DONNA ASKS, ‘DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE CAMERA’?

JUST A FEW FILE PHOTOS TONIGHT…LAZY W RANCH NEAR ELFRIDA AZ

Figured I had better get me a little painting done before it gets too hot so with a can of paint & brush in hand I painted most of our new shed doors this morning.  Might finish them up Wednesday.  Still trying to decide on a color for our front door.  So many suggestions, so many neat color combinations & I think any one of them would work.

About 3 years ago I picked up a gallon of something at the ‘Big Tent’ in Quartzsite called, ‘The Solution’.  A waterless wash product.  I tried it a few times but wasn’t that knocked out by the results.  I brought half a gallon of it to Congress a year ago & this morning I remembered it was here.  Used it to remove more chlorine infested water spots on the rig’s chrome today.  It worked well for that.  Also had a brainiac idea that if I had two step ladders & a sturdy plank I could rig a kind of scaffold over the hood of the truck cab to stand on to clean Winnie’s front cap & upper windshield area.  I do have 2 aluminum step ladders back in Bayfield so I’ll rig that up when we get home in a few months. 

There are perfect weather days & there are perfect weather days.  Today was one of them for me.  I’m guessing low to mid 70’s with a gentle warm breeze.  Maybe too warm for some & too cool for others but for me the day was perfect.  Kelly headed off to Wickenburg for groceries while Pheebs & I basked in the day’s sunny warm finery.

 

FRONT YARD VIEW OF THE SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS FROM THE THE LAZY W RANCH

Donna from the CAVE DWELLINGS had a comment question in which she asked, “Do you have more than one camera..one set for "fast action" and one for landscape”?   The answer to that question is ‘yes’.  I decided early on when I switched from 35mm film to digital I would do so using 2 cameras.  Knowing the type of photography I was interested in I did not want to be continually changing lenses.  Lot of dust in the air out here in the South-West & every time there is a lens change there is a good chance of dust entering the camera.  Especially on those often windy days.  And wildlife doesn’t often wait around while a person fumbles about changes lenses.  Lens changes would also mean constantly altering camera settings & I knew I did not have a chance of remembering to do that each time.  Yes it is more cumbersome to carry 2 heavy DSLR’s but it is the way I much prefer to do things.  (DSLR means Digital Single Lens Reflex)

I change camera & lens combinations around from time to time & right now my 55-300mm telephoto lens is attached to my Nikon D-40.  It’s my oldest & most favorite camera.  This is the camera I do all my bird & wildlife photos with.  And this is the set-up my recently posted about BlackRapid camera strap is on as well.  My Nikon D-90 carries my 18-55mm lens & this the one I use for most of my photos which include landscapes.  My newer D-3100 right now is my back-up camera sporting a 200mm lens.

Donna is right when she also said, “  It would take me so long to change my camera setting for "birds in flight" that they would all have flown the coop by the time I was ready for the picture”.   Donna is right of course.  Because I have the advantage of a DSLR camera I pre-focus my auto-focus lens for distance & I will sometimes set the shutter to rapid fire .  I have my D-40 set for ‘center focus’ & ‘center metering’ as well which means it focuses & meters only on a small area in the center of my screen because that is where my subject will hopefully be.  

And remember, wildlife is not going to sit still & wait for you to get your camera out of your camera case so leave that camera bag at home or in the car.  Get that DSLR around your neck with the lens cap off & in your pocket.  Have your camera turned on & pre-focused out about a hundred feet or so.  Now if a Quail or a Deer suddenly pops out of the bushes you are all pre-configured to get a fast few shots off at your subject.  Remember to pre-set your ISO number as well.  I generally have my D-40 with 300mm lens at either 800 or 1600 ISO.  My D-90 is usually set at ISO 200 or 400. 

And for best results you really need to have a DSLR with a viewfinder if you want to get yourself some reasonably nice flying bird photos.  And heavy emphasis on ‘viewfinder’.  If a bird is flying overhead you have to be able to pan with & track along with that bird.  You have to get your eye into the camera’s viewfinder & onto that moving bird target.  

I’m not really up on the technical end or finer points of cameras & photography but I do enjoy sharing the little bit of practical knowledge I do have about a most enjoyable hobby which has been with me now for many years……………

Ever wonder what a PLB was & more importantly, do you have one.  Could save your life as it has already done for many people.  Chinle over at SPOTTED DOG RANCH has one but is hoping she will never have to use it.  This device makes a whole lot of good sense & especially for outdoors people.  Click on the Spotted Dog Ranch link & Chinle will tell you why a PLB is important.

NORTH OF DOUGLAS ARIZONA

A year ago now Aunt Jean from Sarasota Florida was here.  Of course we had promised Jean sunny Arizona days & warm weather.  The temperatures plummeted & it snowed less than 24 hours after she arrived:((

 

   

OF COURSE THIS YEAR THE TEMPERATURES ARE PREDICTED TO BE IN THE LOW 80’S BY THE END OF THE WEEK……….

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A Catholic, a Protestant, a Muslim and a Jew were discussing business during a dinner.

Catholic: "I have a large fortune... I am going to buy GOOGLE!"
Protestant: "I am very wealthy and will buy GENERAL MOTORS!"
Muslim: "I am a fabulously rich Prince... I intend to purchase WALMART & MICROSOFT!"

They then all wait for the Jewish fellow to speak...
He stirs his coffee, places the spoon neatly on the table, takes a sip of his coffee, looks at them and casually says: "I'M NOT SELLING!"