Anna's At My Feeder (FZ30 1 pic)

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Best Wishes,
Steve

That's one of the drawbacks of condo living --- no yard! I think the plants I picked (well, the Salvia at least) don't like the limitations of being in a pot so growth has been slow. But I AM learning whereas before I always thought I had a black thumb when it came to growing things. A friend sent me a list of hummer-friendly plants --- Columbines, nasturtiums, Lichness (?) --- but none of them were available at the nursery I went to, or were done flowering for the year, so I got the Fuschia which the gal said attracted hummers but I never heard that before. Well, at least I have purty colors on my balcony now...

I use the Smart Fix on PSP X just like you, to get an idea, but it over-brightens quite a bit. I like the color balance option, being able to pick the black, whites and grays in the pic. Seems to get rid of whatever color cast the pic might otherwise have. PSP X is definitely an improvement over eveything I've had before but there's so much to learn...Fun learning though.

It sure is nice to be able to see hummers out my window. Maybe if the sun returns I won't need to use the flash... )
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Thanks LaRee!
Steve

It can be kinda confusing if you're posting for the first time. I hope you get it figured out so we can see your Rufous hummingbird pics, Carmen.

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Best Wishes,
Steve

Here's a fairly good explanation given by a poster at a photography forum ---

"If you open a photo in any photo editing software you have the option to zoom in and out so I'm sure you are familiar with the concept of looking at an image at 100% so you can see all of the detail. OK, now imagine you wanted to show someone on the web this level of detail without posting the whole full size image? You would crop out a small section of this image viewed at 100% so that they could see the same level of detail albeit within just a small area. This is what is referred to as a 100% crop."

What you get is a portion of the whole image, cropped but NOT resized in any way. When you crop an image in this way and post it on a forum viewers can essentially see every pixel in the cropped image.

Hope that helps... )

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Best Wishes,
Steve

It may not be as far-out as it sounds as I have a Red-tail couple living and hunting in the hill opposite my condo. I just saw them fly in to roost in their favorite eucalyptus tree about an hour ago...and they're made a few close flybys to my condo balcony but of course I didn't have my camera ready.

And do you know that's about the FIRST time I've ever used the flash? Sure finally came in handy as the light has been pretty poor lately, and I guess Anna didn't mind that I blinded her with about 4 flash shots. I was hoping she wouldn't crash into the wall because of it while flying off.

BTW, how's your FZ30 doing? Did you send it off to the Service Center yet?

Thanks, Marcia!
Steve

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Best Wishes,
Steve

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Best Wishes,
Steve

That's very clear and helpful. Thanks, Steve!
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Carmen

A feeder? What's this world coming to? Have to rope them in to make subjects of them? Bah! Humbug! ;-) Nice shot though. Very sharp. Thanks for posting.
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Just cruisin' ...



EffZeeOneVeeTwo, EffZeeThirty, Tizzy (who captured the Eagle)

A big percentage of the satisfaction for me is "the hunt" and seeing birds in their proper element. As I said to Amanita above, this is like "shooting fish in a barrel"! It makes a nice change of pace, but I ain't gonna slide into lassitude and decay waiting for hummers to come to the feeder. But I do enjoy looking out my balcony window and seeing them come by to have their breakfast at the same time I'm having mine.
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Thanks for looking!
Steve
http://trailhiker.smugmug.com

I've got Finch feeders in my backyard, though the Finches don't let me get close enough for super-fine shots, it's still the same form of "cheating." Whatever it takes to gain closer association with these fine feathered friends, whatever!
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Just cruisin' ...



EffZeeOneVeeTwo, EffZeeThirty, Tizzy (who captured the Eagle)

My second attempt to post these photos. Hope it works this time.
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Carmen

http://web.mac.com/carmenom/iWeb/Site/Photos.html

Thanks in advance for your patience with a novice. The correct URL:

http://web.mac.com/carmenom/iWeb/Site/Hummingbirds.html

My first photos with my new Tizzy are on the next page of the website, labeled Admiralty Inlet.
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Carmen

It says "We're sorry, but we can't find the iWeb page you've requested". Frustrating, isn't it? I have my pics at Smugmug and just cut copy and paste a link into the thread; I don't know how your photo site is set up. Gee, I hope I can see your Rufous shots...
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Best Wishes,
Steve

this is a good one Steve...keep trying...I think this is the female?

I could be mistaken...I thin the males have the red on the neck?? Anyway if I am correct, the females are much more friendly and will not bolt when you come around. I find that the males are much more cautions for some reason!
Keep shooting and you will get it!
Kim K

CarmenM said:

Thanks in advance for your patience with a novice. The correct URL:

http://web.mac.com/carmenom/iWeb/Site/Hummingbirds.html

My first photos with my new Tizzy are on the next page of the
website, labeled Admiralty Inlet.

Click to expand...

Wow, those are some terrific hummer shots. And you say you just got the camera and you figured out how to take shots like that already! Gee golly!

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Ken
Canon 350D, EF-S 17-85 IS, 100-400L IS
Panasonic DMC FZ20, DCR-6600, TCON 14B
Nikon #5T & #6T
http://ken.smugmug.com/

You did the revised link while I was lamenting not being able to get it. But check this out --- you can paste the pic right into the message! I just clicked on the thumbnail to get the larger pic then right-clicked on that, selected "Properties", copied the address (URL) the pasted it here. Easy!







Beautiful! Especially the first 2. Excellent "cheater" shots! Now I'm going back to look at your Tizzy pics...
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Best Wishes,
Steve

According to Sibleys the female isn't as colorful as the male and while it's supposed to have a red central throat patch I probably washed it out with the flash. I didn't know about the guys being more skittish than the girls (I would have thought it was the other way around but hey, I'm a GUY) but if true then that's another good way to tell them apart. Anna (if a female I've already named her) takes her time quaffing the nectar so I see lots of photo-ops coming. Now I just have to get some SUN... )
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Thanks Kim!
Steve

sdwsp said:

It may not be as far-out as it sounds as I have a Red-tail couple
living and hunting in the hill opposite my condo. I just saw them
fly in to roost in their favorite eucalyptus tree about an hour
ago...and they're made a few close flybys to my condo balcony but
of course I didn't have my camera ready.

Click to expand...

LOL Steve! I was thinking about clothsline and tails! When I was in Edmonton a few years ago, I was offered some mice to entice a great grey owl that would actually take one from hand - so they say! Don't know about that being a good idea for wildlife but they got beautiful photos....and we do use birdseed and sugar/water!

sdwsp said:

And do you know that's about the FIRST time I've ever used the
flash? Sure finally came in handy as the light has been pretty poor
lately, and I guess Anna didn't mind that I blinded her with about
4 flash shots. I was hoping she wouldn't crash into the wall
because of it while flying off.

Click to expand...

The last few times, I've gone to use my flash (flowers), the RDS adapter has been attached so it wouldn't open and I didn't have that hex thing I needed to remove it. Gotta get organized!

sdwsp said:

BTW, how's your FZ30 doing? Did you send it off to the Service
Center yet?

Click to expand...

Spent several days (hours) on the phone with Visa re warranty/parts extension (it's doubled), then Panasonic> Repair Centre> Repair Centre> Panasonic USA> Panasonic Canada> Panasonic USA.....I hate voice mail!!! Anyhow, I finally got to talk to a nice man called Sydney who got everything straightened out for me and I will be getting a loaner camera and don't have to send mine in until I get the loaner.....I was SO relieved because couldn't bear the thought of being without a camera at this time of year - or any other! Problems are still intermittent so can still use my camera. Sorry to take so long to answer but, as usual, 'stuff' happens around here!
Regards
Marcia

sdwsp said:

Thanks, Marcia!
Steve

Click to expand...

Do you by any chance live in the Pacific Northwest? I could swear that snowy mountain in the background is Washington State's Mt. Baker. My folks live in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula.

Nice Tizzy pics! And did you see I was able to copy and paste your pics into the post? I agree with Ken, you're doing REALLY well already if you've only had the cam for a short while...Hope to see more!
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Best Wishes,
Steve