD vehicle and drive up there ourselves -- we could guide them.  Having done the tour with one of the companies ourselves the first week we were on the island (and having several guide books), we assured them it was definitely doable.  My colleagues said they never would have had the courage to do it on their own, so they were glad that we were willing to do this, especially under the circumstances with Kenny's injury and everything.  (I told him he didn't have to go, we gals could manage just fine without him, but Kenny said all he had to do was take his Percocet and relax in the back seat, so he didn't see what the big deal was, LOL! )

So my one colleague drove, while my other colleague just kept exclaiming how extraordinary it all was.  We brought a nice picnic dinner to eat at the Ellison Onizuka Visitor Center, where we acclimatized to the higher elevation, then we ascended to the summit of Mauna Kea.  Kenny would get out of the truck for a few minutes and walk around, then get back in and rest... So I set up my tripod and took this photo of the four of us (Kenny & I are in the middle).  I was struck by the fact that even though my husband had lost his finger five days earlier, we had not let it stop us from doing such an extraordinary thing...


----------



## swift

Wow Kristin! What an amazing spirit of adventure! Hope you husband is doing well now. Beautiful pictures too!


----------



## susieq

swift said:


> Wow Kristin! What an amazing spirit of adventure! Hope you husband is doing well now. Beautiful pictures too!




Ditto, Kristen!! :whoopie: Hope all is going better now.


----------



## ladycody

Pics from a Leavenworth/Seattle trip


----------



## ladycody

Came out huge...I tried deleting them but couldnt...sorry...

HA!!!  think I figured it out~!~~!


----------



## swift

ladycody said:


> Came out huge...I tried deleting them but couldnt...sorry...



They're fine don't worry about it.


----------



## LisaH

Kristin, thanks for sharing the lovely flowers and the amazing sunrise pictures. Hope your husband is doing well without his left ring finger. What an incredible story!


----------



## jules40

I have a new camera and I'm still learning how to use it. 
Jack and his toy tire.


----------



## Cathy in Boston

I know the popular question is what kind of camera....but my question in this case is, who was the breeder?  What a beautiful animal!  (We have a rescue Golden.)


----------



## KristinB

Thanks everyone, Kenny is doing much better.  He went back to work today, and is seeing an occupational therapist tomorrow for the first time to deal with the residual phantom pain issues (he also is on medication for that).  

Okay, here are some more Big Island images... 

The heiau at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park:






Near South Point:






The heiau at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (also known as the Place of Refuge):


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


>



Hey - I recognize that place!!!






Looks as if you were there on a VOG-free day.


----------



## RDB

*Great grand daughter in front of our house*

fasinated by bubbles, created by grandma.


----------



## swift

What a sweet, beautiful little girl Robert!!


----------



## jules40

Cathy in Boston said:


> I know the popular question is what kind of camera....but my question in this case is, who was the breeder?  What a beautiful animal!  (We have a rescue Golden.)



Cathy,
Thank you. Jack , is a Gemini Golden, bred by Candi and Dick Pearce. 

Julie


----------



## dmharris

What is a "Gemini" Golden?  He is beautiful!

And that little girl is darling, Robert!


----------



## jules40

dmharris said:


> What is a "Gemini" Golden?  He is beautiful!



Thank you. Gemini Golden Retrievers is this particular breeder's kennel name. Kennel names are basically the breeder's signature and are registered with the American Kennel Club.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Loved all of the photos, including the Gemini Golden (love the dogs!) and the pretty little Bubble Girl 

I echo what other said, Kristin about your hubby.  I sure hope he's doing well and adjusting to his injury.


----------



## Timeshare Von

My photo in print by the musher, Egil Ellis.


----------



## dmharris

This is AWESOME, Yvonne!  You go girl!  Congratulations!


----------



## susieq

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE YVONNE!!! 
WAY TO GO!! ​


----------



## missmarie

*so not techie*






puerto morales feb 2007


----------



## KristinB

Timeshare Von said:


> My photo in print by the musher, Egil Ellis.



Yvonne,

That is absolutely fabulous!


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Hey - I recognize that place!!!
> 
> Looks as if you were there on a VOG-free day.



Well, yes, but I had to go back a second time to do so, LOL!  A lot of places I visited over our three week visit were too VOG-gy the first time I saw them, so I just watched the weather forecasts and made plans to visit them on another occasion when I thought the weather would be better... If all I was doing was photography, it would have been a lot easier, that's for sure!  But I had to balance my photography desires with the plans that my hubby and our friends and family were making to see the various sights, as well as my desire to hike and snorkel.  I only went off on my own twice in the three weeks just for photography -- once for a half day, and once for a few hours in the morning.  So I think I did pretty well, considering that I worked it all in around everyone else's schedule!


----------



## TUGBrian

Really glad to hear your hubby is doing well after the incident Kristen!!!

every time I come back to this thread I am completely entertained by the new photos...has to be one of the best thread ideas ever!


----------



## Brett

didn't travel far for this shot (almost in my backyard), just a little bit "photoshopped"


----------



## Zac495

My precious Zoe in Florida.


----------



## Zac495

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Many photoshop type programs have a similar feature now. Also any camera that has *m*anual, *a*perture, or *s*hutter speed priority settings can be used to create shallow depth of field. Since most digital cameras except the very cheapest ones have M-A-S options, you don't need a DSLR camera to work with depth of field.
> 
> ++++++
> 
> A big limitation of the depth of field software tools is that you have to identify a specific oval or circle shape that is the area to remain in focus while the rest of the photo is blurred. If that oval contains background details, those details remain sharp and in focus instead of blurring as they would if the photo had been shot with a large aperture.  For example, in the photo you selected the carved-wood duck and the candlestick holder in the background next to the lamp are in sharp focus.  But the adjacent lamp, which is the same focal distance, is half in focus and half out of focus because the blurring selection passed through the middle of the lamp. There are some similar conditions at the base of the bowl.
> 
> Another  way to do the same thing (and get some added photo enhancement benefits) is to make a feathered selection of the area you want blurred, then apply a blur to that selected area.
> 
> I had similar issues creating a suitable blurred area with this photo of my nephew, his wife, and their daughter.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With the range of objects in the photo I couldn't use the blurring tool to get everything to come out right.  The objects in the background directly behind the sofa are a particular problem.  The snowman figure and the chimes naturally draw attention, but using the blurring tool I couldn't blur them without also including peoples heads in the blurred area.  To get around that, I selected the areas I wanted to blur using the selection tool (including both the near field portions of the blanket close to my camera and the far field objects and wall behind the sofa).  I then applied a blur to that selected area.  I did some additional work on the photo to remove red eye and flash reflection, and adjust color balance and skin tones. Here's the final result:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ++++++++++++
> 
> When you do the selection technique it allows you to do some other manipulations of the background that can further minimize distracting photo elements.
> 
> In this photo of another one of my nephews I thought the greenish wall behind him made an unattractive background and I found my attention sometimes being drawn to the color clash and the foliage behind his head instead of to my nephew's face.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So after selecting the background area, not only did I blur the background, but I changed the background to a less obtrusive and more harmonious tone.



Nice looking family!


----------



## geoand

Correct photo
Kids parading in July 4 parade in McCarthy, Alaska


----------



## DeniseM

*If you can't access your Photobucket pictures -*

See the info posted here - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74041


----------



## KristinB

Brett said:


> didn't travel far for this shot (almost in my backyard), just a little bit "photoshopped"



Brett, 

Love the mama duck and ducklings! 



Zac495 said:


> My precious Zoe in Florida.



Ellen,

What a wonderful, exuberant image!  You should submit it into a photo contest.


----------



## geoand

*anything on wheels gets into parade*


----------



## geoand




----------



## Timeshare Von

*How I spent my Saturday!*

She drives . . . she scores!


----------



## KristinB

Timeshare Von said:


> She drives . . . she scores!



So you're _really_ a soccer mom? LOL! 

Way to go, Yvonne!


----------



## Timeshare Von

LOL - nope I'm actually the executive director of the Wisc Youth Soccer Assoc.  We have 17 teams in the Midwest Regional Championships - - playing for the right to go to Nationals next month.


----------



## geoand




----------



## KristinB

I'll veer off my Big Island subject matter for a bit, as I met some friends to shoot some butterflies yesterday...


----------



## geoand

Kristin,
Never a dull moment when viewing your photos!


----------



## susieq

Kristen,
Those Butterflies are just beautiful!!! And the patience you must posses to get those photos!Great job!!:whoopie:


----------



## Timeshare Von

Love the up close photos of the butterflies . . . they are beautiful!


----------



## geoand

*Eagles on the Skagit River*


----------



## RonB

*OBX pics*

I've been avoiding this thread because not having anything to post makes me jealous. Anyway, we just got back from BIS - Duck. We took our kayaks and paddled in Corolla, Duck, And Pea Island NWR. I also shot some from shore. Here are a few, but the whole set is here with descriptions.




















Thanx for looking ~ Ron


----------



## Brett

good collection,
I thought having a nice zoom would help but now I know it's difficult to get those flying bird shots


----------



## Timeshare Von

Ron those are wonderful photos.  Nice work!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Another Soccer Pic*

This gal inbounded the ball using a forward flip with the ball in her hands.  It was a pretty amazing sight, especially the first time she did it.


----------



## Kay H

I am in awe in some of the insect and bird photos.  Please keep them coming. If you people are amateur photographers maybe you're in the wrong line of work.


----------



## susieq

I agree ... They're all so great ... you're all so talented!!  Keep up the GREAT work ... I love looking at it. 

Sue


----------



## PigsDad

Here is a picture I took at the Colorado Renaissance Festival.  This "fire eater" put on a really impressive show.

I love the way the fireball turned out in this picture.
Kurt


----------



## easyrider

Thats a cool looking hot fire ball.


----------



## geoand

*I am confused*



Timeshare Von said:


> This gal inbounded the ball using a forward flip with the ball in her hands.  It was a pretty amazing sight, especially the first time she did it.



I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is a forward flip?????  Nothing makes sense of the girl with the ball.  Her feet are off ground and her head, hands and ball are behind her feet leading one to think she is doing a backward somersault.  AND that doesn't make sense either.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Geo,

Essentially she starts upright with the ball in her two hands, over her head.  She then "skips" forward a couple of steps, and then puts the ball on the ground (while still holding it) in a handstand type of motion. She pushes off the ball, still in her hands, and then whips over with a springy whippy motion.  As she snaps through, she releases the ball so that she winds up on her feet and the ball is launched forward.

I think I may have a couple of other photos that may show it in different stages of "the flip" motion.  Let me see . . .


----------



## Timeshare Von

Inverted in the flip:





Flippy girl:





Coming through the flip:





The release:





Follow-through, sticking the landing:


----------



## geoand

ok, if I am on the field seeing that, I would be staring thinking Wow howd she do that?  Meanwhile, the ball is beyond me and into the goal.


----------



## dmharris

There was a girl who did this once a game on my daughter's soccer team that won the PA state AA championship 2003 and it never ceased to cause my jaw to drop.


----------



## geoand

*Getting it back to page 1*





Sunset Savannah





Keywest


----------



## wauhob3

*Time Square Naked Cowboy *






Thanks so much Theresa for teaching us how to post pictures!


----------



## RonB

Thanx Yvonne ~ Ron


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mt. Rainier from Mercer Slough


----------



## KristinB

Geo,

Awesome eagles! How close were you?

Ron,

Your entire OBX series is fantastic!   Looks like you had a great time. 

Kurt,

Great timing on that fire eater -- I never seem to get my camera out at the right time, LOL!   Nice shot.

Steve,

Love that Mt. Rainier shot, just beautiful.


----------



## KristinB

Joined some friends at Great Falls (on the Maryland side) early yesterday morning:


----------



## geoand

These eagles were on the riverbank on the other side.  Pictures were taken from the shoulder of Highway 20.  Pictures were taken about 3 winters ago.  Guessing that they were within 100 feet.  I posted a shot of eagle in tree branch and that one was taken from the north shoulder of Highway 20 (2 lane road).  The eagle was facing the river from the south shoulder.  He was about 20 feet up in the tree and I was about 20 feet from it.  It turned its head to watch me as DW and I got out of car, set up tripods and started taking pictures of the eagle.  We left and it was still on the same tree branch.  We must have taken 20 minutes of photos.  The eagles are concentrated in a short area of the river (perhaps 20 miles).  We probably saw well over 200 eagles and never left the road to view them.

I certainly look forward to seeing your photos taken from your home turf.  DW and I want to drive back to east coast to take more photos and experience more of the scenery and wildlife.  The photos you have poste d and those that Ron posted are just making me drool.


----------



## swift

Great Pictures!!!! Thanks for keeping this thread going!!! I look forward to every new post!!


----------



## geoand

*Heading North on I-5 just after coming down the Grapevine*






Photo taken through the front windshield of our Suburban at about 70 MPH.


----------



## geoand

*Alaska flower*


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand

*Happy July 4th*


----------



## susieq

First attempt with my new camera ...........I know it's grainy, but it's taken from inside...........


----------



## geoand

susieq said:


> First attempt with my new camera ...........I know it's grainy, but it's taken from inside...........



   

You have officially been infected with the disease so many of us enjoy!  You know that addiction is a disease.


----------



## susieq

geoand said:


> You have officially been infected with the disease so many of us enjoy!  You know that addiction is a disease.





I love taking pictures ~~ I'm sure I'll get better with this camera the more I use it.  Sharing them with other people who enjoy the same obsession is really special ~~ this thread is great.  I look forward to new posts everyday.  Theresa has really created a monster by teaching us how to post them!!:hysterical: Thanks for your encouraging words! 

Sue


----------



## Brett

here is my contribution for the 4th !


----------



## geoand

*Badlands South Dakota*


----------



## KristinB

We went out yesterday on a friends' boat to where a pair of osprey were nesting with their young... But now I have to go back when the light is better -- a thunderstorm arrived shortly after we arrived at the nest!


----------



## Timeshare Von

Kristin - very nice photos of the osprey!


----------



## taffy19

susieq said:


> First attempt with my new camera ...........I know it's grainy, but it's taken from inside...........


Susieq,

I like your photo very much and it even looks artistic with the veil (screen) in front to make it look softer. 


geoand said:


> You have officially been infected with the disease so many of us enjoy! You know that addiction is a disease.


You are so right but it keeps us out of trouble.


----------



## RDB

*Is this of Mount Whitney*

We were heading southward on US-395. After a great steak at Toms Place, and before getting to Lone Pine, we took this photo. I assumed it to be Mount Whitney of the Sierra Nevada Range, California. Can anyone confirm?





--------------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

*Is this of Panamint Valley*

Near Lone Pine, we headed toward Nevada on SR-190. We stopped at what we thought was an overlook of Death Valley.  I believe this to be a photo of Panamint Valley.  Can anyone confirm?






-----------------------------

Robert


----------



## Rent_Share

If it is the Panamint Valley then it is where Star Wars was filmed


----------



## RichM

Mount Whitney is not a "standalone" mountain like that one.  It's a peak along a range that's set back a bit - almost due west from Lone Pine.

___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## susieq

Another try with my new camera ................


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

RDB said:


> We were heading southward on US-395. After a great steak at Toms Place, and before getting to Lone Pine, we took this photo. I assumed it to be Mount Whitney of the Sierra Nevada Range, California. Can anyone confirm?



Robert - that doesn't even appear to be the tallest peak in the photograph.  I can see five or six behind that look to me to be clearly taller.  

Also note that the snowfield on that east face is pretty small.  In the background are a number of glaciers; that's a clear sign those elevations are higher. In addition, Mt. Whitney is on the peak of a watershed divide separating the Pacific ocean side of the Sierra Nevada from the Basin-and-Range provinces.


----------



## RDB

geoand said:


> Photo taken through the front windshield of our Suburban at about 70 MPH.



After seeing this post, I was interested in the location of The Grapevine. I googled and found this. 
I thought others may like to know.

From http://www.newtobakersfield.com/home/ViewPost/24150

The portion of I-5 known as the Grapevine, is not just named so because it is located near the community of Grapevine, but because it also resembles just that: millions of pounds of asphalt, concrete, median barriers, lighting, guardrails, signage, call boxes and drainage systems -- twisting, turning and following the contours of the picturesque mountains it inhabits. According to Harrison Irving Scott, author, historian and President of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization, “The name actually came from the fact that early wagoneers had to hack their way through the thick patches of Cimarron grapevines that inhabited 'La Canada de Las Uvas' or 'Canyon of the Grapes.'” Traveling the grade today, he explains, “Look for patches of what appear to be ivy on both sides of the canyon near the truck runaway escape ramps. What you see are descendant vines that date back to the 1800’s.” 
Most travelers think the portion of I-5 called the Grapevine begins at the north end of Castaic in the Santa Clarita Valley where the freeway begins a northerly climb at Parker Road -- and where the California Highway Patrol closes the freeway when snow or icy conditions northward prohibit safe travel. But this is not where the actual Grapevine is located. What they would be traveling on, instead, is what is most commonly known as the beginning of the five-mile grade where I-5 sharply rises to the north at a grade of 5% -- and the beginning of a 40 mile journey over the Tehachapi Mountains from northern Los Angeles County to the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County. 
After the five mile grade, comes Templin Highway at about the 3,000-feet level. Proceeding north one encounters 22.5 more miles north on a rolling, meandering drive by Frazier Mountain through the Gorman area and the highest point of the drive at an altitude of 4,183 feet, and the summit of this famous drive. 
Continuing northerly from the summit is a slight drop in altitude and in six more miles one reaches Fort Tejon, a state historic monument. Fort Tejon was established in 1854 to suppress stock rustling, which was rampant at that time, and to protect the Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. It is here where the actual portion of freeway known as the Grapevine actually begins. 
Driving north from Fort Tejon where the Grapevine starts -- and for the next fives miles -- the driver experiences a dramatic 6% downhill grade terminating at the community of Grapevine at the entrance to the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County. This is the steepest grade and the most twisting, winding, rambling portion of the 40-mile drive over a seriously rugged mountain terrain. These 40 miles of concrete were carved out of both sides of the mountainous canyon by Caltans construction crews and their contractors at the beginning of the freeway-building era. One of Caltrans’ pinnacles of achievement is this eight-lane freeway, which was responsible for the complete transformation of the canyon. 
-------------------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Robert - that doesn't even appear to be the tallest peak in the photograph.  I can see five or six behind that look to me to be clearly taller.
> 
> Also note that the snowfield on that east face is pretty small.  In the background are a number of glaciers; that's a clear sign those elevations are higher. In addition, Mt. Whitney is on the peak of a watershed divide separating the Pacific ocean side of the Sierra Nevada from the Basin-and-Range provinces.





RichM said:


> Mount Whitney is not a "standalone" mountain like that one.  It's a peak along a range that's set back a bit - almost due west from Lone Pine.
> 
> ___________________
> WorldMark Owners' Community -
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - www.wmowners.com



Thanks.

I probably was seeing Mt Whitney as we drove along, but didn't know what was what. So at least I now have photos of some of that range and will have to be happy with that.

Robert


----------



## geoand

Can't remember if I have posted this before.  Just in case, I have, the following pic is also an Alaska trip photo.  I rafted down this thing - 6 mile creek - on 2 different trips.  Have decided that doing class 5 and 6 rapids once was thrilling.  Doing it the second trip was crazy.


----------



## dmharris

Geo,

White water rafting can really get the adrenaline going and you face your fear of death head on!  

The wheat photo is true art.  Is the photo altered or as God intended?


----------



## geoand

Thanks for the compliment. Grass picture is natural colors.


----------



## geoand

*Series of pics of our first 6 Mile Creek rafting adventure*






That's me in upper rt corner of raft, my buddy sharing the front, the pro rafter in the middle, my DW in left lower back and my buddy's DW in upper left back.  This is a calmer stretch.






As you can see I am sounding the ALARM for everyone!






Not the most pleasant faces I have made 






Face no longer visible.  That's because I am about to be totally swamped by a monstrous volume of water - FREEZING HUGE AMOUNT OF WATER.


----------



## ricoba

RDB said:


> We were heading southward on US-395. After a great steak at Toms Place, and before getting to Lone Pine, we took this photo. I assumed it to be Mount Whitney of the Sierra Nevada Range, California. Can anyone confirm?



while it may be Mt Whitney from another angle, my guess/assumption is that is not Mt Whitney.  

Mount Whitney is clearly visible from Lone Pine and seems more "jagged/cragged" the few times I have seen it.

Here is a picture of Mount Whitney.


----------



## icydog

*Great job on this picture!!!!!!!!!*



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Moonrise over Solmar Beach - Cabo San Lucas



You took this? It looks like a piece of art!!! I'm impressed!!!!


----------



## icydog

jules40 said:


> I have a new camera and I'm still learning how to use it.
> Jack and his toy tire.



I love Jack. Are goldens fabulous dogs?


----------



## icydog

NYBrit said:


> Here is Epcot Center at Sunset!  This was taken end of May 2006.
> 
> Christine



Could be a postcard!!!


----------



## icydog

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Mother and Daughter*
> 
> Of all the pictures I've ever taken, this one is my favorite.



They are equally as beautiful. You are a lucky man!


----------



## icydog

My Beloved Icy(Dog) I lost her two Thanksgivings ago. I will never know such unconditional love again.







Granddaughter Sarah in Beach Club Pool WDW 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Taken at Disneyland Paris- the temperature was -2 degrees


----------



## dmharris

Nice Job, Marylyn!  Now post that baby picture here!  He's definitely worth a Picture of the Day post.


----------



## RDB

ricoba said:


> while it may be Mt Whitney from another angle, my guess/assumption is that is not Mt Whitney.
> 
> Mount Whitney is clearly visible from Lone Pine and seems more "jagged/cragged" the few times I have seen it.
> 
> ...



Thanks Rck.

I think we goofed.
I'm sure we seen Whitney as we had good weather, just don't find a picture of what I think it should look like in all of our shots.

We have memories of traveling a wonderfully diverse country.

Robert


----------



## geoand

*Rainbows along the Denali Highway*





















If memory serves, the above are called ground rainbows.  The following is the typical beautiful rainbow.


----------



## Kay H

Are they for real?  Magnificent!


----------



## geoand

Kay H said:


> Are they for real?  Magnificent!



Looking down into this valley was incredible.  The ground just shimmered with a blanket type of rainbow.  Very untypical and something I have never seen.  This was our first year of digital camera work and we could not capture what they truly did for us when we saw them from the road. 

The double rainbow was incredible too.  It seemed like we could not get closer to it even though we were driving straight to it.  It seemed like we drove for over 1/2 hour (25 mph - severe gravel road).  Sometimes it would be a triple rainbow.


----------



## Makai Guy

Raibows are a result of sunlight being refracted and returned by water droplets in the air.  They occur at a fixed angle from the sunlight, which is why you always view them with the sun behind you, as a circle or part of a circle.  

[IMGL]http://members.toast.net/fdw/northsh/rainbows.jpg[/IMGL]When the sun is very low in the sky behind you, the fixed angle makes the rainbow appear high in the sky (like in this early morning shot from my Kauai page.  The higher in the sky the sun is behind you, the lower the rainbow appears in the sky.  Normally, when the sun gets high enough the critical angle drops below the horizon where there are no available water droplets to refract and reflect.

With your "ground rainbow" shots, you had the sun fairly high in the sky, such that the critical angle was below the horizon, but also had the fairly unusual situation of being high above the valley and able to look DOWN on raindrops that were still in the air and thus able to produce the colors.  If you look closely, you'll see that it is still in the shape of the very top of an arc.


----------



## icydog

dmharris said:


> Nice Job, Marylyn!  Now post that baby picture here!  He's definitely worth a Picture of the Day post.




You asked for it: 






Carson Robert 1 hour after birth-- and about 2 minutes after his first bath--- He looks very tired. This getting born stuff can wear a guy out!!! 7/4/08


----------



## Brett

baby pics are always cute,  that could be considered cheating!


----------



## swift

*Emerald Bay in Tahoe*


----------



## swift

While spending the day on the beach in Tahoe waiting for the fireworks my kids had fun making sand art. They also made an anaconda and a small hippo.


----------



## geoand

*Tiny little plants from high ridge in Alaska*


----------



## swift

*Picture of the Day*


----------



## Karen G

This is in Lamoille Canyon near Elko, Nevada, and I took the photo last week. We discovered this area in a cool book about scenic byways. Apparently Nevada has several scenic byways and you can see more  here.


----------



## Karen G

This is the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird, Utah, as seen from the tram coming down from the mountaintop last week. The timeshare units (Cliff Club) are located in the west end, the section on the left side of the building. They have balconies and I think the hotel rooms don't.


----------



## swift

Just before the play, Midsummers Night Dream, was to start in Tahoe. It was very well done by the way. If anyone is up in the area while the Shakespeare Festival is going on you should go.


----------



## dmharris

swift said:


> Just before the play, Midsummers Night Dream, was to start in Tahoe. It was very well done by the way. If anyone is up in the area while the Shakespeare Festival is going on you should go.


 
How absolutely cool that must have been!  Where on the lake does this happen?


----------



## geoand

Karen, those are great photos!  I don't recall you posting other photos, so I welcome you to the CLUB!!!!

Club membership is free!  Only requirement is that you post photos occasionally.  If you need help posting, there are many folks here that will assist you.


----------



## swift

dmharris said:


> How absolutely cool that must have been!  Where on the lake does this happen?




On Sand Harbor near Incline Village. Here is the link for it- http://www.laketahoeshakespeare.com/

I love going to plays. I went to the Ashland OR festival for years http://www.osfashland.org/index.aspx Now there is an absolutely can't miss performance. They are all good but the plays held on the outdoor Elizabethan stage are the best!!


----------



## Karen G

geoand said:


> Karen, those are great photos!  I don't recall you posting other photos, so I welcome you to the CLUB!!!!


Hi, geo  
Thanks for the welcome! I posted one other picture earlier of Bryce Canyon and I've so enjoyed yours and everyone else's photos. This is a great thread and I look forward every day to new shots.
Karen


----------



## swift

The walrus was very playful at 6 Flags- Vallejo.


----------



## geoand




----------



## swift

Tim and I 






Grr-can't seem to get this in the inbetween size. I either get real small or real big.


----------



## geoand

Except for first picture in this post, the photos here and in 2 previous posts represent plantlife that is smaller than 1 inch high.


----------



## cindi

The color in these photos is phenomenal.


----------



## jules40

Stray Kitty at the Ko Olina Beach Club


----------



## jules40




----------



## jules40

My kid, Joe.


----------



## Mosca

These are Disney '08, taken with the Canon G9 (not the new 40D). I paid attention to what I've been reading, about how to make pictures more interesting, and here are some of the results:

Shooting up at the skylight of Disney's Polynesian during a Florida thunderstorm







Universal Studios, 10:30 AM







Disney's Grand Floridian, through the monorail window


----------



## Mosca

DGF from the T&T Center monorail station







The Hulk at Universal's Islands of Adventure (hard to get that shot with a digital!)







My BIL, posing at Islands of Adventure


----------



## Mosca

And, I finally got the new camera! I took all of about a dozen shots, and my 17yo daughter asked to see it... and I didn't get it back for the rest of the evening! 

She takes one heck of a good picture. Here is the neighbor's pup:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wenatchee River, Leavenworth, WA*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Point Sur - California Hwy 1*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Columbia River Gorge near Malaga, Washington*

Most references to the Columbia River Gorge usually are for the portion of the lower Columbia River where the river forms the boundary between Washington and Oregon.  More accurately, the Columbia River Gorge is the entire section of the Columbia Plateau in which the river has carved a deep channel into the elevated Plateau.  That is almost the entire length of the river from just south of the US-Canada border to the mouth of the Wilamette Valley near Portland.

The portion of the Gorge lying on the east side of the Cascades, where the Columbia River flows almost due south, has marvelous cliffs, hills, palisades, and grasslands. It's mostly arid desert and grassland, except at the highest elevations.  There are large areas of desolate and undeveloped land where you are alone with the wind, the trees and boards, the hills and cliffs, and your thoughts.

This photo was taken late Tuesday afternoon along the river near Malaga, a bit south of Wenatchee.  






***

For those interested in natural history:

The palisades on the far side of the river were carved by the Lake Missoula floods.  The top of the flood water was just about the tops of the cliffs, just below the grasslands on the tops of the hills.  The cliffs are 500 - 600 feet high; that's how deep the water was in this area during the floods.

The undulations in the ground surface in the middle of the picture are gravel ripples created by the floodwaters.  About fifteen miles downstream from this location is a spot with similar gravel ripples, except those ripples are close to 50 feet high!!!


----------



## swift

Vikingsholm Castle


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## Kay H

Geo,
I'm so glad to see that you have all your ducks (geese) in a row. 

All kidding aside, I loooooove the pictures everyone has submitted.


----------



## swift

My daughter (on the left) and her friend on the beach.


----------



## geoand




----------



## swift




----------



## icydog

geoand said:


>



Take away the beautiful surroundings and substitute a small pond and you have the view from my deck. I never think of geese as pretty anymore.


----------



## icydog

geoand said:


>



THIS IS A GREAT PHOTO. THE COMPOSITION IS FABULOUS. CAN I GET A COPY OF IT? THANKS


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Colockum Pass Road, Columbia River Gorge, Washington*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Burned Tree overlooking Columbia River Gorge*


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> On the road to Colockum Pass, Columbia River Gorge, Washington[/SIZE]
> 
> nice landscape pic
> I don't have open landscape scenery like that but I am close to a Chesapeake beach like this -
> 
> (three bracket exposures combined)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> I don't have open landscape scenery like that but I am close to a Chesapeake beach like this -
> 
> (three bracket exposures combined)


Thanks.  One of my favorite landscape settings is late afternoon sun, slanting low on summer grasslands in the western US.  With the proper conditions, the yellow hues really stand out.

I was totally fascinated by that when I moved to California in September of 1973 and came over the Altamont Pass into the San Francisco Bay late in the afternoon.  I never before knew brown grass could be so attractive.  I've been drawn to those settings ever since. 

The Wenatchee River photo I posted previously is a high dynamic range merge of three exposures.  Were I taking that shot again, I would have expanded the bracketing a bit more, since I still didn't capture the full range of light and dark in the scene.  


T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Wenatchee River, Leavenworth, WA*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ruby Lake Resort - British Columbia*






Taken the same time as this previously posted photo:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset on Horseshoe Bay, Vancouver, BC*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Springtime on Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Deception Pass, San Juan Islands, Washington*


----------



## Mimi

I can do it!  :whoopie:


----------



## susieq

What a nice picture! So special & serene.  

Sue


----------



## swift

Great picture Mimi!!!


----------



## easyrider

*Bear*


----------



## geoand

Marilyn,

Thank you so much for liking the photo enough to want a copy of it.  That is a huge compliment.  However, we do not grant any rights to our photos to anyone and we do not sell any of our photos.  Hope you understand.


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand

*Manhattan*


----------



## Mimi

Some pics from Kauai:


----------



## Mimi




----------



## geoand

*Canmore, Canada*






Correction:  Taken in mountains north of Whistler BC


----------



## jules40

view from Diamond Head


----------



## jules40




----------



## easyrider

*Silverwood Boulder Beach -- little kid area*


----------



## susieq

Pictures of the North Rim of Grand Canyon ~ taken July 14, 2008











You can see a little of the Colorado River in this one ............


----------



## swift

The Tahoe Queen


----------



## Zac495

*Monkeys in Gibraltar*


----------



## Zac495

*Camel in Morocco*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Deception Pass*


----------



## Elli

I have a question on digital photos - my sister and I took a Med. Cruise and we both had digital cameras.  Is there a program available, that would allow me to take some of her pictures and some of mine and put those together on 1 CD?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Fremont Bridge Troll*






*Vladimir, in his Finest Christmas Garb*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elli said:


> I have a question on digital photos - my sister and I took a Med. Cruise and we both had digital cameras.  Is there a program available, that would allow me to take some of her pictures and some of mine and put those together on 1 CD?



Load the pictures from both cameras into a folder on a computer than has CD writer drive.  Put a blank CD into the drive.  Using Windows Explorer, drag the folder with the photos onto the CD drive (just as if you were copying files on a hard drive), then right click on the CD drive icon.  Select "Write these files to CD", and let the computer do the rest.


----------



## Elli

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Load the pictures from both cameras into a folder on a computer than has CD writer drive.  Put a blank CD into the drive.  Using Windows Explorer, drag the folder with the photos onto the CD drive (just as if you were copying files on a hard drive), then right click on the CD drive icon.  Select "Write these files to CD", and let the computer do the rest.


Thanks, Steve, I'll try it out.  I just want to use some of my sister's pictures and put them in the right spot in between my pictures.  We'll see how it works.
Elli


----------



## dmharris

Hi Steve,

Where is this awesome troll? I have to see this with my own eyes!

He kinda looks like your avatar!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> Where is this awesome troll? I have to see this with my own eyes!
> 
> He kinda looks like your avatar!



The Fremont Troll.  I suppose there is a bit of resemblance, though my tastes run more to Peugeots than Beetles.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fremont missile*

Nothing beats a local neighborhood taking responsibility for it's own defense.  Can't be too careful, you know. especially when there's a most purposeful Vladimir Ilyich Lenin striding directly towards you less than four blocks distant.


----------



## Brett

here's my local pic


----------



## geoand

*Oak Alley Plantation*


----------



## LisaH

geoand, where is this place? It's gorgeous!


----------



## geoand

LisaH said:


> geoand, where is this place? It's gorgeous!



Here is the link to their website.  Website also has link for directions from New Orleans.

http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/visiting/

Here is another view of these gorgeous trees


----------



## geoand

*Cape Cod area*


----------



## geoand

*D.C.*


----------



## geoand

*East Coast Newport*


----------



## geoand

*Manhattan*


----------



## geoand

*club regina PV*


----------



## geoand

*Sunshine Skyway Bridge*


----------



## geoand

*Central Park in the Fall*


----------



## Timeshare Von

*From the EAA Air Adventure 2008*

From our day at the EAA fly-in today (8/2/08)


----------



## Kay H

Geo,
Where is that Sunshine Skyway bridge.  Looks like something I would enjoy from dry land, or a photo.


----------



## Karen G

Kay H said:


> Geo,
> Where is that Sunshine Skyway bridge



Read about it  here.


----------



## jerseyfinn

*The beach near Marriott Marbella resort, Elviria, Spain -- Sept 2007​*




*Hypnotic Waves*​
From my PBase gallery entitled Waves & Mountains.

Thanks to fellow TUGGer *Iconnections *who suggests this thread to me.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Beach near Marriott Marbella resort, Elviria, Spain -- Sept 2007*






*Sunset Dreamers*​
From my PBase gallery Waves & Mountains


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Chiringuito Vela Azul near Marriott Playa Andaluza resort, Estepona, Spain -- July 2008*






*Waves-eye View*​
From my PBasse gallery Waves & Mountains


----------



## Karen G

Jerseyfinn, what beautiful shots!  I enjoyed looking at your gallery of Waves & Mountains. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.


----------



## Kay H

Karen G said:


> Read about it  here.


Thanks.  I think I actually drove on this bridge one time when I was in Florida.  I forget where I was but was going to visit my SIL in Long Boat Key.  If that bridge would get me there, I drove on it.


----------



## geoand

Karen G said:


> Jerseyfinn, what beautiful shots!  I enjoyed looking at your gallery of Waves & Mountains. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.



What she said!!!!:whoopie:


----------



## pwrshift

Karen G said:


> Read about it here.


 
That says the bridge is the longest in the world and I thought the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island was the longest at about 9 miles long.  Wonder why the difference?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_Bridge


----------



## Karen G

pwrshift said:


> That says the bridge is the longest in the world and I thought the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island was the longest at about 9 miles long.  Wonder why the difference?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation_Bridge



The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning Florida's Tampa Bay, is the world's longest bridge with a cable-stayed main span.


----------



## RDB

*Three Rivers Pittsburgh from Mt Washington*


----------



## dmharris

Robert, 

Thanks for posting your great photo of my adopted hometown. It is really a beautiful skyline and not the dark, sooty town that so many have of the image of Pittsburgh.  Little known fact: we have more bridges than any city in the world except Venice, Italy.  The Bridge engineers hold their annual conference here and salivate when touring the area.


----------



## dmharris

*Our new adoptee - Guinness*






This is our new soft coated Wheaten Terrier we adopted last Thursday.  Here's a link to the story on Tug.  http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77755


----------



## RDB

RDB said:


>


----------



## SueDonJ

This thread is like an old friend; it's lovely to catch up every once in a while!  There are some _very_ good photographers on TUG.

Can't believe our trip was almost two months ago and I'm just now getting pics on photobucket - time sure does fly.  This is one of the residents of Smith's Luau on Kauai:





Susan


----------



## susieq

What a beautiful picture!!  What colors!!  

Sue


----------



## Mosca

Steelers training camp.... Family Day for the players.


----------



## dmharris

Mosca, those are great candids!  Are you in Pittsburgh?  I'm in Butler.


----------



## Mimi

Dutch windmills


----------



## Mimi

Amsterdam temptations


----------



## Mimi




----------



## taffy19

Mimi, I doubt if you can import these seeds.   Where are the windmills from in your picture?  Do you remember?


----------



## taffy19

SueDonJ said:


> This thread is like an old friend; it's lovely to catch up every once in a while!  There are some _very_ good photographers on TUG.
> 
> Can't believe our trip was almost two months ago and I'm just now getting pics on photobucket - time sure does fly.  This is one of the residents of Smith's Luau on Kauai:
> 
> Susan


You photo image is beautiful in color and so sharp.  Will you please give a link to your photo bucket album of other pictures of Kauai too if you feel like sharing them?


----------



## Mosca

dmharris said:


> Mosca, those are great candids!  Are you in Pittsburgh?  I'm in Butler.




Mountain Top, over in the Poconos. It was a 4 hour drive. Pittsburgh is my home town, I grew up in Pleasant Hills.


----------



## taffy19

dmharris said:


> This is our new soft coated Wheaten Terrier we adopted last Thursday.  Here's a link to the story on Tug.  http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77755


How can a Wheaten Terrier look out of his eyes?  I am sure he can now since you have him trimmed or is this the norm for this type of dog?  I read your story and am happy for you and the dog that you got him.  Sounds to me that Guinness found a good home!


----------



## Mimi

iconnections said:


> You photo image is beautiful in color and so sharp.  Will you please give a link to your photo bucket album of other pictures of Kauai too if you feel like sharing them?



Try this for my 2008 Kauai pics:
http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q373/MimiUSA/Kauai 2008/?start=0


----------



## Mimi

iconnections said:


> Mimi, I doubt if you can import these seeds.   Where are the windmills from in your picture?  Do you remember?



I was on a tour by boat. I do not recall where I was in Holland when I snapped pictures of the windmills. If I am able to find out, I will edit this post.


----------



## taffy19

Mimi said:


> Try this for my 2008 Kauai pics:
> http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q373/MimiUSA/Kauai 2008/?start=0


Nice pictures Mimi of Kauai.  We have been there a few times over the years but always enjoy seeing the pictures too.


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Barcelona Sept 2007*






*A Matched Set*​
PBase Gallery A Barcelona Journey


----------



## Kay H

With all the stories of pickpockets in Barcelona, I'd be afraid to put my backpack in the front of my bicycle like this young lady did. I would be too afraid that it would be an easy target for a passerby.


----------



## SueDonJ

iconnections said:


> You photo image is beautiful in color and so sharp.  Will you please give a link to your photo bucket album of other pictures of Kauai too if you feel like sharing them?



Oh how nice, thank you!  I'm still learning photobucket but I think I just finished putting together a slideshow; let's see if this works.






And that peacock picture?  That thing preened and strutted and posed for the longest time, I was just lucky to be there!

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

Mimi said:


> Try this for my 2008 Kauai pics:
> http://s349.photobucket.com/albums/q373/MimiUSA/Kauai 2008/?start=0



Mimi, your pictures are beautiful and make me realize just how much we didn't do on our trip!

It looks like you kayaked to the Fern Grotto, is that right?  We went the other way, on the guided tour to the Secret Falls.  We didn't bring cameras with us, foolishly, because we weren't sure if they'd be safe.  Next time we'll know better.  Your ATV tour is another thing we're planning for next time.

Your rainbow shots, though, I'm not sure I could get pics like those if we were to go back fifty more times - those are stunning!

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

susieq said:


> What a beautiful picture!!  What colors!!



Thanks, Sue.  That's what strikes you about Kauai, the colors!  The flowers, the birds, the sky, the ocean, the buildings, the animals, the grounds - _everything_ there is so vibrant, even on a cloudy day.  Picture-taking is so easy there.

Susan


----------



## susieq

SueDonJ said:


> Oh how nice, thank you!  I'm still learning photobucket but I think I just finished putting together a slideshow; let's see if this works.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And that peacock picture?  That thing preened and strutted and posed for the longest time, I was just lucky to be there!
> 
> Susan




Thanks for sharing!!  What beautiful pics!! 

Sue


----------



## Ubil

*Coopers Hawk*

This bird flew into our patio room door and knocked itself out.  After about 5 minutes, it stood up and just stayed there.  I was about 4 feet away from the bird when I took this picture.





After a few more minutes, it got up on the railing.





and flew away.

One of my co-workers identified it as a Coopers Hawk.  I Googled it, and the pictures online look the same.


----------



## taffy19

SueDonJ said:


> Oh how nice, thank you! I'm still learning photobucket but I think I just finished putting together a slideshow; let's see if this works.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And that peacock picture? That thing preened and strutted and posed for the longest time, I was just lucky to be there!
> 
> Susan


Thank you so much. All very familiar  but always nice to see other people's pictures too. I enjoy looking at the web shared photo albums of so many TUGgers here and also this thread.


----------



## CSB

Killarney Provincial Park, Canada. View from top of "The Crack" with DH, DS & DD.


----------



## CSB

My husband tries to make an igloo every winter with the kids. It's hard work and usually doesn't last long since it requires below freezing temperature or it very quickly melts. Picture taken from upstairs window through the screen. DD still working on it. Entrance and top not yet finished.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Puna Coast Rainbow*

When we got to the viewing area on Friday to see the lava entering the sea, we learned that the sea entry had stopped the day before.  But we got a nice rainbow out of it.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gecko Staredown in Holualoa*


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Puna Coast Rainbow*
> 
> When we got to the viewing area on Friday to see the lava entering the sea, we learned that the sea entry had stopped the day before. But we got a nice rainbow out of it.


Steve, what a fantastic photo of the two Geckos but what a pity that the lava entering the sea had stopped the day before you arrived. I hope it will start up again before you go home. You had a beautiful rainbow but you see these anywhere.

Enjoy your vacation!


----------



## cindi

Wow! That gecko picture is unbelievable! The colors are fantastic.

You sure do have an eye for photo opportunities, Steve.

I so much enjoy all the beautiful pictures being shared by everyone.


----------



## SDKath

That gecko picture (and title) need to be submitted to a magazine!  Send it in somewhere...  GREAT job!

Katherine


----------



## geoand

*June trips to Vegas*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Polihale*


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Barcelona Sept. 2007*






*Out of Seed*​
This little guy caught my eye in Plaza de Catalunya. He's so forelorn as he runs out of seed and his buddy now attracts all of the birds. 

From my PBase gallery A Barcelona Journey


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Barcelona Sept. 2007*




*Gotic Alley Cats​*
Froom my PBase gallery A Barcelona Journey


----------



## SueDonJ

two of my nephews walking up the ramp:





the last runner of the night on first base:





Final Score 19-17 The Good Guys

Susan


----------



## KristinB

Wow, I've been away from this thread for too long... wonderful images, everyone!


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Gecko Staredown in Holualoa*



nice Hawaii pics, the gecko flower colors really pop out, I assume a little paintshop pro or photoshop work was done on it. 
I found a new photoshop plug-in called "fluid mask" that works wonders in putting "bokeh" in a pic or masking different layers to isolate one area of a photo to work on.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> nice Hawaii pics, the gecko flower colors really pop out, I assume a little paintshop pro or photoshop work was done on it.
> I found a new photoshop plug-in called "fluid mask" that works wonders in putting "bokeh" in a pic or masking different layers to isolate one area of a photo to work on.



I did relatively little work on any of the photos; I'm on vacation so I'm not too interested in spending time photoshopping.  On the gecko photo I cropped it in a bit closer, did a low level clarification to remove a haze that accompanies most photos from my camera, and used a curves adjustment to brighten the photo overall and to increase the dynamic range.


----------



## swift

KristinB said:


> Wow, I've been away from this thread for too long... wonderful images, everyone!



I have been wondering where you have been hiding? I miss seeing your photos. Although, I have loved all the others on here too!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> *Out of Seed*​
> This little guy caught my eye in Plaza de Catalunya. He's so forelorn as he runs out of seed and his buddy now attracts all of the birds.





jerseyfinn said:


> *Gotic Alley Cats​*



Nice pics.  I really appreciate photographers who can work well in B&W and tinting.  Thanks for the link to the gallery.


----------



## taffy19

susieq said:


> Pictures of the North Rim of Grand Canyon ~ taken July 14, 2008
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can see a little of the Colorado River in this one ............


Why do pictures disappear?  I have noticed this quite a few times already when I look at older pictures.  Does anyone know?


----------



## taffy19

geoand said:


> That's me in upper rt corner of raft, my buddy sharing the front, the pro rafter in the middle, my DW in left lower back and my buddy's DW in upper left back. This is a calmer stretch.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can see I am sounding the ALARM for everyone!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not the most pleasant faces I have made
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Face no longer visible. That's because I am about to be totally swamped by a monstrous volume of water - FREEZING HUGE AMOUNT OF WATER.


What a trip and thrill this must have been and a photographer must have taken these pictures as a memory for later. Great pictures! Will you do it again?


----------



## susieq

iconnections said:


> Why do pictures disappear?  I have noticed this quite a few times already when I look at older pictures.  Does anyone know?



I can't answer for everyone's pictures, but I think I inadvertently broke the link when I divided the folder into sub folders.  I had so many pictures of our UTAH Vacation, that I divided them all up, and am putting them in slide shows.  I'll post all under Travel Tales when I finish them.  I'll put a link in here too.  Sorry for the disruption!  

Sue

BTW: I followed the link to view your albums ~ wonderful pics!!


----------



## KristinB

swift said:


> I have been wondering where you have been hiding? I miss seeing your photos. Although, I have loved all the others on here too!!



Thanks, Theresa, I've just been really busy this summer!

Well, let's see -- here is a series from Shenandoah National Park:


----------



## KristinB

And some more...

Shenandoah National Park is a photographer's dream -- the variety of subject matter is amazing.


----------



## susieq

KristinB said:


> And some more...
> 
> Shenandoah National Park is a photographer's dream -- the variety of subject matter is amazing.



Your pictures are just beautiful Kristen, I remember all the wildlife when we were down there.  It's a gorgeous area.  Thanks for sharing them.

Sue


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Why do pictures disappear?  I have noticed this quite a few times already when I look at older pictures.  Does anyone know?



When a person has limited space in an on-line photo sharing site, at some point pictures need to be deleted to create room for new ones.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Success*


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> When a person has limited space in an on-line photo sharing site, at some point pictures need to be deleted to create room for new ones.


Thank you Sue and Steve.  This is what I like about Smugmug as they give you unlimited space.

Where do you store the photo images once you delete them?  I know that mine are safe even if the house burns down.  One of my CDs failed once with nothing but photo images that were special to me as I cannot replace them and then an external hard disk failed too with a lot more photo images and other data too from many years so I learned my lesson.  I also read that CDs need to be replaced as the quality deteriates over time.

Smugmug stores your original photo images in different data places so if one fails, they still have back-up copies somewhere else.


----------



## KristinB

iconnections said:


> Thank you Sue and Steve.  This is what I like about Smugmug as they give you unlimited space.
> 
> Where do you store the photo images once you delete them?  I know that mine are safe even if the house burns down.  One of my CDs failed once with nothing but photo images that were special to me as I cannot replace them and then an external hard disk failed too with a lot more photo images and other data too from many years so I learned my lesson.  I also read that CDs need to be replaced as the quality deteriates over time.
> 
> Smugmug stores your original photo images in different data places so if one fails, they still have back-up copies somewhere else.



I agree -- that's why I use Smugmug as well.


----------



## Brett

KristinB said:


> I agree -- that's why I use Smugmug as well.



I agree about the need to have different location backups for photos but I prefer free services like flickr.   Yes, there are limits but you can have unlimited number of accounts. I also store some pics on a relative's computer for backup purposes and some on DVD's


----------



## swift

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Success*




Had one of those birds drop a fish on the front of the school bus as we were driving over the Golden Gate Bridge on a field trip. It was an unexpected surprise and scarred the bee-gee-bees out of us! It was kinda hilarious though to call in over the radio that we had been hit by a fish!:hysterical:


----------



## KristinB

Brett said:


> I agree about the need to have different location backups for photos but I prefer free services like flickr.   Yes, there are limits but you can have unlimited number of accounts. I also store some pics on a relative's computer for backup purposes and some on DVD's



I'd rather have all my photos in one place, instead of having to keep track of multiple accounts... It's worth it to me to pay $35 a year for that convenience.


----------



## geoand

iconnections said:


> What a trip and thrill this must have been and a photographer must have taken these pictures as a memory for later. Great pictures! Will you do it again?



We did this same river the next year.  The river was higher and waters more turbulent.  It was more exciting (translate-SCARY) than this particular trip.  I was close to being dumped in one of the scariest canyon runs.  Same canyon run, almost came close to a face plant on the canyon wall.  Those two near disastrous moments made me realize that I have had enough of that particular excitement.  I told DW about a month after the trip that upon reflection - I don't want to do this particular river again.  Fun while it lasted.  Glad I survived it!!!  Twice is enough.


----------



## SDKath

Has anyone developed prints with SmugMug.  I have an account there too but have not tried to send for prints through them yet.  Any commends on quality of the prints?

Katherine


----------



## geoand

*Dramatic clouds and light in Alaska*


----------



## susieq

What contrast!!  That's great ~ Thanks for sharing!!​​​  

Sue​


----------



## taffy19

jules40 said:


> view from Diamond Head


I love all the pictures here that are posted but this one is great for us to see because we didn't see it that clear when we were here many years ago. It was a disappointment but we should go up again, if we can do it or is there a tour bus you can take?


----------



## taffy19

SDKath said:


> Has anyone developed prints with SmugMug. I have an account there too but have not tried to send for prints through them yet. Any commends on quality of the prints?
> 
> Katherine


Not me because we never print. I like all my photos on my screen to look at and can send links to people who want to see them too. We tried doing it ourselves but gave up on that very soon as it is much cheaper to have them printed as I ruined so much photographic paper. We have only used www.snapfish.com so far as that came with our ISP account to send pictures to friends who do not use computers yet. 

I would like to print a mouse pad and a mug with Taffy (Avatar) on it as a memory and may try Smugmug now, if they do that kind of stuff or otherwise Snapfish. I like that idea very much and also that you can make calendars and other nice gifts. What a great idea.


----------



## taffy19

geoand said:


> We did this same river the next year. The river was higher and waters more turbulent. It was more exciting (translate-SCARY) than this particular trip. I was close to being dumped in one of the scariest canyon runs. Same canyon run, almost came close to a face plant on the canyon wall. Those two near disastrous moments made me realize that I have had enough of that particular excitement. I told DW about a month after the trip that upon reflection - I don't want to do this particular river again. Fun while it lasted. Glad I survived it!!! Twice is enough.


You have the memories with these photos and that is great.  Also, you were brave.


----------



## dioxide45

iconnections said:


> Smugmug stores your original photo images in different data places so if one fails, they still have back-up copies somewhere else.



While it may seem safe to have photos online as they do back up their servers. What happens if overnight that company goes under? HOw are you going to get a hold of your photos? Make sure you always store a copy somewhere else.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> It was a disappointment but we should go up again, if we can do it or is there a tour bus you can take?



Diamond Head is a hike to the top.  Would be pretty hard for tour bus to make it through the tunnels and up the stairs! (But you can take a tour bus or a taxi to the parking area at the trail head.)


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Diamond Head is a hike to the top. Would be pretty hard for tour bus to make it through the tunnels and up the stairs! (But you can take a tour bus or a taxi to the parking area at the trail head.)


 
Steve, I vaguely remember that we have taken a bus tour once and it took us to many places and also inside Diamond Head. I honestly couldn't remember if we saw this view as it was so long ago and most likely the first time we were in Oahu. 

We took a cab drive once to the crater and hiked to the top but this was years later and we didn't have a nice view that day as the weather deteriated. We didn't even take any photos because they wouldn't have come out. I wished we could do it again but we can't. However, I can see the view from Mimi's photo and that's what I like about this thread. We see places we never would see otherwise and many photos are worth seeing just for the quality of the photo itself. They are pieces of art as well as a photo.


----------



## taffy19

dioxide45 said:


> While it may seem safe to have photos online as they do back up their servers. What happens if overnight that company goes under? HOw are you going to get a hold of your photos? Make sure you always store a copy somewhere else.


I have thought of that too and hope it will not happen with this company. I am more afraid that they will be taken over but they don't want this to happen right now as they love what they are doing and they will reply very fast to any question you have. If they get an offer they can't refuse then that may change. 

I still burn CDs but do you need to burn more copies than one? I had one CD fail already while it is in perfect shape. I am very careful and store them properly but I have too many burned CDs. I also crashed a Mac external hard disk accidentally because I took the wrong power cord out of the wall socket while the external hard disk was still on. You can't do this with a Mac external hard disk but it seems to be OK with a PC external hard disk. I don't know why. I haven't sent it to a lab yet as they may be able to save what is on there but it will be expensive as I have inquired already. I will first try the external hard disk with a new Mac I am planning to buy soon before going this route. 

I use Carbonite now for backing up the PCs but they will have it for the Mac too at the end of this year. Carbonite doesn't back up any movie or video clips but they also back up your photo images that are stored on your hard disk. I like that service too.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Steve, I vaguely remember that we have taken a bus tour once and it took us to many places and also inside Diamond Head. I honestly couldn't remember if we saw this view as it was so long ago and most likely the first time we were in Oahu.



There is a road that goes into the interior of the crater, but I believe it is for service vehicles only.  There is no view inside the crater except for the crater walls.  To get the spectacular vista you need to do the hike to the top of the crater.


----------



## KristinB

dioxide45 said:


> While it may seem safe to have photos online as they do back up their servers. What happens if overnight that company goes under? HOw are you going to get a hold of your photos? Make sure you always store a copy somewhere else.



Yes, exactly -- it's a backup solution, not the only place to store your photos.  That's what we're discussing.  So if the company went under, you'd still have your photos on your local drive, and then you'd have to find another backup solution.  The chances of both your local drive dying and the company going under at the exact same time are pretty slim, I would think.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset at Po'ipu Point
*






***********************
*
Moonlight on Shipwreck Beach*











For the second photo, I panned the cliff on the right side of the photo with a strong flashlight while the shutter was open (13 seconds) to give the cliff a bit of illumination.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Brenneke's Beach - taken on our way to the airport.*

Ahe Lau Makani, ("The Soft Gentle Breeze") - Queen Liliʻuokalani
_He `ala nei e mâpu mai nei 
Nâ ka makani lau aheahe
I lawe mai i ku`u nui kino
Ho`opumehana i ku`u poli _​


----------



## jules40

My Dad's new toy


----------



## jerseyfinn

> *iconnections*. . . we should go up again, if we can do it or is there a tour bus you can take?



*Jules40's* Diamond Head shot brings back memories for us as well. In our case, we were staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and we went out for a stroll along the beach. We ended up *walking* all the to the top of Diamond Head and back. We came up the front side along the coast road and we walk back via the back side. We stopped at a 7-11 or some such place for water when our "stroll" became much more than we anticipated. We were a little tired after that walk and climb. A couple of days later we  rent a car to drive to the north side of Oahu, but before proceeding, we drove along the same route we had walked and it measured over 11 miles. When you go to paradise, you sometimes get mesmorized & distances don't seem as far as they really are.

Barry


----------



## geoand

*Just a few seconds later*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Immaculate Heart of Mary Cemetery, Papaikou*











Two views.  I like the top one more because I think the overall composition is better, but that photo came out too dark.  Because of the large contrast in the photos, both photos are actually a merge of three photos taken at the same time but with different exposures (±0.7 EV).  In the top photo, though, I was standing in much deeper shadows.  Even with the bracketed exposure, the lightest photo still had deep shadows.  The photo probably have come out better if I had shot the whole set about 0.5 stops brighter.

There's also some barrel distortion that I didn't remove.

*****

Look closely at the cross - it's made of cast iron drain pipe.


----------



## mshatty

*Under the Golden Gate*

I liked this shot under the Golden Gate bridge


----------



## RDB

*A little something to help cool you.*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset on the Waikoloa Grasslands*

On the Big Island one of my favorite places to take pictures is in the grasslands along the Mamalahoa Highway above Waikoloa Village. The combinations of grasses, hills, lava, and intense blue skies make interesting photo settings.  The sunlight there is interesting almost anytime of day.

A couple of weeks ago we were coming back to Kona just before sunset.  The sun was low enough to just start illuminating the bottoms of the clouds from the bottom and give them a bit of a pink hue, while still shining on the ground directly.

Fro those familiar with the area, this photo was taken at the intersection of the Saddle Road and the Mamalahoa Highway.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*VOG Front Advancing on Mauna Loa*

A view of Mauna Loa from the parking lot at the Jarrett Museum and Observatory at Kilauea summit.  The haze on the left side of the photo is sulfurous and sulfuric acid VOG created by emissions from the Kilauea vent.  

The air quality was every bit as bad as it appears in the photo.  We drove through that VOG cloud on our way to the summit, and visibility was less than 100 feet in places as we made the ascent from Punalu'u. As we drove through the VOG, I wasn't affected, but many others in our party had burning eyes and rasping throats and coughs.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fumarole in Halemaʻumaʻu crater*

Here are some photos of Halemaʻumaʻu crater on Kilauea summit, and the fumarole in Halemaʻumaʻu that is the primary source of sulfur dioxide creating the VOG in the photo I posted above.


----------



## SDKath

Steve:

Do you shoot in RAW?  I have found that the exposure is so much easier to adjust in the Photoshop RAW plug in (or Lightroom) than just a photo editing software.

Katherine


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SDKath said:


> Steve:
> 
> Do you shoot in RAW?  I have found that the exposure is so much easier to adjust in the Photoshop RAW plug in (or Lightroom) than just a photo editing software.
> 
> Katherine



I wish.  But that will have to wait until I can afford to upgrade to DSLR.  In the meantime, I shoot at maximum file size, and do my work on the photos as .PSP files (ProPhoto format).  After I'm finished I save the file in both PSP and JPEG format.


----------



## jerseyfinn

> . . . that will have to wait until I can afford to upgrade to DSLR



Trog,

I had sort of the same dilemma several months ago when my trusty Sony P&S goes to camera heaven. 

Cold logic said move up to DSLR, but my heart said that I'm kind of used to having the ease of a P&S kit which is more pocket friendly. I looked at the DSLRs and came close to pulling the trigger, but in the end, I stick with the P&S and I pick up a *Canon G9*. It's a fully manual P&S camera with all of the other shooting modes as well. The icing on the cake is that it also shoots RAW or JPG+RAW. I'd take a gander at the G9. Maybe some of the other manufactures may also have a P&S RAW model out there now as well.

Nice captures of the caldera. It wasn't that active when we were there a few years ago.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> Trog,
> 
> I had sort of the same dilemma several months ago when my trusty Sony P&S goes to camera heaven.
> 
> Cold logic said move up to DSLR, but my heart said that I'm kind of used to having the ease of a P&S kit which is more pocket friendly. I looked at the DSLRs and came close to pulling the trigger, but in the end, I stick with the P&S and I pick up a *Canon G9*. It's a fully manual P&S camera with all of the other shooting modes as well. The icing on the cake is that it also shoots RAW or JPG+RAW. I'd take a gander at the G9. Maybe some of the other manufactures may also have a P&S RAW model out there now as well.
> 
> Nice captures of the caldera. It wasn't that active when we were there a few years ago.
> 
> Barry



My P&S (Kodak Z612) is also full featured as well; I bought it a bit over one year ago and it was just about as high end as you could go at that time in the P&S market.  It also has a 12x optical zoom, which is great for taking pictures of belching fumaroles inside active calderas!!!!!  It also has some attachments that allow me to use polarizing and UV filters, which is quite nice.  I shoot most of my photos in aperture priority mode so that I can control the depth of field.  Not being able to shoot in RAW isn't really a complaint; it's really more a nicety; complaints are problems that actually degrade photos.  In that regard my primary complaints with the camera are: 

1.  there are a couple of missing - but needed - auto focus points.  It shows up most often when zoomed in on a distant object.

2.  there's some chromatic aberration in the lens.

3.  the control to advance forward and back on the display is located on the back of the camera in an location were I can't easily push the left scroll control (for example, to preview the previous picture) while I'm looking the eyepiece (which I use almost all of the time instead of the LCD display).  That's a bother for reviewing previous photos but a big problem in manual focus since that is also the control that shortens the focal length.  That prevents me from easily moving in the focal lengh in and out to set the focus when I'm taking a picture for which auto-focus won't work.

The camera is good enough that I can get some pretty good pictures with it, and I'm still getting better at using it.  There are just certain photos that I know I can't get very well.  But isn't part of the creative process learning how to work with and maximize what you can do with the tools available to you??

I've also done some checking of pictures taken with various DSLR setups, and most of the lower end DSL setups I've seen have the same aberrations.  So to address that matter I would also be looking spending a minimum of $1000 on the lenses, in addition to the camera body.

At this point I can't justify upgrading - not till I get some other bills paid off.


----------



## Brett

jerseyfinn said:


> Trog,
> 
> I had sort of the same dilemma several months ago when my trusty Sony P&S goes to camera heaven.
> 
> Cold logic said move up to DSLR, but my heart said that I'm kind of used to having the ease of a P&S kit which is more pocket friendly. I looked at the DSLRs and came close to pulling the trigger, but in the end, I stick with the P&S and I pick up a *Canon G9*. It's a fully manual P&S camera with all of the other shooting modes as well. The icing on the cake is that it also shoots RAW or JPG+RAW. I'd take a gander at the G9. Maybe some of the other manufactures may also have a P&S RAW model out there now as well.
> Barry



I looked at the G9 but eventually settled on the Canon S5, it shoots RAW (with the CHDK program) but I generally leave the RAW mode unchecked because I haven't found it to be a big advantage over jpeg (and those large >10 MB raw files!)
many Canon P&S models shoot RAW with the CHDK programs
(http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_in_Brief


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*'Ohia Tree Turnnel on the Pihea Trail, Koke'e Park*

This is the trail that starts at Kalalau Lookout and skirts the top of the cliff for another mile or so before heading to Alakai Swamp.


----------



## SDKath

I shoot RAW but after the initial corrections in RAW, I make final corrections in Photoshop (most of the time just unsharp mask) and then save as JPG.  Once I am happy with the pix, I dump the RAW.  Waaay too much space otherwise.  I used to shoot RAW+JPG but it was taking up all my hard drive space.

I really need to upload some pix to share.  Just so darn lazy...  Beautiful tree lined path!  WIsh I could be there with you!!!


K


----------



## jerseyfinn

> I generally leave the RAW mode unchecked because I haven't found it to be a big advantage over jpeg (and those large >10 MB raw files!)



RAW remains a format used mostly by the more serious folks ( who also use D-SLRs and work with the more advanced features of Photoshop). For the rest of us, JPG suffices for its simplicity.  I gravitated to the G9 simply to have the chance to dabble with RAW in a P&S camera & improve my Photoshop skills. Thus far, I rarely use RAW, though lately I've been experimenting with shooting RAW+JPG on a few limited light images to compare captures. RAW requires a little extra work during the processing step and it is a larger file. The good news is that memory cards are dropping in price making this less of an issue ( archiving your images is another issue  ). I'm using this feature in the G9 to slowly acquaint myself with RAW and prepare for the day that I do finally take the plunge and go D-SLR. Like Trog, I'm trying to hold on to my money at the moment.

Additionally, RAW is not a cure all for fixing flawed photos. You gotta get the exposure in camera correct ( or close to it ) whether you shoot RAW or JPG as Photoshop has its limitations. In that regard, it's better to pay attention to your histogram in the field ( and expose to the right when in doubt ).

Judging by the images in this thread, I'd say that a lot of folks are getting the exposure correct in camera.

Barry


----------



## Karen G

08.jpg
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Our daughter, her husband, and the musicians at their Cabo wedding on Pedregal Beach.


----------



## Karen G

We're all jumping for joy. That's me on the left, my husband, our daughter, our daughter the bride, our son-in-law, his mother, father, and our son.


----------



## Karen G

On a sunset cruise on the Caborey near Land's End in Cabo.


----------



## Karen G

This is how we looked when we weren't jumping.


----------



## RDB

lovely shots


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> You gotta get the exposure in camera correct ( or close to it ) whether you shoot RAW or JPG as Photoshop has its limitations. In that regard, it's better to pay attention to your histogram in the field ( and expose to the right when in doubt ).



One of the HUGE advantages of my Z612 is that it will display a live histogram, i.e., before I take the picture.  

Your comments about RAW are apt.  No matter what the file format is the picture will not be any better than the quality of the image delivered to and recorded by the sensor.

In that regard, the factor that will drive me to upgrade is lens quality, not file format.  And as I mentioned before, entry level DSLR lenses are at most a marginal improvement over what I can capture now.  So for me the upgrade isn't the jump to something such as a $1000 Rebel package; it's a minimum $2000 investment to get something that will appreciably better my current setup.


----------



## swift

Beautiful pictures Karen and beautiful family!!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rainbow at Wailua Falls*

It's really a "mistbow" because the bow was caused by the sun shining through the mist at the bottom of the falls.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> In that regard, the factor that will drive me to upgrade is lens quality, not file format.  And as I mentioned before, entry level DSLR lenses aren't at most a marginal inprovement over I can capture now.  So for me the upgrade isn't the jump to something such as a $1000 Rebel package; it's a minimum $2000 investment to get something that will appreciably better my current setup.



I can agree with that statement
why carry all those extra lenses, and DSLR's don't have video!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> I can agree with that statement
> why carry all those extra lenses, and DSLR's don't have video!



Even if you own DSLR, there's still a place for a good point-and-shoot camera just for the portability. There are times when it simply isn't practical to lug all of the DSLR gear around.


----------



## jerseyfinn

> . . . One of the HUGE advantages of my Z612 is that it will display a live histogram, i.e., before I take the picture . . .



Yes, a previewable histogram is essential IMO as this is your best guide in the field to whether you're in the ball park or not. Some cameras also have reviewable image display along with a histogram of your capture where those parts of the captured image which are over/underexposed flash in different colors ( my Canon G, Pentax Optio W30 & my deceased Sony DSV-1 all have this feature ). It's a great way to check you work in the field and take another shot if things are too badly skewed.

Digital cameras are making photography a lot easier both for more serious amateurs and for ordinary folks who want to take nice pictures without having to work too hard at it.

Barry


----------



## AwayWeGo

*Hotlinked Pictures.*




iconnections said:


> Why do pictures disappear?  I have noticed this quite a few times already when I look at older pictures.  Does anyone know?


Sometimes I "hotlink" pictures onto TUG-BBS from other people's web sites -- i.e., I link the photo right off the web site where it's already hosted rather than downloading it from the original web site & uploading it onto my own dinky web space at my Internet company's servers. 

Hotlinking is considered semi-unethical in that it trespasses on the originators' server traffic ("bandwidth") for purposes that provide no benefit to the originators. 

One risk of hotlinking other people's pictures is that the photos will simply disappear when the originators catch on to the hotlinking. 

A worse risk is that the originators will get even with whoever is hotlinking their images by replacing a hotlinked image with some wildly & grossly inappropriate image that has craftily been given the same filename & Internet address as the original hotlinked picture. 

Say I put a hotlinked trombone picture on TUG-BBS & the originator of the trombone picture finds out & decided to strike back.  The originator might not stop at deleting the trombone picture, but instead might give the same file name & Internet address to some substitute triple-X rated obscene picture.  Then any time people looked at the TUG-BBS entry that was supposed to show a hotlined trombone picture, instead they'd have an inappropriate dirty picture staring them in the face & it would be all my fault -- might even get me banned for life from TUG-BBS. 

Think that will keep me from hotlinking other people's pictures onto TUG-BBS now & then ? 

_N-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-h !_ 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## KristinB

Alan,

But all of these pictures are Tugger's own pictures, and that was the question, why did some of the older pictures in this thread disappear...   

So while your explanation is interesting, that's not the answer to what has happened to the pictures in this thread, LOL!  The answer is that some people have run out of free space and either deleted pictures, or reorganized their albums.  And since we can only edit our posts for a certain number of days, we can't go back and point to the new URLs if we have reorganized our albums...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*I missed the "Green Flash"!*

These pictures were taken on Alii Drive between Kona and Keahou. The second picture is a closer zoom of the same setting sun, with clouds on the horizon brilliantly backlit. 

The pictures were taken about two minutes apart. In the first photo the sun hadn't yet slipped below the horizon, but in the second the sun had set.  In the time between the two pictures, while I was adjusting the camera for the second shot, there was a Green Flash.  Because I was busy fumbling with the camera I didn't see it, but three other people standing nearby saw it.


----------



## geoand

*Shots from out trip to Canmore last September*


----------



## jerseyfinn

*London Street Candids*






*Bodecia's Daughter*

________​





*British Museum Fatigue*

_______






*Whisperers*

______






*County Hall / London Eye*​
From PBase gallery London People 2007


----------



## geoand

*more views*


----------



## Brett

so how do you take candid people photos?  surreptiously use a zoom or telephoto?   I saw an interesting tattoo on a person but thought it unwise to point my camera at the person's body part!
here's a pic, not vacation but I liked it


----------



## AwayWeGo

*Great Photo.*




Brett said:


>


Nice clarinet picture.  

Keep'm coming. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## jerseyfinn

[/QUOTE]


Brett,

I love your POV & use of selective DOF. A really nice shot

Likewise the same with this shot in which you use DOF with an angle shot to create an interesting image. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/w-photos/2778680026.jpg > ( I could not get the image to script into the message ).

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

> . . . so how do you take candid people photos? surreptiously use a zoom or telephoto?



Believe it or not, I'm most usually up close and personal when I grab these candid snaps. They're usually taken at 8 to 15 feet.

My old Sony P&S had a great in-hand feel & I would walk along with my wife chatting while the camera rests casually on my chest. I simply "feel" the vibe of the crowd & wait for someone/something to grab my eye ( it could be their dress, mannerism, or action). I do not consciously select an individual as much as I react to them. 

I guess that I'm using a clandestine technique ( although the camera is always up and visible to them)  but I'm really trying to capture them as they are without allowing camera awareness to alter their essence. The technique requires you to walk slowly and to learn how to blindly point the camera in their direction ( no compositing or framing . . . just point and shoot ). You also have to learn to gently press the shutter gently to grab focus and exposure & then finish the exposure by pressing all the way down without moving the camera. It's a hit or miss technique in which about 1 of 3 shots capture something in frame. I look at it as fishing and having some slip off the hook. I love this technique.

My new Canon G9 is a larger P&S and a bit unwieldly in hand. I'm still working on my technique with the G9. London is a great people city and one of the best places I've found to do candids because both the people and the environs are amazing.

This image was taken on Westminster Bridge. I see the 3 gals walking together when they're on the other side approaching us. I had my eyes on them & was simply waiting for them to draq closer for me to capture them. Suddenly as we're some 30 feet away, the 3 of them stop walking and they peel off to the rail where they each take out a camera and snap away. By now I'm drawing closer & I had one shot to snap and shoot using the technique I describe above. I got lucky.






*Photo Grab of Photo Grabbers*​
Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Mid-air Collision*

This is one for the natural sciences afficionados.

This photo of Mauna Kea taken from the Kohala Road above Waimea shows two colliding air masses.  Notice that the area underneath the clouds on the right side of the photo is hazy.  That haze is VOG, wrapping around the south side of Big Island and blowing up toward Waikoloa.  

If you look closely at the VOG area, you can see a distinct near vertical line where the air is hazy to the right and clear to the left; that vertical line aligns precisely with the vertical front of the puffy clouds.

That vertical haze line and the vertical cloud front mark the collision of the southern VOG air with NE trade winds blowing over the island from the Hamakua coast through Waimea.  The two air masses are not mixing; at the time I took the photo they were each pushing against each other in almost a perfect standoff.  At the collision point, both air masses were suddenly being pushed upward with little mixing.  It looks as if the dewpoint in the VOG air mass is about 2500 feet; as the VOG air is forced above that level moisture condenses and clouds form. If you watched the clouds there was actually pretty violent churning on that vertical face and you could see the moisture condensing out of the air to form clouds.  Somewhere around 8000 feet it appears that the NE trade winds begin to overwhelm the VOG air, and the trade wind air starts overrunning the VOG air, shearing off the tops of the clouds that have formed over the VOG air.

Driving over the Kohala Mountains, you could see the colliding air and churning clouds almost all of the way from Waimea to Hawi.  Much of the time the collision was directly over the highway. If you looked to the east the views were sparkling and clear; to the right the scenery was hazy and had a brownish tint.


----------



## geoand

*more views*


----------



## Brett

jerseyfinn said:


> My new Canon G9 is a larger P&S and a bit unwieldly in hand. I'm still working on my technique with the G9. London is a great people city and one of the best places I've found to do candids because both the people and the environs are amazing.
> Barry



The Canon G9 - it seemed that was the camera the professionals used when they didn't bring their dSLR.  (I went with the less expensive Canon S5) 
 that DOF pic -  the "bokeh" - was enhanced with photoshop.   the S5 can get some narrow DOF blur effect but not that much with the background just a short distance away.
This weekend Virginia Beach is sponsoring an extreme skate boarding - surfing - music festival,  should be lot's of opportunities for candid pics (if I develop the technique!)


----------



## Mimi

Molokini Crater, Maui


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Myna Bird Visiting our Lanai in Kona*






*Kohala Mountains - Big Island*

As in other photos in this area, you can see the VOG front.  In this view looking generally northward across the Waikoloa grasslands, the hazy area on the lower flank of Kohala is VOG.


----------



## geoand

*Part of our trip to Canmore*


----------



## marcmuff

Morro Rock in Morro Bay California


----------



## marcmuff

Sunset - Pismo Beach Pier - CA


----------



## marcmuff

Avila Beach Pier - near San Luis Bay Inn, Avila Beach, California


----------



## marcmuff

Sunset at Mayan Palace - Acapulco


----------



## geoand

*Driving west towards Canadian portion of Columbia River*


----------



## Brett

Instead of the usual scenery pics here's one I took last weekend - Virginia Beach surfing festival with skateboarding, skimboarding, BMX, volleyball, music, free energy drinks, everything, etc. 

(enhanced with Photoshop Redynamix)


----------



## geoand




----------



## RDB

*Garden Of The Gods*


----------



## geoand




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Spinner Dolphins*

Seen on our way from Keahou Marina to Kealakekua Bay during a snorkeling trip.


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## RDB

*Heading down the road from Spokane toward Walla Walla*


----------



## Brett

RDB said:


> Heading down the road from Spokane toward Walla Walla



that looks like a painting  - or that opening wallpaper windows XP screen !


----------



## taffy19

jerseyfinn said:


> Believe it or not, I'm most usually up close and personal when I grab these candid snaps. They're usually taken at 8 to 15 feet.
> 
> My old Sony P&S had a great in-hand feel & I would walk along with my wife chatting while the camera rests casually on my chest. I simply "feel" the vibe of the crowd & wait for someone/something to grab my eye ( it could be their dress, mannerism, or action). I do not consciously select an individual as much as I react to them.
> 
> I guess that I'm using a clandestine technique ( although the camera is always up and visible to them)  but I'm really trying to capture them as they are without allowing camera awareness to alter their essence. The technique requires you to walk slowly and to learn how to blindly point the camera in their direction ( no compositing or framing . . . just point and shoot ). You also have to learn to gently press the shutter gently to grab focus and exposure & then finish the exposure by pressing all the way down without moving the camera. It's a hit or miss technique in which about 1 of 3 shots capture something in frame. I look at it as fishing and having some slip off the hook. I love this technique.
> 
> My new Canon G9 is a larger P&S and a bit unwieldly in hand. I'm still working on my technique with the G9. London is a great people city and one of the best places I've found to do candids because both the people and the environs are amazing.
> 
> This image was taken on Westminster Bridge. I see the 3 gals walking together when they're on the other side approaching us. I had my eyes on them & was simply waiting for them to draq closer for me to capture them. Suddenly as we're some 30 feet away, the 3 of them stop walking and they peel off to the rail where they each take out a camera and snap away. By now I'm drawing closer & I had one shot to snap and shoot using the technique I describe above. I got lucky.
> 
> Barry


Barry, I have a question for you.  What happens if some of these people discover their photo image on the Internet and object?  I always try to dodge people in my pictures as much as I can unless they give me permission and say that it is OK to post.  Are there legal consequences?  

If I leave them in but mostly far away and post them here, I hope they will never find them.


----------



## taffy19

Karen G said:


> We're all jumping for joy. That's me on the left, my husband, our daughter, our daughter the bride, our son-in-law, his mother, father, and our son.


What a fun photo this is Karen!  You can see clearly that everyone was having a great time.


----------



## taffy19

*Hawaii is our Paradise!*






A sunset over Lanai from Ka'anapali Beach in Maui.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Self-Portrait*

from my avatar. The consequences of spending too much time sitting in front of a monitor.  

*Mommas!!!  Don't let your babies grow up to be geeksters!*


----------



## geoand




----------



## Karen G

iconnections said:


> What a fun photo this is Karen!  You can see clearly that everyone was having a great time.


Thanks!  We were indeed having a great time.  It was a relaxing and stress-free way to have a wedding & we all enjoyed it so much.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Mist Rolling in on Big Sur Coast*

Why is this area called "Big Sur"?  Shouldn't it be either "Sur Grande" or "Big South"??

Ahh, but that which we call Big Sur by any other name would be as sweet.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Big Sur Coast near Point Sur*

A couple more pictures from Big Sur.  The first shows Point Sur.  The second is from the road near Point Sur, looking toward the area from which the first photo was taken.


----------



## cp73

From our Alaskan cruise


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Agamemnon Channel at Earl's cove*

Earls Cove is on the Sunset Coast of BC.  To continue further north you have to take a BC Ferry across several fjords that slice into the coastline at this location.  This photo was taken from the ferry landing.

I have a hard time photographing misty scenes.  I like the ethereal atmosphere mists create but I often can't get that same feeling to come out in my photos.  I've done a couple that came out pretty good, a few more like this one that are OK.  And a lot that I've just dumped.


----------



## geoand




----------



## jerseyfinn

iconnections said:


> Barry, I have a question for you.  What happens if some of these people discover their photo image on the Internet and object?  I always try to dodge people in my pictures as much as I can unless they give me permission and say that it is OK to post.  Are there legal consequences?
> 
> If I leave them in but mostly far away and post them here, I hope they will never find them.



A very good question and a controversial subject indeed. And I can totally understand your concern. My answer is my own personal take on the subject & not intended as the final word on anything.

First let me preface my response by noting that Eisenhower is preseident when I am born, so that means I'm from a generation raised in a different era when the level of public civility and citizenship has a different context than today ( in other words, I'm a product of the values I'm raised with    ).

I'm not a professional photographer and I do not sell my work for profit. My images are taken in the public forum & most frequently on public property. I'm out there practicing the art of photography as an individual amongst individuals.  As I note, when I do candids, I "feel" what's going on & I hope that my subjects, when/if they might ever encounter my images will understand the context in which I shoot them ( which is artistic and respectful ). If someone should object to their image appearing in one of my galleries, they need only notify me & I would remove the image. This is the practice amongst photographers on  PBase where I keep my galleries.  This hasn't happened to me yet, & I really do not anticipate a problem. ( that is one reason why I do not cloak my identity or my source gallery here on TUG or any other board I belong to).

Once again, this is simply my take of a subject that some people do indeed feel prickly about. But I maintain my own context as a citizen & I keep doing what I love, which is photography. It's also my own opinion that society today is more intemperate and intolerant and this sometimes leads to misunderstandings which would not happen if folks learned and adhere to the art of dialog which allows lots of room for disagreement, but actually functions to create understanding. In other words, I'd take the image down, but make certain that the individual understood my true motive.

Another thing that folks should be aware of when photographing in public is that you may indeed be asked not to take any photographs when on private property ( a restaurant/store/shop/musuem etc. ). Sometimes signs are posted, other times it's best to inquire. Some venues are actually conducive to photography & it's allowed. No etched-in-stone rules here, you just keep heads up and maintain a respectful demeanor so as to avoid misunderstandings.

Thanks for your thoughtful question icconections. I've not given the final answer, just my own approach from doing this for several years.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Barry, I have a question for you.  What happens if some of these people discover their photo image on the Internet and object?  I always try to dodge people in my pictures as much as I can unless they give me permission and say that it is OK to post.  Are there legal consequences?
> 
> If I leave them in but mostly far away and post them here, I hope they will never find them.





jerseyfinn said:


> …
> 
> I'm not a professional photographer and I do not sell my work for profit. My images are taken in the public forum & most frequently on public property. I'm out there practicing the art of photography as an individual amongst individuals.  As I note, when I do candids, I "feel" what's going on & I hope that my subjects, when/if they might ever encounter my images will understand the context in which I shoot them ( which is artistic and respectful ). If someone should object to their image appearing in one of my galleries, they need only notify me & I would remove the image. This is the practice amongst photographers on  PBase where I keep my galleries.  This hasn't happened to me yet, & I really do not anticipate a problem. ( that is one reason why I do not cloak my identity or my source gallery here on TUG or any other board I belong to).


My take is that when a person is in public, in a public setting, it is permissible to take photos.  Essentially by being in a public setting you are making a decision to allow people to see you.  

It's the same as if I set up a video camera in my window, focused on the sidewalk and street in front of my house.  Anyone who passes by will captured by the camera, and they haven't any reason to object.

Now, if I make a point of following and photographing a specific person, that could legitimately be harassment.  But I don't see where there is any issue with simply taking pictures a people in a public setting.

Obviously it's different if I start asking them to pose.

Of course what legal is not the same as what's proper.  If a person asked me not to take their picture, I would not do so even though I might have a right to do so.  I agree with Barry that if someone asked me to take down their picture, I would out of respect for that person's wishes.

*****

*In the Waves - Orient Beach, French St. Martin*


----------



## ricoba

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> My take is that when a person is in public, in a public setting, it is permissible to take photos.  Essentially by being in a public setting you are making a decision to allow people to see you.



I may be wrong, but I am sure that is how the law would be interpreted.  I believe this is how the paparazzi can get all their celeb photo's.  For example, you don't see pictures inside a private place, say a restaurant, usually, but once the celeb is on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, it's picture time, whether they want it or not.

Just my guess.


----------



## ronandjoan

*Thanks*

These are such fabulous pictures, thanks for sharing

It reminds me that so many people think they are great photographers, esp our friends children - that they think they can be professional photographers, and they do not begin to compare with thes GREAT photos.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


>



great shot. Wonderful capture of that misty feeling; as I've noted above capturing that atmosphere in a photograph is difficult.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> This thread is like an old friend; it's lovely to catch up every once in a while!  There are some _very_ good photographers on TUG.
> 
> Can't believe our trip was almost two months ago and I'm just now getting pics on photobucket - time sure does fly.  This is one of the residents of Smith's Luau on Kauai:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Susan



It's fun to go back through the thread and review.  I missed this one when it was posted. 

What a spectacular shot!! Absolutely superb!!! If I had to pick a fave five from this thread, that one would be a no-brainer to include.


----------



## SDKath

*OK, I'll play too...*

I had fun with my macro lens this weekend.    Katherine


----------



## geoand

Steve, I am glad you enjoyed my shot of the misty lake!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Davis Bay - British Columbia Sunshine Coast*

Except it wasn't so sunshiny when I was there.


----------



## RDB

*HWY-12 East of Bryce Canyon*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fishermans Wharf - Monterey*


----------



## geoand




----------



## marcmuff

Mt Shuksan - Picture Lake - Washington


----------



## marcmuff

Driving (I was a passenger) On Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco


----------



## marcmuff

Paul Bunyan and lil ol me - Minnesota


----------



## marcmuff

Gooseberry Falls - near Duluth Minnesota


----------



## marcmuff

We climbed Moro Rock - Sequoia National Park California

Moro Rock is a large granite dome formed by exfoliation, or the casting off in sheets of rock layers on otherwise disjointed granite.  Outward expansion of the granite results in exfoliation.  Taking a quarter-mile trail, you can climb nearly 400 stone steps to the top of the barren rock (6,725-foot elevation).


----------



## marcmuff

I took this picture on a Sunset Cruise out of Key West


----------



## swift

I love all your pictures and I love all of your signatures Muriel!!


----------



## taffy19

cp73 said:


> From our Alaskan cruise


Chris, these pictures are beautiful and we saw the exact same thing but the weather was so dark and it was raining so none of the pictures came out but I will never forget the humpback whales bubble net feeding scene right in front of our eyes and the sound they make and they kept doing it over and over again. 

If someone hasn't seen it before, there are many movie clips available so you can have an idea what it looks like.    It was awesome and a little scary too when they came so close to our little boat. 

Kay and Shaggy, do you remember? It was on our TUG Alaska cruise.


----------



## taffy19

jerseyfinn said:


> A very good question and a controversial subject indeed. And I can totally understand your concern. My answer is my own personal take on the subject & not intended as the final word on anything.
> 
> First let me preface my response by noting that Eisenhower is preseident when I am born, so that means I'm from a generation raised in a different era when the level of public civility and citizenship has a different context than today ( in other words, I'm a product of the values I'm raised with  ).
> 
> I'm not a professional photographer and I do not sell my work for profit. My images are taken in the public forum & most frequently on public property. I'm out there practicing the art of photography as an individual amongst individuals. As I note, when I do candids, I "feel" what's going on & I hope that my subjects, when/if they might ever encounter my images will understand the context in which I shoot them ( which is artistic and respectful ). If someone should object to their image appearing in one of my galleries, they need only notify me & I would remove the image. This is the practice amongst photographers on PBase where I keep my galleries. This hasn't happened to me yet, & I really do not anticipate a problem. ( that is one reason why I do not cloak my identity or my source gallery here on TUG or any other board I belong to).
> 
> Once again, this is simply my take of a subject that some people do indeed feel prickly about. But I maintain my own context as a citizen & I keep doing what I love, which is photography. It's also my own opinion that society today is more intemperate and intolerant and this sometimes leads to misunderstandings which would not happen if folks learned and adhere to the art of dialog which allows lots of room for disagreement, but actually functions to create understanding. In other words, I'd take the image down, but make certain that the individual understood my true motive.
> 
> Another thing that folks should be aware of when photographing in public is that you may indeed be asked not to take any photographs when on private property ( a restaurant/store/shop/musuem etc. ). Sometimes signs are posted, other times it's best to inquire. Some venues are actually conducive to photography & it's allowed. No etched-in-stone rules here, you just keep heads up and maintain a respectful demeanor so as to avoid misunderstandings.
> 
> Thanks for your thoughtful question icconections. I've not given the final answer, just my own approach from doing this for several years.
> 
> Barry


I appreciate your answer and also from Steve and Rick. I looked at some of the candid PBase pictures so I understand what you are saying.  Here is a discussion about it in PBase forum I just read now.

I enjoy your candid photo images here as well as your text underneath so keep it coming. Every time I look, there are so many nice new pictures here by everyone.  Very relaxing!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Cabrillo Highway (Big Sur) near Rocky Creek Bridge*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Mouth of the Little Sur River*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Bixby Creek Bridge from Hurricane Point, Big Sur*


----------



## jerseyfinn

> I appreciate your answer and also from Steve and Rick. I looked at some of the candid PBase pictures so I understand what you are saying.  Here is a discussion about it in PBase forum I just read now.



*Iconnections*, thanks for the comments and the link. I had not noticed that thread.  I guess that when one reads that PBase thread, you can see what a quagmire this issue has ( unnecessarily ) become. That's why I prefaced my original remarks to reflect my own view/values as it's a gnarly world out there. 

I've been on TUG since 2002 and never knew of this TUG photo thread until recently. As you observe, folks are posting some nice images here.  You capture some great whale shots.  Your wonderful shots remind me of some of our Hawaii whale encounters. I'll have to fish around for photos and tell that story sometime.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

Marcmuff, some really nice images. I especially like the Mt Shuksan shot and the sunset cruise image.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*London Chinese New Year 2006*





*Wrong Way*​
Taken on a brisk but bright January morning in London's Chinatown. London's Chinatown proper is only a couple of blocks long, but on this day, it seems that every Londoner was here.

I have never experienced such shoulder-to-shoulder crowds like this. Once we step into the crowd, we are like a school of fish. You can't stop or turn . . .  only trundle along as the mass and momentum of the crowd propels you along. I snap these images after struggling to raise my arms up and I point the camera towards what I see. It's difficult as you can't stop as much as you pause your step and snap the image before the person behind you bumps you like a billiard ball.

The only way out of the crowd is to slowly nudge your way towards the edge of the mass of bodies. It takes a lot of time and effort to do so, but finally you "pop" out at the edge and can watch the mob flow past you.

_________________________________



*The Winner Takes it All​*
Kind of fitting that I use an Abba title here since Mama Mia is a hugely popular music in West end.  I'm drawn towards the girl's distant stare when I grab this image. Only later when I get home do I discover the theme of companionship with the hand with a wedding band on a woman's shoulder posited against the lonely stare of the other woman.

I use a lot of Photoshop post editing on this image, but I kind of like it.

_____________________





*Dragon Power*​
A neat grab taken amidst the crowd. I barely get my elbows up and free to shoot this image before the man flows past me. Some Photoshop magic on this image as well, but I think it still conveys his essence.

From PBase gallery London Chinese New Year

PS: for you Marriott folks or people intending to travel to London, we like to stay at the Marriott Marble Arch hotel because it fits our personality -- a nice hotel but not glitzy. A nice location off of Oxford Street near Edgeware Road & about a 15 to 20 minute walk to Chinatown.  We also like Chancery Court because of easy Underground access and neat architecture.


----------



## geoand




----------



## taffy19

jerseyfinn said:


> I've been on TUG since 2002 and never knew of this TUG photo thread until recently. As you observe, folks are posting some nice images here. You capture some great whale shots. Your wonderful shots remind me of some of our Hawaii whale encounters. I'll have to fish around for photos and tell that story sometime.
> 
> Barry


These wonderful shots were posted by Chris (cp73) and I made a comment to them. Have a look at his PBase albums as you will like them.


----------



## taffy19

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Bixby Creek Bridge from Hurricane Point, Big Sur*


Your pictures are amazing and I know immediately that they are from you. Do you try to make them like paintings as they have that look. The coast can look so beautiful if the weather is cooperating too.


----------



## taffy19

geoand said:


>


I see all your beautiful pictures but you don't say where you took these. From the lake picture, I would say you are far north and in the west somewhere. Do we have to guess?


----------



## RDB

iconnections said:


> I see all your beautiful pictures but you don't say where you took these. From the lake picture, I would say you are far north and in the west somewhere. Do we have to guess?



I agree, these pix are outstanding. Steve fixes his up great and Geo's are of unknown mountains and lakes. Fantastic to view in both cases.

If I had to guess, Geo's are of Canada or Alaska... but what & where?


----------



## geoand

Sorry for being such a lazy putz.  My first post in this unlabeled series began with something similar to Visited Canmore AB in late Sept 2007.  There have been 18 pictures posted and these two are the last of the 18.  This lake shot is from behind Canmore (I think South).  I think this is a reservoir.  The other lake shot earlier was of a misty Lake Louise.

Some friends and us stayed a weekend in late Sept 2007 at Lake Chelan (WA).  They own at Worldmark.  While in Chelan, they asked us if we wanted to extend our rode trip to the Canadain Rockies.  As a result, they got a few nights at Canmore, AB and we drove their direct in 1 day.  Did as much exploring as possible via car while there.  When we departed, we returned to our home driving thru Kelowna BC.  We spent one night at Kelowna and continued home.

Our total trip was 2 nights in Chelan WA, 4 nights in Canmore (arrived first night at 2:00 AM, 1 night in Kelowna.  All of the shots taken were from inside the car while driving highway speeds or getting out of the car and taking the shot from road side.

We had 2 cars on the trip.  DW and her friend rode in the Prius and I drove our Suburban with friend's DH.  All of the shots taken from car driving at highway speeds were done by DW.

We will be going back to enjoy this beautiful country at a more leisurely pace!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rocky Creek Bridge - Cabrillo Highway (Big Sur)*


----------



## Brett

sorry, no scenic landscapes
this is a beach picture with an "xray" filter in photoshop 
(just to throw in something a little different !)


----------



## KristinB

I've been away too long from this thread (yet again, LOL)... Awesome shots, everyone!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Your pictures are amazing and I know immediately that they are from you. Do you try to make them like paintings as they have that look. The coast can look so beautiful if the weather is cooperating too.



Emmy - when I want to make a photo look like a painting I do this  :

*Public Market in Marigot, French St. Martin*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Nice surreal image Trog.Are you using Photoshop filters or do you work in Corel? 

In either case, digital photography is so much more interesting because it puts so many more tools and possibilities one's hands. I guess the biggest issue becomes finding the time to parse through your captures and "react" to them in these editing programs. I've got quite a backlog of imagery dating back to the spring with another Spain trip looming just a few weeks away. Just as I clear away one batch of images, a new batch of captures piles up.

Once again, some nice shots.

Barry


----------



## dmharris

*Powhaten resort in Williamsburg, VA*






This is next to the Kitchen restaurant at the resort.  I don't know what the building is used for, but I love it!


----------



## dmharris

*The Kitchen at Powhaten Plantation*






This is a restaurant with a limited menu but warm, cozy colonial atmosphere.


----------



## Mosca




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> Nice surreal image Trog.Are you using Photoshop filters or do you work in Corel?
> 
> In either case, digital photography is so much more interesting because it puts so many more tools and possibilities one's hands. I guess the biggest issue becomes finding the time to parse through your captures and "react" to them in these editing programs. I've got quite a backlog of imagery dating back to the spring with another Spain trip looming just a few weeks away. Just as I clear away one batch of images, a new batch of captures piles up.
> 
> Once again, some nice shots.
> 
> Barry


I work in Corel PaintShop Pro. 

Here's a bit of discussion on that photo: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=449478&postcount=151

I completely agree about digital photography.  It allows me to express some creative urges that I've long stored.  About thirty years ago I was interested in pursuing photography as a hobby, but I concluded then that I couldn't justify the costs involved to get serious about it.  Digital photography opens up that whole world to me.

I also understand what you are saying about the backlog of pictures.  My family often jokes about how long it takes me to distribute photos from family events; I don't just upload a bunch of photos right after the event, as the rest of my family does.

And I get the urge to go shoot more photos before I finish working on the ones I've already done.  The photos I posted from the BC Sunshine Coast are the last of photos I took last March.  The Big Sur pictures are from the week after that.  I've done about 10% of the pictures from our Hawai'i trip last month, but I"m already ithcing to get out again with the camera!!


----------



## RDB

dmharris said:


> ...
> 
> This is next to the Kitchen restaurant at the resort.  I don't know what the building is used for, but I love it![/QUOTE]
> 
> Diane,
> 
> I believe it's a restored Manor House.
> 
> Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*View Towards Hurricane Point - Big Sur*






And here's the same photo with a brush stroke art media effect.  I think I like it better with art media effect applied.


----------



## geoand

*Picture taken from deck of friend's home on Key Peninsula*

Picture was taken about 6:45 am in South Puget Sound on Thursday.


----------



## swift

geoand said:


> Picture was taken about 6:45 am in South Puget Sound on Thursday.



Wow, waking up to that with a cup of coffee in hand and I would think I would have died and gone to heaven.


----------



## Brett

looking across the York River (Revolutionary war victory!)


----------



## geoand

*Grand Banks 1970 or 71*

A high school buddy invited DW and I and another high school buddy and her husband to go boating on South Puget Sound.  As a result, the hs buddy and her husband invited us to spend the night at their home the  night before the boating.  The morning we went boating, I took the picture of Mount Rainier from their deck overlooking the Sound.  We drove a few short miles to Joemma Beach State Park.  This was the boat awaiting our arrival at the dock.  The four of us had not seen the boat before.  It was a great day of boating.


----------



## Karen G

Beautiful picture, geo. Reminds me of an old saying "One thing better than having a boat is having a friend who has a boat."


----------



## Mosca




----------



## geoand

Karen G said:


> Beautiful picture, geo. Reminds me of an old saying "One thing better than having a boat is having a friend who has a boat."



From a former boat owner:  Oh, So True!


----------



## Brett

I like that B&W railroad pic, 
here's a metro subway car just arriving -


----------



## Karen G

Brett, that is way cool!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fall Colors and Pioneer Peak*

Made a quick trip to Anchorage for a business conference the last week of September, and stayed over for a couple of days afterward.  I took about 700 pictures in two days.  Much sorting to do.

Anyway, to start here's a photo of the Chugach Mountains, looking across the Knik River between Palmer and Wasilla. I believe the peak just to the right of center is Pioneer Peak.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *
> Made a quick trip to Anchorage for a business conference the last week of September, and stayed over for a couple of days afterward.  I took about 700 pictures in two days.  Palmer and Wasilla. I believe the peak just to the right of center is Pioneer Peak.
> *


*


Hope you got a chance to check out Wasilla!
My son just got a job in Anchorage so I'll be up there at some point, it's way up there for me!

here's a pic of a civil war soldier,  doesn't look 160 years old




*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Whale Jawbones Grave Marker*

In the Anchorage Memorial Park - the jawbones of a whale as a grave marker.


----------



## hefleycatz

Steve,
You have a wonderful eye.  I'm in awe of your pictures.


----------



## ddc

Twin Lakes, CO


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

ddc said:


> Twin Lakes, CO



Nice shot and good job post-processing.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset on Knik Arm, Anchorage*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Talkeetna Mountains*

Along the Parks Highway near Talkeetna, Alaska


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset on the Parks Highway*

The peaks in the background are part of the Alaska Range, not far from Denali.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Alaska Range*

I believe the sliver of mountain barely visible in the clouds just right of center is part of Denali (Mt. McKinley).

There were broken clouds behind me - to the south most of the day - creating a lot of settings such as this with scattered patches of bright light.  The aspens and birches were in peak color, and when the sunlight hit them they glowed like they were on fire.


----------



## KristinB

Steve,

I've always wanted to go to Alaska! Great shots...   Looking forward to more.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Steve,
> 
> I've always wanted to go to Alaska! Great shots...   Looking forward to more.



It was an enjoyable trip, and I caught a great day for taking.  At the airport when I was heading back to Seattle I saw some acquaintances who were on the same fliight.  They headed up towards Denali the day after I did - they said the day they went was cloudless.

Here's another shot of sunset on Knik Arm:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Back to Big Sur, briefly

*Bixby Creek Bridge*


----------



## susieq

All the pictures are so amazing!!  I love to come back and check them all out.  There's so much talent here, and some beautiful subjects!!  

Sue


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Last of my pics from Monterey last April.

++++++++++++

*Pacific Grove*






++++++++++++

*Morning on Cannery Row*

It's a very different place in the morning before the hordes of tourists arrive.


----------



## Mosca

Love this one; I love b&w.



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Back to Big Sur, briefly
> 
> *Bixby Creek Bridge*


----------



## Mosca

This is the flow control tower at Francis E Walter Dam, in White Haven PA.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*More Knik Arm - Anchorage*

I believe the snow covered mountain in the background is Mt. Susitna.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Bixby Creek Bridge - colorized*

The Bixby Creek Bridge is reputed by some sources to be the most photographed bridge in the US.  It certainly is photogenic, and offers a lot of possibilities for creativity.

Here's another interpretation of the b&w photo of Bixby Creek Bridge that I posted above. I thought the b&w photo might look a better if I added a bit of color back in.  To create a colorized version I superimposed my b&w conversion over the full color version.  Then I created a mask for the black and white layer; the mask hides the b&w version over the bridge structure, but lets some of the color bleed through elsewhere on the photo; I created the mask so that more of the b&w layer shows (i.e., less colorization) in areas further from the bridge. That tends to draw a bit more attention to the bridge itself. I also added a sepia tone to the black and white layer except for the clouds so that the land areas shade toward a slight earth tone.  Finally, in the sky I allowed about 10% of the color photo to come through to give just a touch of blue to the sky to build a bit of contrast with the brown and green tones of the hills.






I like this colorized version.  FWIW - here are all three versions together, the full color, the b&w, and the colorized.  Which do you like best?


----------



## Mosca

The partial color one seems both more stark, and more real. It feels "dry". It feels colder; the full color one feels humid, like mid-summer. the partial color tells more of a story.


----------



## susieq

I agree ~~~ the colorized one shows more contrast ~~~ it looks more real. It draws the eye in to point out more detail.  Got my vote!

Sue


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> The partial color one seems both more stark, and more real. It feels "dry". It feels colder; the full color one feels humid, like mid-summer. the partial color tells more of a story.



Well, that's more thought than I put into it!!!

When assessing the original (full-color) version I felt that the interest in the picture was the bridge, not the scenery.  But I felt my attention being drawn to the blue sky and the green hill in the background, away from the bridge.  So I thought the picture was a good candidate for b&w conversion.

After converting I thought the b&w version was an improvement, but it seemed flat.  So then I thought about a colorizing-type of treatment with the strongest treatment to the bridge to keep the focus on the bridge.  And that's how I wound up with the final version. 

The full color version is much more faithful to the original scene, but the partial color version speaks to me much more of "California".



susieq said:


> It draws the eye in to point out more detail.  Got my vote!
> 
> Sue



That was the idea. The bridge is cement and so doesn't have a lot of color. To my eye, in the full color version the green of the background hill, the ice plant in the foreground, and the blue sky compete with the contrast of the bridge for attention.  In the colorized version, the color remains at full strength on the bridge, but the color levels everywhere else are muted, and are increasingly muted as the eye moves away from the bridge.  Thus the bridge maintains focus both by having the strongest contrast and the most natural color.  While the contrast effect is obvious, the colorization is more subtle - but still effective IMHO.

+++++++

For the technical purists, this photo isn't a true colorization, because colorization means that you add toning to a black and white.  This photo is a blend of a full-color and a b&w, but the end result is similar to toning, is much easier to do, and IMHO works better with this photo than would a standard tinting process.  See here for a discussion of a previous photo in this thread where I did a true toning effect.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

deleted - combined with previous comment


----------



## RDB

colorized is my choice


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Evening Irrigation in the Columbia Basin*

Returning from some field work in Moses Lake, Washington late one afternoon, the water from an irrigation pivot glowed in the late afternoon sun.


----------



## ricoba

*Here's one for you fans of Newport Coast Villa's*

As you know Crystal Cove is a cute little beach spot just down the road from NCV


----------



## geoand

Taken from back of ferry leaving the Bremerton Ferry landing


----------



## geoand

*People shots - NYC*


----------



## geoand

*Photoshopped*


----------



## geoand

*is it more or less photoshopped? *


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


>



George - to avoid cluttering this thread with technical discussion, I'm adding some comments in the Cave Man thread you started many moons ago.


----------



## RDB

*Some of the Color near Traverse City, MI*


----------



## RDB

*A few more*


----------



## jules40




----------



## taffy19

*Some of the Color near Traverse City, MI*

Lovely fall color pictures Robert.  We miss this here in southern CA.  I like very much what Steve did with Geo's picture too.  Very clever and a moment frozen in time for this person enjoying his drink.  It would be fun to show this to this person if you know him Geo.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

iconnections said:


> Lovely fall color pictures Robert.  We miss this here in southern CA.  I like very much what Steve did with Geo's picture too.  Very clever and a moment frozen in time for this person enjoying his drink.  It would be fun to show this to this person if you know him Geo.



I didn't do anything with it.  That was all George's work.


----------



## taffy19

I thought you posted the change but very nicely done by George himself. You must have taught him Steve.  Personally, I would cut some background out to make the photo quieter but I like the flowers sticking out so wouldn't know how to do this as the line is uneven. I would also cut some foreground out. You can play with this for hours to see what results you get.


----------



## RDB

iconnections said:


> Lovely fall color pictures Robert.  We miss this here in southern CA.  I like very much what Steve did with Geo's picture too.  Very clever and a moment frozen in time for this person enjoying his drink.  It would be fun to show this to this person if you know him Geo.



We did a drive from Houghton Lake to Traverse City. Lots of lovely over every hill and around every bend.  
Plan to head for Yorktown this weekend. Should see pretty through the mountains.


----------



## Brett

I like that raccoon pic!  

Here is a photo I submitted to the local newspaper and they published it today (Oct 20)  It was local interest (Colonial Williamsburg)


----------



## geoand

RDB said:


> We did a drive from Houghton Lake to Traverse City. Lots of lovely over every hill and around every bend.
> Plan to head for Yorktown this weekend. Should see pretty through the mountains.



When did you take all of these wonderful fall color pictures?

DW and I will be in Pennsylvania 10-10-09 for a friend's wedding.  We have decided that we will be making a road trip across US into New England and down through Florida.   Your info will help us to decide when to start our drive etc.


----------



## geoand

*Another attempt using photoshop*

These 3 photos were done prior to Steve's comments.  I am learning the program.

So, is this more or less photoshopped?  Question was meant in the same vein as "Would you turn down the Air Conditioning?"  When I say "yes", I always lower the temp on the ac so that it gets cooler.  When my DW says "yes", she raises the temp so that it gets warmer.


----------



## geoand

iconnections said:


> Lovely fall color pictures Robert.  We miss this here in southern CA.  I like very much what Steve did with Geo's picture too.  Very clever and a moment frozen in time for this person enjoying his drink.  It would be fun to show this to this person if you know him Geo.



This is one of those pictures taken while walking through Central Park.  This gentleman was eating his lunch (cup a noodles, I think) on a bench just inside the park


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> These 3 photos were done prior to Steve's comments.  I am learning the program.



In the Digital Darkroom thread I mentioned _"The Creative Digital Darkroom"_ by Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan (O'Reilly Media).  It's an excellent resource, if you are inclined to get reasonably proficient with Photoshop and RAW conversion.  If you're truly serious you might start with a book such as that, then move on to even more advanced topics.

OTOH - if all you want to know is few basics then get one of the many fine general introductory books.  

In most areas of my life, even if I only want to work with the basics,  I still want to be aware of what generally lies at deeper levels.  I want to know what I'm choosing to ignore or forego, so that I can intelligently decide to delve in should I choose.

I found the Eisman and Duggan book very helpful that way. Then knowing more about what "under the hood" in a digital darkroom, I found myself using more of it.


----------



## dmharris

Geo,

I live north of Pittsburgh and historically, Columbus Day week is the most colorful leaf week of the fall in the state of PA.  Mind you, this can vary as the northern and higher elevations will be past their peak and the southern part of the state may be starting their peak.  Hope this helps.


----------



## RDB

geoand said:


> When did you take all of these wonderful fall color pictures?
> 
> DW and I will be in Pennsylvania 10-10-09 for a friend's wedding.  We have decided that we will be making a road trip across US into New England and down through Florida.   Your info will help us to decide when to start our drive etc.



Your timing for color may be a few days early. The Upper UP of MI peaked a week ago.
Color pix were taken in northern lower Michigan, the first 20 days of Oct 2008. 
If you want New England color, I suggest getting that in prior to the wedding. We are going to southest VA on the 25th and figure to see color but most likely the pike will have faded in northern PA.

Consider heading across northern Wisconsin and Upper MI, down the state on I-75 and cross into Canada north of Detroit. Cross at Niagra then northern NY up into New England.

Back to PA by the 10th should hit about right.

Came back from Trip West in early Oct 2006. From Branson to Knoxville to Roanoke was lots of color.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Since everyone seems to be enjoying fall colors I decided to work on a couple more photos from my Alaska trip ....

*Chulitna River Valley*

That's Denali (Mt. McKinley) in back.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Chulitna River*

Another shot of the Chulitna River valley, with the Alaska Range in the background.


----------



## Brett

*Fall Harvest*

Indian corn at a local roadside stand


----------



## ciscogizmo1

The view from our table at Mama's Fishhouse Restaurant in Maui:


----------



## ciscogizmo1

Stair case at the Sistene Chapel Museum:


----------



## ciscogizmo1

In port at Villefranche:


----------



## ciscogizmo1

At the Westin Ka'anapali Resort Villas In Lahaina:


----------



## ciscogizmo1

Some appetizer at Mama's Fishhouse (beef over Mango -- I remember it tasting very good):


----------



## ciscogizmo1

We are at some Mission South of Newport Beach Area... I'll have to look it up:


----------



## ciscogizmo1

Only in Hollywood... I think, I've exceded my picture of the day limit:


----------



## geoand

*Fast stroll in Manhattan*


----------



## Mosca

A dilapidated barn, early October:


----------



## Mosca

Mountain Top, PA, late October:


----------



## Mosca

The cooling towers at Berwick nuclear plant:


----------



## Mosca

The cooling towers at Berwick nuclear, sunset the same day:


----------



## dmharris

Mosca, really lovely photos.  Is the last one (orange) altered with software or natural?


----------



## Mosca

dmharris said:


> Mosca, really lovely photos.  Is the last one (orange) altered with software or natural?




The color is accurate, but I bumped it up just a little bit, like 20% or so. That is pretty close to what it looked like. I left the hue/tint alone. Here is the original; but, the edit is more accurate to what I actually saw.






As I learn more about this stuff, I've learned that all photographs need post processing; even the film images that you took 30 years ago got pp'd, even if it was automated in a booth. I have the advantage of having been there, and I try to hit them as quickly as I can, so that I can keep it accurate to what moved me when I was there. This sunset was blinding; there were no clouds.

I've been reading a lot about it, as well. This summer, I would sit on the back porch and take pictures of my flowers; I would try to make the pictures look as close to the original right out of the camera, I experimented with different apertures and shutter speeds, and then after all that I tried to see how much more accurate I could make them look in 2D, using mostly Adobe Lightroom 2. And THEN, I worked at how to make them not just as ACCURATE, but just as APPEALING. And what I learned is, when you decide to put that frame around the world, you need to give it more vibrance if it is going to compete for attention with the real thing.
I really appreciate the edits that some people do, but it doesn't work for me personally, at least not yet. My goal, as I'm learning, is to accurately reflect what I saw, what struck me as "photo-worthy". I'm not putting anyone down, I hope; ALL images are valid. It is an art, and there is room for all interpretations of it. I'm working inside the one that pleases me, and I hope that others enjoy it as much as I enjoy what they do!


----------



## easyrider

*Raineer*


----------



## easyrider




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Winter morning on the Snake River Plain*






Digital darkroom discussion of this photo here.


----------



## geoand

*Steve, This is the first photo of yours*

That I can not see.  Doesn't show up on the other thread but the color version does.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> That I can not see.  Doesn't show up on the other thread but the color version does.



Sorry about that.  I tried linking to Panoramio, but I guess the photo isn't yet publicly available.  Don't know why not.  So I uploaded to Picasa instead and linked from there.


----------



## Mosca

Hey Steve, I like that B&W photo a lot! 

Regarding the winter scene in the DDR thread, remember that your light meter in your camera is always trying to make everything 18% gray, including the snow. Overexpose snow by 2 stops for the best results. That is a tip from Bryan Peterson's _Understanding Exposure_, a great and inexpensive book (around $16) on getting the settings right on whatever type of camera you use.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> Hey Steve, I like that B&W photo a lot!
> 
> Regarding the winter scene in the DDR thread, remember that your light meter in your camera is always trying to make everything 18% gray, including the snow. Overexpose snow by 2 stops for the best results. That is a tip from Bryan Peterson's _Understanding Exposure_, a great and inexpensive book (around $16) on getting the settings right on whatever type of camera you use.



With my current camera I adjust settings using an exposure histogram in preview mode.  Virtually all of the time I'm using exposure bracketing as well; otherwise in sunlight either the snow blows out to pure white or the rest of the pictures is underexposed


----------



## Mosca

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> With my current camera I adjust settings using an exposure histogram in preview mode.  Virtually all of the time I'm using exposure bracketing as well; otherwise in sunlight either the snow blows out to pure white or the rest of the pictures is underexposed




Regardless of how you get there, your photos are a joy to view! thanks for sharing them.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Nice shot ciscogizmo.

I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

This first week of November is when I usually make a trip to Flagstaff AZ & get in some hiking and photography. This year, I had not planned upon going . . . that is until I'm in my backyard taking pictures of the leaves changing colors and I think to myself that I could be in Arizona doing the same thing. So I organize a last-miniute trip to Arizona, arriving on Monday and going home Sunday. My wife could not get the time off, so I e-mail her some images each day after I get back from my day's excursion. Here's a few images so far. They are out of camera with slight sharpening applied in PS Elements. .






*Westfork Trail, Oak Creek Canyon*​
This trail is 14 miles in total length and it follows Oak Creek into the canyon. The trail criss-crosses the creek several times making for an interesting hike. Only the first 3.5 miles of the trail are walkable. Beyond this point, the creek disappears between two canyon walls and one must be prepared to walk, wade, and swim the rest of the way depending upon the waters & time of year. Needless to say, I stop at 3.5 miles on this chilly November day.

_________________






*Westfork Trail*​
This time of year, the leaves have already fallen up Flagstaff way ( 6900 ft. elevation), but often you can still find trees with leaves on them in Sedona which is 3000 ft. lower in elevation, hence the time difference in leaf fall. Such was the case this year . . . well at least until Monday when I arrive. Some big winds came out Monday night and Tuesday which take down much of the leaves in Sedona and environs. It's still very beautiful as the leaves are fresh and full of color . . . they're mostly on the ground, or in the creek as these photos show.

When I arrive at the park to pay the entry fee, the ranger looks at me and asks if I have a senior's Golden Eagle Pass which confers free admission ( I'm 10 years short of achieving "seniors status" though my grey hair and beard say otherwise). She's a bit embarrassed when I inform her of this, but not to worry . . .  I tell her I'm married to an older woman ( my wife is all of 3 months older than me ). To rub more salt into the wound, I go to a local steakhouse for dinner and the cashier there gave me the senior's discount which I gladly accepted ( the government will take it all away anyhow ). So it's been an interesting trip thus far.


__________________________







*Jerome AZ*​
The day before ( day of the high winds ), I venture out to Jerome, a former mining town and one of the most productive copper and mineral mines in America until it all plays out in 1957 and Jerome becomes an instant ghost town. Today, Jerome is a quite village of 500 folks, most of them artists and other folks who enjoy the view from up high and the solitude of the mountains.

This photo is taken on the main street. I send this image to my wife and tell her that I convince a gal to take off her shoes so that I might shoot this picture. In truth, it's a maniqin. I'm surprised that my wife has not called me out on this one yet.


_______________________





​
*Jerome AZ*​
One final image. It's a cafe which catches my eye as I walk about Jerome. It's a sunny day, but big clouds pervade the sky, and this combined with the angle of the sun makes for lots of moments of shade on mountain-sloped Jerome. I get lucky and a little sun shines through for a few minutes. I love the '50 look with the stools and the inviting counter. If they had been open for business, I would have gone inside.

So that's what I'm up to at the moment. A few more days of hiking to go. I have a hike planned for Bear Mountain near Sedona. It's only 2.5 linear miles of walking, but with an 1800 ft elevation gain. I've done this trail before, so I'm anticipating getting my butt kicked. But the view is spectacular, and I hope to grab some nice images.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> Nice shot ciscogizmo.
> 
> I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.
> 
> Barry



Yes - that is an extremely nice shot.  I like it very much.

I'm also wondering how many TUGgers post photos at Panoramio? It's a nice way to select a locale and get photos of what the area is like.  Most of the landscape and travel type photos (except for photos in which people are the primary subject) also wind up viewable in Google Earth.


----------



## Brett

jerseyfinn said:


> I get this irresistable urge to roll a bowling ball down these steps just to see what would happen.





jerseyfinn said:


> This photo is taken on the main street. I send this image to my wife and tell her that I convince a gal to take off her shoes so that I might shoot this picture. In truth, it's a maniqin. I'm surprised that my wife has not called me out on this one yet.




really good perspectives !!


----------



## Mosca

This shot isn't technically great; the auto-focus caught the beam on the right, and the car is soft because of it. But it is a great shot for my purpose, personal memory. I'm not planning on selling it. What I like about it is that there is no color manipulation, just sharpening and some noise reduction (shot it at 1600 ISO; the entire scene was in the shadows).

The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh PA.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Polar Bears - Churchill, Manitoba*

Taken on Tues 11/4/08 in blizzard conditions on the Canadian tundra:






Taken the day before, also out on the tundra:






And one more from my Polar Bear Adventure:


----------



## jules40

*Blue Angels*

Navy Blue Angels


----------



## jules40

*Florida Sunset*

Taken from the car after leaving the Blue Angels air show at Kennedy Space Center


----------



## jules40




----------



## Mosca

Pittsburgh.


----------



## jules40

Mosca:
OMG! the pictures of Pittsburgh are incredible. Such clarity!
I took pictures of the airshow this weekend and I thought they were pretty good until I see the other pictures posted here. 
Julie


----------



## jules40




----------



## Mosca

jules40 said:


> Mosca:
> OMG! the pictures of Pittsburgh are incredible. Such clarity!
> I took pictures of the airshow this weekend and I thought they were pretty good until I see the other pictures posted here.
> Julie



Julie, those air show pictures are really good, especially the one of the angels in the sun flare with the clouds; _very_ dramatic! Those guys at air shows are hard to catch, all of them, even the slow ones. 

I'm just beginning to understand my tools, the camera and lenses and software. I started working on landscapes because I didn't like wide lenses; after using one exclusively for 3 months, now I couldn't imagine a telephoto, it seems so restrictive!

The most amazing thing for me about the Pittsburgh pictures is how the rivers are so blue; I grew up there, and the Mon was always brown, and the Allegheny was always kind of green-gray!


----------



## jules40

Thanks Mosca. I printed some of my pictures from the air show and they came out pretty nice.

This is one of my favorites.






I like this one, too.


----------



## Brett

Anyone take macro type pics ?
here's one I call "Happy Clams" 
(actually mussels)


----------



## swift

I am really enjoying everyones pictures!!! I find myself now, as I am driving around, looking at the area in a different perspective. Making mental notes to myself to come back to the area and play with my camera. Just 24 more school days and I will have winter break. Hopefully then I will have some time to go out and play!


----------



## SueDonJ

Wow, I can't believe this has fallen so far off the first page!  We all must be saving up our photo-shooting for the holidays, huh?

How about a game of Where In The World Is This?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> Wow, I can't believe this has fallen so far off the first page!  We all must be saving up our photo-shooting for the holidays, huh?
> 
> How about a game of Where In The World Is This?



Being a former a health department inspector for such facilities, I can tell you exactly where it is.  It's in a locale where I would exercise great caution before drinking any local tap water.

+++++++

My first guess is somewhere in California, most likely southern California.  The tank appears to be constructed of redwood, it would be very unusual to find a redwood tank in a location other than the west coast of the US.  

The tree to the left appears to be a eucalyptus; that restricts it to temperate locations.  The overall vegetation is semi-arid, though the rainfall is sufficient for ferns to grow around the bottom of the tank.  That eliminates most of the immediate Pacific Coast mountain ranges north of Sonoma County. 

What we then have left is southern Oregon and northern California east of the Coast Range and west of the Cascade, and most of California between the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Coast south of Sonoma. The gum trees eliminate all areas that have significant snow and cold, which means the tank must be at an elevation less than 1000 feet above sea level.

Beyond that I can't guess much more. I've seen a lot settings such as that in from Lake County in California all the way to the Mexcian border.


----------



## geoand

I have posted sometime in the past some macro shots of mosses, lichens, and tiny little flowers from Alaska.

So, guess where this came from.


----------



## sstamm

SueDonJ said:


> Wow, I can't believe this has fallen so far off the first page!  We all must be saving up our photo-shooting for the holidays, huh?
> 
> How about a game of Where In The World Is This?



Petticoat Junction??!!


----------



## geoand

Steve,

Did they really build redwood hot tubs that big?  Now I know what they mean by hot tub party!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Steve,
> 
> Did they really build redwood hot tubs that big?  Now I know what they mean by hot tub party!


Not a hot tug, George.  It's a water supply tank.

Virtually without exception those tanks were built from virgin growth clear heart redwood.  When many of those redwood stave tanks are removed from service, they are dismantled and much of wood ends up in hot tubs.

Back in the 1970's when I was doing some deck repair at our house in the Bay area I bought some virgin clear heart redwood that came from a mill in Humboldt County on the northern California.  It was the most amazing lumber I've worked with in my life.  I may still have a couple of scraps of it laying around.


----------



## geoand

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Not a hot tug, George.  It's a water supply tank.



:hysterical:


----------



## Nobylspoon




----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Not a hot tug, George.  It's a water supply tank.



Yes it is, and you'll find it beyond the parking lot at the Waimea Canyon lookout on Kauai if you follow the path to the left of the ladies' facilities.  The day I took this picture the parking lot wasn't half full, but you should have seen the tank on the Sunday of the next week, when it and the parking lot were full to overflowing!

No worries about the drinking water  - we carried our own and bought fresh pineapple from the nice clean refreshment stand.

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

geoand said:


> I have posted sometime in the past some macro shots of mosses, lichens, and tiny little flowers from Alaska.
> 
> So, guess where this came from.



Wow, geo, the only place I've seen orchids that perfect is the Boston spring flower show.  Very nice!

Sadly, the organization that runs our show announced a few weeks ago that they have no funding so this year's is cancelled.  My sisters and I have continued our Mom's tradition of going out to the show and dinner for 24 years - our cold damp miserable March won't be the same without it.

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

Nobylspoon, I'd call that one _Shades of Grey_ and frame it.  Fascinating.

Susan


----------



## SueDonJ

An oldie for Where in the World?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> Yes it is, and you'll find it beyond the parking lot at the Waimea Canyon lookout on Kauai if you follow the path to the left of the ladies' facilities.  The day I took this picture the parking lot wasn't half full, but you should have seen the tank on the Sunday of the next week, when it and the parking lot were full to overflowing!
> 
> No worries about the drinking water  - we carried our own and bought fresh pineapple from the nice clean refreshment stand.
> 
> Susan



It may be a hot tub now, but it was assuredly originally built as a water tank.  There are two giveaways as to that:

1. The water pipe connection on the facing side of the tank.  The way that is connected and the size of the pipe is what you do for a water tank, not a hot tub.

2. The water level gauge on the left side of the ladder.  There is no need for a water level gauge on a hot tank, whereas they are almost mandatory on a water tank. 

In addition the location you describe is precisely where a water tank would likely be located, and is an extremely unlikely location at which someone would build a hot tub.

I'll look for it next summer when we're back in Kaua'i.  Which Waimea Canyon lookout are you referring to - there are two developed ones that have parking lots and restroom facilities.


----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> It may be a hot tub now, but it was assuredly originally built as a water tank.  There are two giveaways as to that:
> 
> 1. The water pipe connection on the facing side of the tank.  The way that is connected and the size of the pipe is what you do for a water tank, not a hot tub.
> 
> 2. The water level gauge on the left side of the ladder.  There is no need for a water level gauge on a hot tank, whereas they are almost mandatory on a water tank.
> 
> In addition the location you describe is precisely where a water tank would likely be located, and is an extremely unlikely location at which someone would build a hot tub.
> 
> I'll look for it next summer when we're back in Kaua'i.  Which Waimea Canyon lookout are you referring to - there are two developed ones that have parking lots and restroom facilities.



No, no, that's what I meant, Trog, "Yes it is a water tank and no it is not a hot tub.  Yet."   

I'm not certain, but I think it's at the first more developed facility.  Whichever one it is, as you come into the parking lot the ladies' is on the right and the path leads from the left of that building and around to the right in the back of it.  I think there is an emergency telephone on a pole just in front of where the path begins.

Happy hunting!  How will you explain to your travelling crew that you'll "just need a sec to find the nasty water tank?"

Susan


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> No, no, that's what I meant, Trog, "Yes it is a water tank and no it is not a hot tub.  Yet."
> 
> I'm not certain, but I think it's at the first more developed facility.  Whichever one it is, as you come into the parking lot the ladies' is on the right and the path leads from the left of that building and around to the right in the back of it.  I think there is an emergency telephone on a pole just in front of where the path begins.
> 
> Happy hunting!  How will you explain to your travelling crew that you'll "just need a sec to find the nasty water tank?"
> 
> Susan


OK - I think I know which turnout you're talking about.  As you face the canyon from the parking lot, there are steps on your left that lead to the viewing area.  And the pineapple there are some vendors on the left side, near the base of the steps.

IIRC - the faucets and spigots are labeled with warnings that the water is not potable.


----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> OK - I think I know which turnout you're talking about.  As you face the canyon from the parking lot, there are steps on your left that lead to the viewing area.  And the pineapple there are some vendors on the left side, near the base of the steps.
> 
> IIRC - the faucets and spigots are labeled with warnings that the water is not potable.



Yes, that's it exactly, Steve.  We found those labels in the facilities in a parking lot somewhere near our kayak/hike trip, too.  That was early in our first week so we started carrying bottled water everywhere from that point on.

I'm jealous that you're going back.  "Someday" for us, but no plans yet.
Susan


----------



## Karen P

*Lake Tahoe, Easter Sunday 2002, aboard the Woodwind ll*


----------



## TUGBrian

hadnt seen this thread in almost a week...wow i wasnt disappointed!


----------



## Brett

here's my latest (and probably the last pic of fall foliage)
park in Hampton, Va.


----------



## aliikai2

*Kite surfers off Kauai last week*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

aliikai2 said:


>


Was that near Gillian's Beach?


----------



## aliikai2

*Hi Steve*

No it was right in Kapaa, I took the shot from the beach at the Pono Kai.:whoopie: 

Greg


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Columbia River near Entiat, WA*

Fall colors in the late afternoon on the desert side of the Cascade Mountains.  

Also trying out a new piece of software.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Fall colors in the late afternoon on the desert side of the Cascade Mountains.
> Also trying out a new piece of software.



I have Photomatix,  it's interesting to combine three bracketed exposures and see what happens.  Depending on the lighting you can get HDR and just a colorful saturated pic.  that one looks pretty good (realistic )


----------



## swift

This may be a dumb question but why does the picture have the word Photomatix in the mountains?


----------



## TUGBrian

its a watermark Theresa...its put there to keep people from copying the photo for their own use etc.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

swift said:


> This may be a dumb question but why does the picture have the word Photomatix in the mountains?


I have a trial version of the software.  The trial version puts the watermark on the photo.  If I decide to buy the software, I'll receive a license key that will deactivate the watermarking function.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Brett said:


> I have Photomatix,  it's interesting to combine three bracketed exposures and see what happens.  Depending on the lighting you can get HDR and just a colorful saturated pic.  that one looks pretty good (realistic )



I thought it came out very nicely, particularly for a first try. I was very pleased with Photomatix. When I merged the exposures it did a good job of filling in the tonal ranges, plus it corrected a lot chromatic aberrations that I normally have to deal with by hand.  That chromatic aberration correction by itself makes the program valuable.

I saved the HDR merge as a 16-bit .TIFF file, which I then opened in PaintShop Pro.  In PaintShop I did noise reduction, some mild clarification, and a curves adjustment (the Photomatix output was too dark).

This looks like a winner piece of software.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Anchorage Memorial Cemetery

Still playing with the new software. Here's the version of the photo I posted previously: 






And here's the same thing with the Photomatix software:






For the technically-inclined.  Both photos are High Dynamic Range merges of the same three layers.  The first was done with the HDR function in PaintShopPro. The second is with the Photomatix HDR package. The second photo also took me one-fourth as long to process as the first photo.

I think I like the Photomatix package a lot.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Steve the photos look wonderful.  I envy your for your talent and patience in making the most out of your photos.  My head's gonna explode from working with my polar bear photos in PS3!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Timeshare Von said:


> Steve the photos look wonderful.  I envy your for your talent and patience in making the most out of your photos.  My head's gonna explode from working with my polar bear photos in PS3!



Yvonne - at the risk of stuffing more info in your head ... If this is too much just make a note of it for future reference.

One of the things that you become aware of as you start working with photographs is that eyes and cameras are very different.  The eye is a very complex organ and from the receptors in the eye to the neurons in the brain that process the information from the eye there is a lot that happens to interpret the information. In contrast, the photosensor in a digital camera is very dumb.  It simply records what is transmitted to it from the camera lens, recording red, green, and blue in tonal values ranging from 0 to 255.  

Now, one of the big ways that the eye differs from a camera is in the ability to differentiate among shades of dark and shades of light.  When we look at a scene that has high contrast - for example a stream flowing in the bottom of a deep shadowed canyon with snow-capped mountains towering overhead - the human eye adjusts to the scene by increasing the sensitivity of the light receptors in the retina that are focused on the dark shadowed areas and decreasing the senstivity of receptors that are receiving information from the snow on the mountains.  

A camera is dumb.  It can't make those adjustments.  So in a high contrast scene if you adjust the camera to catch the details in the snow and the bright sky, the shadows in the canyon turn completely black.  But if you set the camera exposure to pick up the details of the rocks, trees, and water in the canyon then the snow and the sky turn pure white. 

In photography the solution is HDR processing.  HDR stands for high dynamic range.  In a setting such as I described, the photographer takes a series of pictures of the same scene, with the set of exposures bracketing the dynamicn range from the bright sun and snow to the dark canyons.  The software then merges those, making the sorts of adjustments that the human eye naturally makes. 

Because the most intriguing natural photos generally involve high dynamic range, the ability to do HDR processing is critical if you want to really create pictures that capture that same sense of *Aha!!!* that caused you to grab your camera and shoot that picture. If you're like me, you've gotten tired of getting prints back that you look at and feel disappointed because they just don't do justice to what you were looking at at the time. That's what impelled me to start to investigating how I could show in my photos what I was trying to capture in the first place.  

If you're feeling overwhelmed right now, don't worry about HDR.  Just know that it exists and that it's a way of working with photos to improve your ability to represent bright brights and dark darks.  Then when you're ready to move to the next level, you will  have an idea of where to start.


----------



## KristinB

Here are some HDRs that I've done -- where I've actually taken multiple exposures of the same scene and merged them via Photomatix.  They're really best suited for shots where there's a wide dynamic range.  I bracketed between 5 and 7 shots for these images:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kristin - I love the waterfall picture, but I especially like the picture of the tree and the marsh.  Often when I consider what level I would like to advance to in my photography skills, I usually conclude that I should aspire to be as good as Kristin.

++++

BTW - do you submit any of your photos to Panoramio?


----------



## taffy19

These pictures are beautiful, Kristin.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

I'm having fun.

*Chulitna River, Denali State Park*

Chulitna River and the Alaska Range, not far from Denali.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - I love the waterfall picture, but I especially like the picture of the tree and the marsh.  Often when I consider what level I would like to advance to in my photography skills, I usually conclude that I should aspire to be as good as Kristin.
> 
> ++++
> 
> BTW - do you submit any of your photos to Panoramio?



Steve,

You're making me blush!   Thanks so much for the compliment, but your photographs are fantastic...  That one from Denali is gorgeous, love the colors.  So you bought Photomatix?  Did you get the 15% discount?  (If not, you should contact them and ask them to apply it retroactively.)

No, I don't submit my photos anywhere.  I've never even heard of Panoramio.  What's it about?


----------



## KristinB

From our recent Florida vacation (White Ibis, taken at Fort DeSoto on the Gulf Coast):


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Jack River, Cantwell, Alaska*

This one came out pretty good.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> No, I don't submit my photos anywhere.  I've never even heard of Panoramio.  What's it about?



You upload your photos at Panoramio, and you can put a pin in a map for where the picture was taken.  Then they will show up in Google Earth.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Steve & Kristin . . . thanks for sharing your knowledge, talent and wonderful photos!  I am truly envious and will some day really delve deeper into my photographer's mindset and go to the next level with my interests.

Until then, I'll return the thread back to our regularly scheduled programming!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Chugach Mountains near Homer, Alaska*






Even my darkest bracket on this photo was overexposed for the clouds, so the clouds blew out to pure white.


----------



## Makai Guy

*Just back from Sedona, AZ*

Red Rock Crossing






View from Red Rock Loop


----------



## KristinB

Doug,

Gorgeous shots!


----------



## KristinB

Here's a Royal Tern:


----------



## Kay H

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Jack River, Cantwell, Alaska*
> 
> This one came out pretty good.




Steve,
This looks more like painting rather than a photo. These pictures are fantastic.


----------



## geoand

SueDonJ said:


> Wow, geo, the only place I've seen orchids that perfect is the Boston spring flower show.  Very nice!
> 
> Sadly, the organization that runs our show announced a few weeks ago that they have no funding so this year's is cancelled.  My sisters and I have continued our Mom's tradition of going out to the show and dinner for 24 years - our cold damp miserable March won't be the same without it.
> 
> Susan



DW and I have the blackest thumbs when it comes to houseplants.  Our relatives continue to give us houseplants as gifts and we continue to destroy them thru neglect, too much care, etc.  It just does not work for us EXCEPT this orchid that DW's niece gave to us this past spring.  DW took this shot just last week and emailed it to niece to prove we hadn't inadvertently destroyed it yet.  It sits on window ledge in bathroom on south side of house.


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh wow, I am jealous as all get out of those bird shots!  Green, green, green!

My Christmas list has one thing on it - a DSLR camera.  Anybody want to make suggestions or recommendations for cameras, accessories, lenses, etc??

I love most everything about my Sony Cybershot 7.2 but I need something better for amateur birdwatching and night shots.  My favorite accessory is the battery charger and extra batteries; my least favorite is the adapter that's necessary to use lenses.

Surely some of you can be stand-ins for Santa's elves?


----------



## geoand

*East of Stevens Pass*


----------



## KristinB

SueDonJ said:


> Oh wow, I am jealous as all get out of those bird shots!  Green, green, green!
> 
> My Christmas list has one thing on it - a DSLR camera.  Anybody want to make suggestions or recommendations for cameras, accessories, lenses, etc??
> 
> I love most everything about my Sony Cybershot 7.2 but I need something better for amateur birdwatching and night shots.  My favorite accessory is the battery charger and extra batteries; my least favorite is the adapter that's necessary to use lenses.
> 
> Surely some of you can be stand-ins for Santa's elves?



Okay, here's another, LOL!   A Reddish Egret...






I am partial to Nikon DSLRs myself... I'd like to suggest that you go to the Nikon Cafe, where you will find lots of nice, friendly folks who are willing to help you with your buying decision (much like here).


----------



## dmharris

Geo,

I LOVE this photo!  I am crazy for reflections in photography and this is magnificent.  The composition of contrasts, tall to short, yellow to dark and a spot of red!  Fabulous!


----------



## Timeshare Von

SueDonJ said:


> Oh wow, I am jealous as all get out of those bird shots!  Green, green, green!
> 
> My Christmas list has one thing on it - a DSLR camera.  Anybody want to make suggestions or recommendations for cameras, accessories, lenses, etc??
> 
> I love most everything about my Sony Cybershot 7.2 but I need something better for amateur birdwatching and night shots.  My favorite accessory is the battery charger and extra batteries; my least favorite is the adapter that's necessary to use lenses.
> 
> Surely some of you can be stand-ins for Santa's elves?



I'm very happy with the Olympus DSLR and four-thirds system lenses.  There is also a users' group with good folks much like what Kristin mentions for Nikon.


----------



## KristinB

I may have to call this "Bird of the Day" for a while, LOL!

Great Blue Heron:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Birch trees in my front yard.  *

Taken during the rain a couple of days ago.


----------



## KristinB

Today's bird is a Tricolored Heron:


----------



## Nobylspoon

I guess I will try to stick with the bird theme we have going.


----------



## SueDonJ

Well, you all will have to suffer inferior Bird Of The Day shots.  Just be grateful you don't have to watch all my hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing, and listen to me whine and cry that, "it's not faaaaaaaaaair, they have better biiiiiiiird pictures, I can't compeeeeeeeeeete."   

the Odd Couple at Waiohai's lagoon:


----------



## jerseyfinn

Makai Guy said:


> Red Rock Crossing
> 
> View from Red Rock Loop



Doug, some really nice shots.  I've yet to do the Red Rock Loop trail but your shots have made me put it on our "to do" list for one of our future Sedona visits.

Alsos enjoyed your Yellowstone photos. A nice collection which really conveys the experience. I especially like the Christmas in July section as you capture the fun of the moment.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Noblyspoon*, I like the color & compsition of the penguin shot.

*Kristin*, where are you shooting these birds?  I guess it takes a lot a patience to "stalk" these guys to capture the true mood of these beautiful birds.

Barry


----------



## Makai Guy

jerseyfinn said:


> Doug, some really nice shots.  I've yet to do the Red Rock Loop trail but your shots have made me put it on our "to do" list for one of our future Sedona visits.


I'll bet you HAVE been on the Loop if you've spent much time in Sedona at all.  This Red Rock Loop is a road, the one that goes past Red Rock State Park near one end, and by the High School at the other.   We probably drive this at least twice each week we're there because everything looks so different in different lighting conditions.  There's about a 2 mile stretch in the middle that isn't paved but it's graded well enough for standard family cars.

Once I was on the Loop early one morning when there was fog in the valleys, and the rock formations were sticking up through the fog into the sun.  Absolutely stunning!  This was before I had a digital camera and as luck would have it I was out of film.  I've been kicking myself ever since.

Non-photographic but Red Rock Loop related story:  We had a rental car whose alternator died one trip -- we were just running on the battery for who knows how long without realizing it.  Died completely on the unpaved part of the road, and this was before we had cell phones.  I hiked several miles back to the State Park to be able to call the rental car company, which had to dispatch someone from Flagstaff with our replacement car.  The driver and tow vehicle were just leaving Sedona at the time on ANOTHER car replacement, so the whole thing took over three hours of sitting by the side of the hot, dusty road and waiting.  Can't help but think of this every time we drive along the unpaved section.  Now we smile.  Then we didn't.



> Alsos enjoyed your Yellowstone photos. A nice collection which really conveys the experience. I especially like the Christmas in July section as you capture the fun of the moment.
> 
> Barry



Thanks a lot.  I still go back and review those pages every couple of months.  It really brings back the memories.  If you're really a glutton for punishment you can try to wade through the complete (text) journal.


----------



## TUGBrian

man...some of these pics could be framed and up on the wall!


----------



## KristinB

jerseyfinn said:


> *Noblyspoon*, I like the color & compsition of the penguin shot.
> 
> *Kristin*, where are you shooting these birds?  I guess it takes a lot a patience to "stalk" these guys to capture the true mood of these beautiful birds.
> 
> Barry



Yes, I agree about the penguin pic -- very nice!

Barry, this set is from our most recent TS vacation on the Gulf coast of Florida (at Jamaican on the Gulf).  If you click the link in my sig you can see the full gallery (as well as my other galleries).  Yes, you really have to just be willing to sit around and wait for the birds to get comfortable with your presence (although a telephoto lens helps as well, LOL).


----------



## jerseyfinn

Like many photo posters here, I always seem to have a back log of images to work through. I just finish working through our Arizona photos for the year ( partly inspired by Makai guy's great photos ). I post a few images here.

Hope you enjoy them.  And happy Turkey Day!

Barry







*Sandy's Canyon Trail -- Flagstaff AZ*

more images in my *Flagstaff & Environs* gallery​

*________________________*







*Bear Mountain Trail, Sedona AZ*

More images in my *hiking trails in Sedona gallery*

*___________________*






*Long Canyon Trail*

More images in my *Sedona in Fall Gallery*​


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Among the many things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for memories of wonderful times on Kaua'i during our nearly annual visits to the island.

This is Ha'upu, taken from the cliffs at the end of Gillians Beach.


----------



## KristinB

Black skimmers:


----------



## jerseyfinn

KristinB said:


> Black skimmers:



Kristin, lovely skimmer photos.

Do you know anything about their habitats & behavior etc. We see skimmers up in the Outer Banks during the summer ( Ocracoke to be precise ) and they are all over the place and are *very *active -- they're a lovely bird to watch as they approach at wave's edge skimming the water.

We see them in the winter in Florida at our Ocean Pointe resort but they tend to congregate on the beach and they do not fly and skim as much as we observe in the summer. They kind of behave like lazy tourists.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kristin - I love all of your bird pics.  One question:  are your planes of focus that narrow solely due to using a large lens and a wide aperture?  Or are you doing other steps to increase the focus on the principal bird in the photos?


----------



## geoand

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - I love all of your bird pics.  One question:  are your planes of focus that narrow solely due to using a large lens and a wide aperture?  Or are you doing other steps to increase the focus on the principal bird in the photos?



Kristin, inquiring minds want to know.  However, some of us (me) want a non technical answer.  For example, when I use my telephoto to get as close as possible, I need to adjust so that I have enough light.  Of course, only the object is in focus and the rest is not.  At least it seems that way when I am taking shots of hummingbirds and other birds.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Kristin, inquiring minds want to know.  However, some of us (me) want a non technical answer.  For example, when I use my telephoto to get as close as possible, I need to adjust so that I have enough light.  Of course, only the object is in focus and the rest is not.  At least it seems that way when I am taking shots of hummingbirds and other birds.


Non technical answer - Yes.  If you use a zoom lens, you reduce the depth of field that is in focus in the photo.

A practical application.  Let's say you are taking a picture of someone in front of a garden and you compose the picture without the zoom lens by simply moving towards or away from the person until they fill the photo as you desire.  Now set your camera to something such as a 4x or 5x zoom and move away from the person until the person fills the frame to the same extent as previously, then take the picture.

When you compare the pictures you should find that with the zoom picture the depth of focus around the person is much shallower.  So if you want to emphasize the subject of the photo and deemphasize the objects surroundings, you should shoot the object using a zoom even though zoom isn't strictly needed to capture the image. Portrait figures typically use a zoom lens for this very reason.


----------



## Brett

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - I love all of your bird pics.  One question:  are your planes of focus that narrow solely due to using a large lens and a wide aperture?  Or are you doing other steps to increase the focus on the principal bird in the photos?



The "DOF" is interesting on those bird pics, especially the middle one.  It looks like a very narrow focus range emphasizing the one bird resulting in a good composition,   I know I cannot achieve that with my camera (even with photoshop!)


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - I love all of your bird pics.  One question:  are your planes of focus that narrow solely due to using a large lens and a wide aperture?  Or are you doing other steps to increase the focus on the principal bird in the photos?



Steve,

I appreciate the comments.  No, I'm not doing anything else to increase the focus, it's solely due to my large lens (which you can see in the picture that follows, LOL ) and the wide aperture.

Pic 1 -- f/5, 1/2000, 500mm (300mm lens with a 1.7 teleconverter)     
Pic 2 -- f/2.8, 1/160, 300mm
Pic 3 -- f/4, 1/1250, 300mm


----------



## KristinB

For those who might care, here is my gear list (Nikon unless otherwise specified):

D200 | D70
10.5mm f/2.8 | 50mm f/1.8 | 300mm f/2.8 AFS II | 35-70mm f/2.8 | 12-24mm f/4 | 18-200mm VR | 70-300mm VR | TC-17E II | Sigma 30mm f/1.4 | Sigma 150mm f/2.8


----------



## KristinB

jerseyfinn said:


> Kristin, lovely skimmer photos.
> 
> Do you know anything about their habitats & behavior etc. We see skimmers up in the Outer Banks during the summer ( Ocracoke to be precise ) and they are all over the place and are *very *active -- they're a lovely bird to watch as they approach at wave's edge skimming the water.
> 
> We see them in the winter in Florida at our Ocean Pointe resort but they tend to congregate on the beach and they do not fly and skim as much as we observe in the summer. They kind of behave like lazy tourists.
> 
> Barry



No, I really don't know that much about them, I have to admit...  But I enjoy photographing them!  Thanks!


----------



## KristinB

Brown pelicans:


----------



## KristinB

Ruddy Turnstone:


----------



## swift

It's been a long while since I last posted a picture on this thread. No match against the pros on here but here is a picture of an outing we went on last weekend. It is at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair. We talked a little about it on the Western board. http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84998&highlight=dickens


----------



## swift

Here is one more. These are live plays and shows that are going on all around you as you are walking through the fair. This is a picture of Jacob Marley telling Ebenezer Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits.


----------



## geoand

Theresa,

I have enjoyed each and every photo that has been posted.  Don't worry about not being a pro!


----------



## TUGBrian

figured id add a few....since I dont get to take vacation trips...this is as close as I get =)

Jacksonville hosts an annual "lighting of the tree" ceremony at the landing every year...this year we decided to hop on das boot and ride down there to watch.

My camera aint nearly as snazzy as some of the others here, so thisll have to do =)

picture of the landing from about 100yds out, note the ridiculous amount of people at the event (this is why we went by boat)






and on the way back, the acosta bridge was quite impressive...i think this picture came out really well






was a beautiful night too although overcast, temp didnt get below 70!


----------



## susieq

Beautiful pictures ~~ but quit rubbin' in the temp. already!!!  ​


----------



## JoAnn

susieq said:


> Beautiful pictures ~~ but quit rubbin' in the temp. already!!!  ​



If it's any consulation...our temps in SW FL are @ 45 as I post...it was sunny today, but never got up to 60.  Another cold front came through.  This has been VERY chilly down  here the last few weeks.  :annoyed:


----------



## swift

geoand said:


> Theresa,
> 
> I have enjoyed each and every photo that has been posted.  Don't worry about not being a pro!




Thank you Geoand.  


Here is one of my daughter, who is working the fair, my hubby and youngest son.


----------



## TUGBrian

JoAnn said:


> If it's any consulation...our temps in SW FL are @ 45 as I post...it was sunny today, but never got up to 60.  Another cold front came through.  This has been VERY chilly down  here the last few weeks.  :annoyed:



what she said!

we were lucky to get that beautiful day for thanksgiving and friday!

last night on the way home the temp said 31....there was frost on everything this morning...booo


----------



## KristinB

Little Blue Heron:


----------



## Brett

*Christmas tree reflecting in downtown Newport News*

Christmas tree reflecting in downtown Newport News


----------



## KristinB

Sanderling:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Columbia River near Mattawa, WA*


----------



## SueDonJ

I've been experimenting with my daughter's Nikon 35MM.  She took photography in high school and takes excellent shots with this but has mostly given it up for the ease and convenience (and less expense!) of a digital.  I've got a looooooong way to go to be as comfortable with the camera as she is, but I do like this one of the sky over the ballfield just before a late summer storm.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Nightfall on the Alaska Range near Cantwell, Alaska*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*More Alaska Range near Cantwell*

Earlier that same day. A black and white rendition.


----------



## SueDonJ

Steve, do you frame poster-sized pics for your home?  Your photos are gorgeous and they'd look great hanging in a family room or office.  Nice gifts for the folks who travel with you, too.  <hint hint>

Back to the digital shots, another inferior bird shot <sigh> from our bike tour of Pinckney Island last October:


----------



## SueDonJ

On a related note, Santa shopped the sales and is bringing the Sony DSLR-A350 to us.  Don and I both want to learn how to get the most out of it; he's less experienced than me with any camera.  What would you all suggest for both of us for instruction - a semester at the local adult-ed night courses or something more specialized?

Thanks to you all for your previous recommendations!


----------



## SueDonJ

TUGBrian said:


> man...some of these pics could be framed and up on the wall!



Ah, see, somebody else already thought of it!  Another read-then-post lesson.  One more idea is those photo-books - iPhoto does a GREAT job with them and you don't need to be a professional to get professional-looking results.  Works for me!

And if Kristin put together a 2010 Bird Calendar she'd probably outsell the Audubon Society!


----------



## geoand

This is our I forget how many years of giving picture calendars as gifts and or our version of "Christmas Cards."  We use shutterfly with great success.  This year we prepared 8 different calendars.  Three of them were pictures of the couples over the past few years (we were on vacation with them), three different scenery calendars, and 2 different wildlife calendars.  None of the calendars repeated any of the shots from previous years or this year.  In the past, we have done just strictly bird calendars.  We enjoy doing this and we know that many of the people enjoy getting our calendars.  In fact, one of our friends lives in Germany and she has last year's calendar at her office.  She has told us that she gets many compliments and she says that she proudly lets the people know that she knows the photographers.

We use Shutterfly because they produce an excellent product with excellent return time.  They also run 1/2 price specials throughout the year.

I know that I would thoroughly enjoy receiving calendars from any of the folks who have posted their many photos on this thread.

Just as an added little bit of joy for us - we have always added something to the calendars cover page and even on all of our slideshow presentations that we give as remembrances of trips or occasions.  The calendars have "Scenes from Perrydise" and the slideshow presentations close with this shot





with the caption A Perrydise Production.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*More Polar Bears*

Chillin in the blizzard





Momma & cub


----------



## KristinB

Steve,

Love the Columbia River and Alaska shots -- just wonderful!

Yvonne,

Wow, what I wouldn't give to get a chance to shoot (photographically, of course) polar bears in the wild!  Those are great...

Susan,

I'm glad someone is still shooting with film -- very nice!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

More Columbia River for you, Kristin.

*Fall Reflections in the Columbia River*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

One of my favorite photographic subjects in the world.

*Kilauea Lighthouse*


----------



## RDB

*Wind generators above Walla Walla River*






From my Walla Walla, WA to Portland, OR collection.
--------------------------
Robert


----------



## RDB

*Basalts along Columbia River*

[IMGL]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_is2GB2Iypak/RorQSq5IsPI/AAAAAAAADPc/MmCOs8gUMUI/s800/rowena_gap_upstream_lyle_from_I-84_2004.jpg[/IMGL]
























From my Walla Walla to Portland collection.
--------------------------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

*Beacon Rock seen from Warrendale, OR along the Columbia*






From my Walla Walla to Portland collection.
_______________

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Polihale*
Another of my favorite locales.


----------



## KristinB

Okay guys, keep those Hawaii and Columbia River shots coming -- loving them all!

I went out to Conowingo Dam (near the MD/PA border) yesterday with some friends to shoot eagles, so now you're going to have to put up with a few days of eagle shots, LOL!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

More Hawai'i for you, Kristin.

*Makewehi Cliffs near Gillians Beach*


----------



## SueDonJ

a cloudy Waimea Canyon:





the "kids" on top of the world:


----------



## SueDonJ

KristinB said:


> I went out to Conowingo Dam (near the MD/PA border) yesterday with some friends to shoot eagles, so now you're going to have to put up with a few days of eagle shots, LOL!



Love love love that idea!  I have never seen an eagle, nevermind actually try to take pics of one.  Who else has eagle shots?


----------



## SueDonJ

swift said:


> It's been a long while since I last posted a picture on this thread.



Theresa, any more Disney pics to show us?  We've been waiting on a DVC trade for a few months for next October but it doesn't look like that will happen, so now we're not sure if we want to stay off-site or use our trade week somewhere else.  We need some convincing.


----------



## easyrider

*Oceanside Pier*


----------



## easyrider

*Steve*


----------



## easyrider

*Venice Beach*


----------



## easyrider

*Venice Beach*


----------



## easyrider

*Nice pool*


----------



## easyrider

*Expensive San Semon Rental*


----------



## easyrider

*our room*


----------



## easyrider

*hand carved bump out*


----------



## TUGBrian

WOW that eagle shot!


----------



## swift

Do I recognize that pool from Hearst Castle?


----------



## swift

SueDonJ said:


> Theresa, any more Disney pics to show us?  We've been waiting on a DVC trade for a few months for next October but it doesn't look like that will happen, so now we're not sure if we want to stay off-site or use our trade week somewhere else.  We need some convincing.



I will be at DisneyLand in March. I will definitely have some new pictures then. Wouldn't take me much convincing to go back to DisneyWorld again. I would go back in a heart beat.


----------



## RDB

*Nice Eagle*

Looking forward to more eagles.
Great shot Kristin.
------------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

*Flyfishing Spearfish Creek*

Spearfish Canyon is one US Sceinic Biway. A nice drive from Mt Rushmore.






From my Ellsworth AFB to Spearfish, SD collection.
---------------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

*Grandkids with Grandpa at Cape Meares Light, OR*






From my Oregon Coast collection.
------------

Robert


----------



## RDB

*From S. Rim in Sunrise Light 10/7/2006 6:56 AM*






From my GRAND CANYON collection.
--------------------

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wave-Eroded Rocks - Makewehi Cliffs *


----------



## KristinB

*Today's eagle...*


----------



## RDB

KristinB;636662 ... QUOTE said:
			
		

> Do you bait them to come closer?
> -------------------
> 
> Robert


----------



## RDB

*CORN PALACE - 2006  - Mitchell, SD*







Decorated with grains each year.
--------------
Robert


----------



## KristinB

RDB said:


> Do you bait them to come closer?
> -------------------
> 
> Robert



No, they were too busy fishing, LOL!   I had a 300mm lens with a 1.7 teleconverter, and then cropped the shot a bit to get the final result.  They're just pretty much habituated to the humans who stand around the dam all the time (lucky for us).  Some of my friends get awesome shots of eagles with fish in their talons -- I'm not that good.


----------



## RDB

*Quick on the draw, I must say*



			
				... I had a 300mm lens with a 1.7 teleconverter said:
			
		

> Will they not share some shots?
> May be an opportunity to tell them about TUG? Have them sign up and share.
> ________________________
> 
> 
> Robert


----------



## KristinB

Actually, we all belong to a forum called the Nikon Cafe, and they (and I) post over there.  Here's a thread with some fabulous pics of eagles with fish starting with post #42.  You'll also see my friend John (who took my avatar photo) has given me my new motto, LOL!


----------



## KristinB

*My best eagle shot (to date)*


----------



## JoAnn

KristinB said:


> Actually, we all belong to a forum called the Nikon Cafe, and they (and I) post over there).  Here's a thread with some fabulous pics of eagles with fish starting with post #42.  You'll also see my friend John (who took my avatar photo) has given me my new motto, LOL!



Kristin:  Those are all awesome photos!  What a great experience to be in the middle of all those magnificent Eagles.  Thanks for sharing that site.
We have a young one flying regularly over our little lake and I hope he/she stays around.  

I look forward to seeing all the pictures that are posted.  Wonderful photography.  Especially of the places we've seen in our travels.  Brings back lots of good memories.


----------



## RDB

*Kansas Neighborhood Fun time*











*Off my back, I said!!*

From my Kansas collection.
---------------------

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Menehune Fish Ponds - Kaua'i*


----------



## SueDonJ

This thread is hands-down my favorite reading spot on the web.  Thanks to everyone who contributes!

This is today's Captive Bird of The Day from Busch Gardens, FL:


----------



## jerseyfinn

RDB said:


>



Robert,

Neat photos. I'm a Jersey guy so the only rodeo we see is on TV. We did however stop at the Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs years ago. What an eye-opener that was!

We learn about rodeo and the men and women in it ( even a famous bull rider from Philadelphia who gets gored and dies ). It gave me a whole new appreciation for what those folks go through in a sport in which one could argue that rodeo people are the toughest athletes ( or at least the hardest working ).

Thanks for sharing those pictures as they wake up some memories for me.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

KristinB said:


>



Kristin,

Some great eagle shots. I especially like this one as you capture the mechanics of flight just at the right moment.

We've had a red-tailed hawk near the house the past few weeks. Sometimes you hear him/her screeching & you look up and see this majestic wing sweep. Also notice how the birds all seem to go silent and dash for the trees and bushes. Now I've got to a point where if I don't hear birds chirping or see them fluttering about, I look up in the sky and eventually pick up the hawk silently sweeping the sky. It's neat to be reminided that nature is out there 24/7 while we sit in our heated/airconditioned homes.

Barry


----------



## Makai Guy

jerseyfinn said:


> I'm a Jersey guy so the only rodeo we see is on TV.


FWIW, as a kid back in the dark ages, my family used to rent a small house across the street from the beach in Cape May for a week or two in the summer.  One of the real attractions for me as a little kid was there was a nightly rodeo held very near by, and we kids could actually see into the rodeo grounds from our second floor bedroom window.  

I suppose by now the land became too valuable for it still to be used as a rodeo grounds.


----------



## easyrider

swift said:


> Do I recognize that pool from Hearst Castle?



yes you do, it would be a nice place to have a party


----------



## RDB

jerseyfinn said:


> Robert,
> 
> Neat photos. I'm a Jersey guy so the only rodeo we see is on TV. We did however stop at the Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs years ago. What an eye-opener that was!
> 
> ...  Barry



This is a little fun thing many friends near Topeka do on weekends. A family get-togather thing. Home made ribs too!
Near the end of my 2006 Trip West. Someday I may finish that report.


----------



## RDB

*Home Colors*
















Colors (Nov 2008) from my HOME collection. 
-------------------

Robert


----------



## Timeshare Von

Boy do I miss the fall in Virginia!!!  Thanks for sharing those RDB.


----------



## AwayWeGo

*Cool Cloudscapes.*



 
Click The Picture To See More. ​

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## HatTrick

*Around Anaeho'omalu Bay (Big Island)*


----------



## Kay H

Alan,
All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## dmharris

The Cloud holes might be wowers, but some how I appreciate even more the personal touch of seeing our own Tuggers' photos. Kinda like the difference between a Hallmark card and a hand-made one. Both gorgeous, but for different reasons.

I love seeing Robert hardly visible in the Spearfish Canyon fly fishing photo, and glimpses of all of you as real people with living, breathing, passion for God's creation, man-made art or your own families, coursing through your veins; that is what I've come to know and deeply appreciate over the past couple of years, if only through your posts.


----------



## KristinB

dmharris said:


> The Cloud holes might be wowers, but some how I appreciate even more the personal touch of seeing our own Tuggers' photos.



Oh, I thought that was Alan's photo... I thought that was the purpose of this thread, to post our own pics?  

HatTrick, I love that shot of the turtle.  I never got a good one when I was on the islands, and never saw one on the beach like that.

Here's my eagle pic for today:


----------



## AwayWeGo

*Other People's Pictures.*




KristinB said:


> Oh, I thought that was Alan's photo... I thought that was the purpose of this thread, to post our own pics?


Yes, the true purpose is showing pictures we've taken ourselves. 

While we're at it, it doesn't hurt to look at some arresting pictures other people took.  Some are so arresting it would be a shame to miss'm. 

_Full Disclosure*:*_ All the pictures I sent in (clouds, horns, etc.) were taken by other people.  So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## FlyerBobcat

*Kauai monk seal*

This is one of my favorite shots....  From Poipu Beach in front of the Marriott Waiohai (October, 2008).







_*.... I wanna' go back.....*_


----------



## FlyerBobcat

*One more that cries "Kauai"*


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> HatTrick, I love that shot of the turtle.  I never got a good one when I was on the islands, and never saw one on the beach like that.



You've more than made up for that with your eagle shots!

Roger


----------



## HatTrick

*Arkansas Scenes*


----------



## Timeshare Von

*One more from Arkansas*






From my IgoUgo travel journal:

Bentonville, Arkansas is the home to the world leader in mass retail marketing – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. It was here that Sam Walton, along with his wife Helen and brother J.L. ("Bud") Walton, started their retail empire from the quaint beginning in a 5 & 10 store here on the town square. Today that original store has been converted into a visitor center, telling the history and preserving the legacy of Sam Walton. (http://www.igougo.com/review-r1336829-Wal-Mart_Visitors_Center.html)


----------



## SueDonJ

KristinB said:


> ... Here's my eagle pic for today ...



Wow - you mean they just ROOST there for the picture-taking?!  I have GOT to find a place like this in Massachusetts!


----------



## SueDonJ

flyerbobcat said:


> This is one of my favorite shots....  From Poipu Beach in front of the Marriott Waiohai (October, 2008).



Hey, I have one of those, too, from May, 2008!


----------



## SueDonJ

One thing about this thread is, it makes me want to go and see things that I never would have considered, or even known about, if not for seeing them through all your lenses.  It also makes me look at familiar things in a whole new light.

Theresa, this was your idea and it was brilliant!


----------



## easyrider

*Californian*


----------



## Timeshare Von

Monk seals in Hawaii - very cool.  I've never seen one there in all of our trips.  Are they only found on Kauai?


----------



## FlyerBobcat

I don't think sightings are restricted to Kauai.  Take a look:

http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/hawaii/monk+seal/



Timeshare Von said:


> Monk seals in Hawaii - very cool.  I've never seen one there in all of our trips.  Are they only found on Kauai?


----------



## Timeshare Von

Thank you so much for sharing that.  I would love to have the opportunity to see one   Maybe on our next trip in Aug/Sept 09.


----------



## KristinB

SueDonJ said:


> Wow - you mean they just ROOST there for the picture-taking?!  I have GOT to find a place like this in Massachusetts!



Yes, they do, but they're not all that close -- you need a long lens (or binoculars) to get a good look when they're in the trees.  When they fly, they often come closer, but of course it's tough to catch them in flight.

Here's some info about the birding at the location I took the eagle photos from: Conowingo Dam.

Now if you *really* want to see eagles... Here are pics from Homer Alaska, of eagles at Jean Keene's house, the "Eagle Lady" -- she feeds the eagles (and is the only one allowed to do so).


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Yes, they do, but they're not all that close -- you need a long lens (or binoculars) to get a good look when they're in the trees.



And steadier hands than the finest surgeon or a good tripod.


----------



## jerseyfinn

A few images from a recent December visit to London.






*Picture in a Picture: Oxford Street*​ * < From:Candid London Gallery >​*

We come upon a street fair where they close Oxford St. one Saturday.  Lots of mini-events going on. Balloons for the kids, people dressed as Christmas characters such as elves, a tree, jugglers etc., and small groups of muscians playing streetside for charity. Not exactly Christmas festive as much as a holiday hangout event.


*____________________*






*Tower of London*
*< Candid London Gallery >*

We visit the Tower of London & I'm standing around waiting for my wife to come out of a shop when I notice the moon in the sky astride the castle. The pigeon flutters into the shot & I get a lucky grab.

*_____________________*





*< From: Recession London Gallery >*

I would not characterize London as grim this Christmas season, but there is certainly a more stolid and subdued feeling on the streets. Oxford Street certainly lacks the holiday buzz we've encountered on previous years. I threw together some shots that sort of attest the tepid holiday spirit we encounter.

*___________________*​
Had a great time doing the theater thing at night and hitting the streets to  take in what's going on during the day. If the weather turns wet, you do the museum/shopping thing. Otherwise we like to mingle with the crowds & trapse about London. Had a nice stay at the Marriott Marble Arch Hotel and we enjoy some fantastic dining each night. We really love going to London in December.

Barry


----------



## KristinB

AwayWeGo said:


> Yes, the true purpose is showing pictures we've taken ourselves.
> 
> While we're at it, it doesn't hurt to look at some arresting pictures other people took.  Some are so arresting it would be a shame to miss'm.
> 
> _Full Disclosure*:*_ All the pictures I sent in (clouds, horns, etc.) were taken by other people.  So it goes.
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



Alan,

I don't think there's anything wrong with posting links to pics taken by other people at all (I do it myself, usually in response to a request for further info on some subject or another).  But I think that when you post a pic that you haven't taken yourself, you should clearly identify its origin somewhere adjacent to the image in the same post, so that no one's confused (as I was).  I tried to figure out how anyone knew that you didn't take that shot, then I saw that the photo was a link to a site, etc.  But of course, you still could have been the photographer...

No big deal, of course, just a friendly suggestion.  That way your full disclosure is on every cool photo you post each time...


----------



## KristinB

Barry,

Those are great -- you have quite the eye for composition!


----------



## HatTrick

*Taken at HHV*



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *I missed the "Green Flash"!*


----------



## easyrider

We have tried so many times to see the green flash and once last January on the Baja beaches we thought we saw it but I think it may be that watching the sun plays tricks with our eyes. Im starting to think the green flash is not real but we will keep looking for it.


----------



## HatTrick

It's real but conditions have to be right. And setting the camera to continuous shooting mode helps to capture it.

I was fortunate; the shot above was my first attempt at photographing the flash. Then night before I had been shooting the sunset and saw the flash, but wasn't even thinking about it. The following night I came prepared--and hopeful--and was rewarded.

Roger


----------



## HatTrick

*"Textured" Plumeria*


----------



## swift

I really like texture on this.  

Two weeks off of work WHOO-HOO!!! (Well, kinda. I have to go in to do some training on a new bus during this two weeks.) While I am off I am going to dust off the camera and take some pictures. You guys inspire me!!!!!




HatTrick said:


>


----------



## HatTrick

Textures, like this mosaic, are fun to experiment with.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*More Eagles*

One of my T/A Alaska friends has a nice page of photos of eagles from there:  http://picasaweb.google.com/johnn.photos/SitkaHainesNovember2008# .


----------



## HatTrick

*'Top of Waikiki' on a Moonlit Evening*


----------



## Makai Guy

A visitor to my backyard yesterday.


----------



## AwayWeGo

*More Pictures I Did Not Take.*

Click here for outstanding wildlife photos -- eagles, osprey, & I don't know what-all -- taken by Robert Kirk (husband of The Chief Of Staff's sister). 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## HatTrick

*Maui "Postcard"*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Maui from lava fields on the Mamalahoa Highway*


----------



## dmharris

HatTrick,

The Maui postcard is very cool, like a vintage postcard.  What software program do you use and how did you do the texturizing?


----------



## HatTrick

Thanks, Diane. I use Photoshop Elements, but I'm sure most image editing software will let you apply textures. I usually turn up the saturation then go into filters and experiment with the various types of textures, such as mosaic, stained glass, canvas, etc.

Here's another in a watercolor style similar to what Steve Nelson has exhibited in the past.

Roger


----------



## ricoba

It's too bad there aren't vintage cars in the Maui pic, now that would look cool!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Coast from Wa'ipio Valley Lookout - Big Island*


----------



## HatTrick

*Oahu "Postcard"*






Ala Wai Yacht Harbor


----------



## AwayWeGo

*H. H. R.*




ricoba said:


> It's too bad there aren't vintage cars in the Maui pic, now that would look cool!


Hey, there's a cute little retro-styled Chevy HHR front & center (well, off-center). 

That adds to the vintage look, no ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pu'uhonau o Honaunau (Place of Refuge)*






Because there was significant VOG when we visited Pu'uhonau o Honaunau last summer, everything looked washed out and photos were pretty flat. While I was trying to decide how to process this image, I thought about the deep spiritual significance of Pu'uhonau o Honaunau to the Hawai'ian people.   So I decided to try some black and white processing to see if could capture some of the spiritual sense of this place.

The photo is built of three layers; 1) The base layer is a black and white conversion, using an orange filter. 2) Overlaying the base layer at 50% opacity is a black and white conversion using an infrared film effect.  Infrared add a feathery white effect to foliage,  most noticeable in the palm trees.  3) The top layer is the original photo applied at 33% opacity, to bring back some of the original coloration.  

I also did a bit of screening so that the lava and the palm trees in the foreground are exactly as originally photographed.  To me that sets up a visual tension in which "spiritual" atmosphere of Pu'uhonau o Honaunau stands apart from the "real" world that surrounds it.


----------



## HatTrick

*Byodo-In Temple*

A collage of one of my favorite sites to photograph on the islands, the replica Byodo-In Temple in the 
Valley of the Temples on windward Oahu.


----------



## easyrider

*stoned*


----------



## easyrider

*Jethro Tull ?? stoned*


----------



## easyrider

*stoned--need speedo*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Hat Trick,

That's a nice collage & the images are very inviting. Just to be sure, 'windward' means the east/northeast side?

Barry


----------



## RDB

*One beauty rarely heard of*

Cedar Breaks National Monument






From my Cedar Breaks to Aspen collection.


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> Hat Trick,
> 
> That's a nice collage & the images are very inviting. Just to be sure, 'windward' means the east/northeast side?
> 
> Barry



Yes, Barry. The trade winds (as they are generally known)  blow from east to west,  so the eastern sides of the islands are _windward_.

By the way, I enjoyed your "Waves and Mountains" gallery. The images are so luminous!

Roger


----------



## HatTrick

*Branson Scenes*


----------



## RDB

jerseyfinn said:


> ...
> Barry



Looking at your pix along Spanish coastline and read this, "I have a few precarious moments as I crouch low on the water, holding my trusty Sony P&S just a few inches off of the undulating water. I've got to keep my eyes turned leftwards towards the on-coming waves while waiting until the last possible second to snap the image before lifting the camera up and out of harm's way."

That statement brought recollection; capturing video of Special Forces invasion tactics, practicing in Key West. 

We rigged the cam on boom over the side so as to lower it at wave level as they would run up on the camera (prone in their rubber boat). 
I got to practice my skill of booming-up-and-over their heads and dropping into the midst of camouflaged faces and automatic weaponry. 
Doing this while running the zoom to change from wide angle of the sea to the in-boat facial expressions proved to be fascinating. I loved the challenge.   

"Good job, Barry!"  I was stationed in Spain for 3 years so I especially enjoyed your shots from there.

Robert


----------



## HatTrick

*Maui Scenes*





Young ladies performing at Queen Ka'ahumanu mall.





The _real_ reason she likes to visit Lahaina.


----------



## HatTrick

*Dole Bears (Oahu)*


----------



## jerseyfinn

RDB said:


> . . . . We rigged the cam on boom over the side so as to lower it at wave level as they would run up on the camera (prone in their rubber boat) . . .
> Robert



Robert,

Thanks for the comments. That wave gallery caught me at a moment of inspiration. Lots of people would pause on the beach to watch me work ( presumably to see if I would dunk my camera ). I call it luck.

But working with a boom is *real *manly photography as you've got even less overall control on that sort of water. Then again, a wet camera is always an excuse to go out and buy the latest model ( after you get done crying over your wet camera   )

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

*Growth of the GW*






The Grand Waikikian (Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu) takes shape.


----------



## RDB

jerseyfinn said:


> Robert,
> 
> Thanks for the comments. That wave gallery caught me at a moment of inspiration. ---
> 
> Then again, a wet camera is always an excuse to go out and buy the latest model ( after you get done crying over your wet camera   )
> 
> Barry



It belonged to Uncle and so did my career. Better know how to tear her down, fresh water rinse and blow dry real fast. Twas fun. Enjoyed as did you.


----------



## susieq

Hat Trick,

LOVED your Birdie Houses in #1593, they're so different!!  

Sue


----------



## HatTrick

susieq said:


> Hat Trick,
> 
> LOVED your Birdie Houses in #1593, they're so different!!
> 
> Sue



Thanks, Sue.

They really love their wood carving in the Ozarks. Check out this masterpiece!

Roger


----------



## jerseyfinn

Hat Trick, some interesting photos of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We've not stayed there in 9 years. What's the scoop on all of the construction?

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

Hi Barry,

The new HGVC Grand Waikikian tower is now finished. As I understand it, the only remaining construction is at ground level--entrance and pool areas.

The shots in the collage were taken from the Kalia tower, Lagoon tower, parking garage, and Ala Moana Blvd.

Roger


----------



## HatTrick

*View of Royal Kona Resort (Big Island)*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge)*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rainbow Falls - Hilo*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Shipwreck Beach and Point at Poipu Resort*






*Shipwreck Beach and Makewehi Cliffs*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Spouting Horn*






Po'ipu Shoreline from Spouting Horn


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kapa'a Shoreline*


----------



## HatTrick

*Early Evening Along Ali'i Drive (Kona)*


----------



## HatTrick

*Some Favorite Signs Seen in Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Big Island 'Postcard'*






Upon further review, this could have been taken on any of the islands!


----------



## TUGBrian

Im going to have to close this thread before I find myself packing up and moving to hawaii!!!

unreal pictures!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*More Polihale*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon from Kaumuali'i Highway Bridge*


----------



## HatTrick

Steve,

A woman in your photo coupled with the signature text _She looked as if she had been poured into her clothes, and had forgotten to say "when"_ would seem to be a recipe for trouble.

I wish you much luck in escaping the consequences!  

Roger


----------



## HatTrick

TUGBrian said:


> Im going to have to close this thread before I find myself packing up and moving to hawaii!!!



Worse choices have been made!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillians Beach (Kaua'i south shore)*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Steve,
> 
> A woman in your photo coupled with the signature text _She looked as if she had been poured into her clothes, and had forgotten to say "when"_ would seem to be a recipe for trouble.
> 
> I wish you much luck in escaping the consequences!
> 
> Roger



That is a rather, ummmmm, interesting juxtaposition.


----------



## swift

TUGBrian said:


> Im going to have to close this thread before I find myself packing up and moving to hawaii!!!
> 
> unreal pictures!



Time for a vacation Brian.  You owe it to yourself to get away once in awhile too.


----------



## HatTrick

*Honolulu Sprawl*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Makewehi Cliffs and Gillians Beach*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ha'upu and Makawehi Cliffs near Haula Beach*


----------



## HatTrick

*Arizona Memorial (Oahu)*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kipu Kai - south shore of Kaua'i*


----------



## HatTrick

*Friends Enjoying A Maui Sunset*


----------



## HatTrick

*Jacaranda Trees on Haleakalā (Maui)*


----------



## easyrider

*Leavenworth WA*


----------



## easyrider

*Leavenworth*


----------



## Aussiedog

*test posting - Avalanche in the Antarctic*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Several Views of Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls*

Late afternoon is usually the best time for taking photos of the canyon.  As the sun sets, the colors get more intense.  Also with the sun in the west the canyon is more likely to have direct sunlight; in the morning the sun often is behind the pervasive clouds on Mt. Wai'ale'ale.





















The light in the canyon can move quickly.  The photos for the third and fourth images were taken from the same spot at nearly the same time. After taking the thrid picture the falls went into shadow in less time than it took me to zoom back out and recompose of the wider shot that is the fourth  image.


----------



## FlyerBobcat

Steve,

*GREAT *photos of Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls !!!!!

   

(I wanna' go back already!)


----------



## Makai Guy

There are times when photos are OVER-manipulated.  When they start looking like those old garish hand-tinted postcards derived from black-and-white photos, you've gone too far.


----------



## HatTrick

*Another Maui 'Postcard'*



Makai Guy said:


> There are times when photos are OVER-manipulated.  When they start looking like those old garish hand-tinted postcards derived from black-and-white photos, you've gone too far.



Sometimes, that's the intent.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*A Few More of Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Mt. Wai'ale'ale*

Occasionally the sun shines even at the wettest place on earth.  Last visit the clouds lifted briefly when we were at the Kalalau Valley lookout.  You can still see mist and fog drifting across the Alakai Swamp area.  Within 30 minutes after the picture was taken the mountain was completely covered in clouds again.


----------



## dmharris

Makai Guy said:


> There are times when photos are OVER-manipulated. When they start looking like those old garish hand-tinted postcards derived from black-and-white photos, you've gone too far.


 
The beauty of art is said to be in the eye of the beholder, so perhaps it would be better to state, "in my opinion".   

In my opinion, I like these "old fashioned" postcard looks.


----------



## AwayWeGo

*As I See It, Everything I Say Is My Opinion.*




dmharris said:


> The beauty of art is said to be in the eye of the beholder, so perhaps it would be better to state, "in my opinion".


I rarely say that.  I would feel funny if I had to start off each pronouncement with _In My Opinion *. . .* _ 

I learned that from a professional speechwriter.  He was looking over a speech I had drafted for some public official.  My draft contained several instances of _In My Opinion_ & _As I See It_ & _In My View_, etc.  

He crossed all those out, saying, "Those phrases are unnecessary.  See, everything the guy says is his opinion.  That's why the audience is showing up, to hear his opinions on various issues.  All those phrases do is water down the impact of what he's saying." 

Who am I to overrule professional advice like that ?

So even though I'm no public official, everything I send into TUG-BBS is my opinion -- unless in some rare instance I mention that it's somebody else's opinion. 

Plus, just because something is my opinion, that doesn't automatically make it wrong. 

You say _to-mah-to_, I say _to-may-to_ -- no prob. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## dmharris

Alan,

I think you've missed my point.  HatTrick was being admonished by a Tug Administrator.  The administrators should, in my opinon, specify when they are speaking for themselves, vs. the forum especially when "administrator" is in their identity block to the left, to avoid any confusion.


----------



## HatTrick

dmharris said:


> Alan,
> HatTrick was being admonished by a Tug Administrator.



That was directed at moi?


----------



## Elli

dmharris said:


> Alan,
> 
> I think you've missed my point.  HatTrick was being admonished by a Tug Administrator.  The administrators should, in my opinion, specify when they are speaking for themselves, vs. the forum especially when "administrator" is in their identity block to the left, to avoid any confusion.


I didn't see the post as someone being "admonished" at all.  Are you saying that any time an administrator posts he has to specify if he is posting as a tugger or administrator - I don't think that is necessary.


----------



## HatTrick

*The Rocky Kona Coast*


----------



## easyrider

*which way ? up there !!!*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elli said:


> I didn't see the post as someone being "admonished" at all.  Are you saying that any time an administrator posts he has to specify if he is posting as a tugger or administrator - I don't think that is necessary.



I agree.  Unless an admin or mod says they are posting in that capacity or it's clear from context that they are posting in an official capacity, anything they post is simply their opinion.


----------



## Makai Guy

Oh, for Pete's sake.  Acting as a TUG Administrator when expressing an opinion about over-manipulated images?  Why would TUG care about this subject one way or the other?  You've got to be kidding.

Yes, that is my own personal opinion.  It has no relationship whatever to an official TUG position, and how anybody could construe this as having anything whatever to do with TUG is beyond me.

Happy New Year, everyone.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Enough Hawai'i. Let's go to Alaska:

*Nightfall on the Jack River, Cantwell, AK*


----------



## Aussiedog

*Lonely Weddell Seal in Antarctica*








Ann


----------



## geoand

Makai Guy said:


> Oh, for Pete's sake.  Acting as a TUG Administrator when expressing an opinion about over-manipulated images?  Why would TUG care about this subject one way or the other?  You've got to be kidding.
> 
> Yes, that is my own personal opinion.  It has no relationship whatever to an official TUG position, and how anybody could construe this as having anything whatever to do with TUG is beyond me.
> 
> Happy New Year, everyone.



Doug, Happy New Year right back at yah!

I find it hard to believe that Tug Administrators and Moderators use Tug for fun and pleasure TOO (look for my rolling eyes and Tongue in Cheek).


----------



## HatTrick

*Monterey 'Postcard'*



dmharris said:


> In my opinion, I like these "old fashioned" postcard looks.



Thanks for your support...


----------



## Timeshare Von

*From our moving boat tour of the Everglades*

An osprey shaking off after cleaning itself . . .






. . . and later taking off


----------



## RDB

*Thanks*

Theresa,

Thank you for starting this thread one year ago. I know many have enjoyed coming here in the 2008 year.

Thanks also to all the posters. Keep it up.

Happy New Year,
Robert


----------



## swift

RDB said:


> Theresa,
> 
> Thank you for starting this thread one year ago. I know many have enjoyed coming here in the 2008 year.
> 
> Thanks also to all the posters. Keep it up.
> 
> Happy New Year,
> Robert



Wow, it has been a whole year since this started?! How time flies!!! It was just an idea it is all of you who make it happen. Lets keep it going!!!!

Happy New Year


----------



## HatTrick

*Getting to Your Room at Hilton Waikoloa Village*






By tram.






By boat.


----------



## TUGBrian

ok I gotta admit...thats kinda cool!


----------



## FlyerBobcat

TUGBrian said:


> ok I gotta admit...thats kinda cool!



It's been a few years (actually, quite a few!), but one of the most impressive resorts that we have stayed at....


----------



## HatTrick

*Bill Clinton Muppet*






Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock


----------



## easyrider

*Blue Slide Hilton-- Foundation Ridge*


----------



## easyrider

*Mt. Raineer*


----------



## easyrider

*Mt Adams*


----------



## HatTrick

easyrider said:


> *Mt. Raineer*



Nice metering!


----------



## Icarus

Christmas morning - Nikon D40 with kit lens, cropped and cleaned up a bit with Adobe PSE 7 Free Trial.

Full Image


----------



## HatTrick

*Watching a Boat off the Kona Coast*


----------



## RDB

*Garden Of The Gods, COLORADO*






Robert


----------



## HatTrick

*Kona Seawall*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Talkeetna Mountains*

On the George Parks Highway between Anchorage and Denali.


----------



## HatTrick

*Windward Oahu*






Mokoli'i Island (Chinaman's Hat) in the distance.


----------



## HatTrick

*Gay Head Light, Martha's Vineyard*


----------



## dmharris

Ahh, Gay Head Light. Had my first seafood taco from a stand right there. I think it was shrimp. Coming from Ohio (probably late 70's), I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. Ate my taco, sucked up the awesome view. Love that island and especially her sister, Nantucket. Our honeymoon spot.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Looking Out My Back Door*

Well, not exactly out the back door.  I was standing just outside the back door when I took this photo after our December 19-20 snowstorm.






There was about 8-inches of snow on the ground when I took this pictures.  Over the next couple of days we added about another 6 inches of snow.  We made it out on December 21 for what would have been the Christmas music program at our church.  Only about 100 other people made it (attendance would have normally been over 1500).  So we all sat in one part of the sanctuary and sang carols, accompanied by two violinists who were part of the orchestra that would have been playing.  They were playing from scores without any rehearsal; our music director was making up the program as we went.  

It turned out to be one of the most wonderful Christmas services I've attended. It was so simple - just two violinists and 100 voices singing "Joy to the World", "Silent Night", "The First Noel", etc.  Yet it was profound; everyone who was in attendance was there because they made an effort to be there.  There was a sense of community, tranquility, and peace; combined with the quiet and peace of the snow it was quite moving.


----------



## HatTrick

*Byodo-In Temple, Oahu*






Have I mentioned how much I enjoy photographing this place?


----------



## Timeshare Von

Very nice Hatrick - I've never seen or heard of that place.  Is it open to the public?  We'll have to look it up when we're there in August!


----------



## susieq

Thanks to all who have posted ............. and your wonderful pictures ... and sometimes memories.  They are all great.

My contribution .......... checking out the Colorado River from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon....


----------



## HatTrick

Timeshare Von said:


> Very nice Hatrick - I've never seen or heard of that place.  Is it open to the public?  We'll have to look it up when we're there in August!



Thanks, Yvonne. Yes, it's open to the public (there's a charge of $3 per person to visit the temple). It's located in the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery on the windward (eastern) side of the island, off of Kahekili Highway (route 83).

A collage of Byodo-In photos: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=640280&highlight=Byodo-In#post640280

Roger


----------



## jules40

*pelicans*

on the Altamaha River


----------



## jules40

*Skippers Fish Camp*

Darien Georgia


----------



## Timeshare Von

HatTrick said:


> Thanks, Yvonne. Yes, it's open to the public (there's a charge of $3 per person to visit the temple). It's located in the Valley of the Temples, a cemetery on the windward (eastern) side of the island, off of Kahekili Highway (route 83).
> 
> A collage of Byodo-In photos: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=640280&highlight=Byodo-In#post640280
> 
> Roger



Thanks for the link back, I mustta missed them the first time through.


----------



## John37130

*Monticello*






My daughter turning a cartwheel on Thomas Jefferson's front lawn (Monticello).


----------



## John37130

*The Enforcers*






These two pelicans joined us on an airboat tour in Florida.  I believe the captain hired these guys to be sure that we didn't forget to tip!

John


----------



## Brett

great shot with the pelicans on the boat !

a flying seagull pic (Hampton, Va.) -


----------



## John37130

*Great pic*

Brett:

Great seagull shot!  How close were you when you took that?

I've been watching this thread for a long time, and I've been marveling at the photography skills of some the posters.  I 've enjoyed everyone else's photos so much that it inspired me to share a few of mine.  I'm not nearly as talented though.  I'm strictly a point-and-shoot photographer.

John


----------



## ricoba

The seagull shot is GREAT!


----------



## easyrider

*bucerias*


----------



## easyrider

*huh*


----------



## sstamm

I have enjoyed this thread since it started and figured it was finally time to figure out how to post photos.

Question:  If I have done it correctly, will the photo show up when I preview my post before submitting?  I am using Picasa.  When I hit preview, I just see the link to my photo.

Thanks!


----------



## Karen G

You likely will not see your photo when you click to preview your post.  If you'll choose any post that has a photo in it above and click on "quote" in the lower right box, you'll see how that post looks before it's posted.

Post #19 on the first page of this thread has some good directions about posting photos from photobucket. I'm not familiar with picasa, but you can check out photobucket if it doesn't work for you otherwise.


----------



## sstamm

Thanks for the help!
I guess I'll just try and see if it works.  Otherwise, I'll check out photobucket.

Ok, well that didn't work.
Guess I will try photobucket.


----------



## sstamm

*Washington Monument*

Trying again.


----------



## Brett

John37130 said:


> Brett:
> Great seagull shot!  How close were you when you took that?
> I've been watching this thread for a long time, and I've been marveling at the photography skills of some the posters.  I 've enjoyed everyone else's photos so much that it inspired me to share a few of mine.  I'm not nearly as talented though.  I'm strictly a point-and-shoot photographer.
> John



that seagull was only about 30ft away - the zoom lens (with Canon "AI servo") tracks the focus, you can get good flying bird shots.


----------



## HatTrick

*Continuing the Seagull Theme...*






Cruise passenger feeding a gull on San Francisco Bay.


----------



## sstamm

Smoky Mountains


----------



## susieq

Great pics sstamm!!  You're on a roll now.  Thanks for the look at the Smokies, that's on our wish list also ~ looks fantastic!! :whoopie: 

Sue


----------



## John37130




----------



## dmharris

*After the storm*


----------



## dmharris

*Bluebird for the first time ever!*

I have never seen a bluebird live and in person.  Today one was on my suet feeder and I about flipped in my desk chair.  No camera at hand so watched with wonder.  Then I saw a SECOND one!  The female!  So I went to get the camera and was so excited, this photo is crummy; you can see I was shaking with excitment.  But it's evidence.  When I went closer to get a better shot from the window, off he went.   Maybe tomorrow.  It's been a tough winter so they must know I've got goodies at my feeders.


----------



## SueDonJ

GREAT bird shots, Diane!  That feeling of being too excited to shoot straight is very familiar.  The cardinal shot would make a FANTASTIC holiday card.

Aside from that, it sure does look like you've got a mess of ice in your area - stay safe and warm.


----------



## Rose Pink

The cardinal shot took my breath away!  Gorgeous photography.


----------



## dmharris

Thanks Ladies,

The Cardinal is out of respect for those Arizona Cardinals that our Pittsburgh Steelers are going to leave out in the cold on Sunday.  ;-)


----------



## SueDonJ

dmharris said:


> Thanks Ladies,
> 
> The Cardinal is out of respect for those Arizona Cardinals that our Pittsburgh Steelers are going to leave out in the cold on Sunday.  ;-)



Aaaaaghhhh!  That's like a dagger in my heart.  Just you wait - yesterday's news is that Tom Brady is on track and already beginning workouts for next year.  RAH RAH!

Oh, who am I kidding?  Football does nothing for me.  But pitchers and catchers report in just a few short weeks and then my world will revolve once more!  

Good luck to your team in Sunday's game, Diane.


----------



## easyrider

*snack anyone ?*


----------



## jerseyfinn

John37130 said:


> These two pelicans joined us on an airboat tour in Florida.  I believe the captain hired these guys to be sure that we didn't forget to tip!
> 
> John



Nice picture John.  Do the pelicans take dollar bills or herring?  

Barry


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand

These 2 posts are repeats.  Photobucket changed and it took a while to figure out how to post the pics.


----------



## susieq

Diane,

Your Birdie shots are fantastic!!!   A photographer after my own heart!!  Thanks for sharing!

Sue


----------



## John37130

jerseyfinn said:


> Nice picture John.  Do the pelicans take dollar bills or herring?
> 
> Barry




I believe they would have taken anything we wanted to give them, as long as it was edible.  I got the impression that these birds had been fed by tourists many time.  As soon as we climbed on the airboat, they landed right in front of us and stared us down.  They stayed there until we sped up, and then they flew off.

John


----------



## John37130




----------



## sstamm

St. John, USVI


----------



## sstamm

Trunk Bay, St. John


----------



## dmharris

susieq said:


> Diane,
> 
> Your Birdie shots are fantastic!!!   A photographer after my own heart!! Thanks for sharing!
> 
> Sue


 
Thanks Sue!  The ice is off the trees so I was really lucky to get that shot of the cardinal on ice. . . and our Steelers left the Arizona Cardinals out in the cold, just as I predicted!  (But I had a turning stomach the last 2 1/2 minutes).  What a game!


----------



## thinze3

Here's one I stumbled across that was taken a few years ago.
Those are my DD's on top of the dune. The small on is now the tall one.


----------



## SalParadise1958

**Downtown Denver**





Historic Union Station in Downtown Denver (Colorado).


----------



## Aussiedog

*Seriously Bored Seal*






Ann


----------



## Aussiedog

*Happy Penguin Family*






Ann


----------



## Mimi

*View from Pono Kai at sunrise*


----------



## Mimi

*Wailua Falls, Kauai*


----------



## Mimi

*Maui Sunset*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Mimi,

Some nice Hawaii photos. Likewise some nice galleries on your web page. We've not been to Hawaii in 6 years & looking at these photos sure makes one want to hop on a plane and go.

Do you guys hop on that direct flight from Newark? It's definitely a long trip to Hawaii, but absolutely worth it once you get off the plane.

Barry


----------



## Mimi

The direct flight is on Continental (Chase-Master Card/One Pass). This time we flew American with Citibank-Master Card/Advantage FF miles.  My sister joined us for 3 weeks (Wed.-Wed.), as we got her a R/T ticket from Newark to Honolulu on United for $260. It was one of those snooze-you lose tickets that appeared on Kayak.com last summer and we grabbed it since our 4 week reservations were already in place from 1/10-2/7/09 (2 weeks in Kauai and 2 weeks in Maui). Since it's such a long flight time, with layovers, we always stay multiple weeks. We will be using FF miles on United (Chase-Visa/Milage Plus) this summer (2 weeks in Kona and 2 weeks in Maui). We open FF charge accounts, get 70,000 miles for 2 R/T tickets to Hawaii, cancel and move on to another FF credit card. We often have 2 airline accounts going at the same time, one in my name and one in DH's name. We are currently using a Delta (American Express/ SkyMiles) card. We also fly out of Philly. if it is cheaper. Can't get enough ALOHA!

Barry...Enjoyed your photo gallaries, also! (Not sorry we missed the Jersey snow!)


----------



## sstamm

Mimi, I love the light in your Hawaii sunrise photo!
Very nice pictures!


----------



## KristinB

Just got back from a week-long bird photography trip to Florida, so you know what that means, LOL! 

Roseate Spoonbill (the first of many):


----------



## geoand

Kristin,
Outstanding BIF pic!  Anxious to see the rest.

Last time we were in Florida, we spent a full day at the wild life refuge on Merritt Island.  We were in bird heaven.


----------



## KristinB

Geo, 

Thanks!  Actually, that's where most of the shots I'm going to post were taken.  Some were also taken nearby at the Ritch Grissom Viera Wetlands in Melbourne.

Great Blue Heron:


----------



## geoand

Kristin,

I remember you posting long ago on the POD thread that you wished that you could do better on BIF shots or something to that effect.  Well, these two shots are outstanding.


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Kristin,
> 
> I remember you posting long ago on the POD thread that you wished that you could do better on BIF shots or something to that effect.  Well, these two shots are outstanding.



Thanks!  Well, I got lots of practice on this trip... That was my problem, not enough practice before, LOL!


----------



## gary01

Kristin, I love to view your photos.  And the photos in your photo galleries are excellent.  You appear to have a real knack for photography.  Thanks for sharing.

Gary


----------



## KristinB

Thanks, Gary!

Osprey:


----------



## Helene4

TUGBrian said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D



Come to Long Island at either 8:30 a.m. traveling west or 4:30 p.m. traveling east on the Long Island Expressway. And we choose to live this way???!!!!!!!!


----------



## geoand

Kristin,

DW (she is the one with the knowledge - I am the one with pure luck) wants to know what iso and lens you used to take the shots.  I took osprey shots at Merritt Island but even with cropping I couldn't get the Osprey to look that good.


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Kristin,
> 
> DW (she is the one with the knowledge - I am the one with pure luck) wants to know what iso and lens you used to take the shots.  I took osprey shots at Merritt Island but even with cropping I couldn't get the Osprey to look that good.



I took that shot with my new D700 and a friend's 80-400 VR lens at 370mm (the D700 is full frame, so it was truly 370mm).  Yes, I did crop it a bit.  ISO 400, 1/1000, f/6.3

But you should know, I took that shot (and many of the others that I'm posting from this trip) from a boat.  I went out with Captain Tom Carver.  He does fishing charters most of the year, but when things are slow for fishing in the winter, he takes photographers out to an island near the Merritt Island refuge that is a rookery for roseate spoonbills, herons, and egrets.  It's an amazing place.  Nearby the island is an osprey nest, which is where I got that shot.


----------



## KristinB

Sandhill Crane (in the rain):

For Geo and his wife -- ISO 4500 (yes, the D700 is that clean at high ISOs ), 1/640, f/6.3 at 500mm (my 300mm f/2.8 lens with a 1.7 teleconverter, propped out my car window at the Viera Wetlands) -- no cropping


----------



## geoand

Kristin, you must be in 7th Heaven with the new camera.  Great shot.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Nice photos Kristin.  I'm such a hack compared to you!


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Kristin, you must be in 7th Heaven with the new camera.  Great shot.



Thanks!  It's really, really nice, I have to admit.    Well, I resisted as long as I could, but when the prices started dropping, and I got a decent year-end bonus, I figured, why not?  (Last year, I bought my 300mm f/2.8 lens, used -- I pretty much stick to one major gear purchase per year.)   So my D70 is officially retired until I get around to converting it to infrared (one of these days).  I kept my D200 -- so I still have a DX camera (you'll see some bird shots from it soon), but I have a friend who wants to buy it from me, so I'm on the lookout for a used D300 at a certain price point.  If I find it at that price point, I'll pick it up, sell my friend my D200, and essentially upgrade to the D300 for only a few hundred dollars.  Not too bad!


----------



## KristinB

Timeshare Von said:


> Nice photos Kristin.  I'm such a hack compared to you!



Yvonne,

Thanks, but you have to understand -- I live and breathe this stuff, day in and out.  This is my major hobby, other than timesharing (although it's quite complementary to it, of course).  I've invested a fair amount of time (and money) into photography.  You just choose to have more of a life, LOL!


----------



## KristinB

It's a party!

From left to right, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Cormorant; at the bottom, Roseate Spoonbill (ISO 200, f/8, 1/1250 at 400mm, no cropping):


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> It's a party!
> 
> From left to right, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Cormorant; at the bottom, Roseate Spoonbill (ISO 200, f/8, 1/1250 at 400mm, no cropping):



Kristin - that is an outstanding shot in so many ways.  Not only did you get the variety of birds, they all echo each others postures.  They're perched forming a strong diagonal line across the photo, with the spoonbill nicely balancing the patch of blue sky on the top right.  Finally, your technical work is, as always, first-rate. The photo is crisp and clean, the tonal balance is great, and the colors are fully developed without being oversaturated.

Put it all together and it's an outstanding piece of work. Congratulations!!!  As I've said before, when I consider where I would like to be as a photographer, I often think to myself that I wish I could be as good as Kristin.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Finally get some time to catch up on tasks such as working on my backlog of photo galleries, doing lots of Photoshop work, and creating some videos of our travels. Thought I would post some of the selective color images I've been playing with. The full selective image gallery is found here.

Hope you enjoy them  -- Barry






*This gal & her family were walking across the Tower Bridge a few summers ago. I loved the color of her sari.*

_____________







*A shot taken during Chinese New Year in London. Crowds packed shoulder-to-shoulder. I finally figured out a few Photoshop tricks which make this into a different sort of image.*

________






*Catalunya Square in Barcelona. Lots of folks feeding the pigeons here when I notice these two kids. One of them ran out of seed & his face tells the whole story.*


______​


----------



## thinze3

This may be my favorite photo thus far.  




KristinB said:


> It's a party!
> 
> From left to right, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Cormorant; at the bottom, Roseate Spoonbill (ISO 200, f/8, 1/1250 at 400mm, no cropping):


----------



## HatTrick

I'd never heard of a Roseate Spoonbill; looks prehistoric!

Great group shot, Kristin. They look like they're spectators at a sporting event. 

"Leave it to you to get obstructed seats."

"Shut up and eat your grub nachos..."

Roger


----------



## KristinB

White Ibis, reflected:

(ISO 800, f/8, 1/640, at 500mm, slight crop for composition only)


----------



## Brett

KristinB said:


> It's a party!
> 
> From left to right, Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Cormorant; at the bottom, Roseate Spoonbill (ISO 200, f/8, 1/1250 at 400mm, no cropping):



Wow !
birds not of the same feather flocking together !


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - that is an outstanding shot in so many ways.  Not only did you get the variety of birds, they all echo each others postures.  They're perched forming a strong diagonal line across the photo, with the spoonbill nicely balancing the patch of blue sky on the top right.  Finally, your technical work is, as always, first-rate. The photo is crisp and clean, the tonal balance is great, and the colors are fully developed without being oversaturated.
> 
> Put it all together and it's an outstanding piece of work. Congratulations!!!  As I've said before, when I consider where I would like to be as a photographer, I often think to myself that I wish I could be as good as Kristin.





thinze3 said:


> This may be my favorite photo thus far.





HatTrick said:


> I'd never heard of a Roseate Spoonbill; looks prehistoric!
> 
> Great group shot, Kristin. They look like they're spectators at a sporting event.
> 
> "Leave it to you to get obstructed seats."
> 
> "Shut up and eat your grub nachos..."
> 
> Roger





Brett said:


> Wow !
> birds not of the same feather flocking together !



Steve, Terry, Roger, Brett -- thanks so much!  On my photography BBS, that shot was pretty much everyone's fave of the set that I posted.  I only wish I could have gotten that one spoonbill in the lower right hand side to move over a little bit...   (I know what Steve's going to say -- clone it out!  I will when I have time.)

Roger & Brett, you both have quite the way with words, LOL!


----------



## KristinB

Barry,

I love the selective color and the clever cloning in the red balloon image -- very nice!


----------



## RDB

Caroll, Robert, Michele and Dan at Abbey Road celebrating Caroll's BD and Valentines Day.






Held up at the Four Sails.






Overlooking the non-crowded Virginia Beach.


----------



## KristinB

Nice, Robert!  I saw you soliciting camera advice on the Cafe -- any closer to a purchasing decision?


----------



## sandesurf

Thank you, everyone, who posts here. The pictures are awesome. Now that I figured out how to do it, I wanted to add a couple.
Name this harbor!










View of Bar Harbor, ME, from the top of Cadilac Mountain. That's our cruise ship too.


----------



## sandesurf

One more from same trip, taken from the pier, in Bar Harbor, ME


----------



## Makai Guy

Ummm... MI = Michigan.   ME = Maine


----------



## sandesurf

Makai Guy said:


> Ummm... MI = Michigan.   ME = Maine




OOppps!!!! I knew that!


----------



## sandesurf

sandesurf said:


> OOppps!!!! I knew that!




And thank you!


----------



## KristinB

Great Blue Heron:

(ISO 1600, f/7.1, 1/1000, at 500mm, slight crop for composition only)


----------



## Timeshare Von

Kristin these really are beautiful.  Did you shoot hand held . . . or on a tripod (or window pod)?


----------



## KristinB

Yvonne, 

Well, the BIF (birds in flight) shots were all handheld using my 70-300 zoom lens or a friend's borrowed zoom (I can't hand hold my 300mm f/2.8, but the lighter zooms are doable), but the others (especially if they're at 500mm) were all either taken from a tripod and a Wimberley Head, or just propped on my car window (no, I don't have a window pod, but I plan to get one before my next trip back down to Florida).  In general, I stayed in my car at the Viera Wetlands, as the birds were pretty close and tended to spook if we got out.


----------



## easyrider

*fish tacos north of punta de mita*


----------



## Laurie

Kristin,

Those are some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen... WOW!  Please, keep sharing!


----------



## KristinB

Thanks, Laurie!

Eagle:

(Taken with the D200 -- ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/400, at 500mm, so 750mm equivalent because it's a DX camera, then cropped)


----------



## Happytravels

*Houston*

WOW what a fantastic picture of our city.  

That is just one major freeway you took a picutre of.  We only have three or four others that look very similar to that during RUSH HOUR.  Not sure why they call it that, cause your not going anywhere fast!!!:rofl: :hysterical: 




TUGBrian said:


> man...last trip I took that I got a decent photo of was a contracting gig in houston before I took over tug.
> 
> fantastic shot of traffic...I had never seen 14 lanes of dead stop traffic before!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry its not a pretty vacation type pic =D


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> Eagle:
> 
> (Taken with the D200 -- ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/400, at 500mm, so 750mm equivalent because it's a DX camera, then cropped)



Outstanding! 

Roger


----------



## Timeshare Von

KristinB said:


> Yvonne,
> 
> Well, the BIF (birds in flight) shots were all handheld using my 70-300 zoom lens or a friend's borrowed zoom (I can't hand hold my 300mm f/2.8, but the lighter zooms are doable), but the others (especially if they're at 500mm) were all either taken from a tripod and a Wimberley Head, or just propped on my car window (no, I don't have a window pod, but I plan to get one before my next trip back down to Florida).  In general, I stayed in my car at the Viera Wetlands, as the birds were pretty close and tended to spook if we got out.



Thanks for the response.  I was able to do "hand held" with my 70-300 to photograph the polar bears but I wouldn't have been able to for anything moving as swiftly as a bird, I'm afraid.

I asked about the tri/window pods as I just picked up the window pod w/o the quick release.  I don't know how I'll like it but I'm willing to give it a try.  I may buy a new head for the quick release if the thing becomes too much of a hassle.


----------



## RDB

*Not at all*



KristinB said:


> Nice, Robert!  I saw you soliciting camera advice on the Cafe -- any closer to a purchasing decision?



The more I know, the more I know - I know very little


----------



## Mosca

My sister visited us over the weekend, and brought me this gift:






!!!!!

I am totally pumped! After picking up a battery, I ran the first roll of film through it the next day. I'm taking the camera for cleaning and the film for processing later today.

We went walking around the state gamelands the next day; I was shooting with the 40D, and Canon 17-55 f/2.8; my sister was shooting with her new 5D Mk2, and a Tamron 17-40; and my daughter was shooting with the Rebel XT and a 28-135. I was also using the AE-1, but I have no pictures from it yet.

These are pretty much unprocessed, just straight from the camera. Sometimes snappies are more fun! 


When you do this:







You get THIS!







The original is the more colorful, but I like it somewhat desaturated. But, I haven't decided.









Opinions?


----------



## jerseyfinn

Mosca,

I guess that playing with a film camera has a refreshing primordial feel to it. One thing I miss with my G9 P&S is the ability to change lenses to obtain precise scene shots. I've still got a Minolta 101 in the closet.  You might just influence me to take it out and play a bit as I've some rokkor lenses sitting around.

I actually like both shots as they each convey a different mood. It reflects the utility that one has at their finger tips today.

Have fun !

Barry


----------



## KristinB

HatTrick said:


> Outstanding!
> 
> Roger



Thanks, Roger! 



RDB said:


> The more I know, the more I know - I know very little



Robert, believe me, I feel the same way!  I think at this point you're experiencing analysis paralysis...   I'll email you again soon.



Timeshare Von said:


> Thanks for the response.  I was able to do "hand held" with my 70-300 to photograph the polar bears but I wouldn't have been able to for anything moving as swiftly as a bird, I'm afraid.
> 
> I asked about the tri/window pods as I just picked up the window pod w/o the quick release.  I don't know how I'll like it but I'm willing to give it a try.  I may buy a new head for the quick release if the thing becomes too much of a hassle.



Yvonne,

When I said window pod, I was thinking more of a heavy beanbag support like the Big Lens Ultimate Bean Bag (BLUBB) for my 300mm f/2.8 lens.  I'll have to look into that other kind as well...

Today's bird is a Caracara:


----------



## calgarygary

Not the quality of shot that many post here but it was still a nice pic.  There is an aquarium in the Dig at Atlantis where you are able to reach in and I used my waterproof camera to get this close up.


----------



## Zac495

*First place Atlantic City*

We stayed at Marriott's Fairway Villas the weekend of a big cheer competition. My daughter is one of the girls on top. She's second from left - the littlest one. We won FIRST Place!


----------



## thinze3

Very Cool Ellen!  

My 13 yo DD will be performing at halftime this Friday night for the Houston Rockets. She is captain of her middle school cheer squad.


----------



## Zac495

thinze3 said:


> Very Cool Ellen!
> 
> My 13 yo DD will be performing at halftime this Friday night for the Houston Rockets. She is captain of her middle school cheer squad.



That's REALLY cool! 
Does she fly, base, tumble, or all? Zoe flies and tumbles (tucks)


----------



## thinze3

Zac495 said:


> That's REALLY cool!
> Does she fly, base, tumble, or all? Zoe flies and tumbles (tucks)



She is base. She is 5'8" tall and still in middle school. Imagine those legs flying around.


----------



## TUGBrian

i always love comin to this thread again, always something unique!

Yesterday I went with one of my good friends to visit the local Navy Base here.  The Helo training center is named after his father who was killed on active duty back in 81, the commander of the center invites him and his mother every year on the anniversary of his crash to come and visit the center.  Such a nice thing for them to do!

Anyway, most of the things inside the center they wouldnt let us take pictures of, but I did get a quick shot of the dedication picture for his father before we walked through the "no cameras" doors.

I shouldnt have used the flash, but didnt notice till i got home 






this is a picture of the large rock engraving out in front of the building that shows the dedication to him.


----------



## HatTrick

*Birds, continued...*






Night heron--if I remember correctly--at Hilton Hawaiian Village.


----------



## KristinB

HatTrick said:


> Night heron--if I remember correctly--at Hilton Hawaiian Village.



Yup, looks like a Black-crowned Night Heron to me -- nice shot!

Great White Egret:


----------



## TUGBrian

yalls bird pictures are making me feel photo-inferior!  they are so nice!


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> Yup, looks like a Black-crowned Night Heron to me -- nice shot!



Thanks, Kristin. I figured you know!






The ubiquitous Barred Dove, on the grounds of the Byodo-In temple, windward Oahu.


----------



## KristinB

HatTrick said:


> Thanks, Kristin. I figured you know!
> 
> The ubiquitous Barred Dove, on the grounds of the Byodo-In temple, windward Oahu.



Lovely!

White Pelicans:


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh my goodness, the last week's worth of pictures is amazing as usual!  Kristin, I love the "neighborhood watch" group!

This thread reminds me of the old Back Page of Life magazine with everybody's little slices of their real worlds.  Very nice.


----------



## KristinB

SueDonJ said:


> Oh my goodness, the last week's worth of pictures is amazing as usual!  Kristin, I love the "neighborhood watch" group!
> 
> This thread reminds me of the old Back Page of Life magazine with everybody's little slices of their real worlds.  Very nice.



Thanks, Sue!

Another spoonie:


----------



## jules40

our visitor


----------



## jules40




----------



## KristinB

Osprey carrying some nest building material:


----------



## TUGBrian

ok back to dog pics!  its been quite the chore finding toys that dont get destroyed within minutes.  Someone suggested a traffic cone!  Well they had full size and half size ones on sale at lowes, I figured id try the half size ones to see how they held up.

not very well, but the picture amused me.






*note, toy not recommended for dogs that swallow what they chew off...as noted in the picture...pag doesnt have that problem lol


----------



## SueDonJ

I love the look on his face, Brian!  "What, you gave it to me, didn't you?"


----------



## SueDonJ

another 35mm shot, from Hilton Head last October:





(This is my first POTD since Photobucket/Adobe gave me some problems and I started a thread asking for help.  Thanks everyone, and to George especially, for detailing exactly what you did after d/l-ing Flash 10 - tell your wife that this time you weren't confusing.    Icarus, I'm glad that your posts in that thread helped someone else who is using picasaweb.)


----------



## RDB

*After Yorktown Blizzard 2009*


----------



## Happytravels

Ok I just tried this again.........I seem to have done something right...here is another pictures.


----------



## Makai Guy

[This post has been updated to convert the code from our former vBulletin software to our current XenForo software - mg]



Happytravels said:


> I just can't seem to get this to work.........what am I doing wrong???



On that page, find the section in the lower right saying "Image Link Code".  Copy the "IMG Code -  Forums & Bulletin Boards" field and paste it into your post.  The result is:

[IMG]http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp348/MAlfredson/KAUAI2007128.jpg[/IMG]

.. which produces:





.. nice shot, by the way.  Waimea Canyon?


----------



## Happytravels

Makai Guy said:


> On that page, find the section in the lower right saying "Image Link Code".  Copy the "IMG Code -  Forums & Bulletin Boards" field and paste it into your post.  The result is:
> 
> [noparse]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/noparse]
> 
> .. which produces:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .. nice shot, by the way.  Waimea Canyon?


yes, the canyon.......


----------



## taffy19

The bird pictures are so beautiful and sharp, Kristin. Your equipment must be very heavy. I took some pictures with my little iPhone tonight and was quite pleased with the results.  

Sunset at Laguna Beach, CA.
















I had put the iPhone away but kept watching the sunset and saw the green flash. Two other people saw it too so I didn't imagine it. 

Some more Laguna pictures taken some time ago.


----------



## Brett

It finally snowed here - after about 3 years!


my backyard (near Newport News) -


----------



## LODISCOLEE

trying to post picture - wont work ???

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lodiscolee/3041376932/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lodiscolee/3041273236/in/photostream/


----------



## Makai Guy

[_This post has been updated to convert the code from our former vBulletin software to our current XenForo software _ - mg]



LODISCOLEE said:


> trying to post picture - wont work ???
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/lodiscolee/3041376932/
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/lodiscolee/3041273236/in/photostream/



You've just given us the URLs (web addresses) of the flickr pages that contain those images.

On those pages, the images themselves have URLs of:
	
	




		Code:
	

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3041376932_c1d1c3d842.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3041273236_fcb06740b3.jpg


But to make the images load instead of just showing as links, place bbcode tags around them, like so:
	
	




		Code:
	

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3041376932_c1d1c3d842.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3041273236_fcb06740b3.jpg[/img]

.. which produces:










Information about XenForo BBcode: http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?help/bb-codes


----------



## Autoeng

My first granddaughter, Madison Jo, born Wednesday. The only pic of us both that was any good. I am readjusting her blanket not biting her.


----------



## LODISCOLEE

Makai Guy said:


> You've just given us the URLs (web addresses) of the flickr pages that contain those images.
> 
> On those pages, the images themselves have URLs of:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Code:
> 
> 
> http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3041376932_c1d1c3d842.jpg
> http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3041273236_fcb06740b3.jpg
> 
> 
> But to make the images load instead of just showing as links, place [noparse]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/noparse] vbcode tags around them, like so:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Code:
> 
> 
> [noparse]
> [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3041376932_c1d1c3d842.jpg[/img]
> [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/3041273236_fcb06740b3.jpg[/img][/noparse]
> 
> .. which produces:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Information about vBcode: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode





Thanks  Makai    I think I got it now.  

top one is  Grand Canyon 07  bottom one is Indian Shores FL 08

once again THANKS


----------



## LODISCOLEE

taken over TN ?? about 40,000 ft up on way home from FL to IL


----------



## dmharris

Congratulations autoeng!  I'm sure she is melting your heart and has you wrapped around her teeny tiny little finger already!


----------



## jerseyfinn

TUGBrian said:


> . . . its been quite the chore finding toys that dont get destroyed within minutes . . .



Your photo brought back memories of our shepherd. We learn the hard way that shepherds go through about an 18 month period of irrational behavior by which their energy level is never switched off and they chew on things despite knowing that they should not. In our case, it all magically stops when she hits 1 1/2 years of age and she grew up ( or better to say that her brain came on-line ).

In that interim she chews on shoes, a couple of dresser legs, & she digs holes in our matress a few times ( my first solution was to flip the mattress over; when she dug on that side I turn the mattress so that the hole is on my wife's side    . . . that worked for a while until she dug her third hole & I flip the mattress again -- thank goodness her behavior improved and we were able to buy another mattress  ). 

Her most memorable memorable day is when I come home to discover her chewing on a 12 pak of beer cans that I had temporarily set aside in the living room. Many of the cans were punctured and the rug was soaked & everything smells of beer. I call my wife at work and tell her to stop at the store to rent a rug shampo machine and to buy a muzzle. I ask my buddy who owns shepherds about this crazy behavior. He tells me that it's part and parcel with a shepherd and that this is why one needs a cage when leaving them home alone. I ask my friend why he never tells me this . . .  he says, " because no one ever told me! "  

I wish I had taken photos of those events as now that she's gone, we miss her dearly.

Barry

PS:

 try one of those ultra hard balls the pet stores sell. They will last a lifetime . . . but you gotta get your throwing arm in order and go to the park where you can really fling the ball to tire them out before you poop out.


----------



## susieq

dmharris said:


> Congratulations autoeng!  I'm sure she is melting your heart and has you wrapped around her teeny tiny little finger already!



A Great Big Ditto!!!  Grandchildren are wonderful as I'm sure you're finding out!!!  Treasure every minute ~ they grow up so fast!!


----------



## RDB

susieq said:


> A Great Big Ditto!!!  Grandchildren are wonderful as I'm sure you're finding out!!!  Treasure every minute ~ they grow up so fast!!



Amen to that!


----------



## RDB

*Salt River at Tempe, AZ*


----------



## taffy19

Great picture, Robert. The reflection of the sky in the river is wonderful. I love reflections in the water.


----------



## taffy19

*Reflections!*






Laguna Beach, CA.
http://iconnections.smugmug.com/photos/87398455_Ddx3A-O.jpg


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Continuing the "reflections" theme:

*Alta marea en la boca del rio tuito, Yelapa, México* 

(High Tide at the Mouth of the Rio Tuito, Yelapa, Mexico)

Yelapa is a village on the south shore of the Bay of Banderas, in a cove at the mouth of the Rio Tuito. The surrounding mountains are rugged, and Yelapa is not accessible by car or truck. Yelapa is an old fishing village, but now caters to tourists, most of whom are English-speaking.

We had just arrived in Yelapa by water taxi. Calm weather and slack water at high tide created this nice reflecting surface on the river.

Parts of the village were still in part shade, whereas the sand was brightly illuminated. The photo is an HDR merge made from three exposures, ±1 EV.

I took this picture during our trip to Puerto Vallarta last month. Because the photo was taken in Mexico I tried to title it appropriately in Spanish. (That also forces me to practice my Spanish a bit.) My Spanish is limited (estoy apriendo); I apologize if I've made some mistakes.


----------



## taffy19

Your reflections has so many colors, Steve.  Really nice.  I always like your pictures and I like this thread as there is such a variety of pictures.


----------



## easyrider




----------



## easyrider




----------



## LODISCOLEE

*A reflection I had*






Taken on a trip to DC about 4 yrs back.  Hope I don't upset anyone that might not find inappropriate.

I took it not expecting the reflection - I was trying to get the boots along the wall and when I finally got to go thru the 1100 or so pics from the trip I noticed the reflection of the young couple standing there.


----------



## easyrider




----------



## Mosca

I bought a used film camera, and ran a roll through it to see what would happen. The pro to shooting film is that I am much more careful in shot composition. The con is that, hey; this is expensive! But the camera only cost me $100 (for a Canon EOS-1N). So I have a long way to go before the overall cost is higher than the digital has been so far.

It was obviously a cold day; I drove up and down the tracks and these are the best shots. Quite a change from those beaches!


----------



## easyrider




----------



## jerseyfinn

We attend BMT graduation ceremonies ( basic training ) last week at Lackland AFB TX.  Close to 700 guys and gals become full-fledged USAF airman. Those of you who are of military background already know the deal, but for those of us who are pure civilians, it's an amazing process to observe. Youth who 8 1/2 weeks earlier were lounging around doing their own thing are now motivated team members who march and drill and now move on to training schools for their chosen jobs.

We're one of those rare graduating classes who get whacked with bad weather the entire time. Temperatures drop from 80 a few days before to 42 degrees with rain for 4 days. It doesn't dampen anyone's spirits but you sure felt cold out there.






*Clearing the parade ground of water*

__________






*Coin Ceremony with all of the flights in parade formation.*

______






*Our son ( in BG ) waiting for us to meet him after the ceremony. We sneak up on him from behind & watch him squirm anxiously for a while before finally popping up to surprise him*

_____​
The bad weather causes the cancellation of the dress blue parade formation graduation on the AFB parade field the next day. They instead hold ceremonies at each individual squadron dorm where they dress in ABUs ( camos ) beneath the buildings while the rain pours. I'm sure glad I had my HD video in hand as I capture all of it on video since the light was not real good for still photos.

We stayed at the Rivercenter Marriott in downtown San Antonio.  For you Marriott folks, the new MVC policy which gives credited MR night stays for each night you stay at your timesare earns us MR Gold/Plat status which in turns gets us a room UG at the hotel to the 26th floor with a full balcony room. It turns out to make our brief time spent on town leave with our son even more special.

This link has photos of the graduation ceremony.

Barry


----------



## Karen G

Barry, thanks for sharing these pictures!  I know you are very proud of your son.  I love our U.S. Armed Forces! Way to go!


----------



## dmharris

Barry, I looked at your gallery.  Please post the "Pride Assembled", it looks wonderful.  I especially liked your writing; you're quite eloquent and your values fit mine to a T.  You also have a good eye for detail.  Thanks for posting this.  

P.S.  I pray for our service men and women even though there are none in my family.


----------



## Kay H

You must be very proud.  What a handsome young man you have.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Thanks Karen, Kay, & Diane for your thoughts. 

I'm a non-military guy myself but my wife & I who are both nurse anesthetists have been encountering our military folks for years at our hospitals and surgicenters and we've been awed and inspired by the attitude and outlook of these fine folks -- the guys are upset that the Army makes them fix their hernia before they can deploy with their units . . . the team work & committment is touching. We were away in Spain last Fall visiting Marriott Marbella and Playa Andaluza resorts & when we came home, we learn that our son and a friend had joined the AF. It was a happy surprise. It's a bit different being on the military parent side of the equation, but also in a good way as you learn that America's military is really a big extended family.

As to our son. There were times that we're not so sure about how things would turn out in high school and afterwards. But it is amazing to see how completely he has bought into the AF ethos. At least his room will no longer look like a pigsty. His dad is now the only guy in the family who dresses like a bum.

Here's that "Pride Assembled" image taken as the flights line up in marching order before the Coin Ceremony. The only element missing here is the sound of the TI's voices ( training instructors ) who are each barking out a cadance to their flight as they march to the parade ground. It sounds like baying hound dogs as these newly-minted Airman march in unison. The most special part however is afterwards when families rush down to find thier Airman. I tried going through the crowds to snap shots of the emotion, but I had to quit when my wife gets impatient at my photography moment . . . well, I grab a few shots anyhow.

Thanks,

Barry






*Flights Assembled for the March to the Parade Grounds*​


----------



## dmharris

jerseyfinn said:


> The most special part however is afterwards when families rush down to find thier Airman. I tried going through the crowds to snap shots of the emotion, but I had to quit when my wife gets impatient at my photography moment . . . well, I grab a few shots anyhow.





Barry, at the end of the Vietnam War, I was traveling every week by air and when there were service men on the flight, they generally were coming home.  So I'd always hang around the arrival gate to watch the service men's homecoming with their families.  It always made me cry.  I wish I had a camera back then.  Thanks for positng the photo.


----------



## swift

For those needing their Disney fix I will have a few more coming.


----------



## HatTrick

*Hello World!*


----------



## Makai Guy

Hosted by Image Shack

Aiken Trials, March 14, 2009

(We had a great tailgate party at our railside spot, occasionally interrupted by some horses running by ...)


----------



## swift

It's A Small World ride was updated.


----------



## swift




----------



## SueDonJ

At the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Holmes Beach, FL, a pair of ospreys have built a nest within the last four months or so.  This is the male flying into the nest:


----------



## SueDonJ

sunset last week over Holmes Beach, FL


----------



## swift




----------



## KristinB

It's cherry blossom time in DC again...


----------



## KristinB




----------



## KristinB




----------



## dmharris

Kristin,

Your photos are perfect!  I'm heading to DC Monday and hope the blossoms will stay intact till then, but with the weather, I'm doubtful.  So the photos are appreciated even more.


----------



## Mosca

*Color, or B&W?*

This is a dual exercise; I'm fulfilling part of an assignment where I need to take a picture of a city at night, and I also wanted to take a shot at that HDR stuff. 

This is the clock on top of the Lackawanna Radisson Hotel, in Scranton PA. It is 5 images merged. 







I think I kind of like it in B&W. It is starker.






Here is a wide-angle of the hotel. The highlights are blown out a bit, but I like that flare of purple at the far right, it gives the shot some flair.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> I think I kind of like it in B&W. It is starker.



You can get some very nice B&W effects using HDR.  This is a shot of the Alaska Range, near Cantwell, Alaska, on the road to Denali. In this photo the massiveness of the mountains came out much better in B&W than it did in the color version.  But looking at the photo, I think that if I were to reprocess it now I reduce the strength of the details enhancer in Photomatix.






++++++++

This is another HDR B&W photo with four tinting layers.  This is Ha'upu, taken from the Makewehi Cliffs shoreline east of Gillins Beach.  This one just never came out well as a color photo HDR despite multiple attempts with different settings.  When I converted it to black and white, the contrasts immediately came out.  I then used the tinting layers to add some color back into the photo.


----------



## Mosca

Geez Steve, that could be Tierra del Fuego instead of Hawaii!


----------



## prosperitylove79

*A few different pictures*

Here are a few pictures of different places I have traveled...

Chichen Itza - Mexico










Oak Alley - New Orleans, LA





White Alligator at the Audubon Aquarium, New Orleans, LA





Sea Horse Audubon Aquarium New Orleans, LA





Cape Cod





Waterfall in the Rainforest of Costa Rica





View from a Hanging Bridge in the Rainforest of Costa Rica





Sunset from our hotel - Villa Sol - Guanacaste, Costa Rica


----------



## easyrider




----------



## KristinB

dmharris said:


> Kristin,
> 
> Your photos are perfect!  I'm heading to DC Monday and hope the blossoms will stay intact till then, but with the weather, I'm doubtful.  So the photos are appreciated even more.



Thanks!  I'm sorry to say that your suspicions are probably right, I don't know how much is left right now.  The winds were just crazy on Friday and Saturday (20-30 mph, with up to 50 mph gusts on Saturday ).  I went back early Saturday morning (for sunrise) and the branches were a lot barer already.  The winds were so bad that the Tidal Basin had whitecaps!  I left around 10:30 a.m. and as I walked away, there were even more blossoms raining down around me with each huge gust.  The only place that seemed to be somewhat protected was by the FDR Memorial, so if there's any hope of them staying intact, it's on that side...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mosca said:


> Geez Steve, that could be Tierra del Fuego instead of Hawaii!



Here's another shot, taken about five minutes later after I walked off the headland and down to the beach off the right side of the first photograph.  The place on the first photo where the waves are crashing is the smaller, brighter cliff located just to the left of center in this photograph.


----------



## KristinB

Gorgeous, Steve!

Here's today's cherry blossom pic:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kristin: Here's a Mt. Rainier shot for you:


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> Here's today's cherry blossom pic:



Nice shot, Kristin. The Jefferson is my favorite DC memorial. Especially at night.

Roger


----------



## easyrider

*east side Raineer*


----------



## KristinB

Wow, Steve & Bill -- I really have to get out west!  I've never been to Washington state...  Just beautiful.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Wow, Steve & Bill -- I really have to get out west!  I've never been to Washington state...  Just beautiful.



Kristin:

Mt. Adams and the High Cascades:


----------



## easyrider

hey Steve, nice shot, is this the northwest view ?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

easyrider said:


> hey Steve, nice shot, is this the northwest view ?


Yeah - that's the northwest face. Photo taken yesterday, April 5, from Silver Queen mountain at about 7000 feet elevation.

Here's a shot of Mt. St. Helens, from near the same location.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin:
> 
> Mt. Adams and the High Cascades:





T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Yeah - that's the northwest face. Photo taken yesterday, April 5, from Silver Queen mountain at about 7000 feet elevation.
> 
> Here's a shot of Mt. St. Helens, from near the same location.



Okay, I *really* have to start planning to get out there... But there aren't any timeshares near there, are there?  LOL!

Today's cherry blossom pic:






:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Okay, I *really* have to start planning to get out there... But there aren't any timeshares near there, are there?  LOL!



There aren't any in the immediate Raineir area.  But there are others with good Cascade Mountains access.

There are a couple in Leavenworth, WA.  Right outside of Leavenworth are trailheads into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.  

There's a resort in Glacier, WA, which is right on the Mt. Baker Highway.  That location also gives good access to the North Cascades Highway and National Pak.

In Oregon Whispering Woods is about one hour from Portland, and not far from Mt. Hood.


----------



## HatTrick

*Evening in Honolulu*






Looking out over the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> There aren't any in the immediate Raineir area.  But there are others with good Cascade Mountains access.
> 
> There are a couple in Leavenworth, WA.  Right outside of Leavenworth are trailheads into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.
> 
> There's a resort in Glacier, WA, which is right on the Mt. Baker Highway.  That location also gives good access to the North Cascades Highway and National Pak.
> 
> In Oregon Whispering Woods is about one hour from Portland, and not far from Mt. Hood.



Thanks, have to start thinking about 2012...

HatTrick, love the nighttime Honolulu shot!

So when I was at the Tidal Basin Saturday morning, a young couple were having their wedding photos taken, and several of us couldn't resist the opportunity, LOL!


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> So when I was at the Tidal Basin Saturday morning, a young couple was having their wedding photos taken, and several of us couldn't resist the opportunity, LOL!



I did that once on Waikiki Beach and a guy from the wedding party started running toward me. I was quite a distance away, so maybe he was going to allow me closer access.  I didn't stick around to find out! 

No such problem photographing this couple enjoying a quiet afternoon with Mokoli'i Islet (Chinaman's Hat) in the background.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Frolicking at Secret Beach*

Got this picture of a young lady enjoying the surf at Secret Beach.  She was standing in that circular area and letting the waves break in around her legs.


----------



## Mosca

This is film; Fuji Superia Reala 100, Canon EOS 1N, Canon 28-135@about 100mm, f/6.3 and maybe 250ish. From this afternoon: two old rangers. Dad is 81, Penny is 9 1/2, very old for an English bulldog. Francis Slocum State Park.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillins Beach, Kaua'i





*

Technical notes.  This an HDR composite of three photos, taken at ±0.7 EV. The HDR didn't work well on the sky, but was superb on the ocean and the land.  Digital darkroom work on the sky included removing a reddish cast, a general brightening of the sky, and digital noise reduction.

After working on the sky, the overall photo work included adjusting tonal balance and a bit of sharpening.

All of the exposures were shot with a polarizing filter and a UV filter.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


>



Kristin - that is a superb photo!!!

From many bad experiences I know how difficult it is to suceesfully take an outdoor photo like this in direct sunlight.  Not only did you manage the lighting, but you created a simply splendid moment for the couple.  I hope that you got an e-mail address for them so that you can send it to them.

From our wedding some of our most cherished photos are pictures that were taken by a couple of the guests, and not the photographer.  We were fortunate that a couple of guests snapped photos at some almost perfect moments.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillins Beach from a different vantage*


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kristin - that is a superb photo!!!
> 
> From many bad experiences I know how difficult it is to suceesfully take an outdoor photo like this in direct sunlight.  Not only did you manage the lighting, but you created a simply splendid moment for the couple.  I hope that you got an e-mail address for them so that you can send it to them.
> 
> From our wedding some of our most cherished photos are pictures that were taken by a couple of the guests, and not the photographer.  We were fortunate that a couple of guests snapped photos at some almost perfect moments.



Thanks, Steve, but no, I didn't.  The paid photographer was setting up the shot and I just took advantage of the opportunity to piggyback on the situation, if you know what I mean.  I'm sure the professional photog got a much better version of this shot...  But I am pleased with how it turned out.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Two more from our Kaua'i travels last summer:

*Nawiliwili*







*
'Opaeka'a Falls*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Finally finished my Hawai'i pics from last summer.  Now I need to get the photo book ready.

Here are a couple of photos taken from the Makewehi shoreline cliffs east of the Hyatt. The tall mountain is Ha'upu, and and the sea cliff on the right is Kipu Kai.  The long beach facing is a portion of Gillins Beach.


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Finally finished my Hawai'i pics from last summer.  Now I need to get the photo book ready.



Lovely, Steve!  Who do you use for your photo book? 

I think we're coming to the end of the cherry blossoms for now...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Lovely, Steve!  Who do you use for your photo book?



I use Photoworks.  I've been using them for years, going back to when they were Seattle Film works.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillins Beach, Kaua'i*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Let's change climates ......

*Noonans Park, Alexandria, Minnesota*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Not trying to "trash" this thread, but I thought I'd post a few shots I take in February on the beach near the Marriott Ocean Pointe resort. 

The idea of looking for man-made objects on the beach comes to me mid-week and it turns out to be fun finding all of those bits and pieces left behind by people which become a part of the beachscape. The nice thing about it is although I've got to get down on my hands and knees to shoot ( mostly macro mode ), the sand softens the job. In truth, the beach here is pretty clean as the beach concession folks get out and rake and clean every morning though there's always stuff which washes up.

The full gallery is called Beach Art ??? !!! 



Barry







*
________________*





*
________*







*
________*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*El puerto de Yelapa*

The boat harbor in Yelapa, on the south shore of the Bay of Banderas near Puerto Vallarta.


----------



## HatTrick

*Fountain at Ala Moana Center, Honolulu*


----------



## HatTrick

*Fire Knife Dancer Collage*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Dinner for Four*

Friends of ours happened to be in Puerto Vallarta last February the same time we were there.  They invited us over to the condo they were renting for dinner one evening.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

More from Puerto Vallarta

*la boca del rio tuito, Yelapa* (Mouth of the Tuito River)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## TUGBrian

man, your pictures flat out rock steve!

you are my american photographer idol =)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*If Women Controlled Medicine*

deleted - posted in wrong location


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Thanks Brian (blushing).

I have fun.  But I think Kristin is the TUG photographer _par excellence_


----------



## TUGBrian

oh I wasnt tryin to say that the other pictures in the thread suck or anything!  my bad!


----------



## Makai Guy

*Marauding Red Tailed Hawk*

Wednesday afternoon a red tailed hawk landed on a blue jay nest in our back yard.  While the jays went ballistic and squawked and dive bombed the hawk, it dug its talons into the nest and flapped it's wings to pull back and tear the nest apart.  Seemed an odd behavior to me, in that if there were eggs or young in the nest it probably could just have eaten them without tearing the nest apart.  Anyhow, I watched in fascination for a while before I thought to run in and get my camera.  

Here the hawk is standing on a part of the nest that had been torn out of the nest overhead.



​


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillins Beach*

A different interpretation from most of my other Gillins Beach photos from this hike.  This picture blends together the original photo and an infrared conversion of the photo, creating a totally different atmosphere.  






*Shoreline at Lydgate Park*

From our last day in Kaua'i.  We had lunch in Lydgate, then walked along the shoreline, where I grabbed this shot.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Calle Colorado*

The village of Yelapa on the south shore of Banderas Bay is accessible only by boat; the rugged Sierra Madre drop steeply into the ocean and no roads have been built to the area.  Accordingly, there are no vehicles in Yelapa and no hence no need for streets.

Calle Colorado is a paved path that heads up the Rio Tuito beginning at Yelapa.  Callle Colorado serves as an the main road linking the villages and barrios located along the lower stretch of the river.  The path is used by pedestrians, bicyclists, motor scooters, the occasional ATV, and horses, mules, and burros.  

Here are a few photos of taken along Calle Colorado heading upriver from Yelapa.


----------



## RDB

*Wolf Creek Pass, CO*

After a couple of you posted B&W, I thought of posting  Wolk Creek Pass that way. They are not crisp due to blowing snow. B&W show that much better than in color. 

btw, thank you all for taking time to show a bit of where you've been.











*Huge Icecycles*


----------



## HatTrick

RDB said:


> After a couple of you posted B&W, I thought of posting  Wolk Creek Pass that way. They are not crisp due to blowing snow. B&W show that much better than in color.



There's a moodiness to those shots that comes through better, I think, in b&w.

Nice job!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Along the Puerto Vallarta Malecon*

local artists do sculptures in the sand for tips


----------



## RDB

KristinB said:


> Nice, Robert!  I saw you soliciting camera advice on the Cafe -- any closer to a purchasing decision?



I can't decide to spend lots of bucks to load the pc with hundreds more pictures. 

I bought a NIKON L20 for $119. 
Can't zoom in from 1/2 a mile away, but I mostly shot landscapes anyway, so for now I'm satisfied.

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Musicians on Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## Idaho




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Playa Yelapa*


----------



## RDB

*Must be Spring Break*

Idaho,

With that many coming to the convention, you'd think there would be a couple dance floors!!!!!!

I bet a few thousand crashed the party... I just know there weren't that many invitations sent out.


----------



## HatTrick

RDB said:


> Idaho,
> 
> With that many coming to the convention, you'd think there would be a couple dance floors!!!!!!
> 
> I bet a few thousand crashed the party... I just know there weren't that many invitations sent out.



Where's Waldo? :hysterical:


----------



## Idaho

The bummer about that dance was that nobody was wearing name tags.


----------



## Rose Pink

Idaho said:


> The bummer about that dance was that nobody was wearing name tags.


 
Name tags probably don't go well with tuxedos. (especially if they were printed in Comic Sans)


----------



## TUGBrian

thats alotta darn penguins!


----------



## Idaho

Rose Pink said:


> Name tags probably don't go well with tuxedos. (especially if they were printed in Comic Sans)



Well yeah, but Times Roman would be appropriate wouldn't it?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Late Afternoon at Marina Vallarta*


----------



## geoand

*Next to fence around swimming pool in Palm Springs*


----------



## geoand

*five feet to the left of the bird on rope*


----------



## geoand

*Nest is less than four feet from ground*

The nest was in the trunk of a palm tree.


----------



## dmharris

Geo, these are precious.  How close to the subject matter were you?  Did you have a high power zoom lens?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Two Views of Playa los muertos, Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## geoand

dmharris said:


> Geo, these are precious.  How close to the subject matter were you?  Did you have a high power zoom lens?



I used a AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED with the Nikon D 300 camera.

I was standing about 6 feet away from the nest.  The first bird on the rope was a lucky accident.  The momma hummer flew from the nest to my left and stopped to hover.  I was able to swing the camera to the hummer but she flew away before I could pull the trigger.  Camera was hand held and DW was standing on my right and she told me to move the lens about a foot more to the left and there was the bird that I luckily captured.


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh, I just love the baby birds, so precious!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*en el mercado de la Isla Cuale, Puerto Vallarta
(in the Isla Cuale marketplace, Puerto Vallarta)*


----------



## Rose Pink

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *en el mercado de la Isla Cuale, Puerto Vallarta*
> *(in the Isla Cuale marketplace, Puerto Vallarta)*


 
Beautiful, Steve.  Reminds me of pointillism--maybe a Seurat.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Rose Pink said:


> Beautiful, Steve.  Reminds me of pointillism--maybe a Seurat.



Thanks.  There are some photos, this being an example, where I like to apply this brush stroke effect.  FYI - here is the original photo:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

a couple of pictures of someone fishing from the riprap on the shore next to the Hotel Rosita, Puerto Vallarta


----------



## RDB

*Love Sedona*






Sedona Sky


----------



## Zac495

geoand said:


>



WOW!!!!!!!


----------



## qlaval

*Great video taken at the Renaissance Aruba resort private Island*

Hi,  

Want to see a nice video of the Flamingos at the Aruba Renaissance Resort & Casino private Island?

 It was taken with an HD camera so for an unbelievable sight click the *HD* button in the lower right portion of the screen.
(High speed internet a must...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvIVeqBO8aY


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Torches at "Rhythms of the Night"*

"Rhythms of the Night" is an excellent dinner and stage show that is produced by Vallarta Adventures at beachfront location that is the site of an estate formerly owned by John Huston.  The location is on the south shore of Banderas Bay, and is accessible from Puerto Vallarta only by boat. 

There is no electricity at the site (save for a couple of generators used for stage lighting).  Dinner is served by torchlight, at tables on the beach.

The photo below is a picture of the beach area, with torches lit, as our boat was approaching the dock.


----------



## Sellers01

Sunset at Couples Negril


----------



## Passepartout

Here's a view of Oia Santorini.





Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

I'll finish off our Puerto Vallarta trip with a few pictures of cobblestone street scenes:

This is Calle Chile, a bit north of the Hotel Rosita at the north end of the Malecon






*******

This is in the Romantic Zone. I didn't note the name of the street, but looking at a map it's probably Calle Constitución near Calle Basillo Badillo.


----------



## dmharris

Jim,

Where in the world is this?  It's incredibly beautiful architecture.


----------



## Passepartout

Trying this from my phone....It's Santorini Greece.
There's no naturally occurring spring water there (its a collapsed volcano), so the roofs are designed to capture rainwater and direct it to cisterns under the buildings. There's a desalination plant and many windmills for power.   
Jim


----------



## SueDonJ

dmharris said:


> Jim,
> 
> Where in the world is this?  It's incredibly beautiful architecture.



And it's an absolutely perfect photo!  It sort of reminds me of an M.C. Escher print.


----------



## Passepartout

*Shoshone Falls, The Niagra Of The West*

This is about 5 miles from home. It doesn't run like this every year, as much of the water is captured upstream for agriculture. It's the Snake River and is one of 5-or so falls through our town. This one is the highest at 212 feet.






Jim Ricks


----------



## Mosca

Sheesh. Man, you guys get some _landscapes_, in italics!

This is from Sunday, on  my deck. I was relaxing with the camera, my laptop, a bottle of Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine... and this doggone raccoon! She was in the tree maybe 15 feet away!


----------



## RDB

Passepartout said:


> --- It doesn't run like this every year, as much of the water is captured upstream for agriculture. It's the Snake River --- This one is the highest at 212 feet.---Jim Ricks



Imagine all the other water that must get diverted. The Snake meanders from just below Yellowstone NP. The Snake waters (what's left of it) eventually reaches the Columbia near Kennewick, Washington (just a little north of the Oregon border).

Waters falling in the same (Continental Divide) area near YNP also flows via the Yellowstone River and reaches the Missouri at a point where the Missouri crosses out of Montana into northern North Dakota.

*Nice photo, Jim.*

------------------
Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

RDB said:


> Imagine all the other water that must get diverted. The Snake meanders from just below Yellowstone NP. The Snake waters (what's left of it) eventually reaches the Columbia near Kennewick, Washington (just a little north of the Oregon border).



Although the Snake drains a large watershed, most of the catchment area is desert and semi-arid from which there is little water contribution on a per acre or per square mile basis.  Further, all of the Snake River plain in southern Idaho is composed of porous volcanic formations into which water readily percolates and travels through the ground without ever reaching the surface.  

Finally there is substantial upstream flow regulation (dams) above Twin Falls at the American Falls Reservoir.


There was, however, quite a large flow back in the ice ages when a ridge of land gave way on the watershed divide south of Pocatello and about half the contents of Lake Bonneville came surging down the Snake.


----------



## Palguy

*Seawall along Front St. Lahaina Maui*


----------



## Passepartout

This is frankly a lousy photo, but for those with a somewhat warped sense of humor, here goes. We were wandering the back alleys of Oia (say:Eeya) Santorini and came across this scooter parking place, and where else would you put your *canon*?






Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kepuhi Beach, Moloka'i*


----------



## Rose Pink

Passepartout said:


> This is frankly a lousy photo, but for those with a somewhat warped sense of humor, here goes. We were wandering the back alleys of Oia (say:Eeya) Santorini and came across this scooter parking place, and where else would you put your *canon*?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Ricks


 
Jim, I don't think it is a lousy photo at all.  I like it.  The texture is interesting as is the contrast between ancient and modern.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kaunakakai Harbor*

We had just returned to Kaunakakai on the ferry from Lahaina after spending a day on Maui.  The moon was overhead, shining on the water.  Meanwhile a mercury lamp on a pole to my right was casting an orangeish light on the boats.  

To get the proper exposure for the boats I had to overexpose the moon.  If I had known then (2006) what I now know about managing dynamic range, I would have taken another shot with proper exposure of the moon, then combined the images .


----------



## Glynda

*Gator Magnolia Plantation Charleston*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Glynda said:


>



Now that you've got it figured out Glynda, are you going to join us picture-posting fools?


----------



## Glynda

*Chuckle...*



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Now that you've got it figured out Glynda, are you going to join us picture-posting fools?



Chuckle.  I wanted to see if I could still do it.  I've looked at all the pages in this thread and then at my photos and none of mine even come close. I'm really no photographer and I don't know how to do more than crop.  My latest camera tends to wash things out as well. 

I do like this one I took from inside a shop in San Gigimano, Italy last fall:


----------



## swift

Ok, proud mom in me showing off.  

Here is a picture of my daughter and her boyfriend as they were getting ready to leave for Prom Night.







Theme was Masquerade.


----------



## Karen G

Theresa, she's a beautiful girl. That looked like a fun theme for the prom.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Flowers at Tedeschi Winery, upcountry Maui*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Saint Philomena Church, Kalawao, Hawai'i*

This is the original church built by Father Damien for the Kalaupapa leprosy colony.


----------



## Passepartout

*Jackson Lake*

Here's a couple from Jackson Hole taken in June 2008: Jackson Lake still has a couple of feet or more of ice covering it. Tetons in the background....






and at the annual Boy Scout's Antler Auction. They have exclusive rights to pick up the shed antlers from the National Elk Refuge at Jackson. These 3/4 curl Mountain Sheep horns with skull attached had been wrapped around a sapling pine which eventually grew around the horn. Hard to say how many years it had been there.






Jim Ricks


----------



## jerseyfinn

Jim,

Your Santorini photo is fantastic. Amazing to consider the water logistics involved there.

Also like your Jackson Hole image. Looks like a lot snow is up in those mountains. We've not been out that way in many years ( like you say, So many places, So little time   )  We used to be able to get up early and grab a camp site on Jenny Lake . . . I suspect all of that has changed over the years.

Since you live out that way, just a bit curious as to if Bish's Boots are still doing business in Pocatello. I still have a couple of pairs acquired there some years ago. Also wondering what Craters of the Moon is like. That was certainly a wierd camping experience pitching a tent on ash.

Your photos remind me that we gotta get back out that way again.

Barry


----------



## Passepartout

Barry, Thank You for the kind words. These are selected from my snapshots who's whole purpose has been to tickle my own memories of places and events. Glad you enjoy them.  The Jackson/Yellowstone area is a special place. Jenny Lake was still snowed in when we were there last June, so I missed that.

We generally camp at Craters of the Moon the first night out of here on our way up to Colt Killed Creek in the Bitterroots (named by Lewis and Clark for obvious reasons). There are nice campgrounds there now. No need to dry camp in the cinders anymore.

I don't get to Pocatello much, but a Google search didn't turn up Bish's Boots. There's an RV place by that name and a couple other things, so the family must still be there.

Don't be a stranger. We're getting nearly civilized out here, but don't tell anybody. 

Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Columbia River near Malaga, Washington*

on a late summer afternoon in July


----------



## HatTrick

*Publicity Photo of Vapor Valley*






Bought a fixed week (week 57) one-bedroom lock-off sight unseen. Can't wait to visit!


----------



## tashamen

HatTrick said:


> Bought a fixed week (week 57) one-bedroom lock-off sight unseen. Can't wait to visit!



You just made my day! :rofl:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Bought a fixed week (week 57) one-bedroom lock-off sight unseen. Can't wait to visit!



Could have fooled me. I thought that was either the Belaire resort in Puerto Vallarta or the Basil Jones in Belize.


----------



## HatTrick

Or the Fog Valley Resort in Thailand.


----------



## Passepartout

*Hoodoo lake Idaho*

Here's a little something from the end of a 30 mile single track road in the Selway/Bitterroot forest. That's a moose out for his nightly swim to our campsite.






Here's a 26" Brown trout I caught on a 4 weight fly rod with 1.5# tippet on a size 22 nymph. Probably doesn't mean anything to non flyfishers, but that's pretty light tackle.






Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Too long with no pictures in this thread.

*Sunset on Kepuhi Beach, Moloka'i*


----------



## easyrider

Passepartout said:


> Here's a 26" Brown trout I caught on a 4 weight fly rod with 1.5# tippet on a size 22 nymph. Probably doesn't mean anything to non flyfishers, but that's pretty light tackle.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Ricks



That must of been one great take down. Did Mr. Brown hit on top ? Nice


----------



## Passepartout

easyrider said:


> That must of been one great take down. Did Mr. Brown hit on top ? Nice



Nope. I was just drifting the nymph through a rocky pool and it stopped. I thought it might have snagged. Then the thing moved. A lot. I got well into the backing a couple of times, ran up and down the creek a couple hundred yards. It took over an hour and a half to get her in the net. Fortunately had my BIL along to net it. 

Jim


----------



## easyrider

Passepartout said:


> Nope. I was just drifting the nymph through a rocky pool and it stopped. I thought it might have snagged. Then the thing moved. A lot. I got well into the backing a couple of times, ran up and down the creek a couple hundred yards. It took over an hour and a half to get her in the net. Fortunately had my BIL along to net it.
> 
> Jim



Thats a great feeling when the snag moves. Mr. Brown gave you a work out it seems. Best excersise ever.


----------



## calgarygary

I thought I would add a couple of pics from a Pacific Whale Foundation excursion out of Lahaina.


----------



## Kay H

That top whale picture sure dwarfs the boat.  You were really close.


----------



## taffy19

calgarygary said:


> I thought I would add a couple of pics from a Pacific Whale Foundation excursion out of Lahaina.


Great pictures!  By any chance, did you send them to the PWF? They will put them in their fantastic photo gallery.


----------



## Egret1986

*I love this picture and I know you do too.  Wow!*



Zac495 said:


> My precious Zoe in Florida.



The epitome of true joy and happiness!!!  That's what it's all about!!!


----------



## Egret1986

*Many of the fantastic pictures submitted here by TUGGERs have inspired me!!!*



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Gecko Staredown in Holualoa*



For some unknown reason, I have not looked at this thread until now.  I am just in awe of the incredible photography.  I know nothing about photography and feel fortunate when I get some decent shots on vacations.

I have to find some way to be able to get into some photography class that will fit into my difficult schedule.  I am envious of all the great photos on this thread.

This is a great thread!!!!   I just sit back and say, oh my Gosh!!!!!


----------



## calgarygary

Kay H said:


> That top whale picture sure dwarfs the boat.  You were really close.



We were usually well over the 100 yard limit, the only time we got close to a 100 yards was when the whales doubled back on us.  The boat that is close (it got even closer) to the whales was a research boat that came out when this group of a female, calf and 2 males were spotted so late in the season on April 28th.



iconnections said:


> Great pictures!  By any chance, did you send them to the PWF? They will put them in their fantastic photo gallery.



Thanks for letting me know, I will forward them some of my pics.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Nice whale photos calgarygary. Humpbacks are beautiful animals and Hawaii is a great place to enjoy these inspirational creatures.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

Got back from a London long weekend trip. Stayed at the Marriott Marble Arch and had pretty decent weather.  Got in some theater ( our usual Mama Mia fix ) along with some nice dining and walking all over the place -- we use the Underground exactly one time in 4 days and hoof it all day ( well, except when we were running late from dinner and grab a taxi who gets us to Mama Mia with 2 minutes to spare).  Thought I'd post a few photos from the trip.  New photos will be trickling out the next couple of days as I am in full Photoshop mode at the moment. I'm also creating a new gallery called "London Lines" which should also be up very soon.

The images here are found in my Candid London gallery.








*Sunset with Big Ben & Parliament*​
We walk back from dinner on Bankside, a relaxing dinner at a Greek place where we make a meal out the meszes & a bottle of wine while people watching the Thames. It had been mostly sunny all day, but clouds set in @5PM and the sun remains hidden until almost 8PM when I grab this image. The sun is low on the horizon and pops out through a slit in the clouds painting Ben in a warm glow for perhaps 5 miniutes before disappearing for the rest of the day. This shot really made my day as we've walked this route scores of times and this is the first time we've had this sort of light. The London Eye is ahead behind the trees and the only thing missing here was the Yellow Brick Road and Toto as it had that sort of "Oz" sort of feeling with the light. Ultimately photography is about light and composition . . . and "luck" in being in the right place at the right time.

*_______________________________*







*Regents Street*​
On Friday and Saturday nights, Leicester Sq., Piccadilly and Regents Streets are bustling with action. These taxis are out in force as several of the Westend theaters have let out and folks are taking cabs back to their hotels or heading out for a late dinner. I take this selective color image as we walk back to the Marble Arch taking the back streets along the way to make the journey different each time.

*_______________________*






*Guess Who?*​
A shot on the hotel elevator when our long day finally ends ( I think we walked about 8 miles on this particular day ). We usually stop in the bar for a drink or two as I review the images and videos I've taken while also updating a journal. We get to bed @ 1:30 AM or later and are up at 7:30 every morning. Believe it or not, this prevents jet lag on these shorter trips as our body clocks do not move as much. We arrive home @5PM local time and go to work the next day without too much wear and tear.

Of course you'll all note that my hair ( or what's left of it ) is askew. This is my normal state of affairs as I'm a low maintanance sort of guy. This means that my wife is always hollering at me about my appearance. When it bothers her enough, she grabs her comb and runs me down to comb my hair. 

Another thing about me, is that I have not worn a watch in 27 years ( the battery dies during a camping trip and that was the end of the watch . . . also coincides with when I keep my beard as I sure got used to not shaving during that camping trip ). I always get where I belong (relatively) on time and I do not miss the watch. The same is not true for my wife. She loses her wrist watch the first day of the trip ( her cell phone also dies when the SIM card goes native after passing through security screening ). So she was frantic about the time. To assuage her I would use my camera and check it's clock on occassion. But ultimately I got tired of her fretting about the time and I told her to buy a new watch when we were on Carnaby Street. Life settled back into our usual routine.

Hope you enjoy the photos.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

*Mokoli'i Islet (Chinaman's Hat) Oahu in mosaic*


----------



## HatTrick

*Diamond Head*


----------



## dmharris

Barry,

Nice to see you.  You said "Ultimately photography is about light and composition . . . and "luck" in being in the right place at the right time."  I couldn't agree more.  Very nice selection of photos.  Also like your journaling about time.  

Thanks for sharing.


----------



## KristinB

Barry, love the London images -- terrific! 

Gary, great whale shots!

Steve, that Columbia River capture is just beautiful...


----------



## pwrshift

I haven't checked this thread for some time so it was great fun getting caught up again.  Wonderful stuff -- Tug people are artists!  

Brian


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kay with the Bridal Bouquet*

Got this silhouette last week of Kay holding the bridal bouquet while the photographer was shooting pictures of DS and DIL during the wedding last week.


----------



## swift

Beautiful Steve.


----------



## Mosca

Minor league baseball at night.


----------



## Mosca

Bridge over the Nescopeck Creek, PA State Game Lands.


----------



## Mosca

Let's go to the movies! 

Cinemark 20, Moosic PA.


----------



## richardm




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gun Bay, East End, Grand Cayman Island*


----------



## HatTrick

*Maui Sunset*





_Taken from 6th-floor oceanfront unit at WKORV._


----------



## calgarygary

A little eye candy for the ladies from the Paradise Cove Luau.


----------



## Mosca

*Graduation!*


----------



## Mosca

*Waiting for Master...*


----------



## richardm

*Good clean fun in Orlando.. PETA stunt downtown..*


----------



## richardm

*How Swine Flu Began......*


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## richardm

*New York is one tough city!*


----------



## SueDonJ

Sunset over Harbortown, Hilton Head Island, one night last week following a storm:


----------



## eoneguru

Disney World Castle - Hallowishes 2007


----------



## jerseyfinn

Congrats Mosca. Did it rain since I see it's in an auditorium?

I also like the bulldog photo. Was he the validictorian or simply wating in the car?  

Barry


----------



## richardm

*Wildlife tour in S. Africa.... Really, really wild!*

[Inappropriate picture deleted - please use this forum to post your own, pg rated pictures. - DeniseM Moderator]


----------



## HatTrick

[Picture deleted.- DeniseM Moderator]

Some entertaining images, to be sure, but you might be interested in this thread's _raison d'être_, as stated by Theresa in post #1:



swift said:


> I know there are some great TUG photographers out there. I thought it would be neat to see some of your favorite vacation photos and start a thread where we could post only one picture a day. They do this on another board I belong to and it is very fun to see what other people have seen and done.


----------



## richardm

I'll stop.. Didn't mean to offend.. 

I pull a funny image a day for another site, and figured some of the uptight Tuggers could use a laugh a day without having to leave the bbs..  If you want the link for the other site, send me a PM..


----------



## geoand

*Came upon this and I thought it would be nice to be there again*

This is at the south end of beach in Cancun.  I am sure many of you are familiar with this view.


----------



## SueDonJ

Remember the scene in _Independence Day_ where the ship covered the city?  This was a storm that moved west to east over Hilton Head Island last week:





It was sort of terrifying, actually, how quickly it moved in, how much sky it actually blocked out and how menacing the clouds were. This was taken about 5PM, and we didn't have the worst of the thunder and lightning until 10 that night.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Cemetery in East End, Grand Cayman*


----------



## Mosca

jerseyfinn said:


> Congrats Mosca. Did it rain since I see it's in an auditorium?
> 
> I also like the bulldog photo. Was he the validictorian or simply wating in the car?
> 
> Barry




Thank you, yes it was raining! The graduation was indoors and the hat throwing was supposed to be out in the courtyard, but they did it indoors!

I just finished my on line photography course, and I'm very pleased with the guidance I received. I won't link it, but you can find Proud Photography pretty easily. Inexpensive and highly recommended, and you don't need a fancy camera.


----------



## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> I just finished my on line photography course, and I'm very pleased with the guidance I received. I won't link it, but you can find Proud Photography pretty easily. Inexpensive and highly recommended, and you don't need a fancy camera.



Wow, that looks VERY interesting, and it's great to have a first-hand positive review/recommendation of the program from someone whose photos stand out here.  Do you mind if I ask how long it took you to complete the course, and how many hours/week you devoted to it?


----------



## Mosca

SueDonJ said:


> Wow, that looks VERY interesting, and it's great to have a first-hand positive review/recommendation of the program from someone whose photos stand out here.  Do you mind if I ask how long it took you to complete the course, and how many hours/week you devoted to it?



I don't mind at all, and I appreciate being put in such company; there are some photographers here who are just outstanding! The basic class is 13 lessons, and it starts with some serious hand holding, going over camera terms. You are given an instructor, who grades your assignments and offers suggestions. My instructor, Greg Howell, was a good match for me. I felt free to ask questions and ask for suggestions; we exchanged emails frequently. A typical lesson would be a chapter to read about the principles of composition, and then an assignment to submit 3 photos, each incorporating one principle, along with a short description of the shot and why you made the choices you did, along with any problems you might have had. Your instructor then reviews your shots, pointing out what was done right and wrong and offering suggestions to make them better.

I started it last August. I work full time, so I didn't devote more than casual time to it; if there was nothing going on on my day off, I went out shooting pictures for a couple hours. I had the first 5 lessons done by the end of September. I was done with lesson 12 by the end of November... then winter came, and the holidays, and I got sidetracked and didn't start taking photos again for the final assignment until April. I took 2 of the 6 final photos in April, then 3 toward the end of May and the last one June 3rd. I'd say the MOST hours a week I devoted to it was 5. That would be two days in the same week where I'd take the dog and go out driving around looking for something interesting, a couple hours each day. But there were many weeks where I did very little, and I did nothing at all for 4 months. Many of the assignments are homework rather than assignments, and take a few minutes. I spent all of 3 minutes on the portrait assignment; two snapshots and a quick edit. I spent more time thinking about what I wanted it to look like.

I took a heck of a lot of shots in April and May working on things that Greg had pointed out in my other photos. There is a lot of freedom to revisit assignments and to exchange ideas with the instructor, and there is also a forum to discuss ideas and assignments with other students and photographers; if you are having trouble with an assignment, you can post some photos and ask for help. There is also a monthly contest on the forum... some of those folks take some nice pictures.

I don't know how much it costs now. When I signed up it was $100. Having taken the course, I would have paid 3 times that and still felt like I got my money's worth. And you don't need a fancy camera. Any decent point and shoot purchased within the last few years is enough to get you in the door. Highly recommended.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pedro St. James, Grand Cayman Island*


----------



## Da Wolf

This was the pool and the front of the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui that my wife and I stayed in back in May of 2008.






Rainbow over Diamond Head Crater on Oahu. Taken in June 2005.






Sunset on Oahu. Taken in June 2005.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rum Point, North Shore of Grand Cayman*


----------



## SueDonJ

on the beach at Hilton Head:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rum Point, North Shore Grand Cayman - Take 2*


----------



## FlyerBobcat

I think that 4th chair already has my name on it...  Can't wait!  


SueDonJ said:


> on the beach at Hilton Head:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rum Point, North Shore Grand Cayman - Take 3*


----------



## easyrider

WOW, thats our favorite place on Cayman Island.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

easyrider said:


> WOW, thats our favorite place on Cayman Island.


An interesting place.   I shot about ten photos there; I selected these three to provide three different perspectives.


----------



## heckp

*Disney*

WDW Spectromagic Parade


----------



## SueDonJ

FlyerBobcat said:


> I think that 4th chair already has my name on it...  Can't wait!



Tom, new this year at both Barony and SurfWatch, the resorts are renting similar chairs just inside the properties at the boardwalks.  I didn't stop and ask what has changed with the town/lifeguard arrangement that the resorts can now offer beach rentals (I thought there was a prohibition because town rentals cover the lifeguard salaries?), but maybe Grande Ocean will have the same for you.  I think but I'm not certain that the rate was $10/day.

Either way, the set-up looks so inviting, doesn't it?  I love to watch the lifeguards running around every morning to get the beach ready.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Steve,

You've done a lot of Hawaii trips. I'm curious as if you ever seen Charles Lindburg's grave on Maui. It's near a picture perfect church on a plain site overlooking the ocean from tall cliffs. My photos are from my film days and I'll have to do some digging to find those. But your photo of the Caribe cemetary brings that to mind.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

SueDon, that's a dramatic storm picture. Great capture and nice to hear that it doesn't ruin your day.

Barry


----------



## FlyerBobcat

Thanks for that info, Susan....  As I said... can't wait.  We started packing yesterday and we have two weeks yet!



SueDonJ said:


> Tom, new this year at both Barony and SurfWatch, the resorts are renting similar chairs just inside the properties at the boardwalks.  I didn't stop and ask what has changed with the town/lifeguard arrangement that the resorts can now offer beach rentals (I thought there was a prohibition because town rentals cover the lifeguard salaries?), but maybe Grande Ocean will have the same for you.  I think but I'm not certain that the rate was $10/day.
> 
> Either way, the set-up looks so inviting, doesn't it?  I love to watch the lifeguards running around every morning to get the beach ready.


----------



## SueDonJ

FlyerBobcat said:


> Thanks for that info, Susan....  As I said... can't wait.  We started packing yesterday and we have two weeks yet!



Maybe "Elvis" will stop by GO after his visit to Barony:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> Steve,
> 
> You've done a lot of Hawaii trips. I'm curious as if you ever seen Charles Lindburg's grave on Maui. It's near a picture perfect church on a plain site overlooking the ocean from tall cliffs. My photos are from my film days and I'll have to do some digging to find those. But your photo of the Caribe cemetary brings that to mind.
> 
> Barry



Drove past it once and were unable to find it.  When we're back to Maui and do the drive past Hana we'll make another attempt.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Water Lily in the Rain, Grand Cayman Botanical Garden*


----------



## DeniseM

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Drove past it once and were unable to find it.  When we're back to Maui and do the drive past Hana we'll make another attempt.



I have - the turn off is by a sign for a horse ranch and you go to the end of the road and there is a little church with a cemetery.  The Palapala Ho'omau Church is located 8 miles south of Hana on the ocean side of the highway. A small road 1/10 mile past Mile Marker #41 leads to the church.  It's a tiny little road and easy to miss.  

Here is a picture of the turn-off:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rainbow over Colliers Bay at Morritts, Grand Cayman*


----------



## LisaH

Steve,

Fantastic pictures of Grand Cayman! Did you just return from Morritts recently? We have an exchange for next June. Seeing these pictures makes me want to be there NOW...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

LisaH said:


> Steve,
> 
> Fantastic pictures of Grand Cayman! Did you just return from Morritts recently? We have an exchange for next June. Seeing these pictures makes me want to be there NOW...



We were there about four weeks ago for our son's wedding.  I'm slowly working through the pictures.


----------



## SueDonJ

Wood Stork nest:


----------



## Makai Guy

*Sunset reflection in Amsterdam harbor*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Lone Palm near Boddentown, Grand Cayman*


----------



## caribbeansun

I finally have a web hosting location that I can link here so thought I'd join your party at long last.

Water lily also from Grand Cayman sans rain







And a rather close up shot of an orchid


----------



## HatTrick

*Silversword Plant on Haleakalā (Maui)*


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## SueDonJ

I don't know what it is about this picture that grabs me, but it does, so much so that it's my current wallpaper:


----------



## Makai Guy

*Village of Kaub, Germany as viewed from the Rhine*






Pfalzgrafenstein was built in the shape of a river vessel by King Ludwig of Bavaria in 1327, on an island in the Rhine just off the village of Kaub.  It served as a customs or toll collection point.

Above the village are vineyards, as this is a major wine producing region, and the Castle Gutenfels, which dates back to the first half of the 13th 12th century.


----------



## Elli

Makai Guy said:


> Pfalzgrafenstein was built in the shape of a river vessel by King Ludwig of Bavaria in 1327, on an island in the Rhine just off the village of Kaub.  It served as a customs or toll collection point.
> 
> Above the village are vineyards, as this is a major wine producing region, and the Castle Gutenfels, which also dates back to the first half of the 13th century.


Doug, were you in Germany just recently?  That picture is great.  When we were at the Rhine about 4 yrs. ago, it was very overcast.  I looked at your photo gallery, but you have only Yellowstone Park pictures in there.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sign in the Parking Lot at the Grand Cayman Botanical Garden*


----------



## Makai Guy

Elli said:


> Doug, were you in Germany just recently?  That picture is great.  When we were at the Rhine about 4 yrs. ago, it was very overcast.  I looked at your photo gallery, but you have only Yellowstone Park pictures in there.


Just got back from a 14 day river tour from Budapest to Amsterdam.  Unfortunately, I came home with my usual nasty post-cruise chest cold so I haven't felt much like messing with my photos too much yet.  I'll probably be posting a few pix as I wade thru the huge number of shots we took.

Weather wasn't too bad for us most of the time.


----------



## Elli

Makai Guy said:


> Just got back from a 14 day river tour from Budapest to Amsterdam.  Unfortunately, I came home with my usual nasty post-cruise chest cold so I haven't felt much like messing with my photos too much yet.  I'll probably be posting a few pix as I wade thru the huge number of shots we took.
> 
> Weather wasn't too bad for us most of the time.


Doug, sounds like an interesting river cruise.  There are so many river cruises being offered - which cruise line did you take, and would you recommend it?  Too bad about your chest cold.  Looking forward to more pictures.


----------



## Makai Guy

Elli said:


> Doug, sounds like an interesting river cruise.  There are so many river cruises being offered - which cruise line did you take, and would you recommend it?  Too bad about your chest cold.  Looking forward to more pictures.


Went with Viking River Cruises, their Grand European Tour - 5 countries, 14 days.  Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would go with Viking again without hesitation.


----------



## Elli

Thanks, Doug, I signed up for their e-mail alerts.


----------



## JoAnn

Elli said:


> Thanks, Doug, I signed up for their e-mail alerts.



Another tour company that has some river cruises is Grand Circle Tours www.gct.com 
We have used them 4 times for land tours and felt they were exceptionally good.  Just another to compare with.


----------



## geoand

*Eastsound, Orcas Island*


----------



## Karen G

*Progress with bridge over Hoover Dam*

This is how the new bridge looked yesterday.


----------



## geoand

*Mount Vernon this spring*


----------



## geoand

*More flowers*


----------



## Karen G

*Colorful hot spring pool at Yellowstone*


----------



## Karen G

*Upper & lower falls*

Upper and lower falls of the Yellowstone River as it flows through the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone"


----------



## geoand

*some more tulips*


----------



## Elli

JoAnn said:


> Another tour company that has some river cruises is Grand Circle Tours www.gct.com
> We have used them 4 times for land tours and felt they were exceptionally good.  Just another to compare with.


Thanks, JoAnn, I remember you mentioned a while back that you were very pleased with Grand Circle Tours, and at that time I signed up for their e-mails.  Now when the time comes for a river cruise in Europe, I'll have to compare the two, but it's nice to know that Tuggers recommend them both.


----------



## eoneguru

*This how it looked last October*



Karen G said:


> This is how the new bridge looked yesterday.
> 
> They seem to be moving along at a good pace. My DW thinks it would be scary to drive over it when finished.


----------



## Karen G

eoneguru, thanks for posting that October picture.  Yes, they have made a lot of progress.  I think it will be scary to drive across it, too. I don't plan to be among the first ones who do so.


----------



## KristinB

Geo, love the flower shots, just wonderful!  Karen, thanks for posting the Yellowstone images, I'm going there twice next year (January and September), just whetting my appetite for what I'll be seeing...

Well, we just got back from Vermont and Cape Cod.  One of the things we did while we were gone was a whale watch out of Provincetown, so my theme for a while will be "whale of the day"!

Probably my favorite:


----------



## geoand

Thanks Kristin.  Am looking forward to seeing more of your Whale shots.  I remember how incredibly lucky I felt when capturing my whale shots.  Constantly scanning the water and there you see it and now its gone feeling.  Had to resort to just keeping the camera in shoot position and using the other eye to scan.  Sometimes the whales cooperated and magically appeared in my camera.


----------



## dmharris

Geo, what state were those Mt. Vernon flowers in?


----------



## Karen G

dmharris said:


> Geo, what state were those Mt. Vernon flowers in?


I'm not geo, but Mt. Vernon is in Washington state about an hour north of Seattle.  There are many beautiful tulip fields like these in the area.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

dmharris said:


> Geo, what state were those Mt. Vernon flowers in?





Karen G said:


> I'm not geo, but Mt. Vernon is in Washington state about an hour north of Seattle.  There are many beautiful tulip fields like these in the area.



Google "Skagit Valley Tulip Festival"


----------



## Zac495

KristinB said:


> Geo, love the flower shots, just wonderful!  Karen, thanks for posting the Yellowstone images, I'm going there twice next year (January and September), just whetting my appetite for what I'll be seeing...
> 
> Well, we just got back from Vermont and Cape Cod.  One of the things we did while we were gone was a whale watch out of Provincetown, so my theme for a while will be "whale of the day"!
> 
> Probably my favorite:



Outstanding!

I should add - I LOVE looking at the pictures - they're all incredible and fun - just because they're not commented on doesn't mean they aren't incredible and a joy - thank you everyone for continuing to post. You often make my day.


----------



## geoand

*Can't believe everything you read on this thread!!!!*



dmharris said:


> Geo, what state were those Mt. Vernon flowers in?



Don't believe what Karen and Steve are saying.  I only posted that these pics were from Mount Vernon to help keep location secret.  Then I realized that people could read that I am from Bothell.  These flower shots were really, I mean really taken from my back porch into my backyard.  It is a lot of work, but someone has to do it.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> Don't believe what Karen and Steve are saying.  I only posted that these pics were from Mount Vernon to help keep location secret.  Then I realized that people could read that I am from Bothell.  These flower shots were really, I mean really taken from my back porch into my backyard.  It is a lot of work, but someone has to do it.



For those who are interested in more TUGger tulip pictures, I believe that upthread TUGger ricoba posted some other Skagit Valley tulip festival pics.


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Thanks Kristin.  Am looking forward to seeing more of your Whale shots.  I remember how incredibly lucky I felt when capturing my whale shots.  Constantly scanning the water and there you see it and now its gone feeling.  Had to resort to just keeping the camera in shoot position and using the other eye to scan.  Sometimes the whales cooperated and magically appeared in my camera.





Zac495 said:


> Outstanding!
> 
> I should add - I LOVE looking at the pictures - they're all incredible and fun - just because they're not commented on doesn't mean they aren't incredible and a joy - thank you everyone for continuing to post. You often make my day.



Thanks, Geo & Ellen!  Yup, there were a number of shots that I missed because I wasn't in the right place (or my camera wasn't in position).  But I consider myself fortunate to have gotten the ones that I did, as I've never been lucky enough to capture breaches before.


----------



## KristinB




----------



## geoand

*WOW!*

This whale must have surfaced right at your boat.  Amazing shot.  What kind of whale is it?


----------



## Passepartout

It looks like a humpback diving under the boat to me. As Geo. said, WOW!

Jim Ricks


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> This whale must have surfaced right at your boat.  Amazing shot.  What kind of whale is it?





Passepartout said:


> It looks like a humpback diving under the boat to me. As Geo. said, WOW!
> 
> Jim Ricks



Thanks, Geo & Jim!  Jim got it exactly right...


----------



## KristinB




----------



## Zac495

oh my gosh!!!


----------



## taffy19

KristinB said:


> Geo, love the flower shots, just wonderful! Karen, thanks for posting the Yellowstone images, I'm going there twice next year (January and September), just whetting my appetite for what I'll be seeing...
> 
> Well, we just got back from Vermont and Cape Cod. One of the things we did while we were gone was a whale watch out of Provincetown, so my theme for a while will be "whale of the day"!
> 
> Probably my favorite:


Krystin, your Humpback whale pictures are amazing and so razor sharp. I know they are Humback whales because you answered my question in Facebook already.  

I love your photo albums and thank you for sharing them with us. Do you have to rework your pictures quite a bit to make them look this beautiful or not?


----------



## geoand

What a neat shot of the humpback "spyhopping."


----------



## KristinB

Zac495 said:


> oh my gosh!!!



Ellen, much appreciated!



iconnections said:


> Krystin, your Humpback whale pictures are amazing and so razor sharp. I know they are Humback whales because you answered my question in Facebook already.
> 
> I love your photo albums and thank you for sharing them with us. Do you have to rework your pictures quite a bit to make them look this beautiful or not?



Emmy, I shoot in what's known as raw format, not jpg.  It's essentially the digital equivalent of a negative.  Then I do the digital equivalent of developing film, by processing the raw file in special software.  So I do a certain amount of post processing just to get the jpg.  That said, I usually crop a little for composition, and can do minor corrections relating to exposure and white balance.  I also can clone out any small imperfections.  My Photoshop skills are quite limited (as Steve Nelson knows, he and I have discussed this before), but I have always intended on improving them.  So I guess my answer is no, not really, but I would never like to show anyone a picture straight out of the camera (not that I could anyway, the raw format is not renderable in a browser).  



geoand said:


> What a neat shot of the humpback "spyhopping."



Geo, thanks!  So that's what it's called...


----------



## taffy19

KristinB said:


> Ellen, much appreciated!
> 
> 
> 
> Emmy, I shoot in what's known as raw format, not jpg. It's essentially the digital equivalent of a negative. Then I do the digital equivalent of developing film, by processing the raw file in special software. So I do a certain amount of post processing just to get the jpg. That said, I usually crop a little for composition, and can do minor corrections relating to exposure and white balance. I also can clone out any small imperfections. My Photoshop skills are quite limited (as Steve Nelson knows, he and I have discussed this before), but I have always intended on improving them. So I guess my answer is no, not really, but I would never like to show anyone a picture straight out of the camera (not that I could anyway, the raw format is not renderable in a browser).
> 
> 
> 
> Geo, thanks! So that's what it's called...


Your results are beautiful and I enjoy all the pictures here because we are traveling through someone else's eye and often from a whole different perspective too which makes it so interesting. It's a great thread and I believe it is the longest one too.


----------



## KristinB

iconnections said:


> Your results are beautiful and I enjoy all the pictures here because we are traveling through someone else's eye and often from a whole different perspective too which makes it so interesting. It's a great thread and I believe it is the longest one too.



Thanks, Emmy!  That's so true... 

Here's another tail fluke:


----------



## geoand

Is this a "Tail Breach - This is very similar to a breach, but this time the whale raises it's flukes first and quickly slams it back down into the water." or in my situations missing the bigger part of the whale but catching the last moment it was on the surface.


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> Is this a "Tail Breach - This is very similar to a breach, but this time the whale raises it's flukes first and quickly slams it back down into the water." or in my situations missing the bigger part of the whale but catching the last moment it was on the surface.



Yup, that's what happened, but I didn't know that's what it was called... as I said, I've only gone out on four whale watches in my life, so I'm not as conversant with the terminology as some of you veterans are.  Thanks, Geo!


----------



## KristinB




----------



## KristinB

Okay, if you want to see the rest of my whale shots, here is the gallery. 

Switching gears now, my new theme will be Cape Cod light houses and landscapes (although I'm not too thrilled with these images, the weather didn't cooperate while we were there, so I had to take these photos under less than optimum light conditions).

Nobska Light:


----------



## SueDonJ

KristinB said:


> Okay, if you want to see the rest of my whale shots, here is the gallery.
> 
> Switching gears now, my new theme will be Cape Cod light houses and landscapes (although I'm not too thrilled with these images, the weather didn't cooperate while we were there, so I had to take these photos under less than optimum light conditions).



Kristin, I love the whale shots - very nice!

And you can say that again (!) about the grey gloomy drizzly rainy depressing uncooperative weather up here.  It is STILL the same and it feels like it's never going to end.   

So here's an old sunshine one that somewhat fits your new theme.  It's the original working lighthouse on Hilton Head at Harbour Town.






(I have a request:  PLEASE if you have sunshine shots post them here.  We're desperate after what feels like eighty-four weeks now in the dark.)


----------



## Karen G

SueDonJ said:


> (I have a request:  PLEASE if you have sunshine shots post them here.  We're desperate after what feels like eighty-four weeks now in the dark.)


Okay, here's a shot of my backyard right now. Come on in, the water's fine & the sun is shining. It's only going to be 105 today!


----------



## HatTrick

HatTrick said:


>



Gay Head Light, Martha's Vineyard


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> have sunshine shots post them here.  We're desperate after what feels like eighty-four weeks now in the dark.)



Oh, all right.  

*DS and DIL on Seven Mile Beach - Grand Cayman*


----------



## KristinB

Nauset Light:


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh my goodness, Karen, your pool does look so inviting!  Let me grab a paperback and an iced tea and I'll be right over. 

Steve, gorgeous photo of the newly-married - can't ask for more sun than that.  Where is next year's wedding, and when can we all expect our invites? 

Kristin and HatTrick, beautiful photos as usual.  I've almost forgotten what shadows look like!   

Ugh.  It is STILL raining here, powerful thunderboomers added to the mix last night and early this morning.  Here's my pool now - you know, the one that hasn't had one foot stepped into it yet this season.  At the rate we're going, we'll be draining the overflow again by Tuesday and the chemicals and vacuuming should be all straightened out in time for Labor Day.  Who wants to help powerwash the decking?  :rofl: 






Oh, you guys are great!  Thank you for indulging my whiny request for sunshine.  They are saying maybe we'll get a break on Saturday and Sunday.  If they're not just saying that to prevent mass suicides, I'll be back with evidence next week.


----------



## Karen G

Sue, you have a beautiful setting for your pool with a golf course view. Hope you get to use it very soon.  I know just how you feel about the weather after living in the Seattle area for 25 years.

Backyard swimming pools--that could be a new theme for this picture thread!  Let's see some more Tuggers' pools.


----------



## taffy19

Karen G said:


> Okay, here's a shot of my backyard right now. Come on in, the water's fine & the sun is shining. It's only going to be 105 today!


Karen, your pool looks so inviting and I can imagine hearing the sound of the water flowing into the pool as the photo looks so real. 

PS. I just love this thread and enjoy all photos!


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


> Nauset Light:



Ditto:


----------



## swift

*Bones*

We were given a private tour under the Kings Chapel in Boston because it turned out that my friend had a relative buried in a crypt in the basement of the church. While we were down there, there was a crypt that had a brick missing and I stuck my camera in there (Eerie warm in there!) and took a couple of pictures. One is of a child's casket on top of two others. The other picture is where one of the caskets had broken and eroded away.


----------



## MULTIZ321

SueDonJ said:


> So here's an old sunshine one that somewhat fits your new theme.  It's the original working lighthouse on Hilton Head at Harbour Town.




Susan,

Isn't that lighthouse now located on the south shore of Daufuskie Island?


Richard


----------



## SueDonJ

MULTIZ321 said:


> Susan,
> 
> Isn't that lighthouse now located on the south shore of Daufuskie Island?
> 
> 
> Richard



Yes.  Oops, I should have said "...from Hilton Head..." there.    I can't remember if our dolphin tour guide said if it's working in its (relatively) new location or not.


----------



## itradehilton

Hawaii, The big island my avatar. The file is too big to load.


----------



## HatTrick

*Point Judith Light, Rhode Island*


----------



## TUGBrian

downtown jacksonville on the river for the 4th of july fireworks last night.


----------



## Glynda

*Bass Harbor Lighthouse Maine*

Took this while out on a lobster boat two weeks ago.  It was a foggy, rainy, cold day.






[/IMG]


----------



## Glynda

*Mt Desert Rock Light-Maine*

This one was taken while whale watching.  Didn't see any whales but did see this and the seals on the rocks and in the water:






[/IMG]


----------



## Zac495

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Oh, all right.
> 
> *DS and DIL on Seven Mile Beach - Grand Cayman*



Steve - GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!


----------



## Zac495

La'ie Point in Oahu. A tsunami punched a hole through the island you see in the first picture on April Fool's Day in 1946. 




Looks like night - but it's in the same spot - to the right




My daughter is a competitive cheerleader and must practice even on vacation! This shot is at Sandy Beach.


----------



## HatTrick

*Beavertail Light, Rhode Island*


----------



## Passepartout

Seen July 4th. Apologies for being a few days late.






This little guy was only about 1/4" long. Seen at San Francisco Academy of Science Rain Forest.

Jim Ricks


----------



## Pit

*Key West:*


----------



## HatTrick

*Diamond Head Light, Oahu*


----------



## HatTrick

OK, now _you_ hide. One... two... three...


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Hat trick*

Glad they're playing hide 'n seek and not "tag" as I think the bird would lose.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

There must have been a nest close by, because the bird was acting quite aggressive.


----------



## Rose Pink

I always know when the neighbor's cat is in my yard as the magpies set up quite a loud warning.  I've seen them get within only a couple of feet trying to shoo the old cat away.  Then, when he does move, they just follow him and continue the loud noise.  At least the cat is quiet.


----------



## HatTrick

That bird's goin' down... after a nap.


----------



## HatTrick

*Next time... TUG!*


----------



## HatTrick

*Kīlauea Light, Kaua'i*


----------



## RichM

Our new puppies







___________________
WorldMark Owners' Community -      
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




      - www.wmowners.com


----------



## HatTrick

*He said he'd be back to work on Monday...*






That was six weeks ago.


----------



## DeniseM

Taken yesterday (by me) off-shore, Kauai.  In Hawaiian the monk seal is called Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua.  It means, the dog that runs in the sea.  I can see why they call them sea dogs, because this is definitely a puppy dog face.





















I love this one, but the lighting needs some work - I played around with it, but didn't have much luck.  If anybody could help me with it, I'd really appreciate it.  (I'd email you the original.)


----------



## Rose Pink

_



_


----------



## Rose Pink

*We be jeeping!*


----------



## Makai Guy

Rose Pink:  Sedona?  Moab?


----------



## Rose Pink

Makai Guy said:


> Rose Pink: Sedona? Moab?


 
Golden Spike Trail in Moab.  Notice I was _not in the jeep_--I took the pictures.  Good excuse to _not be in the jeep._


----------



## Rose Pink

*camouflage*


----------



## Rose Pink

*near Moab, Utah*


----------



## John Cummings

*Bryce Canyon NP Utah*

I am trying to get it from photobucket.


----------



## Passepartout

*Shoshone Falls*

This is a local picture I took the other evening. The state tourism bureau has a budget of about $1.75 and doesn't want anyone to know about us, so you have to keep it a secret.
[IMGL]http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv11/jtricks_photos/Shoshone-Falls-1.gif[/IMGL]

Jim Ricks


----------



## Rose Pink

*Crossing the Golden Crack--Golden Spike Trail*


----------



## Brett

USS Wisconsin at Norfolk, Va.


----------



## Elan

Passepartout said:


> This is a local picture I took the other evening. The state tourism bureau has a budget of about $1.75 and doesn't want anyone to know about us, so you have to keep it a secret.
> [IMGL]http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv11/jtricks_photos/Shoshone-Falls-1.gif[/IMGL]
> 
> Jim Ricks



  I'm sure that's somewhere in California.  There's nothing like that here in Idaho.


----------



## Elan

Brett, that's an awesome shot of the Wisconsin.  Great color and contrast!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elan said:


> I'm sure that's somewhere in California.  There's nothing like that here in Idaho.



Fooled me.  I would have thought it was the Everglades, except I didn't see any 'gators.


----------



## ricoba

Here are some of our recent trip to O'ahu.






Halona Blowhole







Brudda Iz Memorial in Makaha






My Son Ben & Daughter Annie two Hawaiian Hotheads! 






Ben getting ready to snorkel​


----------



## Mosca

Pittsburgh, from the Duquesne Incline.


----------



## Mosca

I _really_ like what you've done with this shot. Beautiful colors, nice use of perspective. I'm not usually a fan of this look because so often it's not done right; this is done right. Great shot.



Brett said:


> USS Wisconsin at Norfolk, Va.


----------



## KristinB

Brett, I agree with Mosca -- lovely image of the Wisconsin! (And I really appreciate it, having served in the Navy myself, though only on sub tenders and shore duty.)

Mosca, great shot of Pittsburgh!

Well, I spent a week at Smuggler's Notch in June, so I have some covered bridges, waterfalls, and other interesting subjects to share...  Let's start with a covered bridge:


----------



## KristinB

Moss Glen Falls, Stowe, Vermont


----------



## John Cummings

*Bryce Canyon NP Utah*


















After a lot of trial and error, I finally was able to get the photo.


----------



## Karen G

John Cummings said:


> After a lot of trial and error, I finally was able to get the photo.


Beautiful picture, John. Bryce Canyon is quite amazing. I have an enlargement of that second picture hanging on my wall 
right now.

Isn't it wonderful to finally get a picture to post from Photobucket. It is so frustrating when it doesn't work, but a great sense of accomplishment when it finally does!


----------



## John Cummings

*Highway 12 Utah*

Summit on Highway 12












Me


----------



## Passepartout

Good Job, John! I knew you could do it! Great photos. MHO, Utah has the most scenic beauty of anyplace in the US. Too bad about no ocean.

Jim Ricks


----------



## John Cummings

*Capital Reef NP Utah*


----------



## John Cummings

*Las Vegas - June 2009*

These shots were all taken from our room at the Paris






Bellagio Water Show


----------



## John Cummings

*Death Valley - May 2009*

My wife getting ready to devour her lobster at Ridgecrest CA - west entrance to Death Valley






Salt


----------



## John Cummings

*Zion NP UT - June 2009*


----------



## Rose Pink

Passepartout said:


> Good Job, John! I knew you could do it! Great photos. MHO, Utah has the most scenic beauty of anyplace in the US. *Too bad about no ocean.*
> 
> Jim Ricks


 
We have the Great Salt Lake.


----------



## Passepartout

Rose Pink said:


> We have the Great Salt Lake.



Somehow, it just isn't the same.... GSL would compare much more closely to the Dead Sea... Jim


----------



## Rose Pink

*More Utah*


----------



## Rose Pink

*coming out from Steelbender trail above Ken's Lake*


----------



## John Cummings

Passepartout said:


> Somehow, it just isn't the same.... GSL would compare much more closely to the Dead Sea... Jim



I agree with you on this one. That is like saying the Imperial Valley has the Salton Sea. I have gone swimming in the GSL and it definitely is not like any ocean I would want to visit.


----------



## Rose Pink

John Cummings said:


> I agree with you on this one. That is like saying the Imperial Valley has the Salton Sea. I have gone swimming in the GSL and it definitely is not like any ocean I would want to visit.


 
My reference to the GSL was tongue-in-cheek.  Hence the wink smiley.  
No one is suggesting the GSL is anything like the ocean.


----------



## KristinB

Abandoned house we passed when bike riding on Grand Isle, Vermont:


----------



## HatTrick

Very nice, Kristin. As usual.


----------



## Pit

*Liftoff, Space Shuttle Endeavor*

Notice the UFO in the lower left corner.


----------



## Laurie

*from Yellowstone*

What a magical place, just back with about 5000 pix, trying to figure out how to upload a few here ... here goes one:


----------



## Mosca

Steelers training camp... fast action isn't my thing, but that is why CF cards are 8G and larger. I had a pretty good vantage point; the front of my right shoulder was right behind the left shoulder of the guy with "Sports Illustrated" on his lens! Here are a few good ones:


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Steeler Nation !*

Mosca,

I love your Steeler photos -- some great stop action even if you didn't feel prepared. What sort of lens are you using?

I'm psyched for the season. I've been a Steelers fan ever since Franco Harris ( I'm from near where he grew up and lots of us followed his career back then ). Living in Eagles territory makes us appreciate the Steelers even more as it ain't easy getting to the big dance let alone winning the thing several times -- skill, luck & other intangibles must converge & some great teams have not won it all despite all of that.  Steeler Nation is a very special thing indeed.

Barry


----------



## TUGBrian

would be better if they were jaguar pictures =D


----------



## Mosca

jerseyfinn said:


> Mosca,
> 
> I love your Steeler photos -- some great stop action even if you didn't feel prepared. What sort of lens are you using?
> 
> I'm psyched for the season. I've been a Steelers fan ever since Franco Harris ( I'm from near where he grew up and lots of us followed his career back then ). Living in Eagles territory makes us appreciate the Steelers even more as it ain't easy getting to the big dance let alone winning the thing several times -- skill, luck & other intangibles must converge & some great teams have not won it all despite all of that.  Steeler Nation is a very special thing indeed.
> 
> Barry



I live in Eagles country myself, Mountain Top PA on the edge of the Poconos. I respect the Eagles, but can't bring myself to care about them. 

That is a Canon 40D with the EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS lens; I was using a monopod. I was really, really close to the action. When you join the Steelers Fan Club, you get two field passes to training camp. I was so close that the 100-400 was almost _too_ long, I had a film camera with the 70-200 on it but I didn't want to carry it all over camp with the threat of rain so I left it in the car. I got about 20 really great shots out of a couple hundred taken; most of them are too soft or just uninteresting.


----------



## SueDonJ

How can you not love a merry-go-round with roosters?  (Baltimore's Inner Harbor)


----------



## RachelSP

*One of my favorites*


----------



## RachelSP

*another favorite....*


----------



## RachelSP

*One more.........*


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Marriott Playa Andaluza Photos*

We visit Costa del Sol a few weeks ago. Here's some images taken at the Marriott Playa Andaluza resort.








*Gibraltar Sunrise*






*Gibraltar Sunset*







*Moon rise on the beach*

​

Additional images are located in this gallery.


----------



## jerseyfinn

John,

I enjoyed your Death Valley/Zion photos. That landscape is truely inspiring.

Did they boil your wife's lobster or did they simple need to stick it out in the sun for a few minutes ?  


Barry


----------



## Mosca

Going through some older vacation photos, I found this one taken in Puako Harbor, in 2000.


----------



## jerseyfinn

I finally work my way through a mountain of images shot in Costa del Sol last month. I've added a couple of new galleries which folks heading to the region might find useful in scoping out their own itinerary.


This *Gaucín gallery* gives a taste of what a drive into the mountains to peruse the white villages is like. It's a great place to stop & stroll around a bit. I get lucky with the butterfly who pops up while I'm shooting a flower bed. We were intending to walk up a trail to the ruins of a Moorish castle, but we could not find the path & it was getting really hot. So we now have an itinerary for our next visit.







*________*







*________*
​
I've also put up this *Ronda gallery*. Ronda is a city that most folks visit when they visit Marbella environs. It is indeed a nice place. This time we get there before the restaurants close for siesta ( makes for a happier wife  ) and then I do my photo thing for the rest of the day. We meet some musicians who perform beneath a gazebo astride the gorge. A perfect location to get out of the hot sun.






*______*




I also put up a *Ronda Candids gallery*. I wanted to catch candid shots of the town folks. This proves a tricky task as the locals all disappear during siesta hour & don't come back out until 5PM or so when the stores open and they head out shopping or go for some tapas since they don't eat dinner here until 9PM or so. I end up with some turistas in my images, but I think that I capture mostly locals as my eye and ear learns to pick them out in a crowd.

I hope that TUGgers planning a future visit to this region find these images helpful in choosing itineraries.

I captured some 3000 images during those 16 days that we were in Costa del Sol and ended up with some 350 "keepers". It's really not too hard editing these images as you get rid of lots images during your initial processing and the rest of it is having fun cropping and sharpening as you relive your trip in those images. So now that I've cleaned out my pixel closet, it's time for another trip. Actually we are headed to Ocean Pointe next week, so I'll have a new pile of stuff to process. My video camera just went in for repair so I'll only be shooting stills on this trip ( the off switch is stuck in the 'on' position -- Sony wants $159 for the labor even though the camera is only 9 months old -- but I took an extended warranty from Circuit City and those labor costs will be covered seperately, so the lesson is that an extra warranty is good for a more expensive electronic purchase ). We're also awaiting our son's arrival from Texas. He's been awaiting his Air Force assignment and is stuck in limbo until his paperwork comes. We're hoping that he can spend a few days at Ocean Pointe with us. Time will tell.

In any case, I'll be working with pixels and video when I get back as once I get the photos done, I start to make DVDs of our travels with the images and video. Thanks to those musicians we meet, we've now got a couple of music CDs to lay the soundtrack for our Spanish travels. And we've still got a few trips left before year's end. Timeshare certainly keeps one in motion.

Barry


----------



## Passepartout

Good Job, Barry! I've never seen a harp in a cafe' gig, but hey, it's Spain! Your candids looked like fun, though I can see where your interests lie. :whoopie: Did you ask your potential subjects? Or point at the camera then themselves? or just shoot away? Guess I need to sort through some photos from our Portugal trip last Fall.  

Jim Ricks


----------



## jerseyfinn

Passepartout said:


> . . .  Did you ask your potential subjects?  . . .



Thanks Jim. 

No, I don't ask for permission. Some folks worry about privacy issues, but so long as you're in a public space, it's more about your own mannerism with the camera than it is about privacy.  I do worry a bit about getting into a p!ssing contest with a parent, but even there, if I "feel" the picture, I will take it in my own discreet way & it is what it is. Then again, I figure that if one sees their image one of my candid galleries, they will understand the context by which I grabbed them in pixels. Thus far, I've had no problems or issues. But I do understand the concern of some folks as there are lots of clandestine photographers out there trying to grab telephoto shots which are intended as feisty skin flicks rather than earnest candids. About the only place I am "paranoid" with my camera is on the beach in Spain because some ladies do walk about topless and I do not want anyone thinking I'm trying to grab topless shots. My camera is always out in plain sight in those situations as my Spanish remains too meager to get into the sort of explanation I would need to assuage someone.   

I myself sort of stumble into the candid genre. We travel to London often and London is one of the most amazing people cities we've ever experienced ( so too is Barcelona ). I'm really feeling the people and all that's going on around me and I slowly develop my own approach to candids. I work with a P&S camera held openly about chest or shoulder high. They see me coming all of the way and I'm all of 6 to 12 feet away when I snap. I do not frame or compose, I've simply learned how to maintain a steady XYZ orientation and I snap the image without making much commotion. It's sort of a "stealth" technique, but in truth, what motivates me to capture a picture is a person's dress, demeanor, expression, essence, or situation. _That's_ what I'm trying to catch, so the moment one gets camera aware, you lose that essence. I've basically figured out how to stroll slowly along with my wife as I grab pixels. Nothing is every planned, it happens on it's own accord.

In truth, I'm lukewarm about my Ronda candid gallery. I've got a few decent candids in there, but the bulk of them are so-so as it was a long day and we're getting ready to leave. I "feel" several of those subjects coming towards me, but I was tired and did not spend the time I usually do when I shoot candids. I think my Candid London Gallery & some of the other candid galleries better reflect what I really like to do.

In any case, I really enjoy candid work and it's neat when you really do capture the essence that you felt coming towards you on the street. Thanks for your question Jim, you got me to think about what it is I really do.  

Barry


----------



## Zac495

*London photos*

I love that photo gallery! Is the blonde woman famous? She looks familiar. I really like the older woman crossing the street. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Mosca

Steamtown:


----------



## Mosca




----------



## jerseyfinn

Mosca,

I really like that B&W shot, very compelling -- definitely the best way to bring out the essence of the image. It evokes thoughts about a past which seems so far behind us now.

Are you using 'calculations' in Photoshop or do you work in Lightroom or something like it ?

Barry


----------



## Mosca

jerseyfinn said:


> Mosca,
> 
> I really like that B&W shot, very compelling -- definitely the best way to bring out the essence of the image. It evokes thoughts about a past which seems so far behind us now.
> 
> Are you using 'calculations' in Photoshop or do you work in Lightroom or something like it ?
> 
> Barry



Barry, that was done in Lightroom. I did a grayscale conversion, then eyeballed the contrast and curves etc.

I've worked on it a little bit since, and someone directed me to a company called NIK, which has a B&W tool called Silver Efex. I opened up the crop to let the engine breathe, and my new friend hit it with Silver Efex to show me what it would do, and this is really stunning. Look at the sharpness (sharper but not overwhelming) and contrast, and all the shadow detail that it brought out around the wheels:






I bought the NIK plugins for Lightroom after seeing that. Great stuff.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kapa'a Hongwanji Mission and Sleeping Giant*

After a morning storm with thunder and forked lightning rolled through Kapa'a, the sun broke through the clouds and shone on Kapa'a while the storm clouds were still hanging over the mountains to the west. 

I took this shot from the foot path bridge over the Waikaea Canal, next to Pono Kai.


----------



## Drivr

I love this thread so this is just a bump.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Lumahai Beach*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waipo'o Stream*

DS#2 at the small waterfall on Waipo'o stream in Waimea.  This is just a few hundred yards upstream of the main fall that you can see from the lookouts on Waimea Canyon Road.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kapa'a Stream*

From the bridge on Prince Kuhio Highway near Kealia beach


----------



## HatTrick

Nice images, Steve. But is that what I _think_ it is??


----------



## jerseyfinn

Mosca said:


> . . . I bought the NIK plugins for Lightroom after seeing that. Great stuff.



Thanks for the info.

I've been limping along with CS2 playing with curves or levels JPG only ( I've fiddled with RAW, shooting some imagery JPG + RAW so as to have a robust archive to work from in the future but for now, my post-processing remains in the JPG domain ). I've been dragging my feet software wise until I move to DSLR - I'm spoiled traveling light with a P&S and have been able to put that day off. But those new DSLRs are so tempting and the new version of Photoshop combined with better software for the digital darkroom such as Lightroom and plug-ins such as NIK are sure starting to wear me down and push me towards taking the credit card out.

If I jump in anytime soon I'll tell my wife that you made me do it   

Barry


----------



## Laurie

*falls at Yellowstone*











and for fun (go see squirrelizing photos thread)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon from top of Waipo'o Falls*






Same thing, critterized:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waterfalls on Anahola Mountain*

The waterfalls on Anahola Mountain are active for only a short time after heavy rainfalls.  This photo was taken after there was heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression Franchesca; this was just a few hours after the storm cell shown in the Sleeping Giant photo, above.

The photo is looking mauka at Kealia Beach, across Prince Kuhio Highway.


----------



## Laurie

*Yellowstone water falling*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kīlauea Stream and Kahili Beach*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunrise - Princeville Golf Course*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wildflowers on the Okolehao Trail*

A couple of macro photos of wildflowers seen while hiking the Okolehao Trail near Hanalei.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Nene by the Sea*


----------



## Mosca

jerseyfinn said:


> Thanks for the info.
> 
> I've been limping along with CS2 playing with curves or levels JPG only ( I've fiddled with RAW, shooting some imagery JPG + RAW so as to have a robust archive to work from in the future but for now, my post-processing remains in the JPG domain ). I've been dragging my feet software wise until I move to DSLR - I'm spoiled traveling light with a P&S and have been able to put that day off. But those new DSLRs are so tempting and the new version of Photoshop combined with better software for the digital darkroom such as Lightroom and plug-ins such as NIK are sure starting to wear me down and push me towards taking the credit card out.
> 
> If I jump in anytime soon I'll tell my wife that you made me do it
> 
> Barry



I shoot most of my travel photography with a p&s; the only time I take the dslr is when the intent of the outing is specifically to take photographs. Now, in this instance I went to Steamtown for the photos...

The downfall of p&s, for me, is the terrible high ISO performance. I got used to getting usable shots deep into the evening and in low light indoors from the big camera. I'm learning how to tease decent low light/low ISO shots from the Canon G9; I've found that practicing food photography in restaurants is a good way to learn (and to tick off my wife, who wants to eat!). Here are a pair for example (Aurelio's Pizza, Addison IL):











I figured out how to stop the flash from blowing the highlights, and how to get the autofocus to engage in low light; the rest was getting the color and contrast right in post processing. 

CS2 is pretty powerful, btw. Unless you have a compelling need to upgrade, IMO it is more than enough.


----------



## Karen G

Oh, that food looks so good!  I can almost smell the wonderful aromas.


----------



## John Cummings

I have a Canon Powershot S2 IS with a 12X optical zoom that I bought in 2005. I am able to take excellent pictures in very low light settings without the flash. I control when the flash is used. The pictures I took of the Bellagio water show were shot at night. They would have been better had I not taken them through the window ( not very clean ) of our hotel room. On the other hand my wife has a Canon SD 1000 that does not take very good pictures in low light and the flash goes off automatically.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Lumahai Beach*

on Kaua'i


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gun Bay, Grand Cayman*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Rain Clouds Gathering over East End, Grand Cayman*

B&W and color versions.  Which do you prefer?


----------



## Elan

Mosca said:


> Barry, that was done in Lightroom. I did a grayscale conversion, then eyeballed the contrast and curves etc.
> 
> I've worked on it a little bit since, and someone directed me to a company called NIK, which has a B&W tool called Silver Efex. I opened up the crop to let the engine breathe, and my new friend hit it with Silver Efex to show me what it would do, and this is really stunning. Look at the sharpness (sharper but not overwhelming) and contrast, and all the shadow detail that it brought out around the wheels:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I bought the NIK plugins for Lightroom after seeing that. Great stuff.



  Mosca, love those train photos.  Very nicely done!


----------



## Laurie

*Snapshots from Yellowstone & Grand Teton*


----------



## Laurie

*snapshot from streets of Georgetown, Grand Cayman*


----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Rain Clouds Gathering over East End, Grand Cayman*
> 
> B&W and color versions.  Which do you prefer?



Steve, I love both versions but prefer the B&W for its moodiness.  It's odd but it reminds me of "The Wizard of Oz" - maybe it's the angle of the shot?

(Nevermind squirrelizing it - pencil in a "Surrender Dorothy!"  )


----------



## SueDonJ

Laurie said:


>



Wow.  This would be gorgeous as a framed, oversized print.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hanakapi'ai Beach and Na Pali Cliffs*

taken on the Kalalau Trail


----------



## Elan

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Hanakapi'ai Beach and Na Pali Cliffs*
> 
> taken on the Kalalau Trail



  Ok Steve, I love all of these Hawaii shots, but how about some local pics?  You live in a very picturesque area, and take great photo's, after all.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elan said:


> Ok Steve, I love all of these Hawaii shots, but how about some local pics?  You live in a very picturesque area, and take great photo's, after all.



I've posted quite a few local shots as well, Jim.  But here is a repeat of one of my favorites - this is Eagle Harbor, taken late one June evening while waiting in line for the ferry to Seattle:


----------



## jules40

*Space Shuttle Discovery*

Thanks to a friend who works at the cape, my son, husband and I had the privilege of watching the Discovery launch. We usually watch it from our house, but being this close was spectacular.


----------



## sstamm

Laurie said:


>



Great photo!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Seven Mile Beach from Cemetery Point, Grand Cayman*






*DS#2 on Seven Mile Beach*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Mosca, I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes food pictures. It drives my wife crazy in Spain, but there are just so many neat dishes ( and drinks ) that I always end up grabbing a few shots. I usually shoot ambient light and either set my G9 on top of a glass or some other object, or I use a mini tripod. In either case, I take longer exposures without the flash and get pretty good results. Then again, I do not try to shoot in those very low light situations.

Just a heads up as Canon has announced the G11. Canon and lots of manufacturers ( Sony, Fuji etc. ) are beginning to address some of the limitations of the CCD or smaller CMOS chips typical of a P&S ( noise at high ISOs and poor low light performance ). They are reducing the Mpx and redesigning the sensor structure and component engineering to tweak the photon capture. Bottom line is less noise at higher ISOs ( the G9 as you know, often gets 'noisy' at ISO 400 and above). The G11 is a 10 Mpx sensor with DIGIX but suppossedly with better capture capability and less noise. My ears perked up on this one and I'm watching dpreview for the review and images. If the G11 is enough of an improvement over the G9, I'll go that route and further delay my own transition to DSLR as I love P&S for travel work. 

Barry


----------



## Mosca

jerseyfinn said:


> Mosca, I'm glad I'm not the only one who takes food pictures. It drives my wife crazy in Spain, but there are just so many neat dishes ( and drinks ) that I always end up grabbing a few shots. I usually shoot ambient light and either set my G9 on top of a glass or some other object, or I use a mini tripod. In either case, I take longer exposures without the flash and get pretty good results. Then again, I do not try to shoot in those very low light situations.
> 
> Just a heads up as Canon has announced the G11. Canon and lots of manufacturers ( Sony, Fuji etc. ) are beginning to address some of the limitations of the CCD or smaller CMOS chips typical of a P&S ( noise at high ISOs and poor low light performance ). They are reducing the Mpx and redesigning the sensor structure and component engineering to tweak the photon capture. Bottom line is less noise at higher ISOs ( the G9 as you know, often gets 'noisy' at ISO 400 and above). The G11 is a 10 Mpx sensor with DIGIX but supposedly with better capture capability and less noise. My ears perked up on this one and I'm watching dpreview for the review and images. If the G11 is enough of an improvement over the G9, I'll go that route and further delay my own transition to DSLR as I love P&S for travel work.
> 
> Barry



I bought a small tripod but I never remember it. Just the camera alone drives Mrs Mosca nuts; I have to remember that tripod. What I do now is shoot raw, set the flash output to minimal, and intentionally underexpose by about 1 stop. Then I bring it back up in processing and remove any vignetting from the flash. My sister the photographer covers her flash with a napkin, but my results from that have been unpredictable. Biggest issue in that low light and up close is unreliable autofocus, along with the narrow DOF from the small aperture. Gotta remember that 'pod! Not sure I can get away with using a glass. 

She also hates it when I "pose" the food: arranging the table to clean up the scene, or having someone take a bite, then put the burger down, or hold fork and knife in the steak. 

I read about the G11; it sounds great. There are a lot of good choices in that market right now. I just wrote my first college check last week, so I'm set until... 2013. Everything I own has to last until then, including my socks and underwear.

You might want to hang out over at the Roadfood board, or at least check it out. I find that travel and meals are complimentary pleasures.


----------



## Laurie

*Gone fishing*






Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales.


----------



## geoand

Laurie, I really enjoyed the gone fishing photo.  Hard to imagine what is going through the mind of that bird!  Eat now or go get some more.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset at Ristorante Papagallo, Grand Cayman*


----------



## Laurie

*Wild ponies, Pembrokeshire coastal path, Wales*











These were taken on the Pembrokeshire coastal path between Solva and St Davids, during our stay at St. Davids Vacation Club.  They surprised us as they suddenly appeared on the hillside above the path, and thundered on past us, slowing from a gallop to a trot.


----------



## Laurie

*Beartooth Highway*


----------



## Laurie

*Close-up of those alpine wildflowers*


----------



## Mosca

*OK, gimmie your paw... paw.... PAW.....*


----------



## Timeshare Von

Not a great photo, but it still makes me laugh.  Taken at Sandy Beach, Oahu last week.






Whoops - his feet are supposed to be ON the surf board!


----------



## Timeshare Von

Laurie said:


>



Now that is a photo with great irony!!  Love it.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hanalei*


----------



## Hophop4

*Bandera, Texas*

This little guy was in the Bandera Cattle Drive Parade.
Baby Llama


----------



## FlyerBobcat

Steve,  Great Hanalei photo.  Thanks for sharing... wishing I was back there...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Taro Fields*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kīlauea Lighthouse*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kilauea Point from Princeville
*


----------



## SueDonJ

sunset just a few minutes ago ...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kalalau Valley*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Evening Sun in Waimea Canyon*


----------



## Karen G

*Successful hunting trip*

This is my husband with the antlers of the elk he got with a bow and arrow in northern Nevada.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Hop, I like the "poodle cut" on that Llama.

**********

Karen, kudos to your husband. I'm not a hunter myself, but if one knows how to hunt with a bow & arrow this speaks to their skill, patience and perseverance. He looks pretty satisfied in that photo.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

I always argue with myself.






*Just a quick Photoshop trick. I wish I had done triplets.*​
Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Got lucky with a lightning shot as the casino boat returns home and passes Ocean Pointe*

_____________







*A beach panorama stitched together from three shots*

My Canon G9 has a stitch mode where by you can snap a panorama and see the previous shot in the LCD viewer to align the next image. It produces some decent results. The other way to do this is to simply snap and pivot by hand or using a tripod. In any case, Photoshop makes the process quick and painless in the post processing stage.
​
Barry


----------



## John Cummings

*Views from our balcony at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta*



















*My wife and Sandra
Sandra was the receptionist at the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta that gave us our great oceanview unit.*


----------



## jules40

Fort Pulaski


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Polihale*

One of my favorite locations in the world


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Shipwreck Beach*


----------



## Rose Pink

jerseyfinn said:


> I always argue with myself.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Just a quick Photoshop trick. I wish I had done triplets.*​
> Barry


 
Barry, this photo is very timely for me right now.  This is exactly how I am feeling.  I have a rather animated discussion going on in my head.  I once mentioned to a friend of mine that I thought my internal discussions with the "head police" were novel to myself and maybe a few other misfits but she told me everyone is like this.  I don't know if it is comforting or scary to think we are all as crazy as me.


----------



## John Cummings

*Flower at Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta*








*My wife and more flowers at Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta*


----------



## John Cummings

*Moraine Lake in Banff National Park Canada*








*Lake Louise in Banff National Park Canada*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Point at Poipu*

taken during Tropical Storm Franchesca


----------



## John Cummings

*Elk by Canmore Alberta Canada*








*Jasper National Park Canada*








*Columbia Ice Field - Jasper National Park Canada*


----------



## John Cummings

*Bison Ranch near Drumheller Alberta Canada*








*Big Fella*


----------



## John Cummings

*Ceiling of government building in Tepic Nayarit Mexico*






*Ceiling of government building in Tepic Nayarit Mexico*






*Ceiling of government building in Tepic Nayarit Mexico*






*Cathedral at the zocalo in Tepic Nayarit Mexico*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> *Cathedral at the zocalo in Tepic Nayarit Mexico*



One of my favorite highlights from our first trip to Puerto Vallarta was a day trip that we took to Tepic. Looking at your pics, I wish we had taken time to go into the government building.  I did post this photo of the zocalo and la Catedral de la Purísima Concepción de María from that trip some distance upthread:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon from the Canyon Trail near Waipo'o Falls:*


----------



## John Cummings

Steve,

The pictures of the ceiling were not taken at the government building(s) traditionally located in the zocalo. It was taken at one of the government buildings on the main street downtown. Unfortunately I don't remember which building it was.

We rented a taxi and driver for all day ( 12 hours ). We went in a loop from the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta up to Tepic and then back down along the coast. I have a lot more pictures of Tepic and the rest of Nayarit.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> Steve,
> 
> The pictures of the ceiling were not taken at the government building(s) traditionally located in the zocalo. It was taken at one of the government buildings on the main street downtown. Unfortunately I don't remember which building it was.
> 
> We rented a taxi and driver for all day ( 12 hours ). We went in a loop from the Grand Mayan - Nuevo Vallarta up to Tepic and then back down along the coast. I have a lot more pictures of Tepic and the rest of Nayarit.



I believe I know the building to which you are referring.  If it's the same one I'm thinking of it's several blocks from the Zocalo and is a relatively modern and nondescript building that houses the Nayarit legislature and other principal state offices. I don't recall any government buildings at all that fronted on the zocalo.

We visited on a Saturday, which was quite interesting because that is market day.  So there were throngs of people in the markets around the zocalo.  Also many Huichol had booths set up in the zocalo. We bought some crafts from the Huichol while we were there.  The prices weren't much less than the prices that the stores in Puerto Vallarta had posted for the items, but I'm sure the Huichol artists had to be making quite a bit more on our purchases than on the items that wind up in the galleries.

We very much enjoyed getting out of the tourist areas in PV and into more "normal" areas. It was also interesting to see the extent of large scale production agriculture in Nayarit.  There were times when I could almost imagine I was in parts of the US, with the sizes of the farms, the crops being grown, and the modern and efficient farm equipment.  In fact, I've seen many agricultural areas in the US that weren't nearly as modern and capitalized as the areas around Tepic and Compostela.  I also felt perfectly safe walking around the neighborhoods near the zocalo in Tepic; much safer than in many areas around the Zona Romantica, p. ej.


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I believe I know the building to which you are referring.  If it's the same one I'm thinking of it's several blocks from the Zocalo and is a relatively modern and nondescript building that houses the Nayarit legislature and other principal state offices. I don't recall any government buildings at all that fronted on the zocalo.
> 
> We visited on a Saturday, which was quite interesting because that is market day.  So there were throngs of people in the markets around the zocalo.  Also many Huichol had booths set up in the zocalo. We bought some crafts from the Huichol while we were there.  The prices weren't much less than the prices that the stores in Puerto Vallarta had posted for the items, but I'm sure the Huichol artists had to be making quite a bit more on our purchases than on the items that wind up in the galleries.
> 
> We very much enjoyed getting out of the tourist areas in PV and into more "normal" areas. It was also interesting to see the extent of large scale production agriculture in Nayarit.  There were times when I could almost imagine I was in parts of the US, with the sizes of the farms, the crops being grown, and the modern and efficient farm equipment.  In fact, I've seen many agricultural areas in the US that weren't nearly as modern and capitalized as the areas around Tepic and Compostela.  I also felt perfectly safe walking around the neighborhoods near the zocalo in Tepic; much safer than in many areas around the Zona Romantica, p. ej.



The building was not very modern and was located directly across the street from a large public underground parking lot on the main street. I don't recall any specific govenment buildings at the zocalo. However, I assumed there was as the techinical definition of a zocalo is that it has a government building ( typically the Palacio Municipal ) and a cathedral around the plaza.

We toured the whole city of Tepic. What impressed us was that it was not at all Americanized like so many of the Mexican cities such as Puerto Vallarta and it was very clean. We were also impressed by all the agriculture in Nayarit. We were NOT impressed with the coastal areas such as San Blas, etc. on our drive back.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> We toured the whole city of Tepic. What impressed us was that it was not at all Americanized like so many of the Mexican cities such as Puerto Vallarta and it was very clean.



Although we didn't tour Tepic (or Nayarit, for that matter) as extensively as did you, from what I saw I would agree. With one exception - close to the zocalo is a modern department store.  We went inside, and my wife commented that with the exception of the language on the signs, she could easily have been in the Macy's store at Bellevue Square, the most upscale large shopping mall in the Seattle area.  They had almost identical merchandise displayed and arranged in almost exactly the same ways.  Shoes, accessories, cosmetics, clothing, home furnishings, ...  

Overall the store was probably about one-half the size of the Macy's here - more similar to the square footage that I've typically seen occupied by a J.C. Penney store in big city suburban US shopping mall. Translating pesos to dollars, the prices were only about 20% less than in our neck of the woods here in Seattle.  And the place had lots shoppers that Saturday morning in April, the Saturday after Easter.

Other than language, the only thing different from the US was the presence of an armed guard at each entrance to the store.  The guards were also quite alert and attentive all times we noticed, and looked closely at each person entering the store. During the ten or fifteen minutes we were inside the store I did see a guard intercept a couple of people who were entering the store and refuse them admittance.

******

One travel item I have set aside for the future is to spend more time in the portions of Nayarit around Tepic and in the areas of Jalisco north of Guadalajara.  

I also want to do a visit to the Copper Canyon, and I've noticed that II has nightly inventory at a hotel that is located at one of the train stations in the upper reaches of the Copper Canyon area


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Although we didn't tour Tepic (or Nayarit, for that matter) as extensively as did you, from what I saw I would agree. With one exception - close to the zocalo is a modern department store.  We went inside, and my wife commented that with the exception of the language on the signs, she could easily have been in the Macy's store at Bellevue Square, the most upscale large shopping mall in the Seattle area.  They had almost identical merchandise displayed and arranged in almost exactly the same ways.  Shoes, accessories, cosmetics, clothing, home furnishings, ...
> 
> Overall the store was probably about one-half the size of the Macy's here - more similar to the square footage that I've typically seen occupied by a J.C. Penney store in big city suburban US shopping mall. Translating pesos to dollars, the prices were only about 20% less than in our neck of the woods here in Seattle.  And the place had lots shoppers that Saturday morning in April, the Saturday after Easter.
> 
> Other than language, the only thing different from the US was the presence of an armed guard at each entrance to the store.  The guards were also quite alert and attentive all times we noticed, and looked closely at each person entering the store. During the ten or fifteen minutes we were inside the store I did see a guard intercept a couple of people who were entering the store and refuse them admittance.



Steve,

Mexico has had department stores like Macy's for years and years. Dorian's for example is a Mexican department store chain that is much like Macy's. It is located in almost all cities in Mexico and has been around for many many years. Mexico has also had giant supermarkets like the US for many years. What I didn't see in Tepic was McDonald's, Burger King, Walmart, etc. that are now common in many Mexican cities. Prices are generally not cheap in Mexico anymore.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> What I didn't see in Tepic was McDonald's, Burger King, Walmart, etc. that are now common in many Mexican cities.



Yep - adds to the attractiveness of the towns, doesn't it.  The presence of Señor Frog's or Squid Roe (or McD, BK, etc) certainly doesn't make a city more attractive to us.

I certainly don't need to tell you that when you go to a place like Tepic, where there aren't a lot of tourists, people react to you differently.  When people realized we were just a couple of norteamericanos visiting their city, they were invariably gracious and helpful.  The Huichol vendor we spoke with - who spoke English better than I speak Spanish, let alone Huichol - was quite fascinated that people from the US were wandering the zocalo and was very interested in asking us questions about who we were and why we were there.  

I've bookmarked this page for future reference: Wandering through Nayarit

Incidentally, the City offices do front on the zocalo, al otro lado de la catedral.

When we were there I saw a pretty noticeable plume of smoke coming up in the area between the zocalo and cerro de la cruz.  Being an air pollution guy, I wanted to check it out.  It was a restaurant - Polla Bella.  But judging from the size of the stack, they must also be serving chicken to more than restaurant at this site.


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Yep - add to the attraction, doesn't it.  Incidentally, the City offices do front on the zocalo, al otro lado de la catedral.
> 
> When we were there I saw a pretty noticeable plume of smoke coming up in the area between the zocalo and cerro de la cruz.  Being an air pollution guy, I wanted to check it out.  It was a restaurant - Polla Bella.  But judging from the size of the stack, they must also be serving chicken to more than restaurant at this site.



That is a neat picture. Not to be picky but it is Pollo Bello not Polla Bella. Pollo is masculine.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> Not to be picky but it is Pollo Bello not Polla Bella. Pollo is masculine.



¡que obvio!  Muchas gracias.

And as you noted in your earlier comments, the city is so neat and clean.  Notice that there is little trash or litter on the streets and sidewalks in the photo.  Similar neighborhoods in US cities are filthy compared with Tepic.

And that wasn't true just of Tepic.  The other towns in that area that we went through - Xalisco and Compostela - were far neater and cleaner than similar areas in the US.


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> And as you noted in your earlier comments, the city is so neat and clean.  Notice that there is little trash or litter on the streets and sidewalks in the photo.  Similar neighborhoods in US cities are filthy compared with Tepic.
> 
> And that wasn't true just of Tepic.  The other towns in that area that we went through - Xalisco and Compostela - were just as clean.



I would not go as far as to say that US cities are filthy. San Diego is very clean and there are other US cities that are pretty clean. It is very clean where I live.

You would have changed your opinion if you went down the coast of Nayarit. Many of the towns were pretty dirty.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> I would not go as far as to say that US cities are filthy. San Diego is very clean and there are other US cities that are pretty clean. It is very clean where I live.
> 
> You would have changed your opinion if you went down the coast of Nayarit. Many of the towns were pretty dirty.



You're right - I should have restricted it to some US cities.  I was really thinking of areas such as the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington, which would be an agricultural area similar to the area around Tepic.

I also tried to restrict my comments to the upland locations, but I don't think I conveyed limitation well.  I totally agree with you about the coastal towns.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon from the top of Waipo'o Falls*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kalalau Valley*

At the Pu'u o Kila lookout (at the end of the paved road) the viewpoint was totally overcast, with no sign of any breaks in the clouds any time soon.  So we decided to head back down.  As we were driving past the other lookout, I figured we may as well pull in and see if the visibility was any better.

It was pretty cloudy at that lookout as well, but every now and then there would be some brief patches of sunshine.  I caught this picture with the sunlight briefly catching the waterfall on the other side of the valley and the kukui trees following the streambed.

In this photo I tried to convey some of the dream-like atmosphere the valley takes on at those times.  I applied an infra-red film effect to the photo, with no grain, a bit of flare, and moderate strength.  I then placed a full color version of the photo on top of the infrared layer, but reduced the opacity of the layer greatly so that only a small amount of the color comes through.

I think the end result does a good job of capturing the atmosphere when the Kalalau is in one of its misty moods.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Na Pali*

There are the cliffs adjacent Polihale.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Na Pali Cliffs - Alternate interpretation*

A different view and darkroom interpretation of the cliffs. This is a four-layer tinted black and white (red filter) photo.

I believe this is the area near the 'Awa'awapuhi and Nualolo valleys.  The dark area next to the spot in the lower left corner where the waves are crashing is one of the Na Pali sea caves - this one is the dry sea cave that arches over a beach and you can see a waterfall dropping to the beach on the other side of the cave.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Town*


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> You're right - I should have restricted it to some US cities.  I was really thinking of areas such as the Yakima Valley in eastern Washington, which would be an agricultural area similar to the area around Tepic.
> 
> I also tried to restrict my comments to the upland locations, but I don't think I conveyed limitation well.  I totally agree with you about the coastal towns.



I am very familiar with the Yakima valley. I spent a lot of time when I was young at my aunt and uncles large farm by Ellensburg WA. I also had some good friends that lived in Toppenish WA that I visited from time to time when I lived in the Portland OR area.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Dundee Hills, Oregon*

This is the heart of the Yamhill County Pinot Noir country.  This photo was taken at the Winderlea Winery.


----------



## Passepartout

That Oregon wine country (centered on Yamhill, McMinnville area) is a true treasure in the rough. Becoming 'discovered', yet still with unpretentious pockets. We were there a couple of Portland Rose Festivals ago- participating in float decoration- then took a few days in a wonderful B&B outside Newburg. Like _dumbkopfs_, we flew there and had a rental car, so our 'carry home' capacity was limited. Won't make that mistake again.

Jim Ricks


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Passepartout said:


> That Oregon wine country (centered on Yamhill, McMinnville area) is a true treasure in the rough. Becoming 'discovered', yet still with unpretentious pockets. We were there a couple of Portland Rose Festivals ago- participating in float decoration- then took a few days in a wonderful B&B outside Newburg. Like _dumbkopfs_, we flew there and had a rental car, so our 'carry home' capacity was limited. Won't make that mistake again.
> 
> Jim Ricks



Jim - we had just left the Torii Mor winery. Winderlea was our next stop, and the only reason we stopped there was because the people at Torii Mor suggested it, commenting that the winemasters at both operations worked collaboratively with each other.

Understand that I am not that much of a wine connoisseur; I can generally tell the difference between a $5 bottle of wine and $15 bottle of wine.  I can also tell when that $15 bottle of wine isn't any better than the $5 bottle, and when a $5 bottle is a great buy.  But much above that price point and the differences are almost invariably lost on me. Yes I can detect differences in flavor, but to me they are just differences and not anything that makes one wine any significant amount more enjoyable.

While we were at Torii Mor their flight of wines for tasting including a variety of Pinots in a range of prices.  My reactions as we went through the flight were pretty typical.  They were all clearly an increment better than what we typically wind up with when we splurge on a $15 bottle, but in terms of overall enjoyment there really wasn't much difference for me among.  There was one Pinot Noir that we tasted, however, that did stand out to me and caused me to remark to my wife that it was absolutely delightful; one of the most appealing wines I've ever tasted.  We looked at the price and at $45 per bottle it certainly wasn't $45 worth of wonderful.  But we did get a couple of bottles of $20 wine at Torii Mor that we enjoyed very much and that were clearly a cut above the stuff we get when we do our $15 bottle splurges. DD and SIL, who are more particular about wines than we are, also loved and while it was above their price point they agreed it was exceptional and opted to buy a bottle.

So I wander through woot.com one day last week and lo and behold wine.woot.com happens to featuring that very wine at 2 bottles for $45!!! Made for an easy woot.  We stick it away and save it for special occasions, such as when we have family together at Christmas.

*****

Incidentally the wines at Winderlea were significantly more expensive than at Torii Mor and to my palate weren't nearly as enjoyable as the Torii Mor samples.   I guess the Winderlea wines were the example of where my palate can only rarely discern why that wine is so spectacular compared with a decent $10 to $15 bottle.

Perhaps the folks at Torii Mor recommended Winderlea because they knew their product would stand up well  in comparison.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Old Koloa Mill*


----------



## KristinB

Wow, I've been away from this thread for too long (I always say that, don't I)... I continue to be blown away by the talent and creativity of the folks on these boards.  I also keep finding new places I want to visit, darn it!  

Since I'm so bad about doing the pic a day thing, I'm going to post my latest as a series.  Here are some images from my latest trip, to Ogunquit, Maine...

Nobska Light, York:






My husband Kenny enjoying a sail on the Silver Lining, out of Perkins Cove:






View from the Ogunquit Museum of American Art:






View along the Marginal Way, Ogunquit:






Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth:


----------



## caribbeansun

Morraine Lake near Lake Louise, Alberta, early morning






http://www.license2chill.com/Images/post-dawn_morraine_lake_vertical_web.jpg


----------



## Karen G

caribbeansun said:


> Moraine Lake near Lake Louise, Alberta, early morning


Cool picture.  The street I live on is Moraine Dr. so it's nice to see where
that name came from.

Kristin, Steve, and the others--your shots are great. Thanks for posting.


----------



## RDB

geoand said:


> When did you take all of these wonderful fall color pictures?
> 
> DW and I will be in Pennsylvania 10-10-09 for a friend's wedding.  We have decided that we will be making a road trip across US into New England and down through Florida.   Your info will help us to decide when to start our drive etc.



Let me know when. I'll try to intercept you at Richmond, for a Virginia Hello.
Send a PM or email.

Robert


----------



## RDB

*Michigan Trip - 2009*





Mystery Lake  , Leelanau Peninsula
Family wishes to keep it that way.





Caroll and Robert at Mystery Lake


----------



## HatTrick

KristinB said:


>



Easily one of the best photos of Portland Head Light I've ever seen, Kristin. Simply stunning. 

Roger


----------



## dougp26364

Villefranche France


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Hoarfrost*

A weed next to a brown corn field, taken early on a cold and foggy fall morning after a touch of hoarfrost had formed overnight.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ghost Drivers on the Side*






I was driving on Douglas County (MN) Road 3 one morning when I saw this whimsy on the side of the road.  Of course I had to get a photo. The vultures posed on the roof are a great touch.

I took the hoarfrost photo, in the post immediately before this one, as I was heading back to my car after taking this shot.  The two pictures are taken within 30 yards of each other.

*****

I never would have taken the hoarfrost photo had I not stopped to get this shot.  Just as I got to the car I looked over and saw that weed standing higher than the rest, with the brown corn stalks and gray sky behind it.  I thought it might make a good shot, so I took three shots.  I thought they came out better than I had dared hoped.

There are great photos around us all of the time; good photos are often just a case of seeing what is right in front our our noses.


----------



## SueDonJ

I think we're losing the best of our fall foliage today with all the wind and rain out there, but this how it looked yesterday afternoon when the raindrops let up enough to run out quick with the camera.  It's been grey for the most part for the last week and a half - too bad, because I wanted some sunny foliage shots ...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Getting Ready for Christmas*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Thrice the Dundee Hills*

Three versions of the same photo or the Dundee Hiills in Yamhill County, Oregon (in the wine country, just south of Portland).  Which do you prefer??

1) Full color version:






2) Black and white conversion, using a yellow filter and a bit of sepia toning:






3) colorized infrared film conversion


----------



## Karen G

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Which do you prefer??


I like the full color version.


----------



## geoand

Karen G said:


> I like the full color version.



Ditto Color wins out.


----------



## Kay H

Full color version gets my vote.  Black and white doesn't do this scene any justice.


----------



## SueDonJ

Yep, color.  Love all those different greens!


----------



## MULTIZ321

Another vote for the full color version.


Richard


----------



## Passepartout

Make it unanimous....Color

Jim Ricks


----------



## John Cummings

Definitely the full color shot.


----------



## dougp26364




----------



## Timeshare Von

*VA Black Bear Cub - Skyline Drive*





Taken 10/25/09


----------



## geoand

I would have taken the bear cub pic too.  However, mine would not have been in focus because I would have been shaking with the thought "Where is the ever vigilant, ever protective momma bear?"


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> I would have taken the bear cub pic too.  However, mine would not have been in focus because I would have been shaking with the thought "Where is the ever vigilant, ever protective momma bear?"



Just remember that you don't need to be able to run faster than the momma bear.  You just need to be able to run faster than at least one other person near you.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Actually I wish that photo (and the others) were tighter and in greater focus, but I'm generally pretty happy given that the Park Ranger wasn't really happy with the traffic jam photographers were creating on the road.  She was nice however and told me to snap a couple and move on.

As for running, that is the last thing you should do with any bear . . . but I understand the concept


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Sun Setting on the Blue Ridge Parkway*






Taken 10/24/09 near Lynchburg, VA


----------



## Timeshare Von

Karen G said:


> I like the full color version.



Me too (not sure what happened to my original response).

Von


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Fall Sunrise in Western Minnesota*

These pics were taken a couple of weeks ago, a few miles north of Osakis, Minnesota. There's about 60 minutes of elapsed time between the first photo and the last. 

There was ground fog that morning. In this  first photo the fog had lifted about 20 or 30 feet off of the ground.  The sun is still below the horizon but it's close enough to sunrise to light the eastern sky behind the fog bank, creating this eerie shot with wisps of cloud.






***********

This second photo was taken about half a mile further down the road.  The sun is just a bit higher and the fog layer isn't quite as thick here, so the overall picture is a bit brighter.  The red of the sunrise filters through the fog clouds, and gets picked up in the leaves of the trees and in the fields.






************

These next two shots were taken looking to the west, with the sun to my back.  Now the fog has lifted a bit higher yet (and is starting to break up), while the sun is low enough so that it shines below the overhead fog.  About 20 minutes later the sun rose high enough so that it no longer shown below the cloud layer, and everything went back into shadow.  (When the sun went back behind the fog is when I took one of the photos that I posted upthread.)











************

It's hard for me to say which of these is my favorite.  If forced to choose I think I would pick the first one.


----------



## Karen G

Steve, are you not gettng enough fog in Bellevue that you have to go all the way to Minnesota to see it? Just kidding--beautiful pictures, as usual.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Karen G said:


> Steve, are you not gettng enough fog in Bellevue that you have to go all the way to Minnesota to see it? Just kidding--beautiful pictures, as usual.


Karen - when you catch a moment with lighting such as I had that morning, you can take a photo of almost anything and get a good shot.  Scenes that are totally mundane in regular lighting suddenly come alive.  The colors brighten, and the light carries an aura or atmosphere.


----------



## RDB

Timeshare Von said:


> Actually I wish that photo (and the others) were tighter and in greater focus, but ...QUOTE]
> 
> See if you like this any better. I took your bear into Picasa... Sharpened and lit it up a bit.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Robert


----------



## Timeshare Von

Thanks for the updated p/s on the bear cub.  I tried to keep some normalacy to the photo when I lightened it initially.  The PS/Pro did a nice job for "one touch" fixing 

Here is my attempt at further lightening:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Anahola Mountain, Kaua'i*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*K*

*Kīlauea Lighthouse*


----------



## KristinB

Wow, Steve! I love the colors in that Kilauea Light image, lovely...

Here are a couple of infrared images from Eyre Hall, on Virginia's eastern shore.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Here are a couple of infrared images from Eyre Hall, on Virginia's eastern shore.


Splendid work, Kristin, as always.


----------



## geoand

Well, it has been a while since I have posted using photobucket and I am going to have to relearn that process.  Tried to post a pano and all I got was gibberish.


Ok, I figured it out.  I have posted pano pics before.  DW does the processing of our pics.  In the past, she has used photoshop to process the panos.  Some panos would take a lot of work and time.  Others would be easier.  She discovered a program that she calls amazing.  She did a test on one pano.  The PS version took her well over 30 minutes.  The new software version took just a few seconds and was a much cleaner photo.  It is PTGUI.  It also has hdr processing.

This pano is a series of photos taken very close to the Vermont store in Vermont earlier this month.  It had been raining, snowing and blowing for the several days we were in New England.  This pano was taken at about 4:30.  The light was disappearing and the sky was a blanket of clouds.


----------



## geoand

This picture was taken about 11:00 am and the snow stopped (turns out temporarily).  We were driving north on the NH side of the Connecticut River north of White River Junction, VT.


----------



## geoand

This picture was taken north by about 7 miles of the Vermont store.  We turned around and went back to the store to purchase some kind of candy that was caramel with walnuts inside.

The sky really was as shown.  Just a flat white due to the cloud cover.  The only disappointing part of the few days we drove was the weather.  Never did get lucky with the sunshine until we hit the Maine coast.


----------



## RDB

geoand, I appreciate the fact that you explain where these were shot.  It makes me want to GO too.

Did you come south to Florida as you had wished?


Robert


----------



## geoand

Our plans changed and New England was the only area we were able to visit.  It was short but sweet.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kapa'a Shoreline and Queen Victoria Profile*


----------



## KristinB

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Splendid work, Kristin, as always.



Thanks, Steve!  Here are a couple more IR shots from Eyre Hall...


----------



## dougp26364

KristinB said:


> Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth:



I noticed that a shot of this same scene made photo of the day on Webshots for Nov. 2nd. The color on this photo seems a little more vivid with less browns than the Webshots photo. In looking at it the sun was a little higher in the sky for the Webshots photo. It still caught my attention as I initially thought it was this shot that was the photo of the day. Personally, I think this shot is much nicer.


----------



## KristinB

Thanks, Doug!  I just took a look at the Webshots POTD, it was a Portland Head Light sunrise, mine was actually a sunset shot.  The reflecting sun lit up the sky behind the light. A local photographer turned me on to that secret, you wouldn't think that you'd get good color at sunset on the east coast, but under the right circumstances, you can!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Scenes for Kealia hiking and bike path near Kapa'a*

This is a view of Donkey Beach, taken from the rest and picnic area south of the beach.  






This is a view of the coastline to the north of Donkey Beach, taken from near the same area as the Donkey Beach pic.


----------



## cotraveller

Some fall colors taken last week overlooking the Mississippi River near Galena, Illinois.


----------



## Karen G

*What I saw on my walk today*






Blue Heron standing by the pond







Blue Heron taking off






Blue Heron flying with the Las Vegas Strip in the background


----------



## SueDonJ

Last week at Marco Island I saw my first EVER bald eagle, soaring up over the high-rises at the beach!  I'm so thankful to the man who was in the water pointing up and yelling, "BALD EAGLE!" to his family who were sitting nearby.  I think they were even more excited than me that I'd brought my camera bag to the beach that day.


----------



## SueDonJ

A little help from the fellow bird whackos here, please?   

I found this guy along Turner River Road in Big Cypress National Preserve, but I don't have a Florida bird guide.  Maybe some sort of stork?











Every other bird along that trail took off with the slightest sound from the camera but this guy just would not budge, no matter how much I pleaded with him.  I'm guessing he was a little bit bigger than the Great Egrets.

thanks,


----------



## Makai Guy

SueDonJ said:


> A little help from the fellow bird whackos here, please?
> 
> I found this guy along Turner River Road in Big Cypress National Preserve, but I don't have a Florida bird guide.  Maybe some sort of stork?


Looks like an Anhinga to me.


----------



## SueDonJ

Makai Guy said:


> Looks like an Anhinga to me.



I think you're absolutely right!  It was the coloring that threw me off, but from your Wiki link:


> The female Anhinga is similar to the male Anhinga except that it has a pale gray-buff[12] or light brown[13] head, neck, and upper chest. The lower chest or breast is a chestnut color and as compared to the male, the female has a more brown back



We did see a few males flying around.  She must have been protecting her nest and that's why she wouldn't budge.  Good mama.


----------



## SueDonJ

Another shot from that trail, a Great Egret:


----------



## KristinB

Sue, definitely an Anhinga... nice shots, all!


----------



## HatTrick

*Inside the World Trade Center Memorial*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Finally getting some of our recent photos processed & posted on the web.

I'm lucky enough to hook up with my son who is stationed down in Tucson AZ with the Air Force. He has a few days off & I fly out to PHX & pick him up down Tucson way where we hoof it back north to Flagstaff/Sedona environs to get in a couple of hikes the next two days.  






*Brin Mesa /Cibola Pass Trail*​
I render this one B&W as I felt the image has more drama this way. 

I'm working with a new P&S camera, the Canon G11.  Previously, I was using a Canon G9, but the technology tweaks in the G11 compel me to become an early adopter ( then again, I also continue to try to resist the urge to purchase a DSLR kit & this Canon should hold me at bay for a couple of more years -- I like traveling light  ).


______________





*Bear Mountain Trail*​
This trail is a kick-in-the-butt for someone like myself who lives at sea level & has spent but one night at altitude ( usually I wait a few days to do this trail, but with my son's limited time, it was now or never ). Then again the view is definitely worth the pain navigating the 600 feet to the top of this first mesa ( all told, you gain about 1400 to the top of the final mesa which is not in this image & lies some two miles of hiking ahead).

This is a pano shot consisting of 3 images rendered in Photoshop. As others note, panos can be a tough post-processing mission. My Canon ( both G9 & G11 ) have a pano mode where you snap one image & can see the edge of first shot in your LCD screen to align the next shot properly. This often helps with the process, but issues can still remain relating to exposure as you sweep across the view & the light subtly changes.

This shot was *not *taken using that pano-mode in the camera. 

I simply lock my elbows and snap one image without moving and I pan for the next shot keeping in mind where my edge was in the image ( best to overlap by @ 1/3 ). I also used an AE lock feature so that each image has the same exposure ( I metered off of the red rock cliffs ). This was also mid-morning when the sun is still not too high in the sky ( the sun is off of my left shoulder & just slightly behind me in this image ). This keeps the sky of a relatively balanced light quality. Assuming that you kept relatively level as you shot, the problem with panos then becomes how the software program handles the differences in light and luminosity across the combined image. In my image, there exists a dark band to the left of the cliff which is due to this effect. It's not too noticeable, & I can clean that up in Photoshop ( requires patience as you fish around & adjust opacity, hues etc. -- something you do on a cold winters day with time on your hands ).

The full gallery of shots can be found in my Sedona Hiking Trails gallery.

Hope you enjoy them.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Point at Poipu during Hurricane Felicia - August 2009*

Well, it really wasn't a hurricane.  Felicia started breaking up before it reached Hawai'i, and by this time it was a tropical depression. The day was gray, rainy, and very blustery.  I took this picture from the lanai of our unit, and I used an infrared film effect to help carry the stormy atmosphere.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*DW at Polihale*

with Ni'ihau and Lehu'a on the horizon.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wyllie Beach - Kaua'i*


----------



## dougp26364




----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Moloa'a Beach - Kaua'i*


----------



## cotraveller

The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland


----------



## geoand

Cotraveller, what an incredible view.  Thanks for the photo.


----------



## geoand

Barry, those are some beautiful shots that you took in AZ.  How fortunate you were to be able to capture a picture of Faye in Faye Canyon!!!!!! :rofl:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Catching a wave at Po'ipu*

I took this pic from grounds at the Marriott Waihoi


----------



## FlyerBobcat

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Catching a wave at Po'ipu*
> 
> I took this pic from grounds at the Marriott Waihoi



Steve,

Very nice shot...

What is that in the picture on the very left side, between the upper & lower wave?


----------



## mtngal

Barry - thanks for the link to your Sedona pictures.  We're heading there in a couple of days and I've been having a tough time coming up with which of the many hikes might be fun to do (and to take photographs on).  You've given me some good ideas.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

FlyerBobcat said:


> Steve,
> 
> Very nice shot...
> 
> What is that in the picture on the very left side, between the upper & lower wave?


I hadn't noticed it until you pointed it out.  It looks  to me a bit like a monk seal pup.


----------



## FlyerBobcat

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I hadn't noticed it until you pointed it out.  It looks  to me a bit like a monk seal pup.



That's neat....  I was wondering if you thought it might be a pup.

Hardly not this one that I grabbed a shot of on that same beach....   (Still wanna' go back...)


Thanks for all your great pics....


----------



## Mosca

Snatched this with the P&S at the ND/UConn game yesterday:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

It's been too long with no activity in this thread.

*Entiat Winter Morning*

Here's a shot of the Entiat River I took last week.  This is taken from a bluff overlooking the river in the town of Entiat, about one-quarter mile above the confluence with the Columbia River and about 40 miles south of Lake Chelan.


----------



## easyrider

FlyerBobcat said:


> Steve,
> 
> Very nice shot...
> 
> What is that in the picture on the very left side, between the upper & lower wave?



It looks like a surfer dude duck diving a wave to me.


----------



## jerseyfinn

dougp26364 said:


>



As soon as I see the beach chairs, I knew you were at Ocean Pointe.  I especially like this sunset shot of the birds on the beach. The POV and DOF really frame the gulls nicely. The light & action is perfect -- great shot! 

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

geoand said:


> Barry, those are some beautiful shots that you took in AZ.  How fortunate you were to be able to capture a picture of Faye in Faye Canyon!!!!!! :rofl:



Thanks geo. 

My nickname for her is "Princess Grace" as she tends to stumble on level ground let alone traversing a trail like this one. I always worry a bit but she manages to follow along safely. Too bad the photos don't have sound clips as you would be able to hear my wife complaining as she struggles up the slope. But she too knows that the reward is in the journey and in the view.

Barry


----------



## Mosca

Barry, I shoot my panos the same way you do, by figuring where to point. This is a 6 shot pano, stitched and corrected for distortion. It sort of needs a bigger stage, Photobucket shrinks them to max width of 1092:






But notice the sky in the middle vs on the edges.


----------



## Mosca




----------



## Karen G

*What you can do with a bunch of canoes*

This cool scuplture sits in front of the new Vdarra Hotel in City Center, Las Vegas.


----------



## billymach4




----------



## billymach4




----------



## billymach4




----------



## taffy19

*Winter solstice - Laguna Beach, CA*











December 21, 2009.


----------



## Karen G

iconnections, what beautiful photos!


----------



## HatTrick

*New York Philharmonic preparing for a concert.*






Cameras are not permitted in Lincoln Center during performances, but I noticed quite a few people taking photos with
their camera phones. _They_ didn't get caught, but I did, and was ordered by an usher to delete the images from my phone.

"Heh-heh, another one bites the dust," he probably thought to himself. 

"Heh-heh, I have image retrieval software," I thought to myself. :whoopie:


----------



## Brett

HatTrick said:


> Cameras are not permitted in Lincoln Center during performances, but I noticed quite a few people taking photos with
> their camera phones. _They_ didn't get caught, but I did, and was ordered by an usher to delete the images from my phone.
> 
> "Heh-heh, another one bites the dust," he probably thought to himself.
> 
> "Heh-heh, I have image retrieval software," I thought to myself. :whoopie:



outwitting the camera cops !


----------



## KristinB

I just arrived in Jackson, Wyoming, so this begins a new series...

All I did yesterday was walk around town waiting for the rest of my friends (all photographers) -- the Towncenter at Jackson Hole is very convenient for that.  Then when the two arrived who were staying in the condo with me, we drove around doing a scouting trip.


----------



## geoand

Kristin, looking forward to seeing the area thru your eyes!


----------



## Elan

geoand said:


> Kristin, looking forward to seeing the area thru your eyes!



  Ditto.  You do great work!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kristin in Jackson Hole with her camera.  Awesome enough for my blood!!!


----------



## KristinB

Thanks, guys!  Got really busy over the past few days... here's another, out by the Elk Refuge:


----------



## jerseyfinn

Kristin, 

Absolutely love that snow photo of the Tetons -- very nice end of day light which really creates a compelling mood. How cold was it that day & how did the camera & batteries hold up?

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

Thought I'd post a couple of snow photos from last February 2009 that I rediscover and finally process. More images found in this snow gallery.








*___________________*







*___________________*










This was a very cold day ( in mid 20s ) & the sun is finally rising high in the morning sky. The snow had fallen light and fluffy & without wind so it was all sort of stacked heavy on the tree branches. An occassional light breeze would waft through the trees and create a surreal snow dust effect. By mid-morning, the sun was high enough that this light snow gets heavier &  minute by minute the snow slowly drops off of the branches. I was out there a good 90 minutes shooting stills and video, sticking one camera in my pocket to keep the battery warm and functional while I work with the other. I had to take my gloves off to work the video zoom and fiddle with EV settings & it was only when I walk back to the house do I finally realize how frozen my hands and feet were. A really neat day ( and my batteries were drained quickly  in the cold -- that's why you buy extra batteries )

Barry


----------



## taffy19

geoand said:


> Kristin, looking forward to seeing the area thru your eyes!


Me too but we have been there but it's nice to see it through your eyes again. I keep track of your photos on Facebook. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures, Kristin.


----------



## taffy19

jerseyfinn said:


> Thought I'd post a couple of snow photos from last February 2009 that I rediscover and finally process. More images found in this snow gallery.
> 
> This was a very cold day ( in mid 20s ) & the sun is finally rising high in the morning sky. The snow had fallen light and fluffy & without wind so it was all sort of stacked heavy on the tree branches. An occassional light breeze would waft through the trees and create a surreal snow dust effect. By mid-morning, the sun was high enough that this light snow gets heavier & minute by minute the snow slowly drops off of the branches. I was out there a good 90 minutes shooting stills and video, sticking one camera in my pocket to keep the battery warm and functional while I work with the other. I had to take my gloves off to work the video zoom and fiddle with EV settings & it was only when I walk back to the house do I finally realize how frozen my hands and feet were. A really neat day ( and my batteries were drained quickly in the cold -- that's why you buy extra batteries )
> 
> Barry


Your album is beautiful, Barry! Again, thank you for sharing. We miss the snow where we live so it's nice to see it through your eyes.


----------



## KristinB

iconnections said:


> Me too but we have been there but it's nice to see it through your eyes again. I keep track of your photos on Facebook. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures, Kristin.



Thanks, Emmy!  As you probably have seen, I've been very busy, so not so much time to post (plus intermittent wifi access).  This is my last night in Jackson, flying home tomorrow, hope to post more pics regularly soon.



jerseyfinn said:


> Kristin,
> 
> Absolutely love that snow photo of the Tetons -- very nice end of day light which really creates a compelling mood. How cold was it that day & how did the camera & batteries hold up?
> 
> Barry



Barry,

That was a cold day (though not the coldest that week).  Surprisingly, the batteries were not the problem I expected, although I brought several extras and recharged them each evening, I only had to replace them a few times during my visit.  Instead, a couple of my friends and I had to deal with a frozen shutter at a sunrise shoot (below zero temps).  And today during a Yellowstone snowmobile tour, my D700's sensor froze (at least that's what I think happened, something similar happened to my friend Sean's cam the other day, weird lines showed up on the pics in the LCD, but it wasn't just on the LCD).  Once the cam warmed up again, everything was fine.

I definitely learned a few lessons about cold weather shoots, and plan to do them again someday!

Okay, here's today's image, a Bighorn Sheep ram:


----------



## KristinB

Red Fox:


----------



## RDB

Kristin, 

As others say, "Lovely work."


----------



## KristinB

RDB said:


> Kristin,
> 
> As others say, "Lovely work."



Thanks!

Bull Elk:


----------



## taffy19

What beautiful wildlife pictures, Kristin.


----------



## jerseyfinn

KristinB said:


> . . . a couple of my friends and I had to deal with a frozen shutter at a sunrise shoot (below zero temps).  And today during a Yellowstone snowmobile tour, my D700's sensor froze (at least that's what I think happened, something similar happened to my friend Sean's cam the other day, weird lines showed up on the pics in the LCD, but it wasn't just on the LCD).  Once the cam warmed up again, everything was fine.[/IMG]



Aha! A D700!  No surprise that you're getting some fantastic results with that camera. I came close to moving up to a DSLR last year and the D700 was the platform that I had resolved myself to as it is beautiful technology ( not that Canon, Sony & some other mfgrs do not have some nice hardware as well ). I really liked the ergonomics of the D700 as well as the power/flexibility it confers. Can't say how long it will be before I finally move up to DSLR, but I'll be picking your brain when I do return to 'DSLR shopping mode'.

Temperature extremes are always an issue with cameras, especially with digital technology as those chips do indeed behave in a fuzzy manner in both hot or cold conditions. Little tricks like tucking the camera inside of your jacket help to keep them functional ( though a bit trickier with an SLR kit's larger footprint -- but an ice station Zebra type of coat ought to accomodate anything   ). Frostbit fingers & toes are another matter entirely.

Barry


----------



## RDB

*Wyndham Ocean Walk - Daytona Beach*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Golden Gate from the Presidio of San Francisco*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Muir Beach - Marin County, CA*


----------



## Karen G

*Spring Mountains & Red Rock Canyon--west of Las Vegas*

We took a drive out by the mountains last weekend. Beautiful and just about 30 minutes from home.


----------



## SueDonJ

This thread is so much fun whether it gets eight new photos a day or one new photo every eight days.  I just love seeing the world through all your eyes.   

We had a ton of rain here a few weeks ago and the flooding didn't start to subside until the sun came out and the coooooolllllllddddd temps came in.  It sure makes for some interesting ice sculpturing.  I wish the sun would come back out for that glint-y lighting effect but in the meantime this was taken late yesterday afternoon under gray skies.


----------



## cotraveller

We were in Maui last month.  This guy came cruising by while we were on a whale watching cruise.


----------



## KristinB

jerseyfinn said:


> Aha! A D700!  No surprise that you're getting some fantastic results with that camera. I came close to moving up to a DSLR last year and the D700 was the platform that I had resolved myself to as it is beautiful technology ( not that Canon, Sony & some other mfgrs do not have some nice hardware as well ). I really liked the ergonomics of the D700 as well as the power/flexibility it confers. Can't say how long it will be before I finally move up to DSLR, but I'll be picking your brain when I do return to 'DSLR shopping mode'.
> 
> Temperature extremes are always an issue with cameras, especially with digital technology as those chips do indeed behave in a fuzzy manner in both hot or cold conditions. Little tricks like tucking the camera inside of your jacket help to keep them functional ( though a bit trickier with an SLR kit's larger footprint -- but an ice station Zebra type of coat ought to accomodate anything   ). Frostbit fingers & toes are another matter entirely.
> 
> Barry



Barry, actually, I couldn't put my camera inside my jacket, though not for the reason you'd think.  At these temps...

Taken with my iPhone at sunrise one morning:






if you take the lens cap off a warm camera, the front element will frost over immediately.   The answer is to leave the camera out for a half hour or so at temperature on the tripod before you're ready to use it, then take the lens cap off.

I'll be happy to help with your DSLR shopping, no problem.  But just so you know, a lot of these pics were also taken with my D200, I haven't retired that one yet... it's still a great camera as well.  I'm also going to convert my D70 to infrared in the very near future.  

That said, here's the next one... sorry I've been away (I always say that, LOL).


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

KristinB said:


> Barry, actually, I couldn't put my camera inside my jacket, though not for the reason you'd think.  At these temps...
> 
> Taken with my iPhone at sunrise one morning:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> if you take the lens cap off a warm camera, the front element will frost over immediately.   The answer is to leave the camera out for a half hour or so at temperature on the tripod before you're ready to use it, then take the lens cap off.



Upthread quite a bit is a picture of my father's grave.  It was about -25 F when I shot that picture - using a point and shoot.  I guess I was able to get it because at those temps in western Minnesota there isn't any moisture in the air to create any kind of condensation issues.


----------



## geoand

kristen, the photo of the twilight clouds over the mountains WOW!

WOW!

WOW!


----------



## KristinB

geoand said:


> kristen, the photo of the twilight clouds over the mountains WOW!
> 
> WOW!
> 
> WOW!



Thanks, Geo!

Here's today's series (and no, they're not HDRs, I metered for the outside and used flash to light up the inside of the cabin).  The next pic is the cabin I took the first two from - the Cunningham Cabin Historic Site in Grand Teton National Park.


----------



## KristinB

How about some Yellowstone bison today?


----------



## KristinB

This is a pseudo-HDR (took one shot, Photomatix automatically extracted three exposures from it and combined them to get a greater dynamic range):


----------



## Karen G

Kristin, that's a gorgeous shot. Thanks for all your photos. I really enjoy seeing them.


----------



## KristinB

Karen G said:


> Kristin, that's a gorgeous shot. Thanks for all your photos. I really enjoy seeing them.



Thanks so much, Karen!

Here's a Yellowstone coyote... a little softer than I'd prefer, but I still like it:


----------



## SueDonJ

Wow.  wow wow wow.  You're just so darn good at taking pictures, Kristin, and you live a fascinating life.  The other day I was telling Don about you - "if ever I get to live my fantasy life, I'm going to do like a woman on TUG and take my camera around the world and get animals to smile for me."

I hope he wants to come with me.  :hysterical:


----------



## KristinB

SueDonJ said:


> Wow.  wow wow wow.  You're just so darn good at taking pictures, Kristin, and you live a fascinating life.  The other day I was telling Don about you - "if ever I get to live my fantasy life, I'm going to do like a woman on TUG and take my camera around the world and get animals to smile for me."
> 
> I hope he wants to come with me.  :hysterical:



Sue, that's awesome, I love how you put that!  I think you'll appreciate this next one, then... We watched this pair of moose for a while, the cow would scratch her neck against a tree, the bull's antlers, whatever she could find.  I just love the look on her face here:


----------



## HatTrick

SueDonJ said:


> "if ever I get to live my fantasy life, I'm going to do like a woman on TUG and take my camera around the world and get animals to smile for me."



*I think this one was smiling...*


----------



## KristinB

HatTrick said:


> *I think this one was smiling...*



Love it! 

Here are some pronghorns:


----------



## KristinB

I loved this frosty tree... the snow was quite deep in the gulch leading to this tree, almost up to my upper legs, so it took some work to get to this vantage point:


----------



## ricoba

Kristin,

I really appreciate it when you post your photo's here.


----------



## KristinB

ricoba said:


> Kristin,
> 
> I really appreciate it when you post your photo's here.



You're very welcome, Rick!   I have tons more to share from this trip, hope people don't get tired of them...

So if you don't have a tree to scratch yourself with, what's a moose to do?  Use what he's got:


----------



## KristinB

One of the Mormon Barn outbuildings near Jackson:


----------



## KristinB

This bison came so close we could feel its breath...


----------



## KristinB

Today's pic is a rare attempt at a black & white conversion on my part:


----------



## KristinB

So I don't bore people with too much of the same, I thought I'd take a break from the Wyoming pics for a little bit and throw in a few from when I went down to Florida in November (yes, more wildlife, specifically birds)...

I'm not 100% certain, but I think this is a Tricolored Heron:


----------



## cdn_traveler

Wow!   Love looking at your pictures Kristin.


----------



## Kay H

Kristen,
You do have a talent for photoing wildlife.  I enjoy all of them.  Keep it up


----------



## KristinB

cdn_traveler said:


> Wow!   Love looking at your pictures Kristin.





Kay H said:


> Kristen,
> You do have a talent for photoing wildlife.  I enjoy all of them.  Keep it up



Thanks, folks! 

And here's a Great Blue Heron, looking to add to its nest:


----------



## KristinB

A Snowy Egret and a Reddish Egret playing follow the leader:


----------



## sstamm

KristinB said:


> So I don't bore people with too much of the same, I thought I'd take a break from the Wyoming pics for a little bit and throw in a few from when I went down to Florida in November (yes, more wildlife, specifically birds)...
> 
> I'm not 100% certain, but I think this is a Tricolored Heron:



Wow, love this photo!!  Love the color, the composition, everything about it.  You really are a talented photographer.  Thanks so much for sharing your photos with us!!!


----------



## Mosca

We got down to AC last week, and I took the new Canon 7D; I'm still learning it, but I got a couple good shots.

Early morning:






Then I went back at night for the same shot. It didn't look so good from that angle, so I walked up the boardwalk a couple hundred yards for this:






I could have left a little more headroom in that second one, but those buildings aren't going anywhere, I'll grab that shot again later this summer.


----------



## hefleycatz

Ok, thanks Tom, right place now.  This was taken in Orlando at the "Worlds Biggest McDonald's".  I didn't notice the color coordinated cars when I took the picture.


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh, how nice to see this thread back on the first page.  Hefleycatz, that color coordination thing is awesome!  Did you notice that the caution cone and the date on your pic also coordinate with that giant MickeyDees?  (Did you do the date on purpose?)


----------



## hefleycatz

We were there on our spring break during that week.  that is the actual date.  OMG  I just noticed what you were talking about.  The color.  Duh.


----------



## Numismatist

Sometimes the ocean view from the large picture window at Frenchman's Cove is blocked...what do you think?:whoopie:


----------



## SueDonJ

We had thunderstorms late yesterday afternoon and then a beautiful double rainbow at sunset with fantastic coloring all over the sky:


----------



## HatTrick

*Secluded Spot on Oahu*


----------



## geoand

*Memorial Day*

I am pretty sure that I have posted these before.


----------



## geoand




----------



## Passepartout

Thanks Geo, and Thanks, fellow Vets.   Jim Ricks


----------



## Mosca

I've been shooting with a micro 4/3 camera the past few days, and it has an option to shoot in square format. So I decided to experiment with shooting in squares.


----------



## Mosca




----------



## HatTrick

*We Will Never Forget*


----------



## HatTrick

*The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C.*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

With my display fixed I can get back to doing some work on photos ...

Here's a shot looking toward the Painted Desert from a location near the Wukoki Ruins northeast of Flagstaff, AZ:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wukoki Ruins looking toward Painted Desert*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Painted Desert*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*DS at Grand Canyon*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Grand Canyon at Desert View*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Grand Canyon*


----------



## Karen G

Beautiful shots, Steve. Glad you got your computer working correctly so that you could share them with us. That shot of your son was amazing.


----------



## Mosca

3 from Disney:


----------



## Passepartout

Above the 'Cubist' entry of La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Designed by Antonio Gaudi. Barcelona. Estimated completion date: Never


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waimea Canyon*

I posted these recently on a Kaua'i thread but they also belong here.  They're from our 2009 trip.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Painted Desert*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Petrified Forest*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Crystal Bridge - Petrified Forest*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Early Sunset on the Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Dundee Hills, Oregon*

The heart of Oregon Pinot Noir country.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Organ Recital, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco*






This is one of my personal favorite "general interest" photos that I've ever done.  It's not a jaw dropper, but as I looked at it just kind of felt "right" to me.  And as I return to it, I keep on finding little details that keep drawing me in.


----------



## Makai Guy

Two week China trip, last month.

Terra Cotta Warriors, Xi'an, China




Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## Makai Guy

Gorge on the Yangtze River, China.   We were surprised at the level of haze (smog) even when well outside the major cities.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## Makai Guy

Giant Panda munching bamboo, Chongqing Zoo, China




Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## Makai Guy

Great Wall of China at Badaling, near Beijing, China - one section was closed off and reserved for dignitaries who were visiting from the Shanghai World Expo going on this summer -- you can see the guards blocking entrance to that section and you can make out one VIP party climbing up the next hill.  The section of the wall we were on (behind the camera) looked essentially the same except completely packed with throngs of people.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## SueDonJ

*4th of July in Boston*

Spent Sunday wandering all over Boston with my sisters ...

Trinity Church





City from the MBTA boat (Marriott's Custom House with clock tower)





Inner Harbor marker with (I think!) Boston Light in background





Swan Boat in the Public Gardens





Old State House


----------



## Passepartout

Makai Guy said:


> We were surprised at the level of haze (smog) even when well outside the major cities.



We went to China for a month in 2002. The sky color came to be known by us as 'China Haze'. It was pretty much the same everywhere. To top it off, we never saw a single bird during our visit. It sure shows graphically what happens when economic prosperity trumps environmental stewardship.  

Our group kept in touch with one another for some time after the trip and it was surprising how many, and for how long we and others had deep, productive coughs and respiratory difficulties. DW and I experienced it about a week after returning and it lasted about a month. We attributed it to the close proximity to our co-travelers, but have not had anything similar before or since. Hope you escaped the hacking!

All in all, a trip to China is something I'd always wanted to experience, and it would be impossible to not be impressed.

Thanks, Doug for posting your photos.

Jim Ricks


----------



## Makai Guy

Passepartout said:


> Our group kept in touch with one another for some time after the trip and it was surprising how many, and for how long we and others had deep, productive coughs and respiratory difficulties. DW and I experienced it about a week after returning and it lasted about a month. We attributed it to the close proximity to our co-travelers, but have not had anything similar before or since. Hope you escaped the hacking!


I ALWAYS get this, after _any_ long trip, cruise, etc.   Direct flights to/from China ran us over 14 hours each, and that's too long being cooped up breathing other people's air not to catch something, I fear.   This trip's version has at least been less severe than some others.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pueblo Cliff Dwelling Ruins, Walnut Canyon, Arizona*

These cliff dwellings were built about 1000 years ago into these overhanging cliffs in the layered rock formations.   Crops were grown and animals were hunted on the plateau at the canyon rim. Fresh water was obtained from Walnut Creek at the bottom of the canyon.  Ladders were used to ascend and descend between the various levels of the pueblo.


----------



## HatTrick

*Highly Cooperative Animals at HHV*


----------



## HatTrick

*La'ie Point, Oahu*


----------



## HatTrick

*Sunset Silhouette*


----------



## HatTrick

*Setup for Surf Lesson at HHV*


----------



## HatTrick

*Kennedy Gravesite and Arlington House*


----------



## HatTrick

*Fireworks and Rainbow Tower at HHV*


----------



## HatTrick

*Torch and Palm at Dusk*


----------



## HatTrick

*Colorful Waikiki*


----------



## sstamm

Wow, HatTrick, great photos!!  Love the color and composition, particularly the sunset, surf lesson and Waikiki!

Thanks for posting.


----------



## HatTrick

Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated!


----------



## jerseyfinn

Makai Guy said:


> Gorge on the Yangtze River, China.   We were surprised at the level of haze (smog) even when well outside the major cities.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Kudos to all of your China shots. This river shot has a sort of surreal quality to it. But you say this was _smog_ and not just mountain mist/fog?! Wow, that's interesting and speaks to the industrialization going on in China ( also renders those govt carbon taxes relatively meaningless if this is what's going on in China & other developing giant nations ).

How many different places/sites did you work in during 2 weeks -- one can never see it all, but did your tour give you a good taste of the gamut of China or would another week have been better? China is on our 'to do' list, but I guess it's a trip which requires a lot of planning due to the distance and logistics. 

Once again, China nicely caputred in your images.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

Hat Trick,

Kudos for your Hawaii shots. Hawaii always speaks kindly to a camera and you have some nice compositional & tonal themes which speak to those little things arround one amidst all of the Hawaiian mountain and ocean scenery. The torch and palm is an especially clever pick up.

Barry


----------



## Makai Guy

jerseyfinn said:


> But you say this was _smog_ and not just mountain mist/fog?!


The guides claimed it was all naturally occurring and is worse due to higher humidity since the huge Three Gorges Dam has backed up the river.  I don't doubt humidity is a contributing factor -- it WAS pretty humid.  But I live in an area in S Carolina that is plenty humid in the summer time and our visibility is never as poor as this.  We only had one day the whole trip when one could not look directly into the sun with no discomfort.  If you could see the sun at all, it was just a dull copper disk.



> How many different places/sites did you work in during 2 weeks -- one can never see it all, but did your tour give you a good taste of the gamut of China or would another week have been better? China is on our 'to do' list, but I guess it's a trip which requires a lot of planning due to the distance and logistics.


Here's the trip we took: Click link.  I'm sure longer would have been better, but they really crammed a lot into those days and we were beat by the time it was over.  I really try to take things in when I travel like this and after about 10-12 days I've really absorbed about all I can handle.


----------



## HatTrick

*Inside the Capitol Building*


----------



## MULTIZ321

HatTrick,

Thanks for the great pics!

Richard


----------



## SueDonJ

We spent the weekend in Niagara Falls (gorgeous, much more than I thought, can't wait to go back!) and Toronto for the RedSox:

American Falls





Canadian Falls





Big Papi and Little Papi





The Walking Wounded


----------



## RDB

*Daytona Beach*

From our last trip to Florida.

This picture was rated 30th of 877 entries in the contest, "Share your Best of America Photos" at Smarter Travel.


----------



## RDB

*Open Spaces*

This was taken as we departed Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. It placed 25th of 877 entries in the contest, "Share your Best of America Photos" at Smarter Travel.


----------



## Elli

RDB said:


> This was taken as we departed Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. It placed 23th of 877 entries in the contest, "Share your Best of America Photos" at Smarter Travel.


Great shots, RDB, I get the e-mails from Smarter Travel all the time and did look at quite a few of the pictures in their various contests, but didn't pay too much attention to the name of the photographers.


----------



## RDB

Elli said:


> Great shots, RDB, I get the e-mails from Smarter Travel all the time and did look at quite a few of the pictures in their various contests, but didn't pay too much attention to the name of the photographers.



Thanks Elli,

This contest just closed on the 18th.

Very interesting to look though the entries to find places others found great.
I find places to keep in mind that I never knew existed.

Robert


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wukoki Ruins*

near Flagstaff, Arizona











**************

two versions of the same photo











**************


----------



## HatTrick

*Oahu Scenes*


----------



## pwrshift

How did your son get there...and where were you taking the picture from.  Amazing.

Brian



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *DS at Grand Canyon*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

pwrshift said:


> How did your son get there...and where were you taking the picture from.  Amazing.
> 
> Brian



We were at the east entrance, and hiked down a little way below the main lookout area to find a place to sit and eat lunch.  The formation was below us, and DS decided to scale it.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Overland Park, KS 7/24/10*







Taken about an hour after a pretty severe thunderstorm had rolled through . . . and we could finally start the USYSA National Championship Game for the U19 Boys.

Taken with my point n shoot Canon SD600 . . . no editting or photoshop done.


----------



## Timeshare Von

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Wukoki Ruins*
> 
> near Flagstaff, Arizona



We love that park!!!


----------



## RDB

*Plenty of room, this flight.*

A bit of our 11hr Space-A flight from Andrews AFB to Hickam AFB. :whoopie: 

Nap time.





Time for a strole.


----------



## JoAnn

OK, Robert.,.....how did you get on THAT flight?  I know you are retired service, so imagine that's how you got it.  The other thing....Carrol should have had her seat belt..or floor   belt on!  She could have been hurt if the ride got bouncy.  But glad you made it OK.


----------



## SueDonJ

Great shots in this thread since the last time I looked - Hattrick, love the palm tree with the geometrics in the background, and RDB, love hearing about the contest and congratulations on your placements!

If anyone's interested there was a photo contest advertised on the back page of this morning's Boston Globe "g" magazine:

"Show Us Your BEST SHOT Photo Contest"
"Send us your best concert photo and you could win -
- 6 Tickets to see Tom Petty 8/19 at the Comcast Center (Mansfield, MA)
- Tailgating Parking Spot in premium lot
- Tailgating Grill
- Hot dogs, burgers, chips and soda for 6
- Access Passes to VIP Club in venue

Enter to win at boston.com/bestshot"


----------



## geoand

*It has been a long time. Hope I remember how2*






Pano of Mt Rainier taken from White Pass Highway.  Southeast side of the mountain.


----------



## HatTrick

SueDonJ said:


> Hattrick, love the palm tree with the geometrics in the background



Thanks! The shadows are on the Rainbow Tower as seen from the Lagoon Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village.


----------



## HatTrick

geoand said:


> Pano of Mt Rainier taken from White Pass Highway.



Nicely done!


----------



## geoand

HatTrick said:


> Nicely done!



Thanks for the kind words.

I must admit that I have unfairly taken advantage of this thread by enjoying it and not giving enough thanks to those who post pics.

I truly do enjoy the photos and thank all for their contributions.


----------



## geoand

*Another pano*






This pano was taken from just below the summit at Chinook Pass.


----------



## Passepartout

geoand said:


> This pano was taken from just below the summit at Chinook Pass.



WOW! WOW! WOW! (needed 10 characters)...Jim


----------



## jerseyfinn

Thought I would post some flamenco images I take during our visit to Marriott Playa Andaluza resort in Estepona Spain. I got lucky when they move the show outside to the restaurant terrace which has much better light and space than inside the restaurant.  The show starts @ 8:30P while there is still plenty of ambient light ( sunset in July is closer to 10PM out here ).  This allows me to shoot without a flash and work in continuous mode to grab some nice shots. Of course I'm working ISO 400 at 1 /50th sec which means I usually do not grab crystal clear shots, but that was the trade-off for getting dynamic imagery.







They move out some tables and lay a dance floor  which sits astride a wind break canvas which frames a nice BG behind the dancers. Tables surround the dance floor and I'm kneeling on the floor at the front edge grabbing these shots.


_________________






As the performance goes on, the light subtly diminishes & I'm working 1/30th to 1/40th as I'm working aperture mode trying to hold on to a little DOF in the moving shots. I discover that I catch a lot of stop shots with motion in them which is quite pleasing.

_____________________







I shoot two shows during the two weeks we are there. I learn from my mistakes the first week & figure out the better place to shoot from.  I really love my Canon G-11 as I could tweak the EV to try to get better skin tones in the fading light while working via the LCD viewer to react to the dancer's moves and position. That backdrop was very photogenic as I try to frame shots, hold the camera steady. watch the performance ( it was electrifying ) and keep my leg from falling asleep beneath me.

_________________________






I shoot this image the first week from a different perspective. The images in this set has a very warm color cast to them & I correct this in Photoshop using a blue filter & doing a hue adjustment on the skin tones and desaturating the BG.  Some of the images fro this shot require working with selections and tweaking levels   -- much more work than I usually do with Photoshop, but still very satisfying as each work session with Photoshop adds to your insight and skill set as you address new problems/issues.

________________________







One final image just as it came out of the camera with only some cropping. I could tell that the dancers were curious about me as they were the same dancers both weeks ( using different costumes ) and they were trying to figure me out as I'm holding the camera at floor level shooting up and moving the camera to different POVs. I'm about 18 inches from the guy's foot here. Both they and I had a good time.  When they get to the end of the show, they always pull a few folks out of the audiance to dance ( usually badly, which I'm very qualified at ). The gal was motioning to me at the end, but when I try to stand up, I almost topple over as my leg is now asleep.  I hobble back to our table and order another glass of wine to heel my leg.​

Hope you guys enjoy the flamenco gallery.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> Of course I'm working ISO 400 at 1 /50th sec which means I usually do not grab crystal clear shots, but that was the trade-off for getting dynamic imagery.



Good decision, Barry. The shots convey a lot of energy.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Some more shots from the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest:


----------



## SueDonJ

A few more bird pics ...

This female Northern Flicker showed up in the backyard yesterday pecking away at the dry grass area (homeplate for wiffleball):





This guy and two of his friends have been hanging around for the last three weeks, screeching NIGHT AND DAY for hours on end.  Finally today I got him taking off from the tree but didn't manage to shoot the baby that convinced him to leave.  Next time ...


----------



## RDB

JoAnn said:


> OK, Robert.,.....how did you get on THAT flight?  I know you are retired service, so imagine that's how you got it.  The other thing....Caroll should have had her seat belt..or floor   belt on!  She could have been hurt if the ride got bouncy.  But glad you made it OK.



Government...YES.  The flights go anyway... it is great we can get aboard if there are seats and we are patient. NO ticket or reservation. Often we have to wait days, not knowing when. It is good to not have to be somewhere on a specified date.

Not so neat for TSing.

That C-17 doesn't bounce unless big things are happening. The "fasten seatbelt" is used for such.


----------



## cotraveller

There was a swallowtail butterfly in the garden today.  That was not unusual, they visit frequently when the flowers are blooming.  Usually they leave before I can get the camera but this one stuck around for a while.

At one point a wasp came up behind the butterfly while he was on a flower.  When the wasp got close enough so that the butterfly noticed, the butterfly turned around to face the wasp.  At that point the wasp flew away. Maybe the wasp decided that the butterfly was a lot bigger than he was.  I didn't get a picture of the face to face meeting, but I did get this one as the wasp was approaching. Cropped and resized to fit here but otherwise jpeg straight from the camera.


----------



## SueDonJ

Beautiful, cotraveller!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

A couple more shots from the Grand Canyon


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

And two more:






As typical, DS likes to get up close and personal


----------



## HatTrick

cotraveller said:


> Cropped and resized to fit here but otherwise jpeg straight from the camera.



Great shot!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Grand Canyon - Yavapai Point*

Yavapai Point is the limestone bluff on the right edge of all of the photos. These five pics were all taken the same day in mid-June, from various locations as the later afternoon passed through evening and sunset. 

The first shot was taken about 5 pm near the Bright Angel trail head. The second photo is about 6:30 pm, taken at Hopi Point.  The third is about 9:15 pm, taken at Grand Canyon Village near Verkamp's Visitor Center.  By the time of this picture, the setting sun is just above the rim and shining down the canyon.  The last photo is 1s fifteen minutes later, 9:30 pm.  The sun has dropped below the rim, with one last fading slot of light illuminating Yavapai while the rest of the Canyon behind Yavapai is totally in the shadows.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Yavapai Point*

And here's the concluding picture, taken five minutes after the last picture in the previous post.


----------



## cotraveller

Riverside dining, with transportation.  Bayeux, France.


----------



## homer timpson

A couple of photos of a New Year trip to St Andrews - pretty good view from my breakfast table!!

Jack Nicklaus is revered here in Scotland - a true golfer/legend in every sense of the word

His portrait hangs in the main bar area of the Rusacks Hotel - the hotel balcony overlooks the 18th green, fairwayand Clubhouse.

[IMGR]http://vistana.co.uk/photos/albums/userpics/10001/St_Andrews.jpg[/IMGR]



[IMGR]http://vistana.co.uk/photos/albums/userpics/10001/Jack_Nicklaus.jpg[/IMGR]


----------



## heathpack

*Snorkeling Waianae, Oahu*









*Note:  No octopus was harmed in the taking of this picture.*






H


----------



## heathpack

*Ipo with Long Shadow*







Shortly after sunrise at Dillingham airfield in Oahu.  Mr. Heathpack went flying in a "trike"- a powered hang-glider.  This is a photo of the instructor's little dog Ipo.  When she heard the trike coming in, she trotted out to the taxiway and sat down to wait until it came into sight.  "Ipo" means "sweetie" in Hawaiian.


----------



## heathpack

*Snorkeling with Dolphin, Waianae Coast, Oahu*






Snorkeling trip Waianae coast, early March when water is particularly clear.  This is about 30 minutes from Ko Olina.  Great swim with spinner dolphin, who rest near shore during day and feed further out at night.  They swam in slow, lazy circles beneath us.  Here a few of the pod surface for air.


----------



## jerseyfinn

heathpack said:


> Snorkeling trip Waianae coast, early March when water is particularly clear.  This is about 30 minutes from Ko Olina.  Great swim with spinner dolphin, who rest near shore during day and feed further out at night.  They swam in slow, lazy circles beneath us.  Here a few of the pod surface for air.



Nice photo, but probably more important, a very inspiring thing to experience.

Barry


----------



## heathpack

jerseyfinn said:


> Nice photo, but probably more important, a very inspiring thing to experience.
> 
> Barry



Yes, it was really an extraordinary experience.  A totally different world.

H


----------



## heathpack

*Mission San Juan Capistrano, California*






Mission San Juan Capistrano, May, when roses are in full bloom.  About 30 minutes south of Marriott's Newport Coast Villas, where we had a great stay courtesy of TUG member Adible.


----------



## heathpack

*Lily Ponds, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California*






Lovely lily ponds at Mission San Juan Capistrano, with koi swimming quietly.  Beautiful and peaceful.


----------



## Ridewithme38

Wow...These are Amazing Pictures!!!


----------



## heathpack

*Gardens at Mission San Juan Capistrano*






Pretty purple flowers in the mission gardens.


----------



## heathpack

Ridewithme38 said:


> Wow...These are Amazing Pictures!!!



Thanks, Ride.  The mission is really a beautiful place.  Makes it easier to get a few good snaps.

H


----------



## Rose Pink

Oh, thank you , thank you for the garden pictures!  I so needed a boost tonight and they were a godsend.


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach*






Hiking in Laguna Beach during same trip to Marriott's Newport Coast.  Great luck that we had a rainy spring and the wildflowers were still blooming.  This is a California poppy.  Love the grains of pollen.


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach Green Grass*






Then, on that same hike, we came about this patch of grass with the light shining on it just right, so that it was burning like green fire.


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach White Flower*






And this flower- love the design of it, and how it looks set against the blue sky.


----------



## Rose Pink

Heathpack, I love these pictures!


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach*






More poppies.  This time with bugs.  I hate bugs.


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach*






White flower, I think a morning glory?


----------



## heathpack

*Laguna Beach*






Green leaf.  Looks like the skin of a space alien.


----------



## HatTrick

*Images from the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, across the street from Ground Zero.*


----------



## RDB

*Butterfly Collection*

Hattrick, love your photos.

This year we are blessed with several of God's creations.  I'd like to share these beauties with you.


----------



## RDB

*Butterfly Collection.*

I wish to share with you some of the beauties gracing our yard this year.


----------



## cindi

Beautiful butterflies.

You must have a butterfly garden there.


----------



## HatTrick

Beautiful, Robert!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)*

No p/s or cropping done; these photos are right off the camera:





Momma and first year cubs





Nursing cubs





Mom caught a salmon and gave it to the cubs.  They fought over it for about five minutes until it broke in half.  Here is one of the little guys with his portion after eating about half of his share.





Cub play


----------



## Karen G

I'm loving all the beautiful pictures of God's creations! Excellent!


----------



## RDB

cindi said:


> Beautiful butterflies.
> 
> You must have a butterfly garden there.



2-years ago SIL Dan put in Miss Huff Lantana plants . We were surprised they survived the winters. He cuts the canes to 1' in late April. Boy did they ever grow and bloom this summer.


----------



## RDB

Yvonne,

Loved those bears!

That must be great to be so close.

Robert


----------



## Timeshare Von

RDB said:


> Yvonne,
> 
> Loved those bears!
> 
> That must be great to be so close.
> 
> Robert



Thanks Robert . . . your butterfly photos are lovely as well (and close).

Yes, at times it was a bit surprising how close the bears came to us and yet, I never felt threatened or at risk.   Our photo group was always between 5 and 10 people, with guides very knowledgeable about bear behavior and movement.  The cubs got as close as probably 8-10 feet . . . while one single (sow) bear walked probably 10-12 feet across our photo line of tripods.

The pilot in this photo said this bear walked immediately under his plane's tail right after they landed.  Bear on Beach Needless to say, they waited a few minutes to deplane.  This is also the same bear mentioned above that walked immediately in front of us.

This may have been my favorite cub pic, showing their curiosity 
Cub on ATV


Von


----------



## heathpack

*Pines Burned Last Summer, Piute Mountains, California*


----------



## heathpack

*Piute Mountains, California, Looking South towards Mojave*


----------



## heathpack

*Piute Mountains, California, Cows in Shade*


----------



## pkyorkbeach

Enjoy the photos

Makes me SMILE!!!


----------



## dougp26364

Pictures of my natural pest control system in out back yard. 









And a picture of one my combatants for my tomoatoe plants. 





Those little teeth can do a LOT of damage to a tomatoe plant in a short amount of time. 





For anyone interested, the spider pics were taken at night using a tripod, tethered release, Nikon D90 with 60mm Macro lens and an SB900 flash. I really need to get the 105mm Macro lens if I'm going to be taking pics of garden spiders. I either have to get to close for comfort or do some cropping. I choose a combination of both.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*A couple of Mt. Denali (aka McKinley)*

Taken from the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge overlook.  Photo processed via Photomatix:


----------



## SueDonJ

My niece was married over the weekend and it was the first occasion that the "next" generation was old enough to appreciate being all decked out in formals and able to enjoy themselves as older teens and young adults.  What fun we all had!  (Hope you all don't mind a few pics.)

Theresa (Tabby to us) and her two brothers, Chris (left) and Justin (right):





some of the "kids":





Mine and Don's - Steve and Eileen:





Steve and his cousins Joe (left) and Bob (rear) posing formally  :





and Eileen's formal  :


----------



## siesta

suedon I have a feeling if your daughter knew you posted the last picture she might kill you! :rofl:


----------



## SueDonJ

siesta said:


> suedon I have a feeling if your daughter knew you posted the last picture she might kill you! :rofl:



That's what's so different about this next MySpace/Facebook generation - they LOVE seeing themselves on the computer and the funnier, the better!  All you have to do is stick a camera in their faces and they'll ham it up for the shot and then huddle around to see the preview.


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Anaeho'omalu Bay Sunset*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Hey - I know that place!!!!


----------



## HatTrick

It's quite photogenic!


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Mauna Kea Sunset*


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Kawaihae Harbor Sunset*


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Sunset from Hilton Waikoloa Village*


----------



## scrapngen

What beautiful sunset photos! I'm looking at a grey day outside, so thank you for the pics


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Rainbow over Hwy 250 (Kohala District)*






Faint second rainbow appears above it.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

scrapngen said:


> What beautiful sunset photos! I'm looking at a grey day outside, so thank you for the pics



Some of my favorite Hawai'i sunset photos:











-------

I just missed the green flash on this photo (below). I was adjusting the lens when the flash occurred - I didn't even see it because I was looking at the camera. Meanwhile a bunch of people near me were oohing and ahhing, and asking if anyone had caught it.


----------



## HatTrick

Nice dramatic effect from the clouds in that first one.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Nice dramatic effect from the clouds in that first one.


That was Hurricane Flossie from a couple of years ago.  We were staying at Mauna Loa Village when Flossie was supposed to arrive. All kinds of evacuation plans had been made.  We stocked up with canned goods.

But Flossie totally disintegrated just before reaching Hawai'i.  The windward side of the Big Island got a moderately good rainstorm out of it.  Kona got spectacular sunsets and about 30 minutes of moderate rain the next day.

That photo was taken on fairway for the hole of the Kona Country Club that is right next to Mauna Loa Village.


----------



## scrapngen

Wow!  Very nice, Trog!


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Upolu Point*






Well-connected cows always get an ocean view.


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Pololu Valley Lookout*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Sea Cliffs from Pololu Valley lookout*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Waikoloa Coastline from Kohala Highway* (cows ruminating elsewhere)


----------



## HatTrick

HDR with Photomatix?


----------



## HatTrick

*What happens when you miss the last tender...*






"You just _had_ to have that t-shirt..."


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> HDR with Photomatix?



Nope - those are all single exposure shots.


----------



## HatTrick

Nicely done!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

A few more from that same trip:
*
Wo On Store building in Halawa*. Now an artist studio






++++++

*Waimea Grasslands*.  These were taken along the Mamalahoa between Waikoloa Village Road and Waimea town.
















++++++++

*Waikoloa from Kohala Highway*.  The haze hanging over Waikoloa is VOG from Kilauea wrapping around the south and west sides of the island.


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii's Big Island: Kohala Collage*


----------



## heathpack

Nice shots, Hat Trick and TR Og.  Very well done.


----------



## HatTrick

heathpack said:


> Nice shots, Hat Trick and TR Og.  Very well done.



Much appreciated, hp.



A couple of Kona sunset shots...


----------



## HatTrick

"Excuse me, but this was _not_ on Google Maps!"


----------



## HatTrick

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I just missed the green flash on this photo (below). I was adjusting the lens when the flash occurred - I didn't even see it because I was looking at the camera. Meanwhile a bunch of people near me were oohing and ahhing, and asking if anyone had caught it.



That happened to me at HHV on Oahu. Luckily, I caught it the very next evening.


----------



## HatTrick

*Solitude*


----------



## HatTrick

*Waikola Sunset With Star Filter Effect*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Haven't been to Hawaii in several years, but *Hat Trick's* sunset shots remind me that it is time to get back there.



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Kohala Sea Cliffs from Pololu Valley lookout*



Nice tones and dramatic composition Trog. Conveys a similarity to the Irish coastline, except that with Hawaii we're talking tropical paradise.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

*Kunia Galdeira*






Performing at the Kings' Shops, Waikoloa


----------



## heathpack

*Fruit Bat, Disney's Animal Kingdom*






[/IMG]


----------



## heathpack

*Prayer Flags, Disney's Animal Kingdom*






[/IMG]


----------



## heathpack

*Leaf with Red Veins, Orlando, FL*


----------



## dougp26364




----------



## Rose Pink

dougp26364 said:


>


That face sort of looks like Osama Bin Laden.


----------



## HatTrick

Rose Pink said:


> That face sort of looks like Osama Bin Laden.



:hysterical:


----------



## geoand

*We toured Arlington National Cemetery*






We took the tour 2 consecutive mornings.  We were told that the flags are at half staff when a funeral is scheduled.  They are at half mast 1/2 hour before and after the funeral.  Since there are between 15 and 30 funerals a day, the flag is at half mast most if not all day.

All are asked not to photograph any of the funerals.

There are only 2 wooden crosses in Arlington National Cemetery.  They are for Robert and Ted Kennedy.

The Lee home is at the top of the hill.


----------



## geoand

*Women's War Memorial*






The Women's War Memorial is at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.  This memorial is at the opposite end of the boulevard as the Lincoln Memorial.


----------



## geoand

*Korean War Memorial*






Nineteen stainless steel sculptures that represent all branches of the Armed Forces.


----------



## geoand

*Another View*


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand

*Granite Wall portion of the Korean War Memorial*






The 19 statues reflected on the wall is to symbolize the 38th parallel.


----------



## geoand

*Images sand blasted into the Wall*











There 2500 images sandblasted into the wall.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Taken Dec 2006*

Geo . . . you have wonderful images from DC.  I hope you don't mind that I've piggy-backed on your thoughts, and added one of my own.


----------



## geoand

Von, thank you for your kind words.  All should feel free to honor our Vets.


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## HatTrick

Nice job, Geo. It's always fun for me to see another's perspective of a place that's still fresh in my mind from a recent visit.


----------



## geoand

HatTrick said:


> Nice job, Geo. It's always fun for me to see another's perspective of a place that's still fresh in my mind from a recent visit.



Thanks HatTrick.  

I know what you mean by "another's perspective."  DW is the the real photographer of us 2.  I can be standing right next to her and don't understand why she is taking the photograph.  When I see the shot on the puter, it makes total sense to me as to why she took it.


----------



## geoand

*Scenes from Arlington National Cemetery*


----------



## Timeshare Von

Wonderful photos Geo . . . thanks again.

I have to admit, growing up in the DC metro area and visiting Arlington Cemetery, I never really fully appreciated it until many years later as an adult.  My ex husband's father is buried there and the parents of one of my dearest friends are both there.

When I took my current hubby there in 06 we were honored to be present during a full military honors funeral service.  I still remember the chills that went up my spine as the horse drawn caisson passed by.


----------



## K&PFitz

Geo, great photos.  The sculpture of the three Vietnam soldiers is incredible.  Look at those faces.  They are just boys! So young.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Haven't put anything up for awhile so I thought I would add this.  Got this candid of DD and SIL while we were hiking on the Coast Trail near Stinson Beach last January.






and here's one with all of the urchins:


----------



## cotraveller

A reflection of a building. I thought it gave an interesting wrinkled look.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Urchins?  The guy in green looks like a pirate!


----------



## Karen G

Timeshare Von said:


> Urchins?  The guy in green looks like a pirate!


LOL! I was thinking the same thing. Steve, I didn't know you had a pirate in your family.


----------



## Karen G

cotraveller said:


> A reflection of a building. I thought it gave an interesting wrinkled look.


That's cool.


----------



## geoand

*Tomb of the Unknowns*

The following site provides an excellent description of the Changing of the Guard and the Laying of the Wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/ceremonies/sentinelsotu.html

DW and I had the honor of witnessing both ceremonies at 10:00 am the first morning and at 9:00 am the second morning.


----------



## kasteer

*Argentina 2008*

Salta, Argentina









Pumamarca, Argentina









Iguazu Falls, Argentina (my parents photos)









Tropic of Capricorn monument, Andes, Argentina





Paragliding, Tucuman, Argentina





Museum Pachamama, Tucuman Argentina


----------



## kasteer

*Argentina 2008*

Quilmes Ruines, Tucuman, Argentina









Buenos Aires, Argentina









Wife's friend's house in country club... Tucuman, Argentina


----------



## Karen G

Kasteer, those were really interesting pictures. Thanks for posting.


----------



## SueDonJ

Geo, you captured the moments beautifully at all of those DC monuments, thank you.  I've never been there but it's on my list for a sooner rather than later trip.

kasteer, is that an alpaca?  AN ALPACA?!?!  Man, you just never know what you'll find when you open this thread!  Thanks for posting.


----------



## geoand

Thank you Susan.  DW and I have been going to NYC on a weekly basis for at least 15 years.  This was the first time but definitely not the last time we will extend the trip by taking the train to DC.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time in DC and realize that there is tons to do and see.  Photo opportunities are just incredible.


----------



## kasteer

Karen G said:


> Kasteer, those were really interesting pictures. Thanks for posting.



Thank you.  And you're welcome.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Kasteer,

Some nice photos of Argentina -- I especially like the street shots with the pavers and the building with the tonalities which match the mouontains behind. That warning sign in the natural park seems to suggest mountain lions as they do tend to see people as a food shopping item.

How many hours to fly to Buenas Aires?

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

Playing around with the camera. Some shots from some of our travels this year.






Lines, Light, Tones, Texture gallery  at Ocean Pointe resort

_____________________​





Man & Beach; Friend or Foe gallery  Rivera Beach

___________________​





Pima Air Museum gallery  Tucson Arizona​

__________________​


----------



## HatTrick

Barry,












Roger


----------



## HatTrick

Following up on Barry's _Lines, Light, Tones, Texture_, a few from the Big Island of Hawaii:


----------



## cotraveller

The Denver City and County Building from a few years back.  I think there are more blue lights this year.






Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!


----------



## Mosca

It's Christmas, and at Steamtown all the engines are tucked away, hibernating in the roundhouse, dreaming sweet dreams until spring...


----------



## Mosca

(Context)


----------



## Phydeaux

One from from Sister Bay, WI, one from my backyard, and one from my front yard. No Photochop on any.


----------



## Kay H

Love those double rainbows.  Thanlks for sharing.


----------



## HatTrick

Nice silhouette, Phydeaux.

This one's from Maui...


----------



## Phydeaux

Very nice as well, Hat


----------



## Deb from NC

I looked at the latest pictures posted and they are amazing.  Hat Trick, Phydeaux, etc: what kind of cameras are you using?  (Or are you just extremely talented photographers? )    My pictures never look that good!


----------



## Phydeaux

Although I own a Olympus  DSLR, mine above were shot with my Casio point and shoot. Thanks for the compliment!


----------



## geoand

Great pictures from so many!  It is always a joy to see the art created by you folks that have that magical box in your hands!


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> Following up on Barry's _Lines, Light, Tones, Texture_, a few from the Big Island of Hawaii:



Nice shots. I especially like the rock shot as one can always find so much color and texture going on in these sort of places -- and there are so many angles and perspectives to shoot the same scene.

My wife knows to either not go walking with me, or to relax and take in the scenery while I'm "prospecting for pixels"  

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

I thought I was mostly done doing my photo thing for the year. Then I dropped in when my wife and a very close family friend of hers to grab some shots of them baking Christmas cookies, a task they have shared together for several years. I've been trying to get over there to capture this cookie-making process for the last couple of years, but last year a snow storm kept me busy shoveling snow all day while she baked.

For you photo folks, I shoot everything here with existing light. This means some slow shutter speeds ( as low as 1/15th hand held at ISO 800 ) & a little less sharpness than I would usually like. I could have helped myself by jumping up to ISO 1600, but I try to hold the line between light and overall image quality and noise control. I shoot with a P&S Canon G-11 which takes fantastic images, but one must always be mindful of the smaller-sized chip in P&S cameras and the noise limitations that go with them ( that said, Canon does a fantastic implementation with the G-11 ). 


Images are mostly as taken in-camera, though one must always necessarily sharpen jpg images in the post-processing phase. It's usually best to get the exposure correct in camera ( including any EV adjustment ) though Photoshop can indeed help you reach the pixel finish line. 
One can always use selections to tweak levels or to produce other effects in Photoshp (PS) or Photoshop elements(PSE).
In the 1st image, the angel cookie is exactly as captured in macro in aperture mode ( sharpened of course ). I make a selection of the angel and invert it and I apply a modest hue desaturation to the rest of the image to draw one's eye to the angel. The image appears to be vignetted, but I do not apply a gradient and the natural vignetting is from the camera exposure itself.
The 2nd image is a shot in camera, also macro in aperature mode to blur the BG. Once again, I select the entire FG with trees etc. & I invert and slightly desaturate the BG hues & thus draw eyes to the trees and the FG. Keep in mind that after you desaturate a selection in Photoshop, one needs to select the selection mask & apply a motion blur to the mask -- otherwise you'll end up with a delineating line between the full color and the desaturated areas.   I also make a very narrow selection of the focused elements ( the tree to the left and the immediate areas around it ) and I sharpen only this area.
The 3rd image is macro shot out of camera with selective sharpening. 
The 4th image is macro shot, aperture mode -- focus on the cookie cutter was crucial and this is where a DSLR makes the task easier, though the G11 does have a heads up focus view in the LCD -- and I've had enough failed focus shots before to slowly adapt to the camera and how to use it.  Exposure was tough here as the BG is the true ambient light and the cookie cutter was markedly underexposed. I can't correct this, but I can moderate it by selecting the cookie cutter and applying a "screen blend" to lighten the cookie cutter which is the only sharpened object in the image.


I hope that this thinking out loud is helpful to some folks here who dabble with Photoshop Elements as the first two images can easily be handled in Elements. I'm clunking along with an aging full version of Photoshop CS2 and a Wacom pad which is essential for making precise selections, but one can indeed work with a mouse for simple selections. 

The more pictures one takes and the more hours with PS or PSE ( many of them frustrating hours learning what not to do in PS/PSE ) will slowly pay off provided one also reads their camera manual and learns how to get the most out of their camera features.

The easy part of course is not pondering any of this and simply going out camera in-hand and finding the picture. Lots of folks here are taking some fantastic shots. This thread is a great image resource as well providing new insights/ideas/inspirations from some fantastic images.

I don't know how I get into this long message when all I wanted to do was post some images  

I'm getting hungry looking at the cookies. The full gallery is located here.


Merry Christmas to all.

Barry








__________________________







____________________________








______________________________









______________________​


----------



## geoand

A warning should have been posted.  Something to the effect that if one is drooling for Christmas goodies - DO NOT OPEN!!!


----------



## jerseyfinn

geoand said:


> A warning should have been posted.  Something to the effect that if one is drooling for Christmas goodies - DO NOT OPEN!!!



You got that right!  We've got all of these tins of those individual cookies & every day I make several trips to check the angels and trees. Their numbers seem to be dwindling.  

So much for holiday diets.

Barry


----------



## Rose Pink

jerseyfinn said:


> You got that right! We've got all of these tins of those individual* cookies* & every day I make several trips to check the angels and trees. Their numbers seem to be dwindling.
> 
> *So much for holiday diets*.
> 
> Barry


I thought that _was_ the holiday diet.


----------



## RDB

*Home for Christmas*


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


>



I would nominate this one as _Photo of the Year_. Can you talk a little about it, Barry?


----------



## SueDonJ

Good Morning, 2011.


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> I would nominate this one as _Photo of the Year_. Can you talk a little about it, Barry?




Thanks for your kind words Hat Trick. I'm very humbled  .  I'm not sure that it's a picture of the year or the likes, but it is indeed a really neat image.

Not much going on other than that the hour is perfect ( @ 60 minutes to sunset ) & there's all of those tones/textures/light all around you which makes the sand stark & imparts 3-D drama to the motion of waves & water. I'm sitting there watching the waves & the tide go out and I notice this "rip effect" when the wave recedes down the steeply-inclined beach & it breaks into two parts which collide as the water races back to mother ocean. So I zoom out with the lens from my high vantage point & I try to direct my frame onto that interaction where the waters collide. I shoot away in continuous mode, and just like when you're fishing, I hope for some luck from the pixel gods. I knew that my auto exposure would over-react to the white froth in the frame so I tweak by EV by -1/3 stop ( to allow more exposure/light than the meter wants to allow ).  I tweak the levels is PS adding a small bit of white and I sharpen the image & I render it in B&W because those tonalities would do this image the most justice.

I'm a surf fisherman ( though not on this trip ) and we are on the beach all day when we're here at Ocean Pointe. So I watch a lot of water and this is one of those unusual times when I notice this sort of temporary aberation in the water and I've got extraordinary light to work in.  My hats off to my G-11 which does catch some nice images as I was indeed pleased with the results when I got home to the post processing phase.

Once again, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad that others enjoy it as it shows what anyone can do with a little light and some luck.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> I render it in B&W because those tonalities would do this image the most justice.



So right. Thanks for sharing, Barry.


----------



## dmbrand

*Eagle River, WI - Winter 2011*

We spent week 1 at the Treehouse Village in Eagle River, WI.  Every year, the town erects an ice sculpture.   The design for 2011 is an Ice Castle.  It stays up until it melts.


----------



## dmbrand

During our cross-country ski outing, we stopped at the warming shelter in the Nicolet National Forest.  We had some snacks that the chickadees also enjoyed as well as us.  We just held out our hands and they would land.


----------



## Rose Pink

I love it when birds eat out of my hand.  I sort of feel like Snow White.  
Loved your photos. How large is the ice sculpture?  Can you go inside?


----------



## dmbrand

It is fairly tall; they must have used a crane to construct the towers.  And no, they didn't make it enterable...most likely for safety reasons.  People do sit on the "throne" in front for picture taking, though.  It is also lit up at night.


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh wow, Dawn, LOVE the bird in your hand!

We had that big storm this week with a foot and a half of snow and it's been so cold since then that the snow still hasn't melted off the trees.  Here's last night's sunset:





And of course with all the snow the creatures are out looking for food.  A little while ago a deer went bounding across the fairway out back but too fast for me to grab my camera.  This morning, though, this guy stuck around the corner of the yard long enough to eat whatever bunny or fieldmouse he managed to find:


----------



## FlyerBobcat

*Jamaica*






Jamaican vendor  (sells "everything"  )

Had a good time at Iberostar Rose Hall Suites near Montego Bay....


----------



## Timeshare Von

*A few more from Alaska*

I had the occasion to pull some photos for my FB page so I thought I'd share them here too:





Beautiful black wolf - Denali National Park





Gulkana Glacier - Richardson Hwy near Delta Junction, AK





Knik Glacier - Palmer, AK


----------



## Mike21222

jerseyfinn said:


> Thanks for your kind words Hat Trick. I'm very humbled  .  I'm not sure that it's a picture of the year or the likes, but it is indeed a really neat image.
> 
> Not much going on other than that the hour is perfect ( @ 60 minutes to sunset ) & there's all of those tones/textures/light all around you which makes the sand stark & imparts 3-D drama to the motion of waves & water. I'm sitting there watching the waves & the tide go out and I notice this "rip effect" when the wave recedes down the steeply-inclined beach & it breaks into two parts which collide as the water races back to mother ocean. So I zoom out with the lens from my high vantage point & I try to direct my frame onto that interaction where the waters collide. I shoot away in continuous mode, and just like when you're fishing, I hope for some luck from the pixel gods. I knew that my auto exposure would over-react to the white froth in the frame so I tweak by EV by -1/3 stop ( to allow more exposure/light than the meter wants to allow ).  I tweak the levels is PS adding a small bit of white and I sharpen the image & I render it in B&W because those tonalities would do this image the most justice.
> 
> I'm a surf fisherman ( though not on this trip ) and we are on the beach all day when we're here at Ocean Pointe. So I watch a lot of water and this is one of those unusual times when I notice this sort of temporary aberation in the water and I've got extraordinary light to work in.  My hats off to my G-11 which does catch some nice images as I was indeed pleased with the results when I got home to the post processing phase.
> 
> Once again, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad that others enjoy it as it shows what anyone can do with a little light and some luck.
> 
> Barry



From the description, luck had much less to do with it than your obviously suberb photography skills, kudos on a majestic photo.


----------



## HatTrick

Rose Pink said:


> I love it when birds eat out of my hand.  I sort of feel like Snow White.








Barred Dove, Oahu.


----------



## Rose Pink

Love the bird pictures!


----------



## HatTrick

*Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, at 8:30 pm.*






Taken from the Kalia Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village w/2-second shutter speed.


----------



## HatTrick

*Okay... What's Plan B?*






Taken from the Kalia Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village.


----------



## dmbrand

I love the Hawaii pic.  I remember walking along that boulevard one early morning and seeing the Hilton buildings.


----------



## HatTrick

*Oahu From the Air*

_Aloha. A hui hou..._


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> OK what's plan B?



Well, in Hawaii it could still be "beach" or "bar" as the temperatures mild and both begin with the letter 'B' .

Some nice Hawaii shots, the colors are so vibrant and  . . .  Hawaiaan.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Stylized photo/line art*

I recently had a hernia fixed . . . the first time I ever have surgery. What makes this unique is that I'm a nurse anesthetist who has administered over 30,000 anesthetics thus far & this is the first time I'm on the receiving end. I still prefer to give rather than receive.  

I take 3 weeks offs & during that time I read several books. My recovery period also gives me lots of time to download Photoshop tutorials from the NAPP web site. I put in lots of hours going through the tutorials and all of the new PS techniques they demonstrate.

I post here one of the new techniques I learn. It's kind of neat. I use some of my Marriott resort photos to create a line-drawing/photo. The first two images are stylized views of Oceana Palms and the other image is stylized Ocean Pointe.

I'm still playing around with the idea, but the effect works with objects or people. 

Barry










*_______________________*








*_________________________*


----------



## cindi

That is really cool looking.

I don't think I have ever seen a photo done like that before.


----------



## SueDonJ

Wow, Barry, LOVE that effect!  It has great practical use for emphasizing focus within "busy" photos.

Now obviously we all want you to continue on your road to recovery, and of course we all want you to be back to 100% lickety-split, but is there some other way that we can force you to take down time and investigate other photo options??


----------



## Rose Pink

That picture technique reminded me of an Abba video.

I especially liked the last photo with the turquoise slides.


----------



## Karen G

Thanks for sharing your photo art with us. It's so interesting and unique!


----------



## HatTrick

Very cool, Barry. Like you might see in an advertisement.


----------



## jerseyfinn

SueDonJ said:


> Now obviously we all want you to continue on your road to recovery, and of course we all want you to be back to 100% lickety-split, but is there some other way that we can force you to take down time and investigate other photo options??



I'm gonna save your message for my wife the next time she hollers at me for being on the computer too much. I'll tell her that the people on TUG force me to do it.  

The good news is we'll be down at the Florida resorts soon so I'll not be on the computer and will instead be on the beach trying to capture some more resort pixels. 

It's gonna be a little wierd at the resort bar this time. I'll still visit, but only to order a tonic without the vodka or a beer. Since our December resort visit last year when I weigh myself on the scale and don't like the numbers,   I temporarily stop drinking beer as I trying to  cut down on the calories which goes with it. I think it's working as my jeans seem to be slipping down now and I gotta wear a belt again.  I'll get the numbers when I step on the resort scale again. And yes, I know that I also gotta watch what I eat . . . I've been mindful of what I eat even if I don't add up the calories  -- I didn't get a 59 in nutrition for nothing.   ( fortunately I paid attention in anesthesia school )

Barry


----------



## Elli

I just realized that "Swift", Theresa, who started this thread hasn't posted since Aug. 7/10.  Is everything o.k. with her?  I always read her posts.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Guatemala*
Spent that last half of January in Guatemala - about equally divided between La Antigua and areas in the northern mountains where Spanish is the second language for most people (first language is whatever is the local Mayan dialect).

I'll start off in Antigua, where I stayed in a host family arrangement at Casa de Mary y Salve while I did a week of Spanish language study; they advertise as a bed and breakfast, but it's actually bed and three meals per day, all for about $150 US for seven days.  That's total cost, not per day. (Mary and Salve have guests from the US who come back regularly and stay with them in Guatemala for months at a time because it is so cheap.)

Also I shot all of the photos on this trip with a small pocket camera, as I didn't want to lug my big camera bag around.  The camera fits nicely in a pocket and is convenient, but one of the prices you pay for convenience is lower quality lenses - this camera has some serious optical distortion problems (mostly fish-eye effects and skewed perspectives).  I've tried to fix up the images as best I can, but there are still some problems.

****

First the street in front of the house.  The casa is near the car parked on the left.






A view of the front garden as you come in through the door from the street.






A view down the main hallway, looking back to the dining area.  The garden that is in the previous picture is to the right, at the far end of the hallway.






The rear garden area.  My room is the door on the left.






A view of the rear garden area from a sitting terrace located on the roof of the casa:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

La Antigua is United Nations recognized World Cultural Heritage city.  Antigua was founded during the Spanish colonial rule and served as the capital for the Spanish empire in Central America for a period of time, until Antigua was rocked by earthquakes.  The Spanish then moved the capital to what is now Guatemala City.

Because Antigua was laid and constructed as a Spanish colonial city, the architecture of the city is almost totally Spanish colonial, and the city is filled with numerous churches and cathedrals that date from the Spanish colonial era.  Many of the cathedrals are in ruins, having been destroyed in earthquakes and not rebuilt.

*San Francisco El Grande*

San Francisco El Grande is located close to where I stayed, so I have a lot of pictures of it.  San Francisco El Grande is an important cathedral, still in use though parts of it are in ruins.

*********************

Here's a view of San Francisco El Grande from the upper terrace area at the casa where I stayed.  As you can see, the cathedral is quite near. This view is of the back side of the cathedral.






******************

Here's view from the street at a side entrance.  The cathedral is inside a walled area.  After you pass through the wall there is a large courtyard, much of which is now used for parking.  On Sundays the plaza is filled with vendors.  






*******************

And here is a view of part of the church from the plaza area.  The main sanctuary is to the right. The arch to the left leads to the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro, a Franciscan brother who was prominent in the area.  Note that the domes are missing in the area beyond that arch; they were destroyed in earthquakes and never rebuilt. Instead the rubble was removed, the remaining walls were stabilized, and the area was turned into a garden instead of being under roof.






**********************

This is main cathedral entrance from the plaza.  The unadorned white walls are repairs made after earthquake damage.  They didn't have the money to reconstruct with the orginal architecture, so you have to use your imagination to fill in what it probably looked like when it was constructed.  Note that the area to the right of the main entrance is still in ruins.  






**************************

The ruins to the right of the main entrance.  Being enterprising folks, they've turned it into a museum and library, with an admission price.






We'll be back to San Francisco El Grande in some future photos.


----------



## Karen G

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Spent that last half of January in Guatemala - about equally divided between La Antigua and areas in the northern mountains where Spanish is the second language for most people (first language is whatever is the local Mayan dialect).
> 
> I'll start off in Antigua, where I stayed in a host family arrangement at Casa de Mary y Salve while I did a week of Spanish language study; they advertise as a bed and breakfast, but it's actually bed and three meals per day, all for about $150 US for seven days.  That's total cost, not per day. (Mary and Salve have guests from the US who come back regularly and stay with them in Guatemala for months at a time because it is so cheap.)


 What an interesting experience that must have been. The pictures are lovely--thanks for sharing them.


----------



## SueDonJ

Very interesting experience, and very nice pics as usual, I agree.  The third pic in your second post is my favorite - I'm getting a vibe of peace and serenity despite the obvious tourists in the square, can almost feel the warmth and community.  That never happens when I see a pic of St. Mark's Square in Venice.


----------



## ricoba

Steve,

Thanks for sharing.  

That must have been fun, Spanish language studies in such a nice area...

How much and how long was the Spanish course?

So, how is your Spanish now?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> Very interesting experience, and very nice pics as usual, I agree.  The third pic in your second post is my favorite - I'm getting a vibe of peace and serenity despite the obvious tourists in the square, can almost feel the warmth and community.  That never happens when I see a pic of St. Mark's Square in Venice.


In Antigua, any commercial establishment that has anything of value - a bank, a jewelry store, the supermarket, for example - will have least one, if not two or three private guards standing around, holding at ready a fully loaded and cocked double barrel shotgun.  There  is also a very obvious and well-staffed police presence throughout Antigua.  

And that's La Antigua, which is the tourist-friendly and "safe" city in Guatemala.  Quite a contrast with Puerto Vallarta, where we were last week, where even the banks operate without armed guards and the buses run throughout the city with open cash boxes.

That said, at no time did I ever feel physically unsafe in Antigua. In Antigua I saw no signs of evidence of violent crime. There is a huge tourist presence in Antigua, and tourism is the primary industry of the town. That's probably why there is the large police presence in Antigua; traveling outside of Antigua there wasn't anywhere near the same level of police staffing in the other areas of the country that I passed through.  

I took the the guards and the police as a constant reminder to be watchful and to remember that I was in a third-world country.

*******

Guatemala City is a different story, apparently.  In conversations with locals, they uniformly referred to the dangerous conditions in Guatemala City, particularly for foreigners who don't know their way around or what is safe and unsafe.  (Example, you should never hail a taxi on the street in Guatemala.  You only take a taxi that you have called to come meet you.)

Their warnings about Guatemala City were consistent with what I noted in my readings of the daily newspapers and watching television.  There is a very significant and steady rate of violence and assault in Guatemala City and environs.  

********

One day watching the television news there was a story about an attempted abduction of a teen-age boy by an adult male.  The attempted abductor had been caught, and the police brought him out to present him to the news cameras.  The guy's face was an absolute mess; he had obviously been worked over very seriously, then cleaned up and brought before the cameras with no real attempt made to cover up that he had been bludgeoned.  

I thought the message was clear; this is what will happen to you when we catch up to you if you do something wrong.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

ricoba said:


> Steve,
> 
> Thanks for sharing.
> 
> That must have been fun, Spanish language studies in such a nice area...
> 
> How much and how long was the Spanish course?
> 
> So, how is your Spanish now?



I did one week of lessons (five days), 4 hours per day in one-on-one instruction.  The price - $115 US for the week + $35 for transportation to Antigua from La Aurora Internaciónal airport in Guatemala City.  So if I combine that with the cost of my one-week stay with a host family, it came out to less than $300 for one-week of near-immersion language instruction.  That's a bit more than twice as much as I would spend on one-quarter of community college continuing education instruction (non-credit) in a class of about 15 students.

Ridiculously cheap.  But then, Guatemala is perhaps the poorest country in Central America.

*************

As for my Spanish I'm improving. I'm starting to get reasonably good with written language.  I can pick up a newspaper and understand more than half of the content.  But my oral comprehension is pretty weak.  I've noted, though, that it makes a difference who I'm speaking with. When I was in Antigua, talking with a volunteer and San Francisco El Grande, I realized that I was able to understand much more of what she was saying than was typical.  It suddenly dawned on me that was because she was obviously well-educated and accordingly spoke a refined Spanish.  Of course, my Spanish language instructors here in the US come from similar backgrounds and so also speak that style of Spanish, in which words and phrases are enunciated cleanly and distinctly.

I notice similar things when I watch Spanish language television.  Public broadcasting, for example, is far easier for me to understand than is much of the popular programming.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Karen G said:


> What an interesting experience that must have been. The pictures are lovely--thanks for sharing them.



It was quite interesting.  I will make various comments as I work my through the pictures.  

One nutshell observation is that Guatemala seemed to be a country of vast and unrealized potential that might finally come out of its slumber if it can keep from sliding back to the old ways.

*******

[added note]
With reference to my comments above, I want to be absolutely clear that I would go back to Guatemala in an instant if the opportunity comes by again.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It's not the USA, but isn't the point of traveling to get into new areas??


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Tanques Publicos*

Antigua has _tanques_, or pools, that were constructed as as public laundries. The tanques are bordered with _tazas_, or wash basins, supplied from the main pool.  

The principal tanque is _Tanque Unión_, located in _Parque Unión_, a couple of blocks from San Francisco El Grande and a couple of blocks from the central parque next to the main cathedral and the city buildings.

******************

*Tanque Unión*
















As shown in the last photo above, Tanque Unión is still used as a _lavandaria_, or laundry.  Although _la mujer_ in the photo above is a local, by far most of the people that I saw using the tazas to wash clothes were European or North American turistas.  I came away with a distinct impression that the turistas using the tanque were just trying to be cool, whereas for the local residents washing clothes in a local taza would be an act of desperation.  

I had my laundry done at a commercial lavandaria about a block away that mostly catered to the locals - 10 lbs of laundry for 25Q (about $3 US) washed (whites bleached), dried, ironed and folded.  I added a 5Q tip, bringing the total bill to a bit less than $4 US.

******

Here's a photo of another smaller _tanque publico_ on the other side of town.  Note the vendor with the hand cart returning home at the end of the day.  






***********************

BTW - all of the streets in Antigua are cobblestone.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Parque Unión*
In addition to the tanque, Parque Unión is a municipal park.  Here are a few views around the park.

***********

This is a municipal building that fronts the park on the opposite end from the tanque:











*************

Looking back the other direction, with building ruins on the other side of the street behind Tanque Unión. As with all municipal parks, there are sidewalk food vendors, offering freshly prepared chicken, beef, pork, frijoles, tortillas, vegetables, etc.  The aromas are very enticing. 






*******

Here's a closer view of the building ruins behind Tanque Unión:


----------



## Elan

Great pic's, Steve.  Thanks for sharing them.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Elan said:


> Great pic's, Steve.  Thanks for sharing them.



Thanks, Elan, and to others who have commented .....  Moving on to the main plaza/parque

*The main plaza*

Not surprisingly, La Antigua has a central plaza, bordered by the main cathedral municipal buildings, and a few commercial establishments.  Here are some pics:

*********

*Catedral de San José* is the main cathedral, located on the east side of the plaza.  






**********

This building is on the north side of the plaza.  I believe it was originally a hotel or pasado, serving dignitaries from Spain and other portions of the Spanish empire who might be visiting Antigua on official business. 






*******

Horse-drawn carriages are seen throughout Antigua; most of the rides originate in the central park.  

The building in the background in this picture is the same as the hotel above.  The adjacent one-story building on the left edge of the photo is the largest bank branch in Antigua.  The people standing next to the building are in line to go into the bank - this photo was taken on a Sunday and there must have been about fifty people waiting to get in.  For security purposes, the bank doesn't let people queue inside the bank.  






Note the bag deployed at the rear of the horse to capture excrement.  All of the horse carriages are rigged similarly.






**********

This is the municipal government building, located on the south side of the square.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*La Fuente del Parque Centro*

One of the highlights of the central plaza is the fountain. The plumbing is pretty clever. BTW - in the first photo note the woman on the left in traditional Mayan dress.
















***********

The designers of other fountains in the city have taken inspiration from the fuente principal. This is from the courtyard of a restaurant where we had our last breakfast in Antigua.


----------



## Fredm

Steve, thanks for the pics and great narrative.

Interesting that your pics show many cars, but only one motor scooter (and a few parked at the main cathedral), and no bicycles. 

Are they widely used?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Fredm said:


> Steve, thanks for the pics and great narrative.
> 
> Interesting that your pics show many cars, but only one motor scooter (and a few parked at the main cathedral), and no bicycles.
> 
> Are they widely used?



In La Antigua, there are not as many bicycles as one might expect.  There are quite a few motos; they just haven't appeared too much in any of the photos I've posted yet.  Motos generally have their own curbside parking areas; it's not uncommon to see 30 or 40 motos all lined up together in their parking area.

Tuk-tuks are also very common; generally used as taxis.  Tuk-tuks are prevalent everywhere in Guatemala we went, even in rural areas, and almost always as taxis.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

The plaza also looks pretty good at night ...


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro*

Returning to the San Francisco El Grande Cathedral .....

Hermano Pedro was a Franciscan monk who served in Guatemala in the early 1600's.  Hermano Pedro was beatified to sainthood in 2002.

Santo Hermano Pedro is revered by many, and his tomb is in a nave of the Cathedral.  The tomb is reached through a garden next to the church.

*****

You enter the garden by going through a an arched opening.  As you enter the garden you see a statue of Santo Hermano Pedro.  Notice that this entire area was once indoors, but the roofs collapsed and only the walls remain.  











**********

Beyond the statue, at the rear of the garden area, is a small crucifix.






***********

To the left of the statue is a fountain and a fresco.  The fresco was created in 2009 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of Franciscan Order.  The writing within the fresco says "Mother Earth is God's gift to everyone to protect and to share as brothers."

The three volcanoes in the fresco are the three volcanos that tower over La Antigua, Volcán Agua, Volcán Fuego, and Volcán Atananga.  The bird is a quetzal, which is the national symbol of Guatemala.  On the left is Santo Hermano Pedro, with a Mayan woman standing next to him, holding a candle.  St. Francis of Assisi is to the right. I don't know the significance of the man seated next to St. Francis.






*********

Just beyond the statue and to the right you see a door with a sign pointing to the tomb of Sto. Hermano Pedro.






***************

The church requests that photographs not be taken of the tomb, out of respect for Hermano Pedro and for those who are praying and meditating in the tomb.   Within the nave, prayer pews and prayer benches surround the tomb.  

Near the exit are stands where the devout light votives in honor of Hermano Pedro. I saw up to 100 votives burning at the same time.  There are so many that about every 30 to 60 minutes, a church worker comes by and removes the melted wax and remnants of votives that have burned out so that there will be room for more.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Volcán Agua*

Volcán Agua ("Water Volcano") looms over La Antigua to the south.  I was told that it received that name because towering so high it often receives copious rainfall during storms, and the water coming from the volcano causes flooding.


----------



## Ridewithme38

These pictures are just breathtaking! Thank you for sharing Everyone!!!


----------



## Timeshare Von

Mt. Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) as seen from the Parks Hwy, south of Denali Nat'l Park.  The skies were crystal clear for days - very rare indeed.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Leather Shoes and La Merced*

Antigua is famous for its churches and cathedrals, some in use and many in ruins.  This set of photos is of La Merced, commonly called the "Wedding Cake" church.  This cathedral is in use; it is a quite popular place to get married and on Saturdays the church is in almost continuous use for weddings.

This is the main entrance to La Merced:






********

La Merced is a popular tourist attraction, which brings out the people trying to make a buck.  This young boy wanted to shine my shoes.  I kept saying "No, gracias", but he kept pestering me and pestering me, and started whining "Tengo hambre.  Tengo hambre."  ("I'm hungry.")  Finally I said "Let me take your picture" and I gave him 5 quetzales for letting me take his picture.






This was on my first day in Antigua.  A couple of days later when I wandered into the main mercado,  there was a shoe shine area with about four guys standing around in uniforms, doing a brisk business simply polishing shoes.  

Then it dawned on me that wearing leather shoes is apparently a mark of wealth, and I noticed that whenever any local men were wearing leather shoes, the shoes were always well polished. The presumption, I guess, is that if you are going to wear leather shoes of course you would want the shoes to look their best. I then noted that shoe shine boys hanging out in the public areas, like this boy, also did a good amount business with locals as well as tourists.  

My shoes were just a pair of comfortable walking shoes that I've had for about four years, but they do have leather uppers.  And after coming to the realization that I described above, I did start getting them polished regularly when they started getting dirty or scuffed.  A shine costs about $1, less if you negotiate hard.

*********

A view of La Merced from a side street.  This is the same arch that is in one of the above photos, framing Volcán Agua.  This view is looking the other direction from Volcán Agua.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Steve,

Nice photos and narratives.

The striking thing about the region is how the native culture is subsorbed into the larger Spanish culture and how they form a new whole which is a hybrid of its own. Then throw in the volcanoes and jungle and there's another element which makes it all the more distinctive. Your photos do a great job of tying all of this into a visual journey to be enjoyed here.

congrats,

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

jerseyfinn said:


> Steve,
> 
> Nice photos and narratives.
> 
> The striking thing about the region is how the native culture is subsorbed into the larger Spanish culture and how they form a new whole which is a hybrid of its own.



Thanks, Barry.  It's good to get feedback; sometimes I wonder if my posts might be self-indulgent.  So it's nice to know that some people are enjoying the photos and narrative.

I'll pick up some the merged cultures theme when I put up some photos from my travel outside of Antigua.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ermita del Santo Calvario (The Holy Calvary Hermitage)*

Ermita del Santo Calvario is one of the many churches of La Antigua - Ermita del Santo Calvario is in use.  Santo Hermano Pedro lived at Ermito del Santo Calvario.

Here are a couple of pictures of the exterior:











In keeping with the request of the church fathers, I did not take any photos in the interior of the church.  As you go through the main entry shown in these photos on your left there are several large (~3 ft x 6 ft) oil paintings that date back to the 1600s and 1700s.  While not masterpieces, these are exactly the same sort of oil-on-canvas paintings depicting Biblical scenes that one might see under under glass in a museum in Europe.  At Ermita del Santo Calvario they are simply hanging on a wall.

Viewing the paintings,  I was struck with two feelings.  First was I was deeply aware of a sense of antiquity, of having a connection with people who were in this place more than 300 years before me.  Second I was intensely aware of how sterile the museum environment is.  The painters did not intend and create them to be admired as _objets d'art_, but to aid people in worship.  Putting them in a museum would isolate them of their relevance and impact. But being in the church they retained an impact and power that enlarged them beyond what they were on their own, and putting them into a museum would have diminished them to less than they were in their current home.

And I wondered how often we might similarly diminish other works by putting them in a museum or in a traveling where they are extracted from their context.

**********

This visit to the Ermitage was on a Sunday afternoon, just prior to a 4 pm mass.  I spent a bit of time in the sanctuary, meditating and worshipping, then exited as the church was beginning to fill.  On my way out I was able to grab this shot of two altar girls and an altar boy preparing for the 4 pm mass.






**********

Finally, here is a history of the Hermitage that is posted near the entrance:






The temple was constructed in earnest in 1652 and was completed in 1655.  It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1717 and restored two years later.  It was destroyed in another earthquake in 1773, and was rebuilt through the 1800s.


----------



## SueDonJ

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thanks, Barry.  It's good to get feedback; sometimes I wonder if my posts might be self-indulgent.  So it's nice to know that some people are enjoying the photos and narrative. ...



Sometimes I get that self-indulgent feeling here, too, but you know what?  I love to see everyone's photos even if I don't respond to all of them, and the best thing about this thread is the encouragement we all feel to keep posting regardless of our talent level.  I hope everybody feels welcome to post whatever we're snapping, and whenever we feel like it.   

Nice to see a plug for the thread in the latest TUG bulletin, too.  Thanks, Brian.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

SueDonJ said:


> Sometimes I get that self-indulgent feeling here, too, but you know what?  I love to see everyone's photos even if I don't respond to all of them, and the best thing about this thread is the encouragement we all feel to keep posting regardless of our talent level.


Thanks for the note, Susan.

*******

*Cathedral Ruins*

I'll finish up La Antigua with some pictures of cathedral ruins.  Throughout the City there are ruins of cathedrals that were destroyed in earthquakes but never rebuilt.  

*******

This is a view looking down a street toward the main square.  Notice the ruins located mid-center.  Also, in reference to previous discussion about motos in town, note on the left side of the street a parking area that is devoted exclusively to motos.






Here is the same set of ruins, front view:






**********

A portion of San Francisco El Grande that has not been rebuilt.  Note the construction materials - efforts are being made to rebuild this part of the church - 200 years after the destruction.






**************

These ruins are located between San Francisco El Grande and the Ermitage del Santo Calvario.






*************

And these are located a few blocks the other side of San Francisco El Grande:







************

Finally these are located on the other side of town, a few blocks from the La Merced Church.






**********

Not too far from the last set of ruins there is another set of ruins that has been set aside as a national park, with an admission fee.  I didn't have time to go in there, and I didn't get any photos of what is visible from the street.  That's on my to-do list if I get to La Antigua again.  

Antigua is very compact. You can easily walk from one corner of the main town to the other corner in 30 to 45 minutes.  So it's very easy to get around on foot; or if you do get tired to hail a tuk-tuk.  No matter where you are, you are close to little architectural and historical nuggets.  

The climate is very pleasant - Antigua is almost 600 feet elevation, so it is well above the heat and humidity of the coastal tropical areas.  Temperatures reportedly are typically in the 70s and 80s almost the entire year.  Summers are wetter than winters, and of course Guatemala does occasionally get hit by hurricanes.

No timeshares that I am aware of, but you can stay there in excellent accommodations for a fraction of a maintenance fee.

********

After this post I'll move on to other parts of Guatemala.


----------



## K&PFitz

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thanks, Barry.  It's good to get feedback; sometimes I wonder if my posts might be self-indulgent.  So it's nice to know that some people are enjoying the photos and narrative.



Steve (and everyone else), please keep posting the pics.  I especially enjoy pictures like these from a place I may never see otherwise.


----------



## MuranoJo

Steve,
I've thoroughly enjoyed your travel pics and especially appreciate the comments you've attached--location, history, your personal observations.
Some of these photos & your comments would be very effective in a travel guide or coffee table showcase.  Plus I bet your study of the language has given you a perspective many of us would have missed.   Thanks so much.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

K&PFitz said:


> Steve (and everyone else), please keep posting the pics.  I especially enjoy pictures like these from a place I may never see otherwise.


Again - thanks for the encouragement.  I'm enjoying sharing the photos and comments, but I don't want to be the BBS equivalent of the guy showing pictures of his vacation to Niagara Falls while his wife is serving dessert and coffee. 

*********

*Chichicastenango*

After spending a week on my own in La Antigua, on Saturday morning I connect in Antigua with the nine other members of my party for a morning of cultural orientation and review.  We load a 4WD pickup truck and a 4WD SUV with belongings and bodies and shortly before noon we set out for the northern highlands.

To reach our destination we leave the Antigua/Guatemala City regions on a major road heading toward Lake Atitlán (_Lago de Atitlán_).  This road travels westward across the central highlands; Lake Atitlán is a large and deep lake formed in the caldera of a volcano (like Crater Lake in Oregon) and is a major attraction in Guatemala.

As we get near the lake we reach a locale dubbed Los Encuentros (The Crossings), which is where the road that comes from the northern highland areas intersects this main road connecting Guatemala City and the Atitlan area.  Striking north from Los Encuentros, the land quickly becomes more mountainous, and the roads are narrower and twisting as we cross valleys and canyons and climb ridges.

Finally, as we traverse the top of of one mountain ridge we reach Chichicastenango.  We are now in el Departmento de Quiche, the administrative region where Mayan culture and influences hold sway.

By now it's getting late in the day, and we spend a night at the Hotel Santo Tomas.  Hotel Santo Tomas is s comfortable modern facility, that seems to do a thriving business catering to North Americans and Europeans passing through the area.  

Hotel Santo Tomas has lovely gardens, commodious rooms, and a friendly staff.  They encourage their staff to dress traditional Mayan style; in fact it's the only place on the journey where we saw men in traditional Mayan garb. 






**************

My room was on the second floor in the area shown below, directly behind the octagonal window:






************

One attraction of the hotel is the parrots that live in the open courtyard.
















************

The hotel is also filled with artwork, most of it religious.






Note the calla lilies in the photo above.  January is calla lily season in Guatemala, and they grow wild throughout the highlands.  











**********

This is probably good place to add a couple of miscellaneous notes about hotels and lodging.  

First: few buildings in Guatemala have central heating. This includes hotels, and rooms often do not have a lot of bedding.  It can get cool at night, so warm sleepwear is essential.   

Second: if you're going to use a public toilet in Guatemala, you should expect to pay for the privilege.  It will probably cost about 4Q or 5Q - about $0.50 to $0.65.  There will probably also be an attendant in the bathroom, who will give you a hand towel and will likely be standing around with cleaning equipment in hand or close by to clean up immediately after you.  I usually gave him (and I assume its a her in womens' facilities) a similar amount.  I figured that if the facility really was reasonably clean and sanitary that was a small price to pay for their work to keep it so.

Third: infrastructure throughout Guatemala is often not in good condition, especially sewers.  Sewers are old, undersized, and have often been damaged by earthquakes, leaving them susceptible to plugging.  Which means that toilet paper in sewers creates significant problems.  So all of the _baños _and _servicios sanitarios_ have  a canasta (basket) next to the toilet, which is for disposal of used TP.  

I suppose that some of you may be thinking that I really didn't need to mention that.  But part of the point of visiting a place such as Guatemala is to get out of the world as we know it.  And to me the canastas were a continual reminder that even though I was moving through portions of Guatemala that were more "tourist-friendly", this was yet a different part of the world.  And since part of the purpose of travel is to get out of my box,  for me that reminder was good.

*******

In the next few posts I'll post more about Chichicastenango.


----------



## Rose Pink

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Third: infrastructure throughout Guatemala is often not in good condition, especially sewers. Sewers are old, undersized, and have often been damaged by earthquakes, leaving them susceptible to plugging. Which means that toilet paper in sewers creates significant problems. So all of the _baños _and _servicios sanitarios_ have a canasta (basket) next to the toilet, which is for disposal of used TP.
> 
> *I suppose that some of you may be thinking that I really didn't need to mention that*.
> *******


I am glad you did. It answered a question I have about why public bathrooms in the USA often have TP strewn on the floor--as well as signs on the toilet doors telling people in English and Spanish to please put the tp in the toilet and not on the floor. I have noticed this in areas of the country that have a higher Hispanic population. Now, because of your post, I know why people would toss their used tp on the bathroom floor--they are used to having a canasta and there isn't one in the stall, so they just throw it on the floor rather than risk plugging the plumbing.

I have enjoyed your photos and your commentary so don't feel self-conscious about it.


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## dumbydee

Lovely pictures and interesting information about the cultures of other countries.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Market Day in Chichicastenango*

Sunday is market day in Chichicastenango.  People from the surrounding areas flood into Chichi to set up their stalls to sell their products and to buy what they need from others.  Stalls are set in virtually every open area in the center of town, spilling over into the streets from the sidewalks, packing the community center, and filling the steps of the churches.

The first couple of pictures below were taken near the edge of the market area.  This area is one of the less crowded and congested areas of the market. 











*************

And here are a couple more taken from another edge of the market, on the steps of one of two churches situated at opposite ends of the main plaza:











***************

This is dried corn, removed from the cob and ready for sale.  






And here's the vendor, using balance pans to weight out portions for sale.






Note the mural on the wall of the building next to the corn.  I'll have some more photos of that in a future post.

*******

More market pics and commentary tomorrow.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*More on the Chichicastenango Market*

The interior of the community auditorium is a prime market location.  The first photo shows vendors getting ready on Saturday afternoon for the Sunday activity. 






Towards the center bottom of the photo, notice the boy in a black shirt next to to the cabbages.  We watched him for about 20 minutes, prepping the cabbages for sale.  He was taking cabbages from the pile on his right, then trimming the base and cutting off loose and damaged leaves, leaving the nice tight heads that you can see him stacking in the photo.

The boy looked to be about ten years old.  To trim the cabbages he was wielding a machete that was almost as long as his arm.  Of course he was quite skilled with it.  When he would remove dead leaves he would chop straight into the head near the base, but he knew exactly how much force to use to remove the leaf without damaging the underlying leaves.  When there was a bad spot further up the leaf, it was just a quick "chop-chop" and the bad spot was gone, again without damaging the underlying area.

**************

Here's the same scene, on Sunday morning about 10 am.  






By the way, these pictures do not do justice to the quality of the produce in the marketplaces is saw in Guatemala.  The size, quality, and freshness is stunning. I doubt that most of the stuff in our groceries in the USA would sell in Guatemala.  

I think there is tremendous opportunity for Guatemala to become a world exporter of fruits and vegetables; there are signs the country is, in fact, moving in that direction.  Development of a food export economy would, I think, do wonders to improve conditions in the country.

******************

I previously put up some pictures of the outdoor areas of the market, and here's another.  






This steps in this photo are the steps leading up to the main cathedral in town.  As you can see, the market engulfs the front of the church as well.

I'll have more to say about the church in my next post.

*************

A final note on the market.  All of the photos above are pretty much on the fringes of the market.  When you get in the center of the market, it is incredibly crowded.  In many of the aisles people are packed body-to-body working their way through the market.

It's no place for the  meek or retiring.  If you try to create a bit of space, almost immediately someone will insert their arm into the space and shove their way in ahead of you.  The most aggressive people in that regard are the women.  Most of the women are well under five feet tall, and many are about 4'-6".  At first you think it's a child trying to squeeze in, then you look and it's a 40 year old woman, often carrying about 20 lbs of goods on her back and with a flock of children in tow.  Several times I saw women inserting both their arms into a space between two people, then shove the people apart so she could squeeze in.

I soon learned that the best way to get through the crowd was to find one of those women shoving her way through the crowd, then get right in behind her, leaning my body up against her pack from the back.  Then I would just her clear the way while trying to keep other people from squeezing in between us.

It's quite a difference from my experiences with traditional Latin American culture, where courtesy and graciousness are the norm, and "gringo" connotes pushiness and rudeness (among other traits).  Of course Chichi culture is much more Mayan than it is Latin.

*****

The Chichi market is also a well-known hangout for pickpockets.  They take advantage of the crowded quarters and extensive physical contact to conceal their activities.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Religion!!!!*

I trust this isn't delving into forbidden territory, because this isn't really a religious post but a cultural narrative.  But my running narrative wouldn't be complete if I didn't address this.  I'm simply going to report; please don't use it as an excuse to start a discussion about religious beliefs.  And if you're interested in the cultural narrative I hope that you will find this as fascinating as I did.

********

The central square in Chichicastenango runs roughly east and west, and there is cathedral located on each end of the square.

The photo below (which is a repeat post) shows the cathedral on the east side of the square. This is the principal (i.e., larger) cathedral Note the steps leading up to the cathedral.  






I don't have a separate photo showing the building of the cathedral on the west side of the square - but conveniently here's a web photo that does.  Again note the steps leading up to the buildings, and, while you're at it, note the similarities in styles between the two structures.  This is the lesser of the two structures.






***********

So why do I mention the steps???  Well .....

Chichicastenango was a significant settlement before the Spaniards arrived.  The two churches above literally sit on the sites of Mayan temples that predate the Spaniards, and the steps that you see in the photos were part of those temples. 

When the Spaniards arrived in Chichi, they destroyed the Mayan temples that were on the platforms and built the churches that you see in the photos. Except that in many ways the Mayans never did convert to Catholicism.  They superficially adopted enough Catholic rituals and signs to appease their new rulers, but I gather that mostly they simply grafted those new practices onto their traditional beliefs.  

So, you do see an essentially traditional Catholic altar when you go in the churches.  But then inside the sanctuary  there are other areas where there are smaller traditional Mayan altars where incense is continually burned, and at which people worship, pray, and conduct other traditional Mayan worship practices.

**********

And outside both churches you see this:






This is an altar fire, in which incense is burned almost continually.  I was told there are people who tend these fires, almost around the clock, and they support themselves from the gifts of local people who pay them to burn incense on the altars for them - both on the steps and inside the buildings - and offer prayers on their behalf.

********

And then I was struck by this sign:






This sign is in the doorway of the cathedral on the west side of the square.  The translation(if I've got it correctly) would be:_The Order (or "Brotherhood" or "Community") of the Buried Lord_.  I don't know if my jaw dropped; I wasn't paying attention.

Throughout most of the world into which Christian beliefs have taken root (both Catholic and Protestant) the focus is on the "risen" Lord.  When the Mayan's incorporated Christianity, however, they focused on the buried Lord, because that matched their beliefs about the dead and the spiritual world.  So they focused on a Lord who was buried, not a Lord who rose from the dead.  Also note the Mayan worship artifact placed in front of the sign.

And the equally fascinating element is that the Spanish Catholic priests working in the area must have given up on trying to "convert" the locals and reached a syncretic peace with the local people.


----------



## John Cummings

Steve,

The correct translation is "Brotherhood of the buried Lord".

I have enjoyed your wonderful pictures and narrative.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> Steve,
> 
> The correct translation is "Brotherhood of the buried Lord".
> 
> I have enjoyed your wonderful pictures and narrative.



Thanks for your comments, John.  I appreciate the translation assistance.  

****

I would like to add a comment.  In the photo with the sign, above, note the candles burning in the church, behind the sign.  The burning of candles as a religious practice was prevalent throughout Guatemala, and I'm pretty sure it's connected with traditional Mayan worship.  

Upthread I mentioned the burning of candles at the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro. Similarly, when I entered other churches in La Antigua, candles were almost always burning in the holy or sacred locations.  Here in Chichi you see candles burning continuously in the churches and on the steps. Some other people in our group went to another holy spot near Chichi, and again candles and incense were continually being burned.  In the hotels in which we stayed it was common that there would be a worship area set aside, usually with the distinctly Guatemalan version of the Virgin, and again with candles with burning.  

I'm not talking one or two candles in a candelabra.  Five votive candles burning simultaneously is about the minimum (e.g., in a niche at a hotel), and at the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro I saw more like 50 votives burning.


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Thanks for your comments, John.  I appreciate the translation assistance.
> 
> I would like to add a comment.  In the photo with the sign, above, note the candles burning in the church, behind the sign.  The burning of candles as a religious practice was prevalent throughout Guatemala, and I'm pretty sure it's connected with traditional Mayan worship.



The burning of candles may be Mayan but it is also VERY Catholic. We lit candles when we attended mass at St. Patricks Cathedral in NYC  and we burn candles in our home to illuminate the souls of our dead loved ones.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> The burning of candles may be Mayan but it is also VERY Catholic. We lit candles when we attended mass at St. Patricks Cathedral in NYC  and we burn candles in our home to illuminate the souls of our dead loved ones.


Perhaps it's a lack of extent of exposure on my part to Catholicism - but what I observed to be different in Guatemala was the extent of the burning of candles.  It was far more common in Guatemala than I have observed in my experiences in the US.  Even the Catholic members of the group I was with noted the continual burning of candles.

Having made that mental note while in Guatemala I tried to make parallel observations when we were in Puerto Vallarta a couple of weeks later, including some travels into the countryside away from Puerto Vallarta.  In the churches in Puerto Vallarta I visited the burning of candles was far less ubiquitous than I observed in Guatemala.


----------



## sstamm

Very interesting, Steve.  Thanks for sharing both your photos and the narrative. I may never get to visit there, but can enjoy and benefit from your experience!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Murals of Chichicastenango*

The 20-year Guatemalan civil war was mostly fought in the Mayan areas of the country.  The war was a brutal affair, with Mayan civilian populations subject to tremendous atrocities.

There are two municipal buildings that front the plaza in Chichicastenango, both of which have a series have murals that have been painted on the outside walls of the buildings, facing the public square, depicting aspects of the war and of Mayan culture.  The murals speak far more eloquently than I ever could, so I'll keep my narrative to a minimum.  

The murals go in progression starting with traditional life, the horrors of the war, and healing after the war.  I will start with the older of the two sets of murals.

******

"Pop wuj" is reference to _Popol Vuh_, the Mayan "Book of the People", containing narratives of Mayan history and practices before the arrival of the Spaniards.






**********






The land is destroyed, and houses are burned with the occupants trapped inside.

*****

"Linchiamientos" means "lynchings".  I was initially puzzled about the significance of wolves or wild dogs in relation to lynchings. In my mind "lynching" means hanging of a person by a mob.   I then learned that in the local vernacular "lynching" means any mob assault and killing of a person; possibly by hanging but more often a brutally beating someone to death.  Then I understood the wolf pack symbolism.






*********

The church in this photo is the principal church in Chichi, the same one as shown in photos above.  






***********






**********






*************

"This Historical Monument (or Memorial) _'Memory and Art'_ are testimonies of the people of Chichicastenango and the victims of the armed internal fighting. "






*********

Next, the second set of murals.


----------



## MuranoJo

John Cummings said:


> The burning of candles may be Mayan but it is also VERY Catholic. We lit candles when we attended mass at St. Patricks Cathedral in NYC  and we burn candles in our home to illuminate the souls of our dead loved ones.


I'd assume it was a Catholicism influence.  Many churches in the U.S. have continuous burning candles. Traveling in the U.S. or MX, you can light a candle or two in honor of someone who has passed, or to send special prayers for someone.


----------



## MULTIZ321

Steve,

What a wonderful travelogue! I've enjoyed your photos and commentary and I now have an increased desire to visit Guatemala.  Thanks for taking the time to post this.

The vegetables and produce in the market looked wonderful.  I do hope they get an export business going.


Richard


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The War Murals of Chichicastenango, continued*

On to the second set of murals.  

Reposting below some previous pictures, you can see that this mural starts on the wall behind this vendor in the mercado. and then runs the entire length of this building, around doors and windows. Also, this photo gives a sense of the location and setting of the murals.  Although my photos have been closeups of particular scenes, the murals are painted on the outside walls of buildings, facing the central square and mercado in Chichicastenango.











*******

I've got about ten pictures of this mural, so I'll spread these over two posts.

This is the start, showing life during ancient times.
















Note the ritual burning of votive candles in this photo.  Also a Spanish influence now starts to appear in the tile roofs of the buildings.

********

The Spanish architectural influence in the houses is now clear.  And the depiction of the civil war begins.  The soldier shooting the woman near the burning house appears to me to dressed and outfitted as a guerrilla soldier.






*******

To be continued.


----------



## Ridewithme38

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Volcán Agua*
> 
> Volcán Agua ("Water Volcano") looms over La Antigua to the south.  I was told that it received that name because towering so high it often receives copious rainfall during storms, and the water coming from the volcano causes flooding.



I keep coming back to these two pictures...don't know why, they're amazing....Just want to confirm its ok that one of these is going to end up the background on my desktop


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Ridewithme38 said:


> I keep coming back to these two pictures...don't know why, they're amazing....Just want to confirm its ok that one of these is going to end up the background on my desktop



Yeah, those are a couple of my favorites as well. The first one I like because it really catches the presence of volcano in a way that you sense when you are there but is often lost in a photo.  That photo also has some compositional elements that came together as I hoped they would.  

The second, of course, has it's own interest and captures two of the most well-known icons of La Antigua in one photo.

Absolutely feel free to use them as wallpaper. and thank you for asking.  I'm flattered that you think that highly of them.

If you just download by clicking on the photo I think you'll end up with pretty low rez version.  PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send you a larger copy that should display better as wallpaper.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*The Murals of Chichicastenango (conclusion)*

War, then peace.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Farewell to Chichicastenango*

That concludes the photos from Chichicastenango, as we head three to four hours further north to the Ixil Triangle, very near the home of Rigoberta Menchú.  

As we headed out of Chichicastenango, the Sunday market was still in full action.  This is the scene on the main highway through town, taken from the back seat as headed out.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ixil Country*
Heading north from Chichicastenango, the road descends almost 2500 feet in elevation to cross the Rio Negro,which runs west to east across northern Guatemela in a crumple in the earths crust  created where the Caribbean Plate (on which most of Central America lies) is crashing into the North American plate (on which most of Mexico lies).  After crossing the Rio Negro we climb about 3000 feet us the steep south face of the Sierra de las Cuchaniantes to reach the Ixil country.

First, here's a map for some orientation.  Mexico is across the white line on the north and west.  






The three principal towns in Ixil Country are Nebaj (Santa Maria Nebaj), Cotzal (San Juan Cotzal), and Chajul (San Gaspar Chajul). These three towns define the three corners of the triangle, with Nebaj on the soutwhest, Cotzal on the southeast, and Chajul to the north.  Our hotel was in Nebaj, and we spent most of our days in the area around Cotzal.

I'll start my photos of this area with street and city scenes.  Most of these were taken from the bed of a moving pickup truck.

Below is a street scene of Nebaj, near the center of the city. 






The lettering on the top of the tall building reads "To God be the glory".  There is a very strong Protestant presence in the Ixil country.  It is quite common to see Biblical names used on stores, such Farmacia Israel, Tienda Jerusalem, Talleria Nazaret.  Many of the Tuk-tuks and buses are plastered with religious decals and bumperstickers - slogans such as "Jesus is the operator of this car."; "I serve the King"; "Glory to the Lord", etc.

*******

This building is at the principal crossroads in central Nebaj, anyone passing through Nebaj going in any direction is going to pass this intersection.  






The sign with the sheep on the top of the building is the New Testament Bible verse: _"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God the Father has raised him from the dead, you will be saved."_

*******

This is a hillside cemetery in Cotzal.






************

And this part of the town of Cotzal, spreading up the other side of the small valley in which it's located.  That road going up the hill in the background goes toward one of the villages we visited.






***********

This is probably as good a place as any for this comment.  Once you leave the primary urban areas, wood is the only source of fuel.  In the mornings, wood smoke and haze hang low in the bottoms of the valleys and in the cities.  

Every day, beginning in the early afternoon you see people and pack animals loaded with wood, heading into town carrying loads of wood that have been harvested from the forests.  A disproportionate number of the people scavenging wood are women and girls.  

I was struck by how much time and effort went into that simple task; of how much productivity could be realized if people didn't need to spend about two hours per day on average simply gathering wood for cooking.  What would be possible for children if that time were spent in schoolwork and getting an education?

We take it for granted that we can heat our homes and cook our food just by flipping a switch.  What would our lives be like if suddenly we needed to take two hours out of our day just to obtain and chop wood and feed a stove?


----------



## John Cummings

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> We take it for granted that we can heat our homes and cook our food just by flipping a switch.  What would our lives be like if suddenly we needed to take two hours out of our day just to obtain and chop wood and feed a stove?



I had to do that when I was a kid. At least they don't have to chop wood in below zero weather like I had to.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

John Cummings said:


> I had to do that when I was a kid. At least they don't have to chop wood in below zero weather like I had to.


So did my Dad!!!  But they had the wood on the farm, and he used a tractor to haul it to the house.  In Guatemala, there were people carrying it back to town, walking about an hour outside of town just to get to the spots where they were collecting it.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Cotzal Street Scenes*

Here are a few street scenes, taken in and around Cotzal as I rode in the back of our pickup truck.  These are just to give an idea of what it looks like in the towns in northern Guatemala.






*****

The bus in the photo below is a "chicken bus"; these are the main mode of intercity public transportation in Guatemala.  Chicken buses cover all parts of the country. Most of the chicken buses are brightly painted but every now and then you see one that is a recycled US school bus that still has the school district name on the side of the bus.






*********






**********






***********






******


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Iglesia San Juan, San Juan Cotzal*

The central church in Cotzal is Iglesia San Juan, located next to the main plaza.






********

The interior of the church is pretty simple, and unlike the churches in Chichicastenango, does not have any of the Mayan incense altars.






*******

On one wall is a crucifix, positioned in the middle of some decorative latticework.






*******

Closer examination reveals, though, that it is not latticework.  They are crosses, memorializing men of the parish who were killed during the civil war.  "Asesinado" means murdered, and indicates that a body was recovered. "Secuestrado" means kidnapped.  "Desaparecido" means disappeared or vanished.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

You can all breathe a collective sigh of relief now, as I'm almost to the end of the Guatemala pictures I want to share - just a few more posts remaining after this one.  (I can hear the cyber-cheering!!!! )

These last sets of pictures will have a bit of diffferent theme, as they will focus  more on the people and activities instead of sites. And I hope that some of you will start to draw a personal connection through the photos and narrative that I'm going to conclude with. 

So let me lay some groundwork.

********

The villages that I visited are part of a program set up for the specific purpose of getting land into the hands of the rural poor in Central America.  _Fundación Agros_ purchases land and creates villages from scratch for the purpose of developing the land.  The villagers take our mortgages on the land, which they are obligated to repay.  When they pay off the loan they get title to the land.  Meanwhile the payments provide the seed money for new villages.  Agros works with the villagers on training programs to train them on how to develop the land, build village governments, market crops, etc. 

The borrowers need to develop the land - clear the trees, develop water systems, plant and harvest crops, build their houses, etc.  As the land becomes revenue producing they pay off the loans from the proceeds of their labors.

If you know about microcapitalism and microlending in third world countries, that's exactly what this is.  Fundación Agros has been doing this before those became trendy words - they've been at this for almost 20 years now. 

*******

That's preface for what I'm going to show you now. 

The pictures below are snow peas; snow peas that some of you have likely eaten.











The week that we were there, harvest was starting.  They were going to pick 1500 lbs of snow peas - for foreign export.

And who receives these snow peas???  Well one of their major customers happens to be Costco.  If you're in Costco and you see snow peas, especially out of season for the US, there's a good chance those snow peas came from Guatemala, from this village or one very much like it. Marks & Spencer, in the UK, is also a significant customer.

The development of this snow pea market has made a huge difference in the lives of these people.  Snow peas are a cash crop - without snow peas they are subsistence farmers, living on beans and corn.  With snow peas they generate income to pay off their loans, send their children to school, build a better water system, etc.  And we get great quality peas.

I think my jaw dropped when I walked into these fields.  i hope you can catch from the photos the quality of the fields and the health of the plants - these fields are the equal, if not the superior, to what you would see in the US.  And they can usually get from two to four crops per year, because the climate is temperate year round. 

********

Here is Matias, standing in a part of his field.  Matias was very proud of this patch - this is cabbage that Matias is growing for personal consumption.  Look at that size and health of that head of cabbage in the foreground.






******

Now you need to consider that this is not the "good" land.  The good land was taken years ago by the descendants of the Spanish colonists and converted to plantations for coffee, bananas, and (in the lower elevations) sugar cane.  This is "marginal" land, that was wild and less fertile.  

Yet it has this kind of productive capacity!!!  And you can this throughout the Guatemalan highlands.  As I asked our host translator - "Why is Guatemala not the food supplier to the world???"

******

So the next time that you go into a Costco and you see snow peas in the produce area, or in mixed vegetable packages, I hope you pause and think about this.

In my next post, I'll put up a some photos of some of the villagers, with the goal of helping you perhaps get a bit more of a personal connection.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

At this point all I have left of my Guatemala photos are pictures of the some of the people we were visiting, and some shots of the villages and village life.  If there's a level of interest, I'll put up some of those. 

Otherwise, I hope the followers of this series of posts have enjoyed seeing a bit of Guatemala through my eyes, and I thank all of you for indulging my almost total domination of the thread these last weeks.


----------



## Fredm

More!


----------



## MULTIZ321

Steve,

My vote is for more pics and a continuation of the story.

Thanks for your efforts and sharing.

Richard


----------



## Rose Pink

I enjoyed them, Steve.  I will most likely never get to Guatemala and so it was interesting to see some pix and read the commentaries.  Thank you.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Steve,

Those murals are outstanding. There's a lot of things you can do with them in Photoshop etc. as they could become wallpapers or elements in some other post-processing scheme -- lot's of things to tinker with now that you've parsed through most of your photos.

Congrats,

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*A Lucky Shot*

Sometimes you get down right lucky as a picture comes right to you. Such is the case with this image.






We're down at the Marriott Oceana Palms resort sitting on the beach just as we do every day. The wind blows straight north to south this day ( north being behind me in this photo ).  We're seated in a cabana taking in the waves and wind as the gulls keep shooting past us flying N to S. When they see us in the cabana, they pull back and hover very close to us, sort of freezing themselves in mid-air.  Of course the gulls are looking for hand outs or discards ( they're smart birds who know how we humans behave ).  Carol and I have no hand-outs for them, but I do have my camera in-hand when they drop in.

The gull is perhaps 5 to 6 feet above me and about the same distance away as he hovers in the strong winds looking to see if there are crumbs and tidbits from sloppy-eating people. I don't even have to get up to snap this image as I need only zoom a little bit to crop in-camera to fill the frame.  It's a treat for me as I use a P&S and do not have a real tele DSLR lens which makes bird-watching an easier, more fulfilling task when shooting birds further away in their natural state ( some nice avian photos taken here by other TUGgers are proof of this ).

Sometimes the photo gods are very kind . . . . so long as you bring your camera and allow the day to be what it will be. Wish I had this sort of luck with the pelicans who are eyeball-to-eyeball with me on our 20th floor balcony. But those guys move so fast that I never get the kind of shot I was hoping to snag during our two weeks.  I do manage a few decent video clips of those guys.





Seashells do not move as fast, so I have less trouble dealing with these guys.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

Another handout, another gull.


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


>



Getting your _Photo of the Year_ entry in early this year, eh Barry?


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> Getting your _Photo of the Year_ entry in early this year, eh Barry?



Actually, my "best" photo is one taken at Oceana Palms showing me standing in the floor-to-ceiling window _butt naked_  ( shot from behind of course -- and no, people can't see me because we're 20 floors up and the turtle glass glazing in the windows prevents any voyer with a telescope in the hi-rise condo up the beach from scoping me   ) . I figure if Terry Bradshaw could do his "neeked room" shot in his movie ( Failure to Launch ), I could also do it since I'm a Steeler Nation guy -- I was wearing my Steelers cap.

My wife of course knows nothing about the photo as I've not yet sprung it on her. Still trying to figure out the when and how. I was thinking of for her birthday, but that's in December, and I don't know if I can wait that long. 

Thought about posting it in my Oceana Palms gallery, but I don't think that Marriott wants to attract naturists ( of which I am not . . . this was just one of those idiotic guy-thought moments ).  Don't worry, I won't post it here on TUG as I don't want to attract any gulls.   

Barry

BTW, I like your neat gull photo


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> Actually, my "best" photo is one taken at Oceana Palms showing me standing in the floor-to-ceiling window _butt naked_  ( shot from behind of course -- and no, people can't see me because we're 20 floors up and the turtle glass glazing in the windows prevents any voyer with a telescope in the hi-rise condo up the beach from scoping me   ) . I figure if Terry Bradshaw could do his "neeked room" shot in his movie ( Failure to Launch ), I could also do it since I'm a Steeler Nation guy -- I was wearing my Steelers cap.



See? This is what happens when we talk _too much_ about our photos...  :rofl:


----------



## Ridewithme38

Who did you have take the Picture?  Or are you just hoping the Wife doesn't ask that question? :hysterical:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> At this point all I have left of my Guatemala photos are pictures of the some of the people we were visiting, and some shots of the villages and village life.  If there's a level of interest, I'll put up some of those.
> 
> Otherwise, I hope the followers of this series of posts have enjoyed seeing a bit of Guatemala through my eyes, and I thank all of you for indulging my almost total domination of the thread these last weeks.



Conclusion of Guatemala in this thread: Finishing Up Guatemala


----------



## JanT

Steve,

Magnificent!!!   I so enjoyed looking at all the photos and reading your comments.  What a wonderful experience.  Thank you for sharing with us!

Jan


----------



## mitchandjeanette

*Cancun*





At Westin Lagunamar


----------



## Numismatist

Skiing anyone?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Name that Waterfall!!!*

Can you identify this waterfall???


----------



## Makai Guy

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Name that Waterfall!!!*
> 
> Can you identify this waterfall???


I think so.  If I'm right, here's a hint:

"Boss!  Boss!  De plane!  De plane!"


----------



## HatTrick

mitchandjeanette said:


> At Westin Lagunamar



Nice image!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Makai Guy said:


> I think so.  If I'm right, here's a hint:
> 
> "Boss!  Boss!  De plane!  De plane!"



That would be correct, sir.


----------



## MuranoJo

Makai Guy said:


> I think so.  If I'm right, here's a hint:
> 
> "Boss!  Boss!  De plane!  De plane!"



MG or Steve, so where was that filmed?  Somewhere in HI I'm sure?  I never really watched the show.


----------



## ricoba

muranojo said:


> MG or Steve, so where was that filmed?  Somewhere in HI I'm sure?  I never really watched the show.



Fantasy Island, was filmed here in Los Angeles area, primarily in Burbank.  The establishment shot of the island is Kauai, the house is at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia, CA, (scroll down to see the house picture.)


----------



## MuranoJo

Thanks, Rick.
The one or two times I did see the show, the scenery 'felt' like it was all filmed in HI.  But then again, I'm not sure I had been to HI yet at the time, so what would I know.


----------



## Makai Guy

Wailua Falls didn't show up in the Fantasy Island opening intro until season 3 (1980-81).  Video


----------



## pablowest

I really like this photos.  The Disney Bord walk.


----------



## Worldwide Timeshare

here is one of mine






more to come!


----------



## Karen G

*Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona*

Put this place on your bucket list. I've never seen anything like it.


----------



## Karen G

*another one*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Karen,

Nice photos. How busy was the site? I've met folks who say that sometimes one has to queue up to try their hand at some of these shots, but of course it is well worth the effort given how spectacular the light & canyon is.  What are the times that one can best capture these sunbeam effects?

Once again, nice images.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

*A warranty can be a good thing*

I purchase my Canon G-11 in late Fall 2009 at Best Buy. It's a high end P&S camera, so I take out a 2 year warranty on it mainly because of the higher purchase price. During our Oceana Palms visit this past February, I notice a problem with my toggle ring which controls my manual adjustments for focus, aperture, and shutter. I finally take the camera to BBY ( Geek Squad ) for a look see. They determine that they can't fix the camera. My mfg warranty has long since expired. 

The good news is that my extended warranty offers me a "comparable camera" in exchange. Since Canon no longer manufactures the G-11, that made my 'comparable camera' the Canon G-12 ( which is the exact same camera as my injured G-11 with a few new "tweaks" which improve an already great camera ). So the moral of the story is that an extended warranty can be a good thing for a camera when the camera costs more than a couple hundred dollars. 

The only glitch is that the store does not have a G-12 in stock and I've gotta wait until Wednesday to pick it up. But because the G-12 is virtually the same camera, my G-11 batteries also spec to the G-12 so my total out of pocket expense is the cost of a new two year warranty for the G-12. The camera manager at BBY tells me he rarely sees any warranty issues with the Canons BBY sells and I agree that that Canon is a sound product and my faith in the brand remains untarnished. 

That said, in addition to my manual operation problem with the G-11, I also began to notice a few dead pixels a couple of months ago. Dead pixels ( more precisely "hot" or "black" depending upon whether the bucket is stuck in the on or off position ) are not an unusual occurance on camera sensors and they are most usually unnoticable in normal sized prints. I myself discover them when I was doing my post-processing in Photoshop last month as I work in full or 75% resolution and I happen to discover one dead pixel and this prompts me to search for others.  All told, I find 3 which are not a big issue. But being the curious guy I am, I note their specific location and I backtrack through my image archives to see when the problem first appears. Turns out it coincidentally begins during our February trip and that by the second week, two of the dead pixels regained their function. Could not find an evidence from my earlier archives, at least for those specific pixels. Just another way to waste time with your camera and computer.

Barry


----------



## Karen G

Thanks, Barry. Our tour started about 11 a.m. and it was close to noon on our walk back through when the shaft of light appeared. There were a lot of people walking through--I'm guessing maybe 100 or more in groups of 10-12 with a guide.

At some twists and turns the path is very narrow--only one person at a time goes through--at others it's much wider and several people can stand together.  The "ceiling" is very high and most of the time you could just point your camera up and get some good shots. 

Here's a photo I took that I accidentally got some people in it at the bottom. It gives you an idea of the height of the "room."






Here's the same picture where I cropped out the people.


----------



## Karen G

Here are lots more photos of Upper Antelope Canyon from Google.  You can also Google Lower Antelope Canyon and see how the entry is different from the Upper canyon (where you can walk straight in) as opposed to going down from the top on a ladder after a hike to get there for the Lower one.  Upper is definitely easier to get into.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Whistler Valley


----------



## Makai Guy

*An oldie ...*

Have been playing around with scanning some of my old 35mm slides into electronic form and ran across this one that I thought some of you might get a kick out of.  It was an old faded slide, and this is the best I could do toward rejuvenating its colors.




Hosted by ImageShack

(Before you ask -- this picture goes clear back to 1974 and predates our current dog Cookie whose picture I've been using as my online avatar for quite a few years now.)


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Two from Great Smoky Mountains National Park*

From our vacation this past week.












Both were taken in Cade's Cove section of the park.  The deer photo is straight off the camera and the bear has been cropped.


----------



## SueDonJ

We're having our house re-sided which is totally disrupting this nest - it's been like a rental property for a whole bunch of different birds who settle in over the weekends and then leave come Monday when the construction guys start working.  This is the second time a robin has laid her eggs; the first one we got three hatchlings but the mom and dad moved the babies when they were only 1 day old.  Hopefully these will be full-time tenants.


----------



## MuranoJo

Susan,
I'm getting so fanatic about protecting nests that I don't let any pruners or lawn treatment people come in past March until late summer.  Glad to hear the 'parents' were able to move their new brood, though I've never heard of that before.


----------



## SueDonJ

Jo, I hadn't ever seen them move their babies either.  This nest is in the holly bushes against the house about six feet off the ground.  The day before they moved the chicks, one of the workers was on a ladder directly in front of the nest and there was a lot of noise.  I thought the mom was all settled in the nest that night, but next morning when I looked the dad was just removing the last one (he dangled it from his beak!) and I watched him fly over to a tree.  I hope they're okay, haven't seen any evidence on the ground that they're not ...  It looks like the workers will make their way back to this spot tomorrow or Friday - keep your fingers crossed.


----------



## SueDonJ

(I love this thread, and it's so odd how months can go by with nothing to contribute and then bang!, reasons for pictures happen every time you turn around.)

A tornado touched down about 75 miles west of here a couple hours ago and we've been getting rain/thunder/lightning for the last hour or so.  It let up a bit at the exact minute that the sun came from behind the clouds just before sunset.  Gorgeous, but skeeeery.  Everything was as blurry and hazy as it looks in the pic - only the cloud on the right had a defined line to it.


----------



## cotraveller

We were at Estes Park for a couple of days over the Memorial Day weekend.  The elk were out in abundance and look pretty shaggy as they lose their winter coats.  This group was near the Morraine Park campground in Rocky Mountain National Park.  if you look closely you can see more of the herd in the background.






Here's a closer look at one of them from a different area of the park.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Jack River near Cantwell, Alaska*


----------



## Ridewithme38

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Jack River near Cantwell, Alaska*



weren't you just in Guatemala? Thats a long Drive!


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## jerseyfinn

Makai Guy said:


> Have been playing around with scanning some of my old 35mm slides into electronic form and ran across this one that I thought some of you might get a kick out of.  It was an old faded slide, and this is the best I could do toward rejuvenating its colors.



A pretty good scan considering the age etc. Of course you now remind me that I've got a few hundred slides which need scanning. Not an easy task dusting them off to produce good scans.

I'm sure that your puppy scan brings back lots of fond memories. Got some dog slides in that stack I mention above. It's always a happy/sad experience remembering old friends of the past.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

cotraveller said:


>



It's always exciting to get close to these animals in their own environs, and even more satisfying when one can grab a nice shot like this one.

Did you hotel it, or are you campers? We usually set up in the Olive Ridge NF campground and tent it.  It's @ 16 miles south of Estes Park, but the drive is so scenic that one does not mind the drive. Then again, it can get cold at night at this altitude and a hotel bed feels real good on a colder night.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Jack River near Cantwell, Alaska*



Steve,

Vibrant colors really pop.  A nice capture.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

Waikiki image:








Demonstrating "out of bounds" effect:


----------



## HatTrick

*Byodo-In Temple, Windward Oahu*






Using the Photoshop Elements _Line Drawing_ effect.


----------



## jerseyfinn

We were out in Tucson Arizona visiting our Air Force son last week. It's hard for me to resist spending a day at the Pima Air museum. My wife and I put in an 8 hour day poking around the museum. We get there early and spend the first few hours outside in the expansive yard which has a couple of hundred planes.  Afternoon temperatures hover near 100, but by this time we've finished our out door excursion and we go into the several indoor hangers to cool off.

I can't emphasize enough what a great museum this is, both because of the extensive plane collection and because of the people who volunteer at the museum ( it's actually two seperate museums as there is a B-17 bomber group here who keep their own seperate collection here ). Most of the volunteers are veterans/ex-military folks, many of whom flew/worked on the aircraft. They are a treasure trove of information and stories, and this also becomes a big part of our visit. Last May we speak extensively with a 92 year old vet who is replete with WWII stories. Sadly, he has passed away, so our conversation with him is more cherished.

This trip, we chat with an 88 year old B-17 pilot who is a member of the bomber group museum here. He's written a book about his flying, and I quite naturally get a copy which he happily autographs for me. Lots of stories and insights about this specific bomber group. For those of you who are history buffs, get out to Tucson and visit the Pima museum as it's about both the planes and the aging volunteers who make it so much more meaningful, especially during our Memorial Day visit.

So as you can guess, I sitting home here parsing through a weeks worth of photography from museum and the environs around Tucson. I post here a few photos from the Pima Air museum.

One of the problems of photographing a museum like Pima is the sheer size of the subjects. Some of these planes are huge and you've got to step way back to capture their scope and size. This ends up placing your plane against a background in which it can get lost. While I'm post processing some images I try a technique by which I select the subject plane and I do my normal sharpening ( I'm still working with JPGs and work only on occassion with RAW ).  Then I invert my selection and I either partially desaturate the BG or I render the BG in B&W.  The results are in these few photos here.  I think that this is a nice technique for certain subjects which gives them more dimensionality and emphasizes their presence.

Anyone with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and any size Wacom tablet can easily make the selections and conversions.









*This image is of the B-36 J Bomber which was American intercontental bomber from 1948 thru 1959. It's a huge aircraft, but also absolutely beautiful with 6 props and 4 jet engines.*



**********************







*This is a very rare plane. The Columbia XJ1. Intended to replace a Navy bi-plane, only three of these were ever built as the design turns out to be a dud. Two of these test planes were purchased by an aircraft engineer ( for $420 ) & he works to restore them until he dies in 1955. This specific plane was later sold to another man by his widow who insists that this plane had to fly at least one time. The plane flew to Chicago & had 3 other owners before it was loaned to the Pima museum in 1987 and it is finally donated to the museum in 2000.*



************************







*Another shot of the B-36 J .   Working in direct sun requires one to adjust their EV setting ( +1/3 to + 2/3 ) to get the right shade exposure on the wings. And was getting HOT by this time. My wife and I hide beneath the shade of the wings of the big bombers. And I'm always keeping my camera on my hip to shadow it from the intense sun.*


***************************







*This is a B-58 Hustler, the world's first delta wing bomber. They use cutting edge technology to figure out how to make a mach 2 plane that can fly at 70,000 feet or at low altitude to drop nukes and accelerate and climb away fast. Lots of problems whenever one designs an entirely new concept plane. 26% of the B-58s built ended up crashing as they work out issues with the design ( the higher and faster your fly, the hotter the wings get and new engineering techniques are needed, and multiple changes by the AF in the design/mission requirements create a myriad of problems with low altitude flight and landing gear configurations ).

All I know is that it is a beautiful aircraft when you walk around it. And it is from this plane that America learns to build the next generation of supersonic planes with new materials that lead to the SR-71 and the principles which lead to the composite materials which withstand heat and provide stealth*​
I hope that everyone enjoys the photos and the technique to emphasize the plane against its surroundings.

Lots of photo work remains, so I'll report back as I make more progress.

Barry


----------



## cotraveller

jerseyfinn said:


> It's always exciting to get close to these animals in their own environs, and even more satisfying when one can grab a nice shot like this one.
> 
> Did you hotel it, or are you campers? We usually set up in the Olive Ridge NF campground and tent it.  It's @ 16 miles south of Estes Park, but the drive is so scenic that one does not mind the drive. Then again, it can get cold at night at this altitude and a hotel bed feels real good on a colder night.
> 
> Barry



We stayed at the WorldMark Estes Park resort. It was cool and rainy Saturday when we arrived in Estes Park but cleared up and was a real nice day on Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend.

The elk weren't as close as one might think from the pictures.  I have a Panasonic superzoom and used the long lens to capture the image of the single elk.  It amazes me how close some people will try to get to a large wild animal.

Here's another picture I took in RMNP, scenery this time, no elk.






Trail Ridge road was closed with the snowplow crews reporting huge snowdrifts.  For a look at what the snowplow crews are finding, here's a link to a story in the Ft Collins newspaper with a picture. http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110604/UPDATES01/110604002/1002/rss


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> I hope that everyone enjoys the photos and the technique to emphasize the plane against its surroundings.



Very much so.


----------



## HatTrick

Shot from Kalia Tower, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu.


----------



## HatTrick

*Sepia Tone Capitol*


----------



## HatTrick

*Washington Monument, Unconstrained*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


>


Nicely composed shot and good digital darkroom processing as well.  If I may ask, what did you do to get the flaring in the light areas???  Did you apply a UV filter before the toning?


----------



## HatTrick

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> If I may ask, what did you do to get the flaring in the light areas???  Did you apply a UV filter before the toning?



Elements 9 gets the credit. It has a feature called _Style Match_ that adjusts the attributes of one image based on those of another. After fiddling with the _Style Intensity_, _Style Clarity_, and _Enhance Details_ controls, I ended up with the flaring.

The before and after images:


----------



## HatTrick

I apologize to anyone who may have seen this posted to my Twitter account... it was an accident!  :hysterical: 



HatTrick said:


>


----------



## skulipeg

:rofl: 

Wasn't expecting the humour...I'll have to remember not to drink coffee and read TUG at the same time.  Now I can't seem to get all the splatter of my screen.


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


>



Well, it's definitely glad to see you  

I've seen this sort of post-processing where an object extends beyond the frame, but this is the first time I've seen it done where it extends so far from the frame. It works reallly well with this subject ... nicely conceived.

The capital shot is very compelling with the sepia toning. It's neat how altering tonality or contrast can change the entire mood/presence of an image.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*On the Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Montezuma Castle*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Verde Valley and Sedona from Jerome, AZ*






This is an HDR photo converted to black and white with an orange-yellow filter, with sepia toning.  I then recolorized the brick house and the adjacent tree to about 20%% of their original color.

I originally did the entire photo as the sepia toning, but the visual interest of the brick building seemed to dissipate.  So I decided to add some color back to the house and the tree to make those elements stand out more, but I muted the colorization to keep the overall desolate atmosphere.


----------



## HatTrick

*USS Hornet*

A few shots from the USS Hornet in Alameda, California.


----------



## Karen G

*Guess where this is*

Who can guess where this picture was taken?


----------



## cotraveller

Karen G said:


> Who can guess where this picture was taken?



Considering the scenery both in the foreground and background along with your location, I'd guess it's from the Bali Hai Golf Club.


----------



## Karen G

cotraveller said:


> Considering the scenery both in the foreground and background along with your location, I'd guess it's from the Bali Hai Golf Club.


 It's exactly 21.55 miles from Bali Hai. It's at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort.  I was there for the first time Friday and I was impressed with the facility. Things are starting to pick up again out at Lake Las Vegas and it's nice to see that.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Just got back from Costa del Sol at our Marriott resort. A good vacation with 2 weeks spent doing little more than sitting on the beach, meandering to a chiringuito for a drink or a snack, and "difficult"   decisions about where to eat each night.

It was a _Gilligan's Island_ vacation where we do not rent a car ( rental rates were very expensive given the scant driving we would have done ) so I played the role of the Professor and my wife was Mary Ann ( I'm not plunky like the Skipper and definitely not a Gilligan sort of guy   ). Had the camera in tow all the time, but I take very few resort photos and concentrate on portrait work with my wife. 

This trip was also a more "sober" trip ( but by no means a "tea-tottler" trip either ). We only do 5 bottles of wine in 14 nights ( the record was 12 bottles over 15 nights a couple of years ago ). The problem with bottles of wine is that "Mary Ann" is like a canary in the mine and requires only a glass to get tipsy & I end up downing 2/3 of the bottle.  So it's more for the sake of extra calories than sobriety that I ratchet down this trip. Then again, with our glases of sherry before our meals and the after-dinner limoncello always offered us by the folks at our fav Italian restaurant, I'm not so sure about the saved calories.








This is shot @ 8PM and you can see the sun is still rather high in the sky. But this was that _magic hour _of light when things are aglow and colors are vibrant. The sun still has 90 minutes before it disappears and I do a whole bunch of shots here of my wife who actually cooperates this day without getting mad at my multiple snaps. Not using a flash here, so I'm a little underexposed in the shadows. I fix some of this going +EV by 2/3 in aperture mode, metering on her face to get the skin tones reasonably correct. Shooting something like f/5.0 with some zoom. It's not a perfect shot, but close enough to get details in the underside of the umbrella and to pull out warm BG colors.  I'm loving this Canon G12 and what it can do. You folks with DSLRs can capture light even better for shots like this.  I add the vignetting and do ordinary sharpening in Photoshop, otherwise this is the camera at work.


***********************







This is two images merged together post-processing in Photoshop CS2 ( yeah, I'm working with an old version with less features ). I shoot these hand-held in ordinary aperature mode. I exposure lock the first shot so that my second image is exposed the same. My camera can display grid lines, so I lock my elbows and wait for live view to return before moving over 1/3 frame for the second shot. My camera has a pano setting, but I've gotten used to this technique as I can bring the images into Photoshop and merge them.




***************************






Shot at night inside of a restaurant astride the Marriott Playa Andaluza resort -- if any of you guys visit here, be sure to stop by the *Vela Azul *for lunch or dinner. I shoot ISO 1600 without flash and I convert this to B&W post processing. I like working in ambient light as it does not annoy people & allows you to capture moments. Of course I'm sacrificing resolution/detail with the high ISO. The moon is actually shining outside the window. The man is the owner, Jean Paul. A Frenchman who speaks very little English ( a lot of ponting at the menu when non-French speaker order -- I myself use my halting Spanish to converse with him ). But he's a gracious host living his dream to own a restaurant. I keep a photo gallery of his restaurant here. 


*************************







Here's another shot which shows the restaurant and the moon out the window. As you can see, the lighting here is mixed flourescent/halogen & I've got lots of color cast going on here. But the previous photo shows how B&W can mask these defects and create more drama and presence. This was one of those nights we opt for a bottle, in this instance a botella de cava. Mary Ann is tipsy from the bubbly cava, but we have only a couple hundred feet to get back to the resort. This is an OK photo, but it's more about showing the ambiance of the place and the evening . . . well actually how the entire Spain vacation goes. 

Hope you folks enjoy the photos. The new Playa photos are found in this gallery. I'm just starting to work on "Mary Ann's" portrait shots as I continue to fiddle around and figure out how to get better portrait shots. If I have any other nice shots, I'll post them here. Ultimately I'll need a strobe and an umbrella to get the flash off of the camera and do some more advanced work. Not sure when that will happen as this mean more $$ and more stuff to lug around.

​
Travel safe & keep grabbing pixels.

Barry aka _Gilligan/Professor_


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Truth in Advertising*

The sign at the Kalalau Valley lookout has been revised.


----------



## Karen G

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> The sign at the Kalalau Valley lookout has been revised.


 What did it used to say?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Karen G said:


> What did it used to say?


The wettest spot on earth.


----------



## HatTrick

*Revised Washington Monument Photo*


----------



## HatTrick

*View From Makapu'u Point*






Island of Oahu


----------



## HatTrick

*Valley of the Temples*






Windward Oahu


----------



## HatTrick

*Along Kamehameha Highway*






Kaneohe, Oahu


----------



## persia

Outside the hotel in Vietnam


----------



## HatTrick

A Cialis commercial waiting to happen, eh?  

Nice shot, though!


----------



## scrapngen

persia said:


> Outside the hotel in Vietnam



Wow! Beautiful composition, and lovely place.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Back from Safari - Just a Few Photos to Share*





Lioness - Maasai Mara, Kenya





Enjoying Breakfast - Maasai Mara, Kenya





Leopard - Serengeti, Tanzania





Arusha, Tanzania


----------



## SueDonJ

HatTrick said:


> Windward Oahu





persia said:


> Outside the hotel in Vietnam





Timeshare Von said:


> Lioness - Maasai Mara, Kenya ...



WOW!  All great photos!


----------



## SueDonJ

Went to the Red Sox/Rangers game last Friday night at Fenway, terrible 10-0 shellacking by the Rangers but still every night at Fenway is a good night.

American Idol's Lauren Alaina sang the anthem:





The grounds crew sweeping up the mess in the 7th while the scoreboard tells the whole miserable story:





They gave all the fans souvenir baseballs to commemorate the 700th sellout at Fenway:


----------



## HatTrick

*View From Our Balcony Last Night*






San Diego


----------



## Rose Pink

HatTrick said:


> San Diego


It was dark last night.


----------



## HatTrick

Very.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-try-to-get-back-on-track-after-blackout.html


----------



## SueDonJ

Rose Pink said:


> It was dark last night.





HatTrick said:


> Very.
> 
> http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-try-to-get-back-on-track-after-blackout.html



:hysterical:   I know a family who calls nighttime, "darktime."  Looks like you could relate.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Saw the story on the news tonight about the SD blackout.  Amazing a worker's screw up in Yuma, AZ caused SoCal to go dark!


----------



## Timeshare Von

SueDonJ said:


> They gave all the fans souvenir baseballs to commemorate the 700th sellout at Fenway:



Very nice!


----------



## Abomb36

@ME by Melia - Cabo San Lucas


----------



## Abomb36

El Arco - Cabo San Lucas


----------



## Abomb36

El Arco 2 - Cabo San Lucas


----------



## Karen G

Thanks for those beautiful Cabo shots, Abomb.


----------



## HatTrick

*Down to a Science...*






Oahu


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Just Back from Alaska*






Pano (five shots stitched together) of Mt McKinley this past weekend.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Denali Road Lottery Weekend*

So at the end of the season, the Nat'l Park Service conducts a lottery whereby 400 lucky people (for each of four days) are awarded a road pass to drive the Denali Rd on their own.  Ordinarily visitors must ride the NPS shuttle bus (for a fee) during the season.

I was fortunate to have a road pass for Saturday and Monday, and made a ride-share arrangement for Sunday.  It was a wonderful weekend with great weather (I camped inside the park at the TEK campground).

Here are a few photos highlighting my time in Denali Nat'l Park.





Bear wandering between the cars.  She also had two cubs follow her.





Now that is one big bear head!





While the fall colors were past "peak" they were still very beautiful and vivid.





Arctic fox still in its "red" coat.





Dall Sheep up on the cliffside.


----------



## Karen G

Wow! What great shots!


----------



## Makai Guy

I'm jealous of your sunshine and blue skies at Denali.  We didn't have much of either at our visit -- never saw the top of McKinley/Denali at all.


----------



## cotraveller

Timeshare Von said:


> So at the end of the season, the Nat'l Park Service conducts a lottery whereby 400 lucky people (for each of four days) are awarded a road pass to drive the Denali Rd on their own.  Ordinarily visitors must ride the NPS shuttle bus (for a fee) during the season.



Add me to the WOW! group.  We were in Denali 18 years ago riding the NPS shuttle, a school bus on that visit. According to the driver the brown dot way up on the side of the mountain was a Grizzly Bear and the white dots were Dall sheep.  Even with a 300mm telephoto it was difficult to pick out the animals in the pictures.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Timeshare Von said:


> While the fall colors were past "peak" they were still very beautiful and vivid.


Those are typical Denali colors for this time of year.  These pics were taken the last week of September 2008.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Thanks everyone!  Yes, it was very special to see "the mountain" just about every day I was there.  I'd been to Denali NP around 5 or 6 times before this trip, over the past five years, and only got to see Mt McKinley twice before . . . once from Talkeetna (Aug 10) and another time from Willow (Mar 11) . . . but never from inside the park.

If you're interested in seeing some other photos from the trip, I have posted over on my Facebook page.  

Enjoy!

ADDED PS with photos:





From Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge - Talkeetna, AK (Aug 10)





From Willow, AK (Mar 11)


----------



## Timeshare Von

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Those are typical Denali colors for this time of year.  These pics were taken the last week of September 2008.



Thanks for sharing those for perspective Steve.  We were in Denali last year at the end of August and it was rainy and dreary, with the leaves at about peak . . . but no decent photos due to the lack of bright daylight.  Your photos are very beautiful and highlight the great colors that occur there every fall.


----------



## easyrider

HatTrick said:


> Oahu



What beach is this. Is this south east of Turtle Bay ?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Timeshare Von said:


> Thanks for sharing those for perspective Steve.  We were in Denali last year at the end of August and it was rainy and dreary, with the leaves at about peak . . . but no decent photos due to the lack of bright daylight.  Your photos are very beautiful and highlight the great colors that occur there every fall.



This is the photo from that trip that has generally received the most positive comments.  I took this photo in the late afternoon, next to the bridge over the Jack River near Cantwell, just off the Parks Highway.






And this is a shot I grabbed at the end of the day, as I was coming back down the Parks Highway toward Anchorage.






I'm pretty sure I've previously posted these upthread, but since we're talking now about fall colors in Alaska and I posted these almost three years ago, I thought I''d bring them back.


----------



## Timeshare Von

While pretty, I must admit to having mixed feelings with the high amount of post-processing as HDR that these photos seem to have.


----------



## HatTrick

easyrider said:


> Is this south east of Turtle Bay ?



Yes, I believe it is.


----------



## dmbrand

We were in Lake Tahoe last week.  Beautiful weather that week; hiked up to Eagle Lake to get this mirror image shot.  If you turn the pic counter clockwise a quarter turn, there is an image of something.  I thought it looked like a bat face.


----------



## jerseyfinn

dmbrand said:


> We were in Lake Tahoe last week.  Beautiful weather that week; hiked up to Eagle Lake to get this mirror image shot.  If you turn the pic counter clockwise a quarter turn, there is an image of something.  I thought it looked like a bat face.



There's always a reward for hiking up a trail and for you it's this image. You're right about the bat face, it's there looking you in the eye.

I notice your Packers logo. Greetings from Steeler nation  . You guys are lookin' good thus far. Methinks the Steelers are gonna have a tough year as age & injuries make them look old. I wear my faded Steelers cap whenever we travel and it always gets a shoutout from someone. We're just finishing 2 weeks in Spain and I get a Steeler shout out from an Italian guy who is a Steeler fan and a poke from some Packer fans who live in Chicago. We find common cause with them by the fact that we live in Eagles country & we both know the fun of rooting for winners in enemy territory.

Barry


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kalalau Valley from Pihea Trail*


----------



## HatTrick

*Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, VA*


----------



## geoand

I know that everyone's puter screen is different.  Mine is a 52 inch Toshiba flat screen tv.  This picture is amazingly 3 dimensional and this is not a 3d screen.

WOW!



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Kalalau Valley from Pihea Trail*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

geoand said:


> I know that everyone's puter screen is different.  Mine is a 52 inch Toshiba flat screen tv.  This picture is amazingly 3 dimensional and this is not a 3d screen.
> 
> WOW!



I've noted that too, and I've wondered about it.  That's a single exposure shot taken with a polarizing filter  -  no HDR  and the only digital dark room work I did was apply a mild sharpening filter and adjust the contrast. I also adjusted the overall lighting levels, as the original photo was underexposed by about one f-stop to keep the clouds from blowing out to solid white.

That effect seems to happen frequently on my shots in Hawaii and when I get shots toward the ocean from  about 2000 feet or more elevation.  It also seems to be lighting specific - I have other shots of the Kalalau Valley, from similar vantage points and taken with the same camera and filters, that don't have that same effect.  We were on our way to the Alakai Swamp when I took this shot, and the shots I took on the return don't have the same 3-D type of sense.

If I knew what it is that creates that effect, maybe I could get it more often.

****

BTW  - for comparison here's a similar view, taken later as we were returning to our car late that same day as the shadows were lengthening shortly before sunset.  I don't get the same sense of depth from this shot as I do from the former.


----------



## heathpack

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Kalalau Valley from Pihea Trail*



Where is this?  I mean, which island?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

heathpack said:


> Where is this?  I mean, which island?


This is on Kaua`i.  You drive to the very end of the road at the top of Waimea Canyon, to the very last Kalalau Valley lookout where the paved road ends in parking lot and you climb a hill to the vista point.  Proceeding on foot, you go past the vista point and then continue along the trail that follows the upper lip of Kalalau Valley.  When you reach the far side of Kalalau Valley there's  a junction where you connect with the trail network that goes through Waimea Canyon and into the Alakai Swamp.

If you're lucky, as we were this trip, you get clear skies at the top of Kalalau Valley.


----------



## HatTrick

*Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Interpretive Photo of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunrise at Kīlauea Lighthouse*


----------



## artringwald

*March 2011 tsunami in Waikiki.*

From our room in the Waikiki Outrigger during the March 2011 tsunami. Three times the water withdrew about 50 yards, but when it came back in, it didn't go any higher. All the lights on the horizon are boats that had to leave the harbor.

[IMGL]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-d-RUQa3Il-s/TqggbwPhuCI/AAAAAAAABJE/5cBBbuHFtuc/s800/2011%252520Hawaii%252520017.JPG[/IMGL]

[IMGL]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wpahJiWvCtk/Tqggb7PZEUI/AAAAAAAABJA/uJ2gtaH4-tM/s800/2011%252520Hawaii%252520021.JPG[/IMGL]


----------



## HatTrick

*Washington's Mount Vernon Estate in Alexandria, VA*


----------



## HatTrick

*Inspecting the Washington Monument*






Structural engineers rappel down the face of the monument to look for earthquake damage.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Shipwreck Beach - Kaua'i*






The tall mountain in the back is Ha'upu, the other face of which was used for the opening shot in the first Indiana Jones movie.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Tree tunnel - Puna Coast (Big Island)*


----------



## artringwald

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Shipwreck Beach - Kaua'i*
> 
> The tall mountain in the back is Ha'upu, the other face of which was used for the opening shot in the first Indiana Jones movie.



And the buildings behind you are the source of some major financial anxiety!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

artringwald said:


> And the buildings behind you are the source of some major financial anxiety!


Sometimes in life it's just less stressful to look the other way!


----------



## HatTrick

*Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC*






FDR and Fala.


----------



## HatTrick

*Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pololu Valley - Big Island*


----------



## HatTrick

*Garden Pavilion at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA*






_"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden."_ - Thomas Jefferson


----------



## jerseyfinn

*A few Spain Shots*

Shots taken a few weeks ago in Costa del Sol near the Marriott resorts.








Sunset falls a little after 8PM this time of year. Our daily routine is to head back to the beach @ 6PM and find a spot to lay out & people watch as the sunset finally approaches. A good time for a snooze or to listen to one's i-pod ( if you've prepared a playlist to match the moments around you ).  It's amazing how you wait doing nothing and suddenly during the final 15 to 20 minutes of "magic light" you fly into motion taking all sorts of shots. I also travel with a video camera I set up on a tripod to capture the wave motion, people walking by, and the sunset itself. I also dabble in some portrait work with my wife as I alternate between scenic shots & portrait stuff. Really wish I had a bracket holder for an off camera flash . . . put that on my wish list.  







*************************






This one is not a portrait shot per se, but I always keep the camera nearby when we venture out. Carol is used to this routine and mostly accepts these camera moments as part of the routine. This image is taken at a chiringuito next to the Marriott Playa Andaluza resort. The owner had just drawn the canvas ceiling shade & I liked the new lighting effect it creates in the room.  And yes, I do put the camera down long enough to eat & drink.
​


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> And yes, I do put the camera down long enough to eat & drink.



Good to know you're not wasting away again in Margaritaville!


----------



## HatTrick

*Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Sunset at Anaeho'omalu Beach, Big Island of Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Makapu'u Point, Oahu*






Manana (also Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu (also Turtle) Islands.


----------



## SueDonJ

Pretty sunset out back tonight:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Kohala Sea Cliffs - Hawai'i (Big Island)*






The Kohala Sea Cliffs are a spectacular area, with thousand foot waterfalls dropping off the cliffs and directly into the ocean.  This shot was taken from the trail at Pololu lookout, which is the end of vista at the end of the Hawi Road on the north side of the Big Island.  The view is to the southeast towards the Waimono Valley lookout. Several of the ocean waterfalls are visible.


----------



## MuranoJo

Great shot, Steve.  I bet you get a lot of these nice views because you get out and hike the trails, right?  Something not everyone gets to see.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

muranojo said:


> Great shot, Steve.  I bet you get a lot of these nice views because you get out and hike the trails, right?  Something not everyone gets to see.



Thanks, Jo. Actually the spot where I took that photo is pretty accessible.  You take the road north out of Waimea across Kohala, then turn right (east) when you intersect the Hawi Road. Continue on to the end of that road to the Pololu lookout, where there is a great vista.  Park there and take the path at the end of the road down to Pololu Beach.  The trail takes about 30 minutes going down and about an hour coming back up.  

*******

The other end of these sea cliffs is the Waimono Valley - that's the lookout at the end of the spur road off of the highway that connects Waimea and Hilo.  That's the same lookout as the notorious 4-WD road that descends into the valley.

From the Waimono Lookout you can see a trail ascending the far wall of the canyon.  If you continue on that trail you can eventually wind up at Pololu.  I believe there are seven valleys that you cross en route, with Pololu and Waimono being first or last, depending on your direction.  I've never hiked it, and at this stage in my life I doubt that I ever will.  I understand that the middle parts of that trail are primitive to non-existent. Last year DW and SIL hiked down Waimono from the lookout, crossed the valley and started up the far side.  They turned around about halfway up the trail on the far side, partly because of time but they also said the trail was getting pretty bad.  But when we were at Pololu when I took this picture, we did encounter some backpackers on the trail who had started at Waimono.  They had spent at least one night on the crossing, though.


----------



## MuranoJo

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> You take the road north out of Waimea across Kohala, then turn right (east) when you intersect the Hawi Road. Continue on to the end of that road to the Pololu lookout, where there is a great vista.  Park there and take the path at the end of the road down to Pololu Beach.  The trail takes about 30 minutes going down and about an hour coming back up.
> 
> 
> We did see this, but didn't do the trail down this time for a closer view. Wife of the couple with us hurt her back a few days earlier, so we avoiding hiking.   But DH and I hiked down on a previous trip.  As I recall it was pretty steep down, but a nice hike. *******


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Cemetery at Painted Church, Honaunau, HI*


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


>



Nice shot as the lagoon(?) frames the FG & the trees cement the sunset moment. There's nothing like a Hawaii sunset.

Also like the high key treatment of the woman's vietnam monument. 

Presently at Ocean Pointe where we have sunrises.Some big surf is eating the beach away, but waves & light present opportunity. time will tell if I get some lucky shots.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> Nice shot as the lagoon(?) frames the FG & the trees cement the sunset moment. There's nothing like a Hawaii sunset.
> 
> Also like the high key treatment of the woman's vietnam monument.



Thanks, Barry. That area (Anaeho'omalu Bay) almost guarantees a great sunset shot.



jerseyfinn said:


> Presently at Ocean Pointe where we have sunrises.Some big surf is eating the beach away, but waves & light present opportunity. time will tell if I get some lucky shots.



Something tells me you will!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Thanks, Barry. That area (Anaeho'omalu Bay) almost guarantees a great sunset shot.



A' Bay is a great sunset pics location.  Way upthread I posted a photo I took there just as Hurricane Flossie was approaching Hawaii several years ago.  As a hurricane Flossie fell apart as it reached Hawaii.  It did produce some spectacular sunsets, though.

******

Continuing pics from our trip last summer, here are three shots of Hamakua coastal area, adjacent to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.


----------



## HatTrick

*MLK & GW Monuments in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC*


----------



## HatTrick

*Enjoying One Last Hawaiian Sunset Before Returning Home*


----------



## HatTrick

*Kailua Bay Seawall along Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Mauna Kea Sunset, Big Island of Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Akaka Falls, Big Island of Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Sleeping Sea Turtle, Anaeho'omalu Beach, Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Dolphin Quest at Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*Anaeho'omalu Bay, Big Island of Hawaii*


----------



## HatTrick

*The Pailolo Channel*






Looking at Moloka'i from Ka'anapali Beach, Maui.


----------



## HatTrick

*Kawaihai Harbor, Big Island of Hawaii*






Canoe warmly lit by the setting sun.


----------



## HatTrick

*Mauna Kea Observatories*






On a clear day, the observatories atop Mauna Kea shimmer in the sunlight.






The Gemini telescope on Mauna Kea.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Looking at Moloka'i from Ka'anapali Beach, Maui.



aka, the Pakololo Channel.


----------



## HatTrick

*Textured Image of Mokoli'i Islet (Chinaman's Hat) Oahu*


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


>



Another nice sunset shot. It's got a soft effect to it. Is this a slow shutter speed with a slight breeze softening the tree edges. A soft, surreal image.  

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> Another nice sunset shot. It's got a soft effect to it. Is this a slow shutter speed with a slight breeze softening the tree edges. A soft, surreal image.
> 
> Barry



I had a lot of fun creating this one, Barry. It started as a larger image, taken from a distance with a slow shutter speed, that I cropped to zoom-in on the people. Then I applied a filter to further soften it, yielding the "dream" look that I wanted.


----------



## HatTrick

*Sunset and Silhouette, Maui*






Re-post of one of my favorite Maui sunsets.


----------



## HatTrick

*A Golden Maui Sunset*


----------



## HatTrick

*Denizens of Hawaii's Reefs*

... or in this case, the tanks of the Maui Ocean Center.


----------



## sstamm

HatTrick said:


> Re-post of one of my favorite Maui sunsets.



I can see why it would be a favorite-  I love everything about it- just beautiful!


----------



## HatTrick

sstamm said:


> I can see why it would be a favorite-  I love everything about it- just beautiful!



Thanks. So many people who photograph sunsets leave when the sun is no longer visible. That shot was possible because I remembered reading that the most spectacular part of a sunset sometimes occurs 10 or 15 minutes after the disc has dipped below the horizon.

I had arrived late to the Lahaina seawall; the sun was gone and thought I had missed a chance to shoot. But before joining my wife, who was shopping across the street, I hung around for awhile, hoping for an encore. Suddenly, the sky seemed to explode in color; it was the most amazing sunset I had ever seen. And it lasted a long time--so long in fact that after I had shot from every angle and vantage point I could think of, I met my wife at the Hard Rock Cafe and got this shot with the painted sky visible through a window.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

HatTrick said:


> Thanks. So many people who photograph sunsets leave when the sun is no longer visible. That shot was possible because I remembered reading that the most spectacular part of a sunset sometimes occurs 10 or 15 minutes after the disc has dipped below the horizon.



That's the case when there are very high cirrus clouds.  Those clouds do not get lighted from below until after the sun drops below the horizon.

Here are a couple of my favorite Hawaii sunset shots - these were taken on successive nights. The first is 'Anaeho'omalu Bay.  The second, taken the following night, is from the fairway of Hole #2 at the Kona Country Club, right next to Mauna Loa Village Resort. The clouds in the second photo were the leading edge of Hurricane Flossie, the remnants of which made landfall the next day.


----------



## HatTrick

Quite an angry sky in that second image, Steve. This one (Maui) has some of that quality.






Maui sunset with an overcast sky.


----------



## HatTrick

*"Science City"*






The observatories on the summit of Haleakala, Maui.


----------



## HatTrick

*Scenic Oahu Image*


----------



## HatTrick

*The Daily Grind*






New York City subway commuters.


----------



## HatTrick

*Waikiki Kiss*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*South Point - Hawai`i Big Island*


----------



## HatTrick

*Golden Hour: Lahaina, Maui*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunrise at Sea Mountain*

Sea Mountain is on the south side of the Big Island of Hawai'i, right next to the Punalu'u black sand beach.


----------



## HatTrick

*Dusk, Island of Hawaii*






Royal Kona Resort, Kailua-Kona.


----------



## HatTrick

*Waikiki Sunset*


----------



## HatTrick

*Beach with White Rocks*






Looking out at Waiulua Bay, Big Island of Hawaii.


----------



## Elan

HatTrick said:


>



  Great pic.  Very cool colors & perspective.


----------



## HatTrick

Elan said:


> Great pic.  Very cool colors & perspective.



Thanks very much, Jim.

I wish I could get my wife interested in photography when we're in Lahaina. It would certainly be a less expensive hobby than the one she has!


----------



## easyrider

*4 am moonset from ko olina oahu*


----------



## easyrider

*still around 4 am*


----------



## easyrider

*ko olina lights*


----------



## easyrider

*4-30 am moonset*


----------



## artringwald

Here's a view of the Point at Poipu that many have not seen.


----------



## Mosca

This one goes back about 10 years. I got a set of complimentary tickets to Champions on Ice, which is Olympians doing Olympic stuff... and when we got there, they were first row, just off center ice! I didn't have a DSLR then, just a decent point & shoot (circa 2001), and of course no tripod allowed. I did the best I could resting the camera on the boards.


----------



## jerseyfinn

A few images from Florida trips in November & December last year.



[
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




*Tourists*








*Patterns*









*Take Out Dinner*​


----------



## geoand

A different perspective when it comes to "bird's eye view."


----------



## easyrider

*sunset over the Yucatan jungle.*


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


>



Cool shot, Barry. How far away were you?


----------



## persia




----------



## SueDonJ

persia said:


>



Wow, that's quite the unfortunate ad placement.


----------



## easyrider

*Isla Blanca*


----------



## easyrider

*Isla Mujures*


----------



## easyrider

*El Meko*


----------



## artringwald

*Where we are, where we'd rather be.*

Only one month until we leave for Hawaii.


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> Cool shot, Barry. How far away were you?



I'm some 10 to 15 feet distant shooting with the zoom to crop the shot in-camera. I actually start out at more than twice this distance sitting in the sand & I slowly slide closer to the birds as they get used to my presence. It's only after I'm sitting there observing their behavior that I notice the POV I have if I place the camera a few inches off of the sand and compose/zoom from behind.

The unusual thing here is that for some reason, these birds tend to congregate in numbers on this one 150 foot long stretch of beach towards the northern limit of the Rivieria Beach public guarded beach. I've never quite figured this out as it's a year round phenomenon where the banded gulls, heron gulls, scoops & other little guys sort of hang out. Some folks give them a wide berth and don't disturb them whilst others will walk through them, dispersing them. I like observing them and when the light is right, snapping photos of them.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

*Rainbow Gum (Eucalyptus) Tree*






Dole Plantation, Oahu


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## easyrider

*Tulum*


----------



## HatTrick

*Oahu: Friends and Family Enjoy Rocky Shore*






Mānana (Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu (Turtle) islands in the background.


----------



## HatTrick

*Jump Rock, Waimea Bay*






Oahu's North Shore


----------



## HatTrick

*Washington, DC*






Side view of Lincoln Memorial.


----------



## HatTrick

*Washington, DC*






Ornate ceiling of McPherson Square Metro station.


----------



## geoand

I don't know if I am violating rules of the board.  I just realized that I did not post any pictures here of my Big Island experience in January.

I started a thread on the Hawaii on 3/11 providing a link to pictures we took snorkeling.  Started another thread on 3/18.  First thread is of the fish we captured on camera and the second thread is of the turtles.


----------



## HatTrick

*Alexandria, VA*






George Washington Masonic Memorial


----------



## MULTIZ321

HatTrick,

My wife and I just visited the George Washington Masonic Memorial this past Thursday (3/29).   Very impressive memorial - we took the tour that included the observation deck - great views , although it was very windy when we were up there. I knew George Washington was a Free Mason but did not realize how involved he was in Freemasonry.  Also didn't know that Lafayette was a Free Mason and Freemasonry enhanced their friendship.

Thanks for posting your excellent picture.

Richard


----------



## HatTrick

Hi Richard,

I visited with a friend who is a Mason, and seeing the Memorial was on his _bucket list_. It's quite an impressive place.

Here's a shot of the bronze statue inside the main hall.


----------



## HatTrick

*George Washington Hologram*






Mount Vernon


----------



## HatTrick

*Waterfall Below the Ocean Crystal Chapel*






Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu


----------



## HatTrick

*Playin' on the Banyan Tree*






Lahaina, Maui


----------



## HatTrick

*Science City in the Mist*






Mount Haleakalā, Maui


----------



## HatTrick

*The Lagoon at Hilton Waikoloa Village*











Big Island of Hawaii


----------



## HatTrick

*Kohala Collage*






Big Island of Hawaii


----------



## jerseyfinn

Sometimes you get lucky with the light.  On this day, there's lots of clouds out there on the horizon which delays the sunrise. When the sun finally finds a hole in the clouds, the light & colors are extraordinary.











Another trick I've learned is to shoot things that are in motion in continuous mode -- I fire off 3 or 4 shots continuous mode.  It works great with waves to capture just the right splash and also swaying leaves in the trees as there are subtle changes in the shadows & sometimes this small change makes for a better image as you capture the subtle light or motion change.  In this image,  I squeeze off 3 shots & get this gull in the frame as he flew unseen from behind me.  It adds another element of interest to the image.









We get moving early each morning & walk up the beach to do breakfast at a nearby beach restaurant. This is when you can still capture some of those long morning shadows ( somewhat fleeting here, but still present ).  Clouds keep turning the sun on and off & I keep switching white balance to get the proper tonalities ( also have to tweak EVs + 1/3 to + 2/3 to get the sand exposure right ). What's so neat about all of this is that we've been coming here 10 years & you still can have camera in hand as the light and scene is always changing so that even the familiar is something new.


Hope you enjoy these shots. Heading to Arizona soon to do some hiking.


​
Barry




,


----------



## cindi

Thanks for keeping up with the photo thread. I LOVE seeing all these wonderful pictures!


----------



## geoand

*Palouse Falls in Eastern Washington*

I am hoping that you will be able to follow the link.  We were there over Mother's Day weekend.

Let me know if link doesn't work.

http://geoand.smugmug.com/Travel/Ea...ay-11/23099477_QVGWwm#!i=1859699080&k=Mb83635


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Ruins of the Walled City of Fethard, Ireland*






This photo is a merged pano of four images.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Ruins of the Walled Fort of Dun Aonghasa*






Four image pano of Dun Aonghasa, a prehistoric fort on the island of Inis Mor, Ireland.  The right side is facing the Atlantic Ocean while the left is facing the mainland of Ireland and the Connemara coast.  The clouds are over the Connemara Mountains.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*View Over the Edge into the Atlantic Ocean*






Three image pano overlooking the edge of Dun Aonghasa, into the Atlantic Ocean.  The foot/shoe is of the photographer - my DH David.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Kilkenny Castle - Ireland*






When you don't have a wide angle lens, a pano image is the next best thing.  This is three photos stitched together to create this pano.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Peeping Tom*






Not the best quality photo, but I did what I had to in order to get the shot before he left.  This photo was taken from the dining room (through the kitchen) of our timeshare at Connemara Country Cottages in Ireland


----------



## Timeshare Von

*View to the Right of DH's Foot*






Further down the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Dun Aonghasa - Inis Mor, Ireland.

p.s.  More photos may be seen in my Facebook album.


----------



## HatTrick

*View Through Ring of an Old Anchor*






Lahaina, Maui


----------



## easyrider

Those pano shots are really cool Von.


----------



## HatTrick

*Molokini at Dusk*






Maui


----------



## Timeshare Von

HatTrick . . . love the creativity with the anchor!  And who doesn't love a sunrise/set or diffused sunlight?


----------



## Timeshare Von

easyrider said:


> Those pano shots are really cool Von.



Thanks!  There is so much beauty all around you in Ireland it seemed a pano was the only way to even attempt to capture it.


----------



## HatTrick

*Nakalele Blowhole*






Maui


----------



## HatTrick

Timeshare Von said:


> HatTrick . . . love the creativity with the anchor!  And who doesn't love a sunrise/set or diffused sunlight?



Thanks, Yvonne. 

I agree with easyrider about your pano shots. Nicely done.


----------



## HatTrick

*Charles Lindbergh's Grave*











Palapala Ho'omau Church, Kipahulu, Maui


----------



## HatTrick

*Watercolor Effect*






Lahaina Harbor, Maui


----------



## HatTrick

*Goats Inhabiting the Lava Fields*






Southwest Maui


----------



## Timeshare Von

I love the wild goats in Hawaii.


----------



## HatTrick

*Nightly Ritual: Gathering to View the Sunset*






Lahaina, Maui


----------



## artringwald

*Art students at the British Museum in London*


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Green County, Wisconsin*

I don't know about everyone else, but for me, it has been easy to forget about the beauty in my own state (Wisconsin).  I have a wanderlust to travel and see new things and have been fortunate to venture to places like Hawaii and Alaska several times to fulfill my photog interests.

This past Sunday I drove to Monroe, WI which is about 125 miles from where I live, to take in the US Open (Ballooning) Championships.  I know . . . who'd have thunk it?  I think there is a US Open for EVERYthing!  Anyway, I took a lot of photos of the balloons in flight and landing and here's one.






I also took some photos of barn quilts, which are very interesting too.  Here's an example:






Rather than cluttering up this forum thread with tons of photos, here is the link to my others posted on Facebook (which I've got as "public access").

ENJOY!


----------



## artringwald

*Kissing the Blarney Stone*


----------



## SueDonJ

Timeshare Von said:


> I don't know about everyone else, but for me, it has been easy to forget about the beauty in my own state (Wisconsin).  I have a wanderlust to travel and see new things and have been fortunate to venture to places like Hawaii and Alaska several times to fulfill my photog interests.
> 
> This past Sunday I drove to Monroe, WI which is about 125 miles from where I live, to take in the US Open (Ballooning) Championships.  I know . . . who'd have thunk it?  I think there is a US Open for EVERYthing!  Anyway, I took a lot of photos of the balloons in flight and landing and here's one.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I also took some photos of barn quilts, which are very interesting too.  Here's an example:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rather than cluttering up this forum thread with tons of photos, here is the link to my others posted on Facebook (which I've got as "public access").
> 
> ENJOY!



Many years ago Don and I took a weekend drive to Newport and as we rounded a corner on the ocean drive there were hundreds of balloons just taking off from a field high on a cliff over the ocean.  Beautiful!  That was before the days of digital cameras, back in the days when I didn't carry a camera everywhere, but I'll never forget it.  It was stunning.

Love your barn quilt photo, too.  The first I learned of those was in Pennsylvania and I've always wanted to duplicate one of my quilts onto a wall somewhere.  Your photo moves that idea up a notch or ten on my Bucket List.


----------



## SueDonJ

We're back this week from a couple weeks in Hilton Head.  I was lazier about picture-taking this trip than I usually am but managed to get a few.  I think my technique for bird photos is getting better:

Takeoff





Landing





The second week we had a gorgeous full moon between cloudy skies, and the highest tides we've ever seen there.  (I need to do a lot of work to get better night shots but it's slowly coming.  This one might not be the best of the bunch but I love the muted effect.)





And finally, the happiest occasion of this trip - our daughter Eileen and her boyfriend Evan became engaged.  Love their BIG smiles in this pic, taken within minutes of his asking.  Don and I knew it was going to happen because he'd asked for our blessings (so sweet!) but we weren't there at the moment.  They said about twenty people were, though, and it tickled them so much that all the folks around them on the beach were clapping.





So now we're looking at a busy year with our Steve marrying his Denise July '13 and then Eileen with her Evan October '13.  Whew!  (Can't wait to start posting pics of bridal formalwear taking shape in my sewing room!)

*********
Aside from all that, I can't tell you how happy I am that this thread is still going - it's one of my favorites on TUG and I love how we all share here.  Thanks, everyone!


----------



## SueDonJ

An oldie but a goodie - my favorite pic of the two couples, from our trip to Kauai May '08.  (L-R Evan, Eileen, Denise, Steve)


----------



## Timeshare Von

SueDonJ said:


> Many years ago Don and I took a weekend drive to Newport and as we rounded a corner on the ocean drive there were hundreds of balloons just taking off from a field high on a cliff over the ocean.  Beautiful!  That was before the days of digital cameras, back in the days when I didn't carry a camera everywhere, but I'll never forget it.  It was stunning.
> 
> Love your barn quilt photo, too.  The first I learned of those was in Pennsylvania and I've always wanted to duplicate one of my quilts onto a wall somewhere.  Your photo moves that idea up a notch or ten on my Bucket List.



Funny that you mention Pennsylvania as that was where I had first seen the barns decorated in the Pennsylvania Dutch country as a kid.  I had no idea we had them here in Wisconsin until one of my Alaskan photog friends was here visiting her kids and she stumbled upon them and did a photo essay of her own.

As for the balloons, I've always been intrigued by them (hence the tattoo on my left shoulder) which I had done 12 years ago.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Susan yes your bird photos are very good!  Love them and the moonlight on the ocean.

Congrats on your daughter's engagement too!


----------



## MuranoJo

Beautiful couple, Sue--they look so happy.  What a great talent to be able to sew for the wedding.


----------



## artringwald

*White Bay Park, Northern Ireland*


----------



## artringwald

*Argyll Forest Park, Scotland*


----------



## artringwald

*Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, Scotland*


----------



## Timeshare Von

Lovely photos Art . . . especially the "Braveheart" castle in Scotland!


----------



## artringwald

*Honfleur, Normandy, France*






We're back home now. It was a great trip.


----------



## Elli

artringwald said:


> We're back home now. It was a great trip.


Good shot, Arthur, I have a similar picture but, unfortunately, it rained while we were there, still enjoyed it, though.


----------



## HatTrick

Beautiful shots, Art. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## HatTrick

*Hungry Visitor*






WKORV, Maui


----------



## HatTrick

*West Maui From the Air*


----------



## artringwald

HatTrick said:


>



Nice photo! Taken from an inter-island flight?


----------



## HatTrick

artringwald said:


> Nice photo! Taken from an inter-island flight?



Yes, Kahului to Honolulu.


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


> Palapala Ho'omau Church, Kipahulu, Maui



This image brings back memories of our own visit to the church and grave sites here. Lindbergh's grave is non-descript as it sits atop the cliffs which overlook the ocean. An amazingly quiet place which sort of feels like its at the end of the world. 

At first I was puzzled as to how he ends up in Hawaii, but he is befriended by the man who founds Pan Am and I guess Hawaii becomes a place of solitude and respite for a man whose life hits world attention with the triumph of his solo Atlantic flight and the later kidnapping of his son in NJ. Lindbergh rests in a truely unique place.


----------



## jerseyfinn

artringwald said:


>



Kudos for all of the great shots from your Euro travels. This photo brings back memories of what those roads & lanes which cover Ireland, Scotland etc are like ( well actually they're more the width of driveways, aren't they ?  )  I can remember lots of times we drive on these smaller roads and hold our breath hoping an on-coming vehicle does not appear ( the opposite road driving simply adds more drama to the experience    ). But some of these roads take one to some very interesting places. 

Looks you you had a great journey.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

*Like Day... and Night*






Lahaina, Maui


----------



## artringwald

jerseyfinn said:


> Kudos for all of the great shots from your Euro travels. This photo brings back memories of what those roads & lanes which cover Ireland, Scotland etc are like ( well actually they're more the width of driveways, aren't they ?  )  I can remember lots of times we drive on these smaller roads and hold our breath hoping an on-coming vehicle does not appear ( the opposite road driving simply adds more drama to the experience    ). But some of these roads take one to some very interesting places.
> 
> Looks you you had a great journey.
> 
> Barry



It was my first trip to the British Isles and I was amazed at the beauty of the scenery. We took bus tours because I wasn't sure I could handle driving on the left. I never saw so many sheep in my life!


----------



## Mosca




----------



## Mosca

My daughter hiked the Inca Trail last week...


----------



## Mosca

Never mind.


----------



## geoand

*It has been quite some time since I posted a pic*

Hopefully this works.





DW and I walked out onto the Eastern Highrise on I-90 along with several thousand other folks.  This is one of many that I took.  Will post others.


----------



## geoand

We were out yesterday and today.  I am going Sunday and DW says "Have Fun!"


----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




----------



## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## geoand




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## MULTIZ321

Geo,

Thanks for the great Blue Angel Pics.


Richard


----------



## geoand

Thanks Richard.  It was really a fun experience taking the photos.  There was whooping and yelling and hoo rays galore.  There was a timing factor in getting many of the shots and I felt good coming back home and seeing how I got those crossing, passing shots.  Took more today and will post later.


----------



## Passepartout

Great Blue Angels shots. They were here in Twin week B4 last but we were in Yellowstone until the last afternoon of their show. We got to to see Fat Albert's JATO assisted launch and 45 degree climbout and some formation flying at some distance. It isn't like being here with the noise and the smell of burning kerosene, though.

Jim


----------



## Kay H

It is almost as breath taking looking at the pictures as it is watching in person.  Thanks for some terriffic pics.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Kay H said:


> It is almost as breath taking looking at the pictures as it is watching in person.  Thanks for some terriffic pics.



I've only been fortunate enough to see them live & in person a couple of times but these photos do whet my appetite to see them again.

Thanks for sharing with us!


----------



## Rose Pink

I saw them practicing over my son's house when he lived in Pensacola.  They were so low I could read the writing on the planes.  I'm talking really low.


----------



## geoand

Rose Pink said:


> I saw them practicing over my son's house when he lived in Pensacola.  They were so low I could read the writing on the planes.  I'm talking really low.



Rose, the first day of taking pics, DW and I shouted together, "We can see the pilots!"  I took some shots yesterday with some trees in the frames.  Gives a different perspective to show how really low they can fly by.


----------



## LynnW

Several years ago they were training at Glacier Airport in Montana while we were at Meadow Lake. We drove to the airport and watched them from the side of the highway a couple of times. The days that we were on the golf course it was pretty hard to concentrate as we were all busy watching them.

Lynn


----------



## Karen G

geoand, thanks so much for posting the Blue Angels pictures. Seeing them fly over Lake Washington while standing on the I-90 bridge is one of my fondest memories of all the Seafair festivities.


----------



## geoand

For Rose


----------



## Rose Pink

Thanks, Geo.   

It was so odd to be in the yard and feel like I could almost reach up and touch them.

Both of my sons are in the US Navy.


----------



## justmeinflorida

Beautiful pictures...thank you posting.


----------



## easyrider

The jet pics are really cool Geo.


----------



## easyrider

*Bear*


----------



## easyrider

*Bear*


----------



## Rose Pink

Looks like that bear is smiling.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Nice bear photos.  Where were these beauties taken?


----------



## easyrider

These bear are in Northwest WA close to the Salish Sea. I think its the place Walt Disney created back when Disney did alot of nature films. It is now called the Olypic Game Farm. http://www.olygamefarm.com/

It was a kick in the pants as many of the animals are free to roam and will stick their heads in the suv window to say Hi. A couple of elk reached in and through oposit windows wile they were being fed. The big one was half way across the back seat trying to reach a bite. A buffalo licked the car door handle and opened the door on my wife. 


Bill


----------



## easyrider

*Buffalo*


----------



## HatTrick

HatTrick said:


> OK, now _you_ hide. One... two... three...



He was 15 in that photo. Sunday he left us at 18. RIP, little buddy.


----------



## SueDonJ

HatTrick said:


> He was 15 in that photo. Sunday he left us at 18. RIP, little buddy.



I'm sorry for your loss.  It's not easy saying goodbye to our pets.


----------



## Timeshare Von

SueDonJ said:


> I'm sorry for your loss.  It's not easy saying goodbye to our pets.



Yes, RIP pretty kitty!


----------



## Timeshare Von

easyrider said:


> These bear are in Northwest WA close to the Salish Sea. I think its the place Walt Disney created back when Disney did alot of nature films. It is now called the Olypic Game Farm. http://www.olygamefarm.com/
> 
> It was a kick in the pants as many of the animals are free to roam and will stick their heads in the suv window to say Hi. A couple of elk reached in and through oposit windows wile they were being fed. The big one was half way across the back seat trying to reach a bite. A buffalo licked the car door handle and opened the door on my wife.
> 
> 
> Bill



Thanks Bill . . . they sure look healthy, now I know why


----------



## HatTrick

Timeshare Von said:


> Yes, RIP pretty kitty!



He was indeed. Thanks.


----------



## HatTrick

SueDonJ said:


> I'm sorry for your loss.  It's not easy saying goodbye to our pets.



Thanks so much. They really do grow on us.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Sunrise - Yellowstone NP*





My first morning in Yellowstone NP, over the Yellowstone Lake





Taken a few days later at the West Thumb Area of Yellowstone Lake





Clearing skies


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Some of the Wildlife I Saw - part 1*

Yellowstone National Park - July 2012





Black Bear





When the action's behind you, use your side mirror!





Large bull elk - looks like he's smiling for the camera


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Some of the Wildlife I Saw - part 2*

Yellowstone National Park - July 2012





Bison bulls jousting as rut soon approaches





Tiny first year black bear cubs following their momma who has already crossed the road between the cars on the park road





Coyote looking for lunch


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Some of the Wildlife I Saw - part 3*

Yellowstone National Park - July 2012





Brown/grizzly sow





Her two cubs after swimming across the Yellowstone River





The grizz family before their swim across the river


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Yellowstone NP - Thermal Features #1*





Steamboat Geyser - sputtering and splashing (2 photo panorama image)





Porcelain Basin (3 photo panorama image)





White Cone Geyser


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Yellowstone NP - Thermal Features #2*





Emerald Springs





West Thumb Boiling Pot





Firehole Springs


----------



## Kay H

Wow.  Love those Yellowstone pictures.  Looks like you saw a little of everything.  Lucky you.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Kay H said:


> Wow.  Love those Yellowstone pictures.  Looks like you saw a little of everything.  Lucky you.



Thanks Kay.  The one thing I didn't see was a wolf!  I was bummed in a major way, especially since they had been seen throughout my time there in places I had been to see them.  Just missed the timing . . . wrong place/wrong time.

It was a great trip though, so I cannot complain.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*1 More Photo Set - Yellowstone Wildflowers*


----------



## jerseyfinn

Nice bear photos *Easy Rider* . They look fat, content, & slow . . .  but I suspect they can move with some velocity if so motivated.  Thank goodness for long lenses.  

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

[/QUOTE]

Nice shot. you capture the persona & the pose.

Barry


----------



## jerseyfinn

It's been a hectic summer ( = working every day   ). But I finally get around to processing some photos taken during our AZ visit in May. 

Photos added to three different galleries:


 *Grand Canyon North Rim* has lots of shots from the north rim & environs around it.
*Bear Mountain Trail* chronicles a long day hike to some vista views.
 *Flagstaff & Environs* has images added from Jerome & Wupatki National Mounment

I'll be adding dialog to the Bear Mountain gallery. Suffice it to say that it's only a 2.4 mile long hike *but* it has a 1600 foot elevation gain over this distance, which at Arizona altitude, means a tough hike for flat-landers. Throw in the idea that my wife has never done this trail before & I fail to mention to her what was in store this day   You can follow the entire day. Let's just say that my wife is a bit tired on the way down.

Hope you enjoy the images.

Barry


A panorama shot of 3 images combined in Photoshop.







__________________________________________________​

Below is one of the images from the north rim.


----------



## dougp26364

what do you know, it worked! Old age and learning how to use all the buttons, bells and whistles of the internet really strains my brain.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Great photos Barry.  Thanks for sharing your albums with us!


----------



## HatTrick

*Waikiki Beach*






The mass of humanity may cause some people to cringe, but Waikiki is always fun to photograph.


----------



## Timeshare Von

Playing around with Photoshop with some of my photos taken this weekend.  I really like the way this one looks, taken in Columbia County, WI on Sunday 9/30.  It was a very foggy morning and I think processing as a B/W really adds to the visual imagery.


----------



## HatTrick

Well done, Yvonne!


----------



## HatTrick

*Lahaina, Maui*






Sailor Jerry's favorite hula girl.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Gillins Beach from Maha'ulepu*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Menehune Fish Pond*


----------



## HatTrick

*Fishing on Maui*


----------



## geoand

*photos taken 10-18 on the Mercer Lid*


----------



## geoand

*different pic of fall colors*

Here is link to the full gallery of fall colors
http://perrydise.smugmug.com/Other/view-from-mercer-lid/26038959_SGdS8q


----------



## ace2000

geoand said:


> Here is link to the full gallery of fall colors
> http://perrydise.smugmug.com/Other/view-from-mercer-lid/26038959_SGdS8q
> 
> 
> http://perrydise.smugmug.com/Other/...38959_SGdS8q#!i=2165215112&k=pHLNNf7&lb=1&s=A


 
Nice job on those photos, I was very impressed!


----------



## geoand

ace2000 said:


> Nice job on those photos, I was very impressed!



DW is the artist.  She says THANKS!


----------



## ricoba

*On Top of the World*

I just wanted to share this great picture my nephew took last week (10/18/12) at the Mix Lounge on the 64th Floor of the Hotel @ the Mandalay Bay.

It was my niece's wedding reception and the picture really captures the happy moment and the beautiful view from way up above the Strip. 






[/IMG]


----------



## HatTrick

*Lahaina Harbor, Maui*


----------



## SueDonJ

We had a 4" praying mantis come to visit for most of October and into November that stayed within a 6ft area on the side porch and in a bush at the base of the stairs.  Now that we're pretty well into cold temps and with the first snow today, I guess it's time to accept that this thing is gone.  But it was amazing!  It would react immediately to the sound of the side door opening and it actually turned its head and followed the sound of our voices.  Very cool visitor.


----------



## SueDonJ

With the first snow today, we're probably seeing the last of these two hardy roses as well.


----------



## Timeshare Von

SueDonJ said:


> We had a 4" praying mantis come to visit for most of October and into November that stayed within a 6ft area on the side porch and in a bush at the base of the stairs.  Now that we're pretty well into cold temps and with the first snow today, I guess it's time to accept that this thing is gone.  But it was amazing!  It would react immediately to the sound of the side door opening and it actually turned its head and followed the sound of our voices.  Very cool visitor.



As I kid I used to love seeing them around the yard in VA.  Very cool indeed.

Loved the photos.


----------



## Passepartout

[/IMG]

Well, it was a little slow here, so this is where we've been the last couple of weeks. From Barcelona to Lisbon. This is Wind Spirit docked in Cartegena, Spain, one of 7 ports of call. Not timeshare, but a nice break anyway. Like one's own private yacht.

Jim


----------



## BobDE

Massanutten in the fall of 2011. Beautiful colors!


----------



## artringwald

We were grilling by the pool at Coconut Palms Beach Resort II in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of the brilliant sunset.


----------



## Travelclam




----------



## frankhi

[..............


----------



## FlyerBobcat

*Captain Andy's -- Na Pali Coast (Kauai. HI)*






Taken while hanging over the front of the catamaran.  Man... I wanna' go back!!!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Christmas Day in a Wisconsin Amish Community*





Buggy & horses near the skating pond





Boys playing ice hockey while the girls watch


In this (public) album, I have posted many more photos from that day and throughout the past year taken in various Amish communities in Wisconsin.

I hope you enjoy . . . please feel free to share with others.


----------



## Timeshare Von

FlyerBobcat said:


> Taken while hanging over the front of the catamaran.  Man... I wanna' go back!!!



Very nice Tom.  Makes me want to go to warmer climates too!


----------



## Timeshare Von

*To quote Rod Stewart . . .*

. . . every picture tells a story and this one tells the rest of the story from Christmas Day and the kids ice skating on that pond:






This photo is "the rest of the story" about the kids down at the skating pond. I've been by this farm before on a Sunday. It was apparent that day that this is where they were holding church. On Christmas Day, this was where the children returned after playing at the pond. In the yard were more than 15 buggies.

To the left of the front of the house, you can see the white wagon. This wagon is used to store and move the benches and books used during church service.

On Christmas Day, I just happened upon the kids on the pond . . . took some photos from a great distance (300mm lens used handheld from two nearby hills) and then went about my day. Imagine my surprise when later in the day I was driving up the road at this farmhouse, only to see the kids walking home from the pond. (I didn't even realize I was near that pond!)

It wasn't until I went by the house a second time, that I could stop and take a couple of photos (including this one) without intruding on them. It would appear that this is where this church district's Christmas services were held and that the children were "sent out to play" while the adults congregated (and the women cooked no doubt).  And oh by the way, it was only 12F at noon on that day!


----------



## jerseyfinn

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> *Menehune Fish Pond*




*Trog, really nice shot as the vibrant colors really pop and the image has a 3D sort of quality to it.

Barry*


----------



## jerseyfinn

geoand said:


>



*This and your other Fall image really capture the color and landscape. It's nice to be able to travel this time of year and capture shots like these. 

Barry*


----------



## jerseyfinn

FlyerBobcat said:


> Taken while hanging over the front of the catamaran.  Man... I wanna' go back!!!




*A fantastic capture! It's got a 3D like quality to it. Guess it goes without saying that you had a great trip.

Barry*


----------



## geoand

jerseyfinn said:


> *This and your other Fall image really capture the color and landscape. It's nice to be able to travel this time of year and capture shots like these.
> 
> Barry*



Agree 100%.  However, this time all the shots on the gallery are within a 10 minute walk from where we live.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Along the Mississippi River - Quad Cities, IA*

I was at Lock & Dam #14 near Bettendorf, IA last weekend.  Some of these aren't as crisp as I'd like, but given the overcast skies, I'm pretty happy with them.  All were taken with an Olympus E520, 300mm f/5.6 and image cropped in PhotoShop.  No other enhancements have been done other than my watermark.





Very majestic!





Mature parent plus 2012 juvenile/fledgling.





This eagle was finally successful at catching lunch after several attempts!


----------



## SueDonJ

Awesome, Von!  Eagles are at the very top of my wish list for good photo ops.


----------



## HatTrick

*Hawaii Collage*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Kudos to whoever can guess this location!!! (Hint - it's in Hawai'i).


----------



## artringwald

*Lāwa`i Bay*

Looks like  Lāwa`i Bay at Allerton Garden, an amazing place.



T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kudos to whoever can guess this location!!! (Hint - it's in Hawai'i).


----------



## Phydeaux

Valentino Rossi. Moto GP - the greatest sport on the planet on the fastest motorcycles on the planet. Will be watching today from Austin. Just another day at the office...


----------



## Timeshare Von

Phydeaux said:


> Valentino Rossi. Moto GP - the greatest sport on the planet on the fastest motorcycles on the planet. Will be watching today from Austin. Just another day at the office...



Very nice!!!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

artringwald said:


> Looks like  Lāwa`i Bay at Allerton Garden, an amazing place.



Right island. Wrong locale.


----------



## artringwald

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Right island. Wrong locale.



I was fooled because it looks so much like this picture, but I can see the differences. How long will you keep us guessing?


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

artringwald said:


> I was fooled because it looks so much like this picture, but I can see the differences. How long will you keep us guessing?



Given the whelming interest I generated, I guess this is long enough. 

The location is Moloa'a, which has become one favorite locales.  Finding places like Moloa'a is one of the charms of Kaua'i, because there are so many pockets and beaches tucked away here and there.


----------



## artringwald

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Given the whelming interest I generated, I guess this is long enough.
> 
> The location is Moloa'a, which has become one favorite locales.  Finding places like Moloa'a is one of the charms of Kaua'i, because there are so many pockets and beaches tucked away here and there.



Sigh, just another reason to go back. Next time we're headed up to the lighthouse, we'll have to check it out. Thanks for the stumper.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

one of my favorite places in the world - Makaweha Cliffs


----------



## Koontzy

tomandrobin said:


> Our crew at Atlantis this past June!



Quick question, and I know this photo is old, but is this the Atlantis located in the Bahamas???


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Wailua River*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*ʻOpaekaʻa Falls*







*Kapa'a Shoreline Trail*







*Donkey Beach*







*Sunset from our Unit at Kapa'a Shores*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*On the Power Line Trail

back side of Sleeping Giant*







*wildflowers*







*Wai'ale'ale*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Po'ipu Shoreline from Spouting Horn







Spouting Horn







Gillin's Beach






*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Lehua (the small island on the horizon)






Polihale







Ni'ihau




*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Pu'u Poa Beach
















St. Regis Hotel







Sunset - Hanalei Bay Resort





*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Nene on our doorstep







Lumahai




*


----------



## LisaH

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Kudos to whoever can guess this location!!! (Hint - it's in Hawai'i).



That's also our favorite beach! WE have never seen it so calm though...


----------



## chriskre

Koontzy said:


> Quick question, and I know this photo is old, but is this the Atlantis located in the Bahamas???



Yes this is Atlantis in the Bahamas.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Sunset - Hanalei Bay











*


----------



## heathpack

*Cat Harbor fron Silver Peak Trail, Catalina Island, CA*


----------



## HatTrick

*How many in my party? I forget!*


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## HatTrick

*SkyJump Las Vegas*

_"SkyJump is a controlled free fall, similar to a vertical zip line. The launching pad is located on the 108th
floor of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, 855 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. It's the only 
sky jump in North America and the highest in the world. Jumpers are harnessed in and attached to a cable
 that is connected to a descender machine."_









_"Guide wires keep the skyjumper on course and on target. Just before reaching the rapidly approaching
ground, the skyjumper is slowed down for a controlled and safe landing."_









No, you go ahead. I'll just take pictures!


----------



## artringwald

HatTrick said:


> _"SkyJump is a controlled free fall, similar to a vertical zip line. The launching pad is located on the 108th
> floor of Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, 855 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. It's the only
> sky jump in North America and the highest in the world. Jumpers are harnessed in and attached to a cable
> that is connected to a descender machine."_
> 
> _"Guide wires keep the skyjumper on course and on target. Just before reaching the rapidly approaching
> ground, the skyjumper is slowed down for a controlled and safe landing."_



No way in the world would I think of doing that.


----------



## jerseyfinn

Fiddling around with some of my Florida pictures taken during storms / rain. They can be found in gallery called Storms R coming. A few representative shots are below.

Enjoying the imagery folks are posting here. 

Barry


----------



## Blues

*Brer Fox Breakfast - Not for the faint of heart*

Picture taken by my wife this morning, from our breakfast nook...


----------



## Mosca

How to get your graduate to stand out: text her and tell her to lean forward and wave to the right!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*on the Power Line Trail, Kaua'i*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Ha'upu - view from the Maha'ulepu shoreline*

This is the backside of the mountain that was used in the opening shot of "Raiders of the Lost Ark".  Maha'ulepu is one of my favorite areas on Kaua'i. I would love to have my ashes scattered there. Unfortunately, since wind is almost always blowing inland at this locale, that would probably be a Lebowski moment.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Boyz and Gullz*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*Katy Boutique - Isla de Rio Cuala
Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

*La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta*


----------



## SueDonJ

Love coming back to this thread, it's like catching up with old friends.  We're at Hilton Head Island for a few weeks - enjoy!











(My new desktop!)





{ETA} Gotta add this one from later this afternoon, about 6:


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## HatTrick




----------



## Timeshare Von

This is a heavily processed (HDR) image of the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse near sunset in Peninsula State Park in Door County, WI.  I was going for a watercolor painting-like effect.


----------



## HatTrick

*Las Vegas*






Sometimes a replica of the Eiffel Tower is just a replica of the Eiffel Tower...


----------



## HatTrick

*Hoover Dam*






The High Scaler Monument.


----------



## Timeshare Von

*Lighthouses in Wisconsin*

This thread has been quiet for a while, so I thought I'd post some photos from my day trip to photograph lighthouses last Sunday.





Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, WI (built in 1880)





Wind Point Lighthouse & Keepers' Quarters - Racine, WI





Southport Lighthouse - Kenosha, WI (built in 1866)





"New" Kenosha Breakwater Lighthouse (built in 1906)


----------



## jerseyfinn

*Sedona Hiking photos*

I post some photos from our recent Sedona hiking trip. Those who are interested in Sedona AZ might find these photos useful in finding trails to hike on.

My wife and I actually hike 43 miles over 7 days.

We do an II exchange into the Sedona Summit resort which is itself a great trade and a great location for one to enjoy Sedona from.





This image is from *West Fork Trail *which is a 3.3 mile hike. Th trail dead ends into a canyon where one can continue walking ( if you bring water shoes and some swim trunks for one deep spot ).​

______________________







This image is taken on *Soldier Pass Trail* which is best hiked via Brins Mesa Trail to Soldiers Pass and then Cibola Pass Trail to make a circle walk of @ 5.5 miles.



____________________________









Finally there is *Boynton Pass Trail *which is 3 miles and leads to this wonderful box canyon ending.​

We had a great trip and really enjoy every day. You do not need to be a rustic hiker to enjoy all of these trails. Sedona is a great destination to trade into for those who enjoy photography and hiking.

Hope you enjoy the galleries

Barry


----------



## Timeshare Von

Those are great photos Barry!  Thanks for sharing with us.

I really enjoyed the boxed canyon one and the one of your wife walking.  It sure puts things into (size) perspective.


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## Timeshare Von

*Winter Lighthouse Photos*

Since we got a small snow dump on Sunday, I thought I would go out to the Wind Point Lighthouse in Racine, WI to take some winter photos.  I hope folks enjoy these images, which have been HDR processed in order to create a variety of looks . . .


----------



## jerseyfinn

HatTrick said:


>





A poignant reminder of an event that is now 50 years behind us. I'm guessing that there are now more Americans who have no personal recollection of that somber November than there are those of us who can remember that day and the rapid-fire events which follow.  It's hard not to get choked up thinking about those times. Still harder to convey to people today what it really meant to our nation.

Thanks for the photo.

Barry


----------



## HatTrick

jerseyfinn said:


> A poignant reminder of an event that is now 50 years behind us. I'm guessing that there are now more Americans who have no personal recollection of that somber November than there are those of us who can remember that day and the rapid-fire events which follow.  It's hard not to get choked up thinking about those times. Still harder to convey to people today what it really meant to our nation.



So true. Thanks, Barry.


----------



## HatTrick

*Cardinal Encounter*






Nakalele Blowhole parking lot, Maui.


----------



## artringwald

*Close encounter with a chicken*



HatTrick said:


> Nakalele Blowhole parking lot, Maui.



I was sitting on a picnic table enjoying the Spouting Horn blowhole in Kauai yesterday when I felt tapping on my back pocket. It was a chicken. I think he was trying to steal my car keys.


----------



## artringwald

*Sunset from Ka'anapali Beach Club*

We were enjoying a pretty sunset tonight at the Ka'anapali Beach Club, and it reminded us of this awesome sunset we saw when we were here in 2009.


----------



## Crif

Really cool pictures , I liked this thread very much! Thanks for starting it.


----------



## HatTrick

Hilton Hawaiian Village Rainbow Bazaar


----------



## Grimplin

Last Week at Smuggler's Notch


----------



## Phydeaux

This winter, my backyard:


----------



## thinze3

We have a photographer down in Galveston that takes fantastic photos and posts them each day on his Facebook Page.  Here are some samples.


----------



## HatTrick

Some favorite Hawaii images.


----------



## HatTrick

A few more.


----------



## HatTrick




----------



## HatTrick




----------



## HatTrick

*The "Insanity" Ride*






Top of the Stratosphere, Las Vegas


----------



## HatTrick

*Watercolor Filter*






Mokoli`i islet, Oahu


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Mount Si, near North Bend, WA. The trail to the top of Mt. Si is one of the most popular hikes in the Puget Sound.  It's about a 4000 ft ascent, and I can do it in about 4 hours (carrying the 30 lbs of excess weight that I can't seem to keep off).  The other hikers in the family can do it in about 3 to 3-1/2 hours.  So they loll around while they wait for me. Then there are the people who train by running to the top and back down. Twice.     






This is a view from the top of Mt. Si, with the Cascade Mountains and Interstate Hwy 90 in the background.


----------



## Passepartout

Good Job Steve! And THANKS for reincarnating this wonderful- and lately little-used thread.

Jim


----------



## taterhed

Nice pic!  Makes me want to go hiking


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## T_R_Oglodyte

With sheltering in place in effect, perhaps this is a good time to reactivate this thread so that we can share our memories of trips taken and places visited. I'll try to restart things with this pic, from our first visit to Mexico, at Solmar Beach in Cabo San Lucas - a trip which happened only because of the TUG Direct Exchange feature:


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## easyrider

It seems like many of the old pictures have disappeared. I'm guessing all of my old pics on this thread are gone as they were hosted by photobucket.
 This one speaks for herself.


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## RNCollins

It’s more than one picture, but here are some pics from my trip to Zanzibar a few years ago:


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## easyrider

Bing Bong


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## Krteczech

Today on my way to grocery store


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## turkel

Personally I think a new thread would have been better 123 pages to get through is too tall an order in my book.


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## dioxide45

turkel said:


> Personally I think a new thread would have been better 123 pages to get through is too tall an order in my book.


We expect you to look at them all! There will be a quiz later


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## dioxide45

I also thought they removed the _"__Dial-up internet users enter at own risk!)"_ note from the title a while back?


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## easyrider

Krteczech said:


> Today on my way to grocery storeView attachment 19477



Looks like the road to the store is made for a 4x4. I like it.

Bill


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## easyrider

When we finally get to go fishing.

Bill


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## Krteczech

easyrider said:


> Looks like the road to the store is made for a 4x4. I like it.
> 
> Bill


It’s a shortcut I take whenever I can. Small substitute for hiking.


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## Krteczech

Elk Elk within city limits of Estes Park, CO 4/23/2020


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## T_R_Oglodyte

Skunk Cabbage in Full Bloom today - Mercer Slough Nature Park, Bellevue, WA


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## T_R_Oglodyte

DW has been collecting Christmas nutcrackers for years, in a variety. Every year she lines this ledge on our stairway - Nutcrackers on parade -


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