Yes, 2, 3 and 5 for me too.

2 has enough blur to suggest movement but successfully avoids the 'sea of milk' effect that I really, really dislike.
5 manages seems to show land, sea and sky as different aspects of the same thing. Thought provoking.
3 is deeply mysterious. There's an impression of diagonal lines (even though there are none) which, to me at least, conveys a sense of movement through the picture.

Hope that makes sense!

Steve

+1. Best for me would be the fly as in No. 2 with the background as in the No. 1.

What on earth is No. 3? I can't work out how many heads, eyes, legs, antennae there are!

Steve

It will probably be bird food well before then.

Thanks to both of you for your kind words about the pictures. Nice to know that some people appreciate them - my wife won't even look at a spider picture.

Steve

This tiny thing was little more than a mobile miniscule blob of jelly with legs. Photographing bugs wasn't in today's plan, but it appeared through the viewfinder from behind the tendril and I couldn't resist. About 2mm across, including its legs (checked with a ruler) . Difficult to focus on moving jelly, so fixed on the tiny black marks and hoped....

K3 + Irix 150mm + 1.4TC.

Comments etc. welcome, as usual.







Steve

"Gasteruption Jaculator (I kid you not) and is a parasitic wasp" - Yet another day when I learn something new. Thank you!

Excellent spot and well done getting the shots. The bug-in-flight shot is the highlight (you presumably knew that already), but all three together make a fine set.

"I flattened a battery trying to capture it in flight." - Was that when you threw it at the bug in exasperation???

Steve

Another stunningly beautiful set. Huge range, from small detail to vast vistas but unified by your characteristic style. Still trying to work out what that style is, but if pushed (hard) I'd say it has something to do with composition, careful attention to detail, shades of green, subtle lighting and OOF areas.

Choosing favourites is impossible. However...
- the dog in No. 9 transforms a fairly standard waterfall scene into a story and a question.
- the contrast in No. 10 between the old, damaged and decaying leaves and the bright, new leaves hints that there is a message in that picture.
- the little flowering plant (sedum?) standing proud in No. 13 is simply exquisite (and definitely needs to be viewed at large size).

Glad your non-WR lenses survived. But wasn't there a time when no lenses were WR??

Steve

Well spotted, well photographed.

So that's a thrip, something I've heard about but didn't know what it looked like. Another day when I've learned something new.

Still warm, with thunder passing overhead on its way north. Apparently good weather for thrips (also known as thunder flies).

Steve

A working 16-85mm is a fine lens to have to hand. Fingers crossed that it doesn't slip back into its old habits. Did you find out the cause of the problem? (Some self-interest here in case mine develops the same trouble...)

No. 2 is my favourite. It has a 3-D feel that isn't so strong in the others (at least with my eyes, glasses and monitor!). Something to do with the colours and textures of the rocks and having less sea in the frame?

Steve

Yet another day in which I learn something new. Thank you.

Steve

"Many an hour" is definitely what it takes!

It does seem to be a bit easier to get these shots with the Irix 150mm than the Sigma 105mm, but perhaps it's because I'm getting better at it as time goes by.

Steve