Nikon WedNEsDAy PiC 2010: #10

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Huntington Beach Ca

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Tiffany, Jonas, Andy, Arthur, Filip, Durukan, Wouter, Richard, thanks for your comments last week on my startrails pic. This week I have an image of trees in snow shot recently near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Happy Wednesday everyone. And thanks for the comments on my image from last week. It is very much appreciated. This week's image from my camera club's tabletop shoot. This is just clear plastic forks on a light box and using a polarizing filter.

New baby!

Not mine; it's my daughter's, I'm a grandfather! It's a real thrill!

Photographing our kids is one of the great joys of this hobby. When my daughter was born, I starting burning film at a faster rate than ever before or since. Now, with the grand child, we're all shooting digital at a rapid clip.

At one month old, she's mostly eating and sleeping. Here's a recent shot in the stroller, ready to go out for exercise. We thought it was kind of funny how she sleeps with her hands up. My daughter knitted the little mittens.

My best Wednesday greetings to all!

Grand Child at Four Weeks -- D300, Window Light, 35mm f/2.0 Nikkor

Good morning and Happy # 10 WedNEsDay

Thank you to Arthur Richardson for your comment on my posting last week. Most appreciated!

This week I traveled to Fort Morgan, Alabama. Arriving much later than was practical, I had about 45 minutes to view the Fort and take my shots before the fort closed. The sun was far to the West when this picture was taken. I attempted to take a number of shots in the casement area. Casements are arched rooms that were designed to protect gun positions. As it turned out, the casements were used to house troops and for storage. They also provided shelter from bombardment. I hope you like the result.

The Battle of Mobile Bay - the following was taken from the pamphlet handed out at the information center.

At dawn on August 5, 1864, an 18-ship Union fleet commanded by Admiral D. G. Farragut steamed toward Fort Morgan and the entrance to Mobile Bay. The Confederate defenders of the fort opened fire. At 7:30 AM, as cannon fire reached a crescendo, the leading Union monitor, the Tecumseh, struck a mine (known as a torpedo during the Civil War) and sank within a minute taking most of the crew down with her. This sudden disaster threw the Union fleet into confusion causing them to hesitate under the guns of Fort Morgan. At this critical moment, Farragut gave his famous order, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" which led the remaining vessels past the fort, through the minefield, and into Mobile Bay.

To start off - Thank you Paul for mentioning my photo last week. Also, Thank you Richard for commenting on my photo from last week. Richard, the lens is mounted reversed, not stacked. :)
So I'm still working on my Macros. I’m trying to decide which method I want to work with. There are so many ways to achieve macros. I have dedicated macro lenses, but this week’s shot is shot with a method called Reverse Lens macro. The lens is mounted with a special Macro Adapter Ring made by Nikon. I can mount any 52mm lens to the this adapter by using the front threads. It simply screws on. I’ve been working with my two 50mm lenses. The 50mm f/1.4 AF-D & the 50mm f/1.2 AiS. Interestingly the f/1.2 has greater magnification than the f/1.4 – don’t ask me to explain that one because I can’t. Focus is set by putting the lens at Infinity & I try to focus wide open or around f/2.8– then I try to fast move the f/stop to f/16 without losing focus. I stop breathing when I shoot these. ;) Don’t ask me what my dof is because it’s so minimal I don’t even want to think about it. That’s why I shoot at f/16. For this I use the onboard flash with a diffuser created out of a flat side from a plastic milk jug threaded upon the lens. I hand hold the camera needless to say. I’m on the ground crawling moving mm by mm to get to the correct location & focus. That is at about less than 2 inches from the subject. It’s hard work but I’m enjoying it.
My mentor in all this has suggested I shoot nothing but Reverse Lens for my macros for a month just to see how I progress. So this week again I'm presenting a Reversed Lens Macro. This one is shot with the 50mm AiS f/1.2 MF lens mounted reversed , not stacked, onto the D300 . EXIFs are D300, 50mm f/1.2 AiS MF, A mode, ISO 400, Hand held, 1/125s. -0.3 E.V., On Board flash, Matirx metering.
Close Encounter of the Third Kind with a Stink Bug

Hello Everybody,
Richard Karash, congratulations on becoming a grandfather. The baby is beautiful! Absolutely perfect!
My photo this week is of my beloved Bird of Paradise flowering at the moment in my garden.
Nikon D700, Nikon 85mm, f/1.8; ISO 400, 1/200s, f/2.8
Have a lovely week.

Hello everybody Today i am submitting a photo that most will see as a bike part but it is actually part of a fence made up of bicycles at all different angles and measuring about 1.8 meters or 6 feet in height. It was very interesting and surrounded a stage put up for a music festival in Adelaide. I am not sure whether it was a permanent structure but it was very sturdy

I ask for the forum's indulgence this week as I am going to post one of my oldest images.

However I could not go without an homage to my wonderful lady as we got married last weekend, and this is one of my favourite portraits of her.