tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16099413591543097522024-03-08T11:35:07.117-08:00Photography 2.0The life of a photographer bent on getting better while still having fun. Read the journey I take from picture to picture as I progress with the the intent of becoming a professional photographer.
***Check out my website http://photo2dot0.com***Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-15777734130897529702008-03-21T09:38:00.001-07:002008-03-21T18:45:19.947-07:00Spring time model mayhem!Ahhh, the sweet smell of spring has come to the town of Rockford and it's time to get out and shoot!<br /><br />I've locked myself away in the studio for the last 4 months shooting model photography and learned a lot while having a great time. You've seen my new toys I've built as well as watching my photography skills get honed. I'm not much of an indoor person the outdoors is where I belong so any opportunity I have to shoot outdoors I will take it. With that in mind I've been shooting as much outside as possible and have had some wonderful success from all the things I learned in the studio.<br /><br />Here are a few examples of that success I was blabbing about:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/264885962_Dwy5p-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/264885962_Dwy5p-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/264907778_KxHNH-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/264907778_KxHNH-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thats just a taste of what I've started shooting. I went out yesterday and had the time of my life shooting with my new favorite model Anna Wang. This girl is amazing and such a character... oh gosh. She is definitely the one person I've probably had the most fun shooting and it had nothing to do with the great pictures that came from the shoot, but the fact that she is just so much fun to be with. The poor girl woke up super early to get to Rockford and was still an enjoyable person. I think we honestly shot for 4 hours non-stop and talked the entire time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268253443_xpkXY-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268253443_xpkXY-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> A little background on Anna is in order. She is a singer/songwriter from Madison, WI that has the looks and the voice people. When I first found her on a modeling website she had a link to her music and OMG is she good. Just a stunning voice from such a young girl is amazing. I even had my own personal show at my house while we picked out the good images from the shoot together. If you want to hear her music you have to check out her site at <a href="http://www.purevolume.com/annawang" TARGET="_blank">www.purevolume.com/annawang</a> because it's totally worth it. From what I hear she is working on a CD and I'll be one of the first people to get one (I better get one right away Anna, or else) and I'll put up a small review when I get the chance to.<br /><br />I had originally planned to shoot indoors in the studio with Anna, but the weather outside was too perfect to pass up. On such a beautiful day you can't pass up getting out there in the field and snapping off 400 pictures! We traveled to three locations and got pretty dirty in the process, but it was well worth it folks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268272992_5vKzG-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268272992_5vKzG-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268290176_fm3s7-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268290176_fm3s7-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> I'm already planning on shooting with Anna again real soon because it's so much more worth shooting with someone you can have fun with then someone who is a drip and you get bored in 10 minutes. The next shoot will most likely be along the lines of my more typical style of shooting at night and lighting it up real cool-like, but we will see. Anna seems pretty much down with anything and as long as I find something for her to climb she is happy so I guess it's time to drive around town looking for those special locations.<br /><br />I'd like to thank Anna for her time and effort as well her her stunning personality. It's tough to find people like Anna and anytime you get to spend with someone so happy and joyful is worth every second. You just feel so much better as a human when the people around you are happy so if you ever get the chance surround yourself with happy people because it's good for your health. I'm so excited for the next shoot that I may actually have things figured out way ahead of time. How crazy is that folks?<br /><br />Well, back to business, but I'll leave you with a few more pictures to look at from my shoot with Anna and if you want to see more of her modeling work check out her site at <a href="http://www.modelmayhem.com/annawang"TARGET="_blank">Model Mayhem</a> and also on my website at <a href="http://photo2dot0.com/"TARGET="_blank">Photography 2.0</a> .<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268283435_y88ue-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268283435_y88ue-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268290887_wT92G-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268290887_wT92G-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268277347_aSBw5-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268277347_aSBw5-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268295259_mLSXo-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268295259_mLSXo-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268268958_u2Qht-XL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.photo2dot0.com/photos/268268958_u2Qht-XL.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-87645516102934147002008-02-17T16:19:00.000-08:002008-02-17T16:47:25.768-08:00Capturing the essense of life!Hey Everyone!<br /><br />It's been a while since I've made a video and I had my laptop downstairs in my mock studio and decided to video my technique on water droplets.<br /><br />I'll go ahead and just show you the video and then I'll put this into words so it gets a little more simplified.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pTV47eSSO94&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pTV47eSSO94&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />I know the quality sucked, but all I had this time was a 1.3MP webcam that I paid $40 for and it shows. You can make out the important stuff and if you can't here is the essay:<br /><br />Basic Setup:<br />-Clear tub filled with cold water (hot water isn't as clear)<br />-Two strobes (hotshoe flashes would be best)<br />-Two light stands<br />-Tripod with a good head (I prefer gripshift, but don't go buying stuff just for this)<br />-Wireless triggers (Pocket Wizards are what I use, but you can substitute Cactus triggers if that is what's available)<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I use three Pocket Wizards for my setup but you can sub one for a cable release</span><br />-Coloured gels (pick something fun like blue, red, purple)<br />-Water dropper... well, anything you can find that drips a constant drop of water will work. I use a medicine bottle with a built in dropper<br />-A harness for your dropper (I used a wrench held onto a lightstand, but wire or a clamp of some sort would also work)<br />-Counter top<br /><br />Ok so for the setup just suspend the main light from a lightstand pointed straight down into the pool of water. I use a Kalt electronic slave trigger to send my PocketWizard trigger to my flash. Mount the PocketWizard using the supplied PC cable (you may sub in the Cactus Ebay receivers here). Move the flash up so it's about 3 feet from the pool of water, turn it on, and set to about 1/8 power. <br /><br />Get your second light and set it to optical slave and about 1/16 power and attach any coloured gel of your choice to the flash. <br /><br />Get your camera on a tripod nice and low to get a good even shot on the water that will eventually come down. Don't worry about focusing just yet as we haven't setup the dropper. Attach a PocketWizard to the hotshoe of your camera and attach a camera trigger cable from the PocketWizard to your camera (this will vary from camera to camera). <br /><br />Place your dropper into your light stand harness contraption and watch the drips fall. Adjust your camera so everything is oriented in a pleasing manor and adjust your focus as best you can. <br /><br />Grab you third PocketWizard (sub in a cable release here) and begin to time the drops with fake trigger presses. When you're confident about the timing go ahead and start shooting until you fill up your memory card and watch your display to make sure things are focused and the timing is spot on. It will take some time to master but you'll find yourself getting keepers all the time with enough practice.<br /><br />Here are the results:<br /><img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2139/2271460591_713d4ff266.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2369/2272262962_016ef0781e.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2418/2272311780_3a5bf5afef.jpg><br /><br /><img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2247/2271535225_6d8b9b26f3.jpg>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-75427453461495951412008-02-07T06:26:00.001-08:002008-02-07T07:19:10.120-08:00$50 16" Ring Light! Brilliant!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2247474924_1135f2564b.jpg?v=0"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2247474924_1135f2564b.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Welcome and good day to you. I've been working at this ring light for about a week and have it all finished and taken some awesome photos with it already. You just have to love that massive circular catchlight it creates and the nice soft even lighting. Strobist has been a big influence on me and when I saw an image from the last Seattle meet up I just had to build this. So thank you Strobist and thank you everyone at ACE Hardware here in town for putting up with me and my crazy ideas.<br /><br />Here is a shot with 5 minutes of photoshop applied to give it that grunge look from the newly constructed ring light and the background was a Pentax AF540 diffused and gelled for visual pop. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2246533109_d4e61fb20a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2246533109_d4e61fb20a.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />So now that you're drolling you'd probably like to hear how I built this and what supplies you need. It's actually really really really simple so bear with me for a little bit and I'll hopefully entertain you on the way.<br /><br />Supplies needed from the hardware store:<br />1 40W 16" Circline Fluorescent bulb $14.99<br />1 40W Ballast for said light bulb $12.99<br />2 Twist on wire connectors $.29 each<br />1 3 Prong Plug $1.99<br />5 Feet of 16 gauge 3 prong cable (I like black so go with black)$.69 a foot<br />1 2'X3' Sheet metal $10.99<br />3 U-bolts (fits around the bulb) $1.99 each<br />2 Short bolts and nuts to attach ballast $.15 a set<br /><br />Supplies you hopefully have:<br />Duct Tape<br />Wire cutters<br />Tin Snips<br />Scissors<br />Box Cutter<br />Power drill with appropriate drill bits (I believe 5/16's is what I used)<br />Black sharpie<br /><br />How to assemble all this... well, it's pretty much one way to do this and most of you have already figured it out, but in case you haven't here is the rundown.<br /><br />Basically you start with making the plug so you can give this baby the juice it needs to power up. You strip both ends of your electric cable and remember Black = hot, White = cold, and Green = ground. So you take apart your 3 prong plug and attach the bare wires to the appropriate node (ground is always the bottom one so start there). We now use the twist on wire connectors to splice the white cable from the ballast to the white wire of your plug and do the same for the black wires. The green wire is ground so you need to mount that to the metal shell of the ballast.<br /><br />Ok, now onto the sheet metal. I cut the sheet down to a 24" square with said tin snips. I then measured the exact center of the square and drew in a smaller square, using the sharpie, with a length of 8 inches on each side for my lens to shoot through. Whip out your drill and your ballast and bulb. Basically line everything up where you'd like it to be on the sheet metal, I choose ballast on the bottom and bulb directly in the center. I marked the two holes on the ballast with a sharpie, then where I placed the bulb I laid out two U-bolts at the top for stability and marked the points with the sharpie. Now remember to have the bulb placed so the 4 prong wire can attach to it so don't go building this all upside-down and come hunt me down. Drill all your holes and also the four corners of your smaller square that you'll be shooting and also the very center of that square. Now I also drilled 2 holes at the top center for a third U-bolt to mount to a reflector holder, but your option for mounting the ring light will depend on your needs.<br /><br />Ok, so now we need to do the hard part and also the time consuming part if you want it too look good. Use your tin snips to cut out square and my technique was to cut from the center hole we drilled to each of the corner holes. This way we cut off four small triangles with room for our snips to wiggle through. The Duct tape comes in handy now because these edges will be very sharp and almost dangerous to a point. I folded the duct tape over every exposed edge that way my model, camera and even myself.<br /><br />So close now and you know it. Basically mount your ballast to the sheet metal, connect it to the bulb, attach your U-bolts to hold the bulb and your done. Now plug this bad boy in and you have an amazing ring light that will give you that grunge look you've been looking for. For added flavor you can use ultra flat spray paint on the back to make it look more professional, but I'd leave the front the way it is cause it helps reflect some of the wasted light.<br /><br />Other modifications:<br />Well, the best one is adding a switch on to your cable so you can turn it on and off instead of having to plug it in and out all the time. You can purchase a switch for about $3.99 and they are simple to install, but remember that black = hot. <br /><br />To make this sturdier purchase a 4' drilled metal strip in the hardware section. You know it's a flat piece of metal with holes every inch. Well cut that in half and use bolts to attach to the very edge of your ring light assembly to beef it up without a significant weight increase.<br /><br />Anything else is up to your imagination.<br /><br />I hope you go out and make one cause I'd love to see everyones results!Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-62520778464999119242007-12-09T13:00:00.001-08:002007-12-09T13:52:13.735-08:00How-to: Bar and Nightclub tips and tricksWell, I spent 5 years of my life shooting in bars and nightclubs and I want to share my tips with you.<br /><br />I'm diggin this whole online video age so I'll start off with the two part series of video (went over that 10 minute max) and I'll show you some of the results.<br /><br />Part One:<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7NEmufNi70w&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7NEmufNi70w&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Part Two:<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O5WEwsVvku8&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O5WEwsVvku8&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Some of the results:<br />16mm; f4.0; 1/40; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/213975507-M.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/213975507-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/10; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214602452-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214602452-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/10; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214637775-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214637775-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/8; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214661594-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214661594-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/5; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214684888-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214684888-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/5; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/216008034-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/216008034-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/6; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214688884-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/214688884-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />16mm; f4.0; 1/4; ISO 200<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/215994867-M.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://photo2dot0.smugmug.com/photos/215994867-M.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Well I really hope you enjoyed the videos and the list of images. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them!Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-56943937832146490262007-12-09T06:23:00.000-08:002007-12-09T06:25:33.860-08:00I finally got YouTube to work and made an easier to view file for everyone who has firefox. This video is much smaller and won't kill a slower internet connection, plus it's on YouTube!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YqZCjT-jr1s&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YqZCjT-jr1s&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-84638657217449662762007-12-08T14:57:00.000-08:002007-12-08T15:01:11.067-08:00K10D: Whats in your Bag? Codiac2600Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the instructional video on how to change your focusing screen. I decided to do a more personal video here just on what I generally carry with me on a typical day. The only other things besides whats in the video that I may swap is if it's a portrait shoot with a model(s) I'd take out the Tamron 70-300 and put in my Pentax DA* 50-135mm 2.8 but I like the reach of the 70-300 for nature work. Please comment me and let me know if these videos are of high enough quality and also what else you'd like to see videos on. I'll hopefully have a whole series of these ready for you all shortly so be ready.<br /><br />On to the video:<br /><object codebase="http://go.divx.com/plugin/DivXBrowserPlugin.cab" height="272" width="496" classid="clsid:67DABFBF-D0AB-41fa-9C46-CC0F21721616"><param name="autoplay" value="false"><param name="src" value="http://video.stage6.com/1929565/.divx"><param name="custommode" value="Stage6"><param name="showpostplaybackad" value="false"><embed type="video/divx" src="http://video.stage6.com/1929565/.divx" pluginspage="http://go.divx.com/plugin/download/" showpostplaybackad="false" custommode="Stage6" autoplay="false" height="272" width="496"></embed></object>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-76468592427086696132007-12-08T12:48:00.000-08:002007-12-09T12:59:39.935-08:00K10D: Changing your focusing screen!Video Coming Soon!Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-17066599466462822712007-06-26T21:54:00.000-07:002007-06-26T22:56:22.179-07:00A Macro Nation... Part one of three<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1399/636353384_bd08179fc1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1399/636353384_bd08179fc1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Well, it's been a long time since I posted last and I had some inspiration so I decided to start working on a tutorial or some random tips on Macro photography. I have spent a lot of time working on my macro techniques and have perfected a few areas and hopefully I'm able to explain in enough detail on how I achieve my final result.<br /><br />First we need to talk about equipment, specifically about the camera and lens used and what settings I tend to be in. You all should know that I shoot Pentax, specifically the Pentax K10D, which is their flagship camera and can handle pretty much anything that confronts you in the realm of photography. The camera is setup very well for this type of shooting as options and settings are easily accessible from the hard buttons on the body as well as being able to take a lot of abuse and the occasional shower won't hurt the camera.<br /><br />Settings that are great for macro photography have a lot to do with depth of field (DOF), which basically has to do with how much of something is in focus. I always shoot my macro images in Av mode (aperture priority mode) which is wonderful because you plug in the aperture and it makes sure you have the correct shutter speed so you've already made this one step easier by only having to worry about one setting. Also a must for macro photography is a low ISO because detail is very important and something shot at ISO 1600 isn't going to jump off the page as much as something in the 100-400 range. I consider the 100-400iso range perfectly capable to produce stunning results and still allows you a lot of room to crop images without having too much noise. Now we have random personal settings... which are basically all the other settings that I have found really do make a difference out in the field so it's advisable to atleast give a few of them a try.<br /><br />1. Manual Focus (it's a must and I'll tell you why later)<br />2. Center AF point only (also a must)<br />3. Single Shot mode (a personal preference, but weill explain more)<br />4. Noise reduction off (I find ACR does a better job plus it makes things a little peppier)<br />5. Center weighted metering (a must on this)<br />6. Shake Reduction <span style="font-weight: bold;">ON </span>(this is why Pentax rules macro people)<br />7. Set EV to front e-dial (makes things a million times faster)<br />8. Program Line set to Depth of Field or option 3<br />9. EV Steps set to 2<br />10. Sensitivity set to 2<br />11. Auto EV compensation set to 2<br />12. Flash in wireless mode set to 2<br /><br />Those basic setting changes makes for simple easy shooting because you're going to be in places that aren't going to allow you the best opportunity to change them plus these are split second shots people and your speed matters here just as much as your patience and ability.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/636350158_fa7b323c26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/636350158_fa7b323c26.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Manually focusing gives you the highest degree of focus perfection so start practicing folks and yes do use the the beep sound to confirm lock if you're not fully sure of yourself. One thing someone who has no experience with a macro specific lens should know is that they have a huge focus time from infinity to 1:1 so auto focus is going to be slow even with an SDM because it has to jump through hoops to go from one area to another so just don't do it. Yes, you can focus faster than the camera with these lenses so trust yourself and you'll do a better job then letting the camera have its way with you.<br /><br />Center AF point is set because auto and moving the point around is again too slow period. You're much better off either just focus right in the center and cropping later or focus and compose because you'll have many more successful shots this way and I've got thousands of images as proof.<br /><br />Single shot mode... I'm only using this setting because if you shoot and hold the shutter I've found that in difficult positions you get WAY too much camera shake so it's better to do it one at a time and go in for another when you're body is stable cause you may be pushing the limits at a shutter speed of about 1/60 or less so relax and fire one instead of machine gun style.<br /><br />Noise reduction tends to be cleaner in ACR plus I've found that I can fire off 11 shots in continuous mode with it off so it can be helpful.<br /><br />Center weighted metering is the safest and smartest metering mode because you want your subject to be perfectly exposed and you want less blown highlights. The full meter tends to blow highlights in tough situations while center weighted 99% of the time will underexpose which is awesome because we can always bring that back without loosing detail. My technique goes focus on subject, hit AE-L, compose and if you don't compose then center weighted is so awesome that you don't need to hit AE-L and you cna just focus and shoot and your subject will be awesomely exposed.<br /><br />Shake reduction is why I purchased a K10D over a Canon 5D folks and trust me I liked what the 5D could do, but it sucks in macro without a flash or tripod or a 1300 lens which takes away from some of the fun and ease of use. With the K10D you can handhold a 1/60 shot two feet in front of you and still come home with a crisp shot and heck even at 1/50 you may be able to pull off the impossible while trying that with a 5D you might as well go home and take pictures for what you're going to sell on ebay for the lens you need to even try this.<br /><br />The rest of the settings are really personal and have found the results to come out better with them so I keep it that way, but do play around as you may find things that give better results.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1144/613984101_748dfc1957.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1144/613984101_748dfc1957.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The lens is the next big step in macro photography as many of us know shooting with a lens and close up filter doesn't cut it sometimes and the true macro lens is extremely versatile. I prefer the Sigma 105mm 2.8 because of its cost to performance ratio and it's build quality is over the top folks. It's built like a tank and take pictures like a gem with a price $150 less than the Pentax 100mm 2.8 macro which take just as sharp shots, but does beat the Sigma in contrast. Also the fact that it has a focus limiter is awesome and the way it goes from AF to MF is quite excellent. One thing you need to know with this lens... always set your EV +0.3 or 0.7 because it tends to underexpose a great deal and I do not know why.<br /><br />A flash is also great to help you max out your exposure and I tend to mount my AF360 and lowered to -10 degrees in case I need some extra light on the subject. After playing with different settings I tend to shoot with it in HSS (high speed sync) mode to give an image the extra boost but I also try a diffuser and direct fire it or use it wirelessl at an angle so this is the one area I am lacking the most in so please do experiment with this and find what works for you.<br /><br />Tripod... I don't use a tripod but with long exposure macro it's a must (anything less than 1/50 but we are really talking like a second or longer) and I myself have never shot anything of that nature, but there could be a day. I tend to shoot in marshes, bogs, swamps, waterways and forests so a tripod would only get in the way so trust your equipment and boost your ISO if you have to and use other tools so you can leave the tripod at home and make your trip that much easier.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/613978449_e5365d54fb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1239/613978449_e5365d54fb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Other fun things to carry around:<br />Bandanna or wristbands... trust me shooting macros is hard work and you will sweat if you work at it for an extended period of time and find myself having to shower after each trip. Having a bandanna or wristband also gives you something to wipe your camera off or just to have in case of emergency so it is a multi purpose tool. I also recommend lots of memory cards, I tend to have 8 gigs on my person at all times and in a handy place because I'm nowhere near a computer nor will I carry one with me because it's just silly so just carry lots of memory it's fairly cheap and is always useful. A long telephoto is also helpful because it may not be a true macro lens but it's ability to get an object to fill the frame can do the job so carry one even the Tamron 70-300mm 4-5.6 DI makes a wonderufl macro lens at times and gives you a wonderful working distance to keep most bugs from running away.<br /><br />The next installment will contain the actual shooting techniques on how to get close enough to your subject to make it worth while trying this sector of photography and trust me you'll think I'm nuts when you're done reading it, but it does work and WILL work for you if you try it.Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-60872319842114908822007-05-30T22:46:00.000-07:002007-05-30T23:37:56.667-07:00What got me started?There are a lot of reasons I started to take photography seriously, but the biggest had to have been my love for taking pictures at the bar I work at here in Illinois. It's a small but distinguished pub, with a wonderful crowd and even better staff. I used my old Pentax DL to take pictures for them and their website (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/oscarspubandgrill">Oscars Myspace</a>) and to my amazement it was very enjoyable fighting the drunken crowd to snap a few shots. It's much different taking pictures in a bar <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/522828828_f7c8a663d1.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/522828828_f7c8a663d1.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>and enjoying being at a bar, but both experiences are very enjoyable in there own merit. Back to the whole reason this paragraph started and my serious venture in photography spawned because I wasn't satisfied with the pictures I was taking in the harsh conditions of the bar, even though everyone else was all googly over my work. I would look endlessly into the work I'd create and make a scene about how bad it was in my mind and tell myself I can do better. Today I have the tools and the knowledge to take those better shots in the harsh lighting environment that is a bar and have a few shots and the techniques I use to help sift through the crowd and also to get the employees involved.<br /><br />The first and most important aspect of taking shots for a bar is to know what they want to show and 99% of the time it's the same thing. What is it, well it's best said in the words of my boss, "we need pictures of people having a good time!" Sounds simple right? Not so much when there is 200+ people shoulder to shoulder and at f1.4 the shutter speed is a whopping 1/3 not too mention that white balancing is an art in itself with halogen lightings, christmas lighting, neons, fish tanks, natural light light bulbs, etc. You name it most bars have it for lighting and it can change drastically from one area to another. I myself love a clear shot of my subject and leave everything else out, while others love to mix the ambient light with the strobe they carry and thats fine too until you see how hard it can become. My next experiment is to go out one night and try to mix my lighting with what is available and compare, but for now I bounce flash to keep it simple in such a hectic area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/522846055_bfdf518a7c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/522846055_bfdf518a7c.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Getting through the crowd with your gear is quite difficult at times, but I've learned the rule of keeping it simple really helps. I keep a bandanna wrapped around my left wrist to use as a sweat wipe or in super hot bars a headband to keep sweat off my camera and out of the eyes. I also only carry an extra memory card, my sigma 28 1.8 (in crowds this is great and it doesn't have much distortion) and my flash attached with white card extended and flash pointed at 90 degrees. My reason for the 90 degree turn is that I want my light to not distract too many other people and when you shoot in a crowd pointing it right at your subject will also be pointed at the people behind them and to the sides which is quite annoying and have found that the straight up position is best if you don't want to disturb other patrons.<br /><br />To get those "people enjoying themselves" shots I rely on the staged shot because most people will go, "wow they do look like they are having so <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/522828972_2b369ab4ae.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/522828972_2b369ab4ae.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>much fun being their with their friends." I also try and snag a few people without their knowledge, but it's hard when you are no more than 5 feet away because of traffic so I take what I can get and run. When lighting is really bad and I speed is essential I crank the aperture, boost the flash and set the camera to manual focus and eyeball things as best as I can and hopefully the higher aperture and flash will give me a semi sharp image that looks good medium sized or on the net.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/522828266_2564f276c2.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/522828266_2564f276c2.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>I hope some of these techniques help the aspiring bar photographer out there and believe me I'm no expert, but I've been doing this for about 2 years and have had a lot of compliments on the work and can honestly say that it's no picnic out there some nights.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'll leave you with the final shot here of two staff members having a great time:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/522844573_d2d00fc921.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/522844573_d2d00fc921.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-20874698312925040822007-05-29T17:44:00.001-07:002007-05-29T22:09:35.901-07:00A Day for the Birds...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/520838557_5a431fbda4.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/520838557_5a431fbda4.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Thought I'd keep up with my blog and after a good couple hours out in the fields and lakes I'm back with some interesting shots hot off the SD card folks. Today I went out in hunt of birds, any birds, hopefully some nice looking birds. The bird hunt went pretty bad as all I got were a few finches, a young robin, red wings and black birds. Here are some of the shots taken with my cheap-o Tamron 70-300 telezoom (which is in dire need of being replaced by a FA* 300mm 2.8 or 4). The image quality of this lens... very poor but for under $150 it's cheap and reliable even though I'm not a fan of reliably bad, but I'll have to say it has impressed me a few times (very few times indeed).<br /><br />The shots of the da<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/520837471_bc942a3cd4.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/520837471_bc942a3cd4.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>y brought to you by me:<br />I know these shots aren't up to par with most of my work, but I'm not a great bird photographer nor have ever claimed to be one, but I get the best shots I can with the worst lens in my bag and have had some pretty nice stuff come from it. I always tend to shoot in Av (Aperture Priority) Mode and have a lot of success with bird images since they have so much detail and the more I can get out the image by boosting the aperture really seems to help. I remember when I first got this lens and was always shooting in the lowest aperture so I could max out the shutter speed. That did wonders for me as I<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/520837575_79e618abcb.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/520837575_79e618abcb.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>struggled to get any good pictures out of it. Of course my background in photography never made me come to the conclusion that the lens is crappy wide open, but it did once I got a bit better at what I do and have now realized to only use this lens wide open in the most extreme conditions where I need the shutter speed above 1/100 or something along those lines. SO for now I tend to use the lens two to three stops up on the aperture and sometimes past f8 if the conditions permit. To get close enough for these crops I also used a makeshift hide (cardboard<br />box with two holes in it, one for air, and one for<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/520808108_a22f933421.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/520808108_a22f933421.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>the lens to poke out through) that was placed about 9 feet from a plethora of bird feeders and a water source. Technique works pretty good as they don't seem to fly away when they can't see you, but try not to move around so much as that also makes them fly away. In order to get a view of my surroundings I stay away from the viewfinder far enough so I can still focus through th viewfinder and also to see the outside and catch other creatures as they come into view. Hope this helps anyone trying to get some of the birds that come near their homes as it tends to work and if they don't start landing right away you're either too loud or too close and they can still sense some danger so just back off a little and wait a while and hopefully something pops into view.<br /><br />Birds come in many shapes and sizes and I thought it was time for bigger game and headed out to the local swan park located on the Rock Valley College campus where they have two beautiful swans that come by every year and hang out and make baby swans. Today was definitely my day as I had the chance to score big with some shots that made me want to come out again and again for some more winners.<br /><br />Basically this time I grabbed my Sigma 105mm macro and my Tamron 70-300 junker and trekked out to the small lake right on the edge of campus at RVC where I hoped to catch some shots of the local celebrity swans. Here is what I took home with me today:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/520841977_7a5c300a3f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/520841977_7a5c300a3f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />He is definitely a sight to see as he is big as a 14 year old child covered in white feathers. He swam in close enough to let me snap off a ton of shots with the 105mm macro and they came out very nice as you can see here. The female tends to hide and keep her distance, but I also got a few of her so don't worry.<br /><br />The second shot there is of the male as it swam by looking all menacing, but I couldn't help admire the fact that it would let me be so close without trying to run me off to the car. See the last time I came out to take pictures the male swan defended his women in glory by extending its wings and preceding to chase me and bark like some kind of strange dog. It was a sight to see let me tell you and I'm just glad he ran back to the water that day because I left my camera bag near the shore and would have had a very unpleasant day without the rest of my gear. The routine of chasing me off kept going on for about an hour (yes this time I took my bag and slung it over my shoulder so I wouldn't be left without it) until the two of them swam off together to parts of the lake I couldn't reach with my lens. The third picture is of the female swan in all her glory giving me the stare like I was even interested in her good looks anyway ;) She is definitely a pacer as every few minute she swims back and forth making me dizzy from going left and right over and over again as I try and compose a decent<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/520842237_083cc19e3e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/252/520842237_083cc19e3e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>shot, which can take a while and I'm not very patient at all. The last shot there is of the eggs the two have graciously left open to view and hopefully I'll make the trip on the right day and watch as the y hatch and get some great shots of young swan babies! We can all hope and now that I have a mission to do I will hopefully get the opportunity to accomplish it. My work schedule tends to change from week to week and I'm not all for going to the same spot day after day, but this could be my chance for a great capture so I guess I will tough it out and hope for the best.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/520842099_ae4dbf763e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/520842099_ae4dbf763e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/253/520843219_97f3416211.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/253/520843219_97f3416211.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm going to leave you all with one last picture that was kind of fun and that is this picture of a water rat chewing up a storm on a big leaf of some sort.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/240/520850881_e7565051f5.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/240/520850881_e7565051f5.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a> This guy caught my eye as I was taking<br />pictures of momma and papa swan, but all I had attached was the 105mm macro so I crept up as slowly and steadily as I could and snagged this shot before decided I was in his bubble. Oh well, at least I have something to remember the guy. I hope you've all enjoyed the pictures and the story behind them and maybe you'll all be given a reason to step outside and capture something that interests you!Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1609941359154309752.post-86839458164978798892007-05-28T23:05:00.000-07:002007-05-29T07:11:58.621-07:00Another day of Photography!Hello everyone and welcome to my fresh new blog! I'll start off with a little about the person behind the keyboard (myself) and hopefully move on to some current photos that you may enjoy.<br /><br />I'll start off with saying that my name is Chris and I live about an hour north of Chicago. I've been taking pictures since I was about 8 years old when my dad handed down a twenty year old Pentax ME Super and have done serious photography for the past couple years. I've currently upgraded to a new camera, a great camera, a competition beater; the Pentax K10D. In the last 3 months I've unloaded over 17000 shots and most of them are keepers, while others are just to teach me what not to do next time I go out in the same situation. Most of my pictures are of plants, animals and other nature associated items because they tend to not run away and cower when I bring out my camera. I've recently done some photoshoots with real people and have had great success with it and hopefully learn more and get good enough to start charging for my services.<br /><br />Why not Canon or Nikon? I've been asked that a lot and had my share of arguments over the past 2 or 3 months and it comes down to a few things that makes Pentax a better system for me. First is price... yes price! The K10D with kit lens sells for under $1000 and takes pictures of equal or greater quality than a 1200 or 1300 dollar Canon or Nikon period. The other reason is that Pentax glass in unrivaled in the prosumer market (I know a few people are now hating me already, but it's the truth people). The Pentax "limited" line of lenses are sharper than most anything Canon or Nikon produce and are of higher build quality and much smaller in size. The last reason for the Pentax gear... technology! The K10D has the longest list of features in the price range and so the techno-savvy me just had to pick it up for that reason. I have a weather sealed, shake reduction, built in wireless flash support, sonic drive motor supporting thoroughbred. Anyone that wants to argue the point will not win me over so let's not start anything.<br /><br />The most important part about having such a great photographic tool is that it takes great pictures and can take my abuse day in and day out. So to start off this blog I've recently uploaded some photos taken today that I thought I'd share and hopefully show the quality of the photographer as well as the quality of the tool.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/519398881_8605391b3d.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/519398881_8605391b3d.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>This picture was taken with a Sigma 105mm Macro lens with the K10D today. This long gone flower is a Japanese Poppy that takes about 3 years to get it's first bloom from the seed and this was the year, but now it's paper like petals have fallen and all thats left is this wonderful little remnant. The Bokeh of this lens is wonderful as you can see and the crispness is of a very high standard for such a low cost macro lens. The Pentax DFA 100mm macro is just as sharp, but unquestionably more contrasty and the SMC coating on all Pentax lenses is unmatched in the lens industry.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/212/519369886_77742cbb7a.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/212/519369886_77742cbb7a.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>This little guy was also taken with the Sigma 105mm Macro and K10D. Now I know its not super sharp, but for a hand held image taken in the breeze with manual focus I think it's darn good, but the reason I post this is not for the quality but the sad factor. You see the little leaf that looks to bee in his jaw? That is actually stuck to his body and you want to know why? Darned plant chemicals! Those sprays that make your plants look nice also make them dangerous to insects because particles end up getting attached to them not too mention that it's poisonous. I guess if you like the artificial look in your plants then keep spraying, but if you'd like your plants to be pollinated and have honey then please stop your silly spraying and let mother nature do what she is supposed to do. America seems destined to take their destiny in hand and do what they want with it instead of letting things go on as intended. Can't wait for countless lawsuits from over processed foods, miracle diets, vitamin overload and of course energy drinks. I think everyone that drinks more than one energy drink a week needs to relax for a moment, pick up a camera and go outside and take a nice picture instead of taking a couple years off their lives to keep up with the hussle and bussle of society.<br /><br />Well I think I'm done ranting and raving, but hopefully you've all enjoyed the couple of pictures here and I'll leave you all with one more shot from earlier this week that will hopefully leave you with a smile! Have a great day and I'll be back with more soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/519372146_b03afe29b1.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/519372146_b03afe29b1.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a> Chico eating foot... looks delicious puppy!<br /><br /><br />Check out my other pictures here... <a href="www.flickr.com/photos/codiac2600">My flickr Account</a><br />Check out the best Pentax forum on earth here... <a href="http://www.pentaxforums.com/">PentaxForums</a>Codiac2600http://www.blogger.com/profile/08729798108844660565noreply@blogger.com0