A couple of recent bug pictures...

Bumble Bee on a Wild Rose

Dragon Fly

Portraits.

Everyone probably have seen enough of Kauai pictures. Therefore, I just want to steer away for awhile. Sorry for no frame, I'm still in Hawaii time.

Young Eagle

After only three outings with the newly repaired and returned Sigma 120-400 the lens is having focus motor issues again... So off it goes again for another 2 months to get repaired, fustrating! Should have bought the Nikon 80-400 I guess.

This picture is with the Sigma at 400mm manualy focused. A little slower but it can still be done!

Sunrise At Shipwreck Beach. Poipu, HI

30 sec. exposure at f/16.

More Secret Falls

Old Sugar Plantation.

This sugar plantation located near Poipu area. I think this factory were closed for more than 20 years ago. Currently they are trying to built new homes in this area, but it wasn't successful due to real estate crashed 3 years ago. If you have an extra money, go can buy an acre land here for $1.2 million. I wonder how much Mr. Yahoo paid for this land when he bought 1/3 of this island 15 years ago?

More HDR

Here are several more HDR pictures using Photoshop CS4 and the techniques I described in my last post.

By the way all of these pictures were taken at the same location. What a beautiful little bay this must have been to live in.

INDIAN BLANKETS

Just beginning to open. Early June was a good month for Native Wildflowers.

PRAIRIE CONEFLOWER

As I'm always looking for examples of wildflowers to update my files from the Wichitas, this early June Photo presented itself from the Treasure Lake area. Like the way the new flower is just beginning to show it's petals.

Peacock

The view from behind of the peacock.

These pictures are from Smith's tropical paradise garden. We went here for a luau the night before, and I found at least a dozen Peacocks on this property. By the way, it's a best luau that I have been to all the Islands.

Too bad I did not have my DSLR at the time, so therefore I found some time on the next day to return to this place.

It tooks me about 1/2 an hour to find a good bird to shoot. Once I have found one, for some reasons this bird was dancing for me for about 20 min. after I set the tripod in front of him. I guess the tripod made him defensive.

The Old Cabin HDR

This is my first attempt to use the HDR feature in Photoshop CS4... (Top picture HDR bottom picture as shot at 0.0 ev)

This afternoon I took a number of "Bracketed" pictures using the bracketing feature on the Nikon which takes one picture at 0.0 ev, the next picture at +2.0 ev and the last picture at - 2.0 ev or other settings if you chose.

Then this evening using Photoshop CS4 I used the "Merge to HDR" feature to create a "High Dynamic Range" picture. (in photoshop under "File" select "Automate" then select "Merge to HDR" and follow the prompts to select your bracketed pictures)

I also figured out that to save the above picture as a .jpeg in CS4 you must first convert it to 8 bits. (In photoshop under "Image" select "Mode" and chose "8bits/channel")

And lastly after going on line I figured out how to get CS4 to zoom in and out with the little wheel on the mouse. (in photoshop under "Edit" select "Preferences" then check the little box beside "Zoom with scroll wheel")

End of Photoshop CS4 lesson 1

Secret Falls

To get here, we went on the Kayak for 2.5 miles, and hike a mile on slippery trail. I didn't expected to see about 60 tourists when I arrived at this location. We have about 1/2 an hour at this location before we head back with our tour guild. However, I got lucky about 2-3 mins. to shoot the water falls without anybody in the frame.

I shot this one with a ND filter -6 stops, 3.6 s shutter speed, f/16, and my camera on a tripod just about 2" above the water.

Poipu, Kauai

While walking back to my place, I found this local fisherman catching some baits for his fishing trip. I wish I have time to setup my camera on the burst mode.

Caught this tourist enjoying the Sunrise over the Shipwreck Beach.

Sunrise At Shipwreck Beach. Poipu, HI

These pictures are from my first day on Kauai island. We did not do much of activities on this trip, just relax around the Poipu area. So therefore, you going to see most of the pictures are from this area.

Stainless steel fish

It's actually called a Jack Fish but the way the flash hit the fish it gave it a shiny metallic look.

As you can guess, I haven't had time to take any new photos and I was thinking about Q being in Hawaii so I dug into the old files again. Maybe this weekend I will get an hour or two to see about finding some new shots.

Twisted tree

Took this picture up under the canopy of an ornimental Maple with the Sigma ultra wide at 10mm. Other than framing this picture is as shot.

COWBOY COFFEE

RECIPE:

Take one pound of coffee, wet it good with water,
boil it over a fire for thirty minutes,
pitch in a horseshoe, and if it sinks,
put in some more coffee.
( From Ramon F. Adams ) 'Come an' Get It' The Story of the Old Cowboy Cook

Photo taken at Mark Crutchers Camp in the Wichita Mountains.

It's Official. . .

Moving SUCKS!!!

We spent three days and two different trips loading up two trucks and two trailers in 106 degree temps just to get here and unload during a thunderstorm. Fun was had by all! LOL

It will be a few more days before I am organized enough to start posting regularly again (plus I need to get out and take some photos) but I am slowly getting things back to being where they should.

This photo was taken on the morning of my last hike in the Wichitas, at least until this fall when I go back to do some more "hiking". The temps were headed to over 100 on this day so I actually got out of bed early to go hiking just to beat the heat. Some things were found that may make my life easier this winter providing I have the brain power to turn the information into something useful.

WAITING FOR A BREEZE

Lake Lawtonka was smooth as glass this day. Fishermen and water skiers were out in force. The sailboats were all tied off and in port wishing for a wind to fill their sails.

FIREWHEEL and LITTLE BLUESTEM

The Indian Blanket is the State Flower of Oklahoma. It's other name is Firewheel. Either name suits me fine. A fine choice to represent our many species.

Little Bluestem is a warm weather grass. The dominate species in this mixed grass prairie country of the Wichitas. A great compliment to the Wildflowers and vice-versa.

WIND DANCING

The windy day around Post Oak Lake made taking wildflower pictures a challange. Went for it anyway! Yellow Coreopsis and Star Violets seemed to be moving in a dance with each other. Made me wonder if a still picture that seemed to have motion in it would be possible?

Tried several ways to process and ended up with this. From B/W with a color focal point and close crop with a color frame. Even the grass in the background appears to have some motion in it. Charlotte didn't quite get it but to me it dances!

Dawn Raider!

Found this bold interloper using my neighbors garden for her breakfast buffet!

Took this picture handheld, 1/30 sec at 400mm. Didn't really have time to setup the tripod... Sorry Q. Gotta love that image stabilization!

Aloha.

Happy father day everyone. I'm off for Kauai, I will try to post some of the Kauai pictures while I'm on the trip, if I'm not too hard on the Mai Tai. Aloha.

Photographers In Action!

These are the group of people that I went on the last trip to Utah, and AZ. The top picture are just 6 people out of 16 that would dare to climb up to this rock to shoot.

The bottom picture are from Mesa Arch. As you can see the Arch just above our head, and it's not much room for everyone, and the Arch is not as big as you seen in the picture. We have to setup our camera about a feet away from the edge of the rock. Just about 1000 ft. drops in front of your camera.

We got here about 3:00 A.M. to get the open spots, and we only have 5-10 min. to shoot the Sun rise reflecting from on the bottom of the Arch.

I think my camera is next to the guy wearing the white cap, and my camera bag is on the bottom of the picture. Wait a minute, I thought my wife supposed to be watching my bag!

By the way, have a safe trip back to Kansas Ron, and Cheryl.