I live in near an incredibly beautiful city (Calgary) and I just noticed that you live in another of those Olympic gems. That Orchid garden is stunning and we really enjoyed the Dogwood Festival in the park near there.
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I live in near an incredibly beautiful city (Calgary) and I just noticed that you live in another of those Olympic gems. That Orchid garden is stunning and we really enjoyed the Dogwood Festival in the park near there.
Well, I wasn't here when they had the Olympics here - just moved in 2006. However, I am a frequent visitor to the Orchid Conservatory, with either my D80 or, until now, either my Canon A590 or my iPhone camera. I have quite a few photo threads here on the Forum, if you ever want to take a look. Thanks for the tip on the Tv setting!
Age may be just numbers but I do feel the weight of the numbers piling upon me. At 37 I would have put the new lens to test, the moment I got it and not have waited 4 months. In those 4 months I would have climbed my favourite hill to look at the niveums and Calanthes, joined the Camera Club members in their monthly outings, and made at least 2 fishing trips. However here are some pictures I took with it on my Nikon D200 with the 55 - 300mm G lens.
Pix #1 - Chrysothemis pulchella @200mm - f11 - 1/125 @ 4ft from subject
Pix #2 - Mamillaria sp(?) @300mm - f8 - 1/125 @ 10ft '' "
Pix#3 - Parodia (?) @300mm - f5.6 - 1/250 @ 10ft " "
" #4 -
The first 2 pictures were taken by me with the 55-300mm Nikkor G lens (as per above post) and the other 2 by my son using his Canon 1D mkII and f2.8 , 200mm lens 4 months ago when he was home on leave.
I shot the first 2 pictures using f8 @ 1/250 . ISO 400 for all my pictures.
Btw a pair of this kingfisher uses the drainholes in the retaining wall of my backgarden to nest and breed every April for the last 10 years or so. There's a stream in front of my house with a good supply of fish, frogs and insects along the overgrown banks. They used to nest there but found it safer and more convenient to nest in the drainholes in my backgarden; being much safer from predators especially the monitor lizards and mongoose. These white-breasted kingfishers feed on frogs and insect apart from fish. They usually disappear with their young when they are able to fly until the following April.
Wow, Yew! Thank you for the photos and corresponding info - it's really helpful in allowing me to get a sense of the parameters of a lens. I am unbelievably impressed that your shots are handheld and ISO 400. The kingfishers are just breathtaking - your son did a fabulous job of stopping it in flight, and all of yours are so crisp, I would have expected a tripod and remote shutter. Now I have a craving for a 300 lens. Oh well, at least the G11 goes to 2.8 (faster than my D80 18-105 lens, which starts at 5.6). The bokeh on your kingfisher shots is just beautiful. And, if I had known you at 37, you would have thoroughly worn me out, no matter what age I was.
Just a couple more shots, trying out the G11 - handheld, with and without flash, ISO 100-200, f4.0, shutter speed 1/13th at the most. (I sacrificed shutter speed and some focus for less graininess.) As you can see, I'm still very inexperienced at this, but it's so much fun, and it's going to MAine with me tomorrow, so I have some very quick learning to do.
The C. harrisoniana is still nearly perfect 3 weeks after opening. The C. Mary Crowe is coming along, and the vinicolor bud is starting to lift. Wouldn't you know it, but these last 2 will in all likelihood open while I'm gone.
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Great shots, Maura, and hand-held too!!!! Looking forward to the G11 pictures from Maine.
Couldn't help myself - the Catt shots just above were taken this morning at 9 am - and here are a couple more, taken tonight at 9 pm. I'm fascinated at how this cattleya is opening almost as I watch. Again, these are G11 shots, handheld with available light from a lamp at a fairly fast shutter speed and ISO 100. It's almost like time-lapse photography.
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