Charlie and the Nature Factory [Warning: Stunningly Beautiful Large Photo Images]

rhymegirl

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Chicken!
Next time think of this thread, Katho, and how it could use more images of dangerous encounters with wildlife. ;)

Hmm. Well, of course, I didn't actually have my camera with me at the time.

Kathy, that fox would not have gone near you. You were lucky to see it. They're very shy around people. Next time take your camera and get us some good shots. Chances are you'll not lose any fingers at all.

My husband told me pretty much the same thing. But I'm not used to seeing foxes when I go for a walk, so it kinda scared me.
 

Haggis

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My husband told me pretty much the same thing. But I'm not used to seeing foxes when I go for a walk, so it kinda scared me.
Understandable. But now that you know better, make sure to have that camera with you and make sure you get us some good pics. Even if you do lose a limb or two, just remember, it's for your AW buds.
 

rhymegirl

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Understandable. But now that you know better, make sure to have that camera with you and make sure you get us some good pics. Even if you do lose a limb or two, just remember, it's for your AW buds.

:e2salute:
 

swachski

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You should see the shots I missed as the action unfolded. I try not to dwell on those too much, but man alive, they would've knocked your socks off, and shoes too if you were wearing any, if they'd turned out just halfway decent.

Maybe, being a writer and all, you could give us a play-by-play of the action...

I'm barefoot right now, so you won't be able to knock my socks off, but... anyway...
 

heyjude

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Your fox encounter made me think of this video. I've never seen a wild one before (not sure if we have them up this way or not), but they're such lovely creatures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xJtH6UcQY

Aw. :) We have them here, but they're rarely-seen. This makes me want to get a trampoline for them. :)

Yesterday I tried to get a picture of a peacock for you all, but he was uncooperative, to say the least. So instead I give you what's pretty much a daily sight around here, a turtle using the crosswalk.

DSCN1928.jpg
 

heyjude

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Anyone have any tips for making these pictures smaller? I've played with the image size on Photobucket and... this is it!
 

Tepelus

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Click upload, then look for "Customize Your Upload Options" and click. Choose the size you want for your pictures. You have to do this before you upload any pictures, otherwise by default it will choose 1024x768.
 

Silver King

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Maybe, being a writer and all, you could give us a play-by-play of the action...

I'm barefoot right now, so you won't be able to knock my socks off, but... anyway...
It's almost too painful to talk about, but I'll try.

As the bird rose from the surface with her catch, another osprey appeared and tried to steal her meal. The two fought in midair, wheeling and sparring and soaring, then dove straight down, clinging to one another, spiraling out of control as they approached the water. At the last possible moment, when it seemed they'd crash-land, the two separated and veered off in different directions.

The shots from that encounter didn't turn out, as the action simply happened too fast for me.

What's interesting to note is how the osprey managed to hang onto her catch with one foot while fending off her aggressor with the other. I managed to capture that at least, though well after the battle.
 

AbielleRose

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It's almost too painful to talk about, but I'll try.

As the bird rose from the surface with her catch, another osprey appeared and tried to steal her meal. The two fought in midair, wheeling and sparring and soaring, then dove straight down, clinging to one another, spiraling out of control as they approached the water. At the last possible moment, when it seemed they'd crash-land, the two separated and veered off in different directions.

The shots from that encounter didn't turn out, as the action simply happened too fast for me.

What's interesting to note is how the osprey managed to hang onto her catch with one foot while fending off her aggressor with the other. I managed to capture that at least, though well after the battle.

Have you ever thought about writing for National Geographic? :D
 

Silver King

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You might not have the pic, but you've got the memory. +1 for your side.
There's that, thanks.

Have you ever thought about writing for National Geographic? :D
Ha! That might be an easier way to crack their market. :)

Speaking of NatGeo, has anyone ever seen this film? I watched it recently, several times, and was blown away. It's excellent in almost every respect, from the story to the filming to the narration to just about everything else.

Check it out if you have a chance. You won't be sorry.

SK, who would rather bite his tongue in half than recommend most nature shows; but this one is an exception.
 

night-flyer

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I love the shows on lions and their stories, that one looks like it'd be pretty good. I'll have to see if I can find it. I watch Africam a lot in hopes of seeing some lions. It's rare, but I have spotted a cheetah and a lion on there.

We have a lot of open area around here, so fox are generally everywhere. A lot of people even feed them dog food, not sure if that's wise since they are wild creatures, but they are awfully cute. Maybe not so much if it eats your cat, but dogs running loose do the same.

Love the Osprey shots, SK! How beautiful, I just love those birds and you have a knack for catching excellent photos of them.
 

swachski

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It's a bloomin' madhouse in my backyard right now! I love this time of year, even though it was 97° today. Here's a few pics of the goings on...

RoseJoesCoat.jpg


Pink-poppy.jpg


hosta-buds.jpg
 

swachski

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Thanks, Dino! Yes, that rose in the first pic is stunning, and I was so happy to see that at least one good shot came out well. :)

I am loving my new camera! It's a Canon PowerShot S100. I've gone through at least a half dozen point-and-shoots over the years and this one has by far the most logically set up system. I'd highly recommend it.

Now, if only I had some gators to photograph....:D
 

Silver King

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I almost asked you a few days ago what type of camera you bought but didn't want to appear nosy.

It's amazing how the newer point-and-shoot cameras offer such excellent results over models from just a couple of years ago. If you haven't already, study the user's manual until you know the camera inside and out while you learn as many, if not all, of the options you have available. This will help you to get the most out of it without relying solely on the camera's auto features to make shooting decisions for you. Even the very best equipment out there needs to be "told" what to do at times...
 

swachski

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I've been taking multiple photos of the same thing with different settings, just to get used to the varied effects. It has P, TV, AV M and C settings, just like my son't DSLR camera, and the bonus for me is that on the screen, it gives a brief explanation of what the setting is typically used for. I love that, because I can never remember what setting does what. An added feature is that I can manually adjust the aperture.

Yeah, I'm geeked. :)

Here's another pic I took today. What I'm struggling with is getting a deeper focus distance. It seems like when I use macro, only a small section is in focus, and the rest of the image is blurry. Got any suggestions?

eta: this rose smells like raspberries...

RaspberryRose.jpg
 

AbielleRose

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Pretty colors!

Does your macro have one option or 2? My SLR has 2, one for true macro and one for a sort of in between normal and macro. The in between option is the one that's great for getting closer without the blur.

This one is taking with the 'in between'

26724_402250674668_500454668_4915016_5154135_n.jpg


This one is with macro

26724_402249889668_5944286_n.jpg


(the coloring is bad, I think I messed with them too much)
 

swachski

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I'm not sure, I'll have to check into that.

Cool shots AR! I love the expression on the puppeh's face... it's like, "whut?"