[Nikonzen] - APAW 2015 Challenge Myself


We had a beautiful sunny afternoon with great temperature. Very nice!

So for #8 I am taking on Macro. I've not had a macro lens for my Nikons until I bought this 35-70. So while out for a walk I made a few macro snaps. Couldn't find anything moving but maybe soon when the weather gets a bit better.





 

#9 another area where are am very weak is product photography. So I am throwing that one up here. Found this thing today in an antique shop. I have seen many similar contraptions in the old pictures of Singapore. So I bought it to use as a prop. Needs some serious cleaning.

 

Bonus Food practice shot.

I fired up my custom hibachi grill and smoker last night and cooked some steak. I can cook just about anything with this set up...controlled! :)

 

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Steak looks good Jeff. When I visit will you fire up the grill for me bro? ;)
 

Steak looks good Jeff. When I visit will you fire up the grill for me bro? ;)

Thank you Albert. When you visit we will fire up the custom hibachi grill and smoker every single meal if you wish sir... :)
 

Thank you Albert. When you visit we will fire up the custom hibachi grill and smoker every single meal if you wish sir... :)
Can I may I should I? hehe.
 

Yes Wong...if you can make it you are invited too... :)
 

Well I fired up the Custom Hibachi Grill and Smoker yet again tonight. This time Rib Eye. $8 bucks! :)

 

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I am on a short week ended trip with my boys...so far about 150 snaps give or take a few...I think I got some good stuff you all might enjoy viewing...returning home tomorrow can't wait to get home and get the stuff up!
 

#10. I never shoot video. Always stills. However sometimes one finds oneself in a situation that just screams video I guess. Well I must say I have to hand it to the videographer. I'm sure a tripod would do wonders for me but I think I will just stick with stills...haha

For better or worse it is an old American tradition passed along from father to son (and sometimes daughter as well) for a long time now.

[video=youtube;w_ZP_PTYQiU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_ZP_PTYQiU[/video]
 

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#11 Cats. You bros have the very best cat snaps anywhere I think. So now I take on cats...boy this will be something different for me! :)

I saw this cat today...weirdest cat I've ever seen. A kitty who has died and gone to heaven maybe? :think:

 

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I'm still trying to catch up on this thread...and I have a backlog of images too! Oh boy...

I walked to work this morning. It was a beautiful day and I felt just great. As I walked along up in the distance I saw a tiny speck of a familiar color in the ditch along the road. For #12 I am challenging myself with my favorite flowers - native Oklahoma wildflowers. Now that brilliant little flash of orange pinkish red I saw, a herald of Spring, is what we call an Indian Paintbrush. Soon ditches and fields will be covered with them in certain places. It is a parasitic plant. Flowers is an area where I need some refinement. So maybe by the end of the year I can progress in dealing with them.

Two for this one. Bonus shot.



 

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Challenge #7 I am catching up!

It is somewhat to difficult to try to think of things you do not do much of. For this one I am trying out some wildlife/bird photography. I seldom do much wildlife and birds even more rarely. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact I don't really own a long tele. I go to 135. I have always wanted to do this type of shooting however because I am very fortunate to live on a farm where there is an abundance of wildlife and animals are cool in my eyes. I will be going after a lot of that this year and maybe at some point I might try and pick up an old 300 lens.

OK to set this one up. We have the Killdeer. Lots of these on the farm. The flock sorts of shares the place with the crows, hawks, owls, vultures, and songbirds. They are skittish super fast and hard to get close too unless you happen on one of their nest in which case you will get close to one but it may try to peck the front element out your lens! haha. :) They are ground nesters! Here is a wiki link for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer

On the way home, pulling down my long driveway to the house I spotted this Killdeer moving off the roadway. They like the gravel drive but the bird didn't want to get ran over I guess so he went for field. haha Smart bird! Anyways, I shot this from my car with the D7K and 35-70 (on Auto didn't have time to diddle). This is a subject where I have significant room to grow and throughout the challenge this year I will try to accomplish some of that growth and hopefully provide you bros with something.



100% crop



birds from different parts of the world always arouse my interest.
very interesting to have a farm that might invite different types of species. Does migratory birds visit your farm?
I thought this bird looks like some kind of plover,oh what a name "killdeer" Has it happened to kill deers before?lol
 

Thank you sir glad you have an interest in it. The birds are beautiful and precious. :)

The killdeer are fast low ground highly acrobatic flyers. They live here and raise their chicks here. They own the place too. Once upon a time used to be a lot of other field birds and game birds. Quail, Dove, Turkey...some still around...there is a group of wild turkeys living pretty close to here.

Yes Blue Cranes, many ducks, Red Tailed Hawks, occasional Bald Eagles. Hoot Owls, Crows (love to do a series on these sometime), Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds, Cardinals, Jays, Pigeons, Blue Birds and many migratory song birds. A few times we have been visited by the Roadrunner which is a wild crazy bird. There is a small lake near my home and many bodies of water so yes big landing strips everywhere! I plan to cover all of these this year for you bros. Also many other animals...Bats, wild looking blue native perch, endangered Box turtles, Irradiated Box turtles, Sliders, Alligator Snapping turtles, some of these prized for Asian cuisine I hear, lizards, newts, snakes, butterflies, insects, etc. All kinds of things to come...wait till you see the moths, butterflies, and the awesome dragonflies. This farm is a wetlands area man made about 100 years old and is pretty cool even somewhat exceptional.
 

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Thank you sir glad you have an interest in it. The birds are beautiful and precious. :) The killdeer are fast low ground highly acrobatic flyers. They live here and raise their chicks here. They own the place too. Once upon a time used to be a lot of other field birds and game birds. Quail, Dove, Turkey...some still around...there is a group of wild turkeys living pretty close to here. Yes Blue Cranes, many ducks, Red Tailed Hawks, occasional Bald Eagles. Hoot Owls, Crows (love to do a series on these sometime), Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds, Cardinals, Jays, Pigeons, Blue Birds and many migratory song birds. A few times we have been visited by the Roadrunner which is a wild crazy bird. There is a small lake near my home and many bodies of water so yes big landing strips everywhere! I plan to cover all of these this year for you bros. Also many other animals...Bats, wild looking blue native perch, endangered Box turtles, Irradiated Box turtles, Sliders, Alligator Snapping turtles, some of these prized for Asian cuisine I hear, lizards, newts, snakes, butterflies, insects, etc. All kinds of things to come...wait till you see the moths, butterflies, and the awesome dragonflies. This farm is a wetlands area man made about 100 years old and is pretty cool even somewhat exceptional.

Wow...these sound really interesting.
 

#13. Black and White Redux. This time camera in monochrome mode with yellow filter effect. D7K 35-70. SOOC jpegs very minor processing. I still have a lot of work to go but I feel I am improving.



 

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#14 Hello bros I'm falling further behind on this one I guess. Well I've been practicing BIF. I think I need a wider lens...haha :D