Thanks Everyone & 70-200 VR

[indysteve]

Hello. I've been lurking for a while, but I had to post a very large thanks to everyone on this forum. I've learned a lot about digital photography over the last couple of months, especially the help in choosing the 70-200 VR lens.

The photo below is the result of my first "outing" with this excellent lens.

Hand held full frame (just levels and USM), CCD-RAW, 1/250, F4, and shot through a chain link fence.

[Swampy]

Beautiful shot. Glad this place was helpful. Now, don't be shy, keep posting pics and don't hesitate to answer questions if you know the answers.

Some of my roots are from your area - Dunkirk to be precise.

[jknights]

Great shot. Grrr.

Noticed the background has a funny/distinct pattern. Have you PSed ?

[Swampy]

I think it's abberations from shooting through a chain link fence JK. I think I can make out the pattern of the fence in those "funny patterns". Especially in the green grass area on the bottom left corner.

[smunky]

Beautiful!I want to pet it... but the spit coming from his/her mouth is frightening in a good way.

[indysteve]

Jonathan, Swampy is correct, the patterns came from the chain link fence I was shooting through. (See the picture below for an earlier attempt before I went manual focus). I probably should have posted the bad picture first so you could see what made me so happy about the final result.

Swampy, thanks for the comments, and yes I'll try to post more often, now that I've broken the ice. The thing that draws me to this forum, is the straight talk based on the common enjoyment of photography.

Smunky, I cloned out the patterns in the background, but for my printed version, but I left the "spit" on, because I wasn't sure about trying to clone it out, but also because I think it gives him (her?) some character.

Steve

[sandman]

Steve good shot but why do they put tigers behind chain link , it's the same over here ,it's not too bad when the're far away you can de-focus the fence but when the're up close it's pointless trying.

Brian


Howletts zoo ,Kent

[indysteve]

Brian, good picture also. I agree about the fences, but in this case, I'm glad it was there. I got wrapped up in trying to get a shot, and wasn't paying real attention to what the tiger was doing. The reason I got the shot that I did was he was coming straight toward me. It wasn't until after the shot, and someone says "man I don't think he likes your camera", that I lowered the camera and realized that he was growling real low and came right up to the fence and eye-ball'd me. With me five feet or so on the other side. I was really glad the fence was there! Especially since this was one of Roy Horn's tigers, and I wouldn't want him to turn me into a rag doll...vbg.

In all seriousness, one of the reasons my wife and I made the trip was to get a good look at these great white tigers and lions, before they shutdown or close the exhibit. (would be a shame)

Steve

[Wichita Wayne]

It reminds me of the II Corps HQ club in Pleiku, VN. They had a painting of a lazy tiger over the bar and below it were the words "Where Every Man's a Tiger". It comes from an old army unit chant used when an officer tells the unit to take their seats after they snap to attention as the officer enters the room. You substituted you unit designation in the first line, and the last line is not rated acceptable for a family forum like this.

C.....6....2.....Sir,
Where every mans a tiger,
With a ____ this long,
And _____ this big!

You made appropriate hand gestures on the last two lines, and then sat down.

[sandman]

Wayne thanks for NOT sharing this time , too early in the morning here for that:D :D .

Steve
i'm glad those fences are there as well :D . my wife love siberians and we have pictures all over the house of them , this is on my living room wall it's 3' x 2' 6". bought it back from Colchester Zoo.

[indysteve]

Brian,

Nice painting. For us the theme of the house is dogs (mostly labs)whether it is figures, pictures, or quilts.

I realize your picture was a "snap" (so no offense) but I had fun trying to determine the number of pictures (4?) that were on the opposite wall.

Alos, I've been trying to think of an idea for an avitar ( I know I need to lose tigger) and you gave me an idea for a self portrait. Now I have to try to implement it. (might take a few days, I hate returning from vacations)

Steve

[Wichita Wayne]

Is that a Sandman that I detect in the reflection of the tiger picture? Or is that the soul of your tiger?

[Don65Stang]

of dinner. :D

[Wichita Wayne]

Not even a hungry tiger could stomach and old Rocker like Sandman. There too tough and bitter. It would be better to chomp down on a couple of Teds. They are much younger and most of them have been pounded by Punks until they are really tender.

[Swampy]

I think he secretly admires Smunky's mirror pictures. I believe there 4 picture frames in the background and on the left side of the picture, there's the start of a 5th picture, just the right side of the frame. :D

[sandman]

When i was little,.. mum would always tell me that ''while the're picking on you the're leaving someone else alone''. so someone out their owes me one..:D :D .
Wayne, we used to call them Mods , punks came much later .

Should have realised any ''snap'' is open to criticism , and i had'nt thought about my reflection . Swampy gets todays prize i'm sending him Dionne Warwicks ''do you know the way to San Jose'' right away. yes 5 pics .

Brian .

please don't tell about lighting, composition, or F stops a quick snap..(at an angle so no reflections )

[sandman]

And one in an alcove i missed , there you go a quick tour of my walls ,.... sad i know .. but blame the wife ,if i had my way , a few Corvettes, Harleys ,and Bonny's would be up there as well. the Rembrants and Constables are in the safe .

[Wichita Wayne]

I'm an old guy with bad eyes. I use autoficus, split images, and hyperfocal distances a lot. Besides once I say Sandmans reflection that was all the detail that I could stand. However as I reflect on your post I think I do see some other pictures reflecting on the glass behind the reflection of the Sandman.

Actually I really like Brian's shot. The sleeping tiger is vary nice. An animal doing what they do most of the day.

Brian, I know the time was fudged a little, but the Rockers got all the Mods didn't they. Anyway when I was over there last year I don't think I saw a single Mod. You guys were just too much for them. An old hippie like me knows notices these things.

[sandman]

These threads never cease to amaze me , they start of with a good tiger pic by steve and then disintergrate into pictures of my hallway and the mods and rocker fights of the 60's.
While it's true we did ''get'' many mods , it's also true i lost several pals ,and a few walking today carry the scars still .
It's been seen today as lighthearted fun , but it was deadly serious back then , vicious deadly fights involving several hundred on both sides using any weapon you could to inflict as much damage as possable .
Southend , Brighton and Margate were battlegrounds during bank holidays making them no go areas.
But that was 30+ years ago, today i can even look at a scooter without wanting to kick it over,:D .
Now with apologes to Steve for hijacking another thread heres a blow up or2) of that tiger .

Handheld, 300mm end of a sigma 28-300 zoom , and an large F stop to de-focus yet another chain link fence .

Brian

[sandman]

One more ,same tiger ,different angle . Meant to say these are for Wayne .