Daily Pics ~ Wednesday, November 4, 2009

[thymewarp13]

Good morning everyone! Things are starting to warm up after a dip into the low 30s last night. It looks like some of the hardy garden survivors made it through another threat of a killing freeze. Tonight will be another late night watching TV as the Phillies battle the Yankees in Game 6 of the World Series. Go Phillies!

One praying mantis is still hanging on in the Abelia Grandiflora shrub near the sunroom window. This shrub is still blooming and is the most likely place for the mantis to get a decent meal. This is a shot from a few days ago. I spotted the mantis on the window frame yesterday but later when I came out with my camera he had gone undercover again.

Elections are over and the local incumbent commissioner in my township ward was defeated by 37 votes. His opponents had been playing dirty politics and I'm sad to see him voted out.

[GTO]

morning TW..nice mantis shot and colour on the bush!
we got down to upper 30s last night, so some things are still OK....:)

[sjasis]

It got cold in NYC last night too, but not quite cold enough for a frost. I don't have much room inside to winter my plants but I've brought my elephant ears and my strawberry hanging baskets in already, just in case.

Not Yankees fans, we're rooting for the Phillies in our house too! :)

[Bebop]

We'll also be watching, rooting for the Phillies. Miracles do happen!

[Keith]

Good morning TW, Louie and Susan... and anyone else who stops by in before noon... then Good Afternoon! The wind subsided overnight, dead calm still this morning, low 30's overnight, and the thermometer reads 64 at the moment, bright sunshine!

That is an impressive Praying Mantis, TW. They must be great fun to photograph.

I've been out playing with the Nikon, trying to use your advice Louie... f-24, but my camera only goes up to f-22, so I tried this, there. Not a lot better, but you can sure get the idea that Pikes Peak is in the background of the shots. It does appear that I'm either going to have a sharp/clear bird, or a sharp/clear Pikes Peak, not both. Oh, well, great fun trying anyway.

This Downy was posing for this max aperture exercise this morning...

[Kiska]

It's a wonderful photo w/lots of interest in both foreground and background. I like the first w/details. Great to have a willing and cooperative model:)

[Keith]

How are you feeling, Louie? Hopefully you are on the other side of that nasty bug

[GTO]

F22 is good...that top one looks good!
did you go to manual focus?.....focus on something in between and at the same time have a look at the the closest and farthest objects and then compensate by deciding whether to focus more on one or the other...

Keith, feeing a lot better and my cough is almost gone, so should be back to 100% soon, thanks for asking

[Kiska]

100% after a rough time sounds good. Hopefully, it will be soon.

[Keith]

here is an unaltered view of the setting

[Bebop]

I'm impressed. You got a lot of clarity in there, near and far.

[GTO]

pretty clear keith!!

how many panes of glass are you shooting through?
since you mentioned you shot with a remote, putting the camera out on the deck will give you a better shot!

[Keith]

Exactly! there is the filter on the camera, and two panes of glass. I'll have to set the camera up out on the other side of the great room window, and try it that way... hopefully the tweeties won't land on the camera and... make a deposit! YIKES! Umm, may have to cover that upper parts of the camera, just in case.

Isn't retirement grand!