*OFFICIAL* Snapshot of the Day (one image per post please) #2

[jmg]

El Dorado Sunset by JMG, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by balfron100

Stunning picture, sometimes forget how bonnie Scotland is.

[dcstep]

We had an iridescent cloud at sunset the other day:

Iridescent Cloud Closeup by David Stephens, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

Wind Power and Clouds by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[balfron100]

Originally Posted by allachie9

Then, to round off a good day, I managed to capture just the palest of Aurora on a very clear and moonlit night.

Moonlit Aurora by Alan Butterfield, on Flickr

Great pictures, what type of camera kit do you use? I've a Nikon 5100D I really should make an effort to learn how to use it.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by balfron100

Great pictures, what type of camera kit do you use? I've a Nikon 5100D I really should make an effort to learn how to use it.

Alan will get back to you, certainly, but many of us post from Flickr, including Alan. If you click on the image, it'll take you to Flickr, where you'll see the kit and settings. Since this is a 25-sec. exposure, he was certainly using a sturdy tripod.

You'll see a lot of excellent Canon images here, but don't feel like you need to change brands. You can get great results with either and Sony, Pentax, Fuji, etc., etc. aren't so bad either.

Dave

[dcstep]

Mallard Drake Lands On A Gusty Day

Mallard Drake Landing by David Stephens, on Flickr

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Wind Power and Clouds by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I really love this one... I can't stop looking at it... fantastic!

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by jmg

I really love this one... I can't stop looking at it... fantastic!

Thanks! No saturation boost or any other crazy PP. It's rained so much here everything is unnaturally super green. Saturday was awesome with crazy cool clouds that we don't often get here so i was out and about with both my Canon for wildlife, and my Fuji for landscape.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Thanks! No saturation boost or any other crazy PP. It's rained so much here everything is unnaturally super green. Saturday was awesome with crazy cool clouds that we don't often get here so i was out and about with both my Canon for wildlife, and my Fuji for landscape.

I reminds me of a classic lone-tree-on-hill-with-green-grass, but with the 21st century take.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Alan will get back to you, certainly, but many of us post from Flickr, including Alan. If you click on the image, it'll take you to Flickr, where you'll see the kit and settings. Since this is a 25-sec. exposure, he was certainly using a sturdy tripod.

You'll see a lot of excellent Canon images here, but don't feel like you need to change brands. You can get great results with either and Sony, Pentax, Fuji, etc., etc. aren't so bad either.

Dave

Great advice and info from Dave as always.

As mentioned Balfron, if you do go to Flickr you will find the full EXIF info there.
But for convenience here is the kit I use for these shots -
Canon 5DIII + Canon 16-35 f/2.8 L lens.

As Dave mentions, a sturdy tripod is the key to a good, steady night shot with long exposures.
My favourite tripod for these shots it a very ancient Linhof tripod. I actually inherited it from an uncle of mine in 1989 (!!!), so I've had it for 27 years and I've no idea how long he had had it before that. It's marked as 'Made in West Germany'.
It's so heavy and sturdy that I always joke that I think it was probably made from leftover bits from a Panzer tank.

The other 2 shots, Lossie Estuary and The Rainbow, were taken on my little Fuji X-T1.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by balfron100

Great pictures, what type of camera kit do you use? I've a Nikon 5100D I really should make an effort to learn how to use it.

Thanks for your kind comments.
Come up to the North East for some nice clear skies (Occasionally).

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

Thanks for your kind comments.
Come up to the North East for some nice clear skies (Occasionally).

When Alan says, "North" and "East" he means it, in the extreme.

[Itsed65]

Storm Blowing In by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Ed, it's great to see California green again. If you only had a place to put all the rain, you'd be fixed for the next five-years.

[Itsed65]

Ghost on the Hunt by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Ed, love your "Ghost" shot. I got a similar look from a red-tail hawk yesterday:

You Still There? by David Stephens, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

Thanks Dave! Nice red-tail. The 5DIV auto focus is amazing. The only downside is I am still a bit reach limited in some situations. I'm going to try to get a 400 DO through CPS and see how it works at 800mm with a 2X. The combo works well on my 300 2.8 for 600mm, and I have seen a lot of guys using a 1DX2 with that 800mm setup.

[Terry989]

Portrait of a mallard and her uninterested mate. Taken at Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA on a typical rainy day using a 55m lens at f2.0.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Thanks Dave! Nice red-tail. The 5DIV auto focus is amazing. The only downside is I am still a bit reach limited in some situations. I'm going to try to get a 400 DO through CPS and see how it works at 800mm with a 2X. The combo works well on my 300 2.8 for 600mm, and I have seen a lot of guys using a 1DX2 with that 800mm setup.

Thanks, Ed.

I'm very happy with my 5D4/500mm/1.4xTC combo. The AF still isn't up to the 1DX, but I think that the files are better, except in really bad light. The extra pixel-density really plays in favor of the 5D4. 700mm focal length, plus that pixel-density adds up to great "reach." Still, I'm praying that the rumored 600mm DO is for real and only cost one arm, not and arm and a leg.

Compared to the 7D2, the 5D4's AF is sweet indeed, but compared to the 1DX, it's a constant battle. You don't just point the thing at a bird and get perfect AF. Fortunately, I'm not required to post all my OOF shots.

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Terry989

Portrait of a mallard and her uninterested mate. Taken at Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, WA on a typical rainy day using a 55m lens at f2.0.

Great shot, Terry.

I bet he'll be "interested" very soon.

[Terry989]

Thanks for the complement. I'm in awe of the of photo's I see on this sight and appreciate the skill and patience put into each of these shots!

I picked up photography as a hobby a couple of years ago since it meshed well with my love of nature and being outdoors. I photograph mostly nature and landscape, but enjoy trying other areas and expanding my skills. Work keeps me very busy at the moment, but I hope to slow that down in a few years and spend more time with this hobby. What I'm lacking at the moment is a good long lens. I'm still considering the Canon ES 300mm f2.8 IS II or perhaps the new Sigma 500mm f4 DG HSM OS Sport Lens (which may be too much lens for me at the moment!)