*****My breeding little Halle the finch says: Here's looking for three more March entries*****

[Mira]

Update:
Now there are
TWO left.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, good!

I was hoping I wasn't too late...

I JUST figured out which picture I want to enter...

Now I have to find it!

[Mira]

2. I think I could fill a fourth thread.

Look forward to your photo. Halle says: "I'll try to hold your space, heaven knows I'm holding a lot more, just sitting on these dumb eggs night and day"

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. It's sent!

I think you've seen it before, but I've never entered it in a contest.

[Mira]

4. It's received

and it is absolutely gorgeous - and then - so are many of the others.
This will be an interesting contest!

[Earth_First]

5. I'm in...

Let me know if you need me to resize...

[Major Nikon]

6. Here is one of my wife's finches

She has an albino one I probably should photograph, but haven't gotten around to it.

[Mira]

7. Oh how happy and beautiful.

I'd love to see the albino one! This photo puts mine to shame.
There is ONE more entry to go. If you hurry, you can grab it. I don't think you are in the lineup yet!

(forgive me if I'm wrong...gotta go make sure)

[Solly Mack]

9. Pretty bird!

[Solly Mack]

8. Halle is pretty!

Name a baby after me! (my real name, that is)

[Mira]

11. You got it

Will send you a photo of your namesake.
With the other two called Halle and Lujah it does not matter if "you" will be a male or female bird, I won't know til it does or does not sing..
I do hope they hatch.

[Solly Mack]

13. Really?!?! Sweet! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Male, female, I don't care. lol

I'm gonna be a bird! Cool!

[Mira]

14. Well, if I were breeding a duck or a swan

I would name one for Celebration. Fair is fair.

[Solly Mack]

15. Or a Green Heron.

Probably Swan though.

I'm thrilled. I truly am.

[Mira]

17. I know you are. I am too.

I had a bit of regret about saying this about Celebration, afraid she may think I'm being narrow and stereotyping her. I did not mean it that way, just meant to be humerous.

I'm going to name the one for you that seems the healthiest and most eager after they hatch. For sure the one that has a little camera around its neck and stalks the others.

[Solly Mack]

18. Celebration would also be thrilled, I'm sure.

LMAO (stalks the others with camera)


...that I would.

[FreeState]

10. Heres a pelican calling for two more:)

(It was flying too fast and almost flew out of my frame before I could get a good shot...)

[Mira]

12. I am astonished! I have never been able to get a shot like that.

Congratulations.

[FreeState]

16. Thanks - like most things in life it's random

being in the right place at the right time. I've started to bring my camera with me everywhere I go. I recently got back from a trip to Thailand and took 5600+ photos, so it's becoming a habit (although I still need to go through those images...).

What camera and lens do you use? I love the textures you were picking up on the rocks and the water. Great contrast of rough and silky. Your pictures always have amazing clarity.

[Mira]

19. I would have bet money nobody would ever ask me this question.

I have a Sony Alpha 500, and a Sony Alpha 65. One stays by my side, and one stays in the car. I also have an Olympus camera I can shoot under water with.
I have a Telephoto lens 75 - 300 with which I shot the distance shots at the quarry.
Also a Macro lens 2.8 / 30 with which I shot Halle the finch through the cage
And what I call a portrait lens 1.6 / 50, I'm usually not very successful with it, do flowers sometimes. But I usually forget I have it.

I mostly do not know what these things do - and I have made a promise to myself until I know more I can buy nothing.

I use Picasa exclusively to crop, sharpen or whatever I want to do to make my photo look better.
I have photoshop, but have not learned to use it. Yet.

I wish you the best in going through all these photos you took in Thailand. Selfishly, because I want to see some.
When I travel I download at night and throw out the bad stuff so I can start with a clean camera in the morning.
I'm up while others sleep, and then I'm pretty wasted in the morning.

Thanks for saying the nice things about my photos. You are very kind.

[FreeState]

20. Im about were you are on learning what my equipment can do

I love finding out what people are using, it helps me understand more about the differences and the techniques used. I've never used a Sony but have used an Olympus (both in Junior High and College - film) and currently use a Nikon D90. I end up using my iPhone when I don't have my camera with me, which can take good pictures, however I shoot in RAW and would prefer my Nikon. I'm also trying to learn more about the lenses I have before buying another (Id love to get a macro eventually).

I've never used Picasa - I might have to give it a try. I currently use Aperture (Im a graphic designer and use photoshop all the time for work, but prefer Aperture for slight edits and organization - I recently started using Flickr for a second backup as Im paranoid my hard drive will give out eventually, its probably cheaper to pay Flickr $25 a year than $100 for a drive I replace every two years).

When I was in Thailand I unloaded my pictures daily onto my laptop and started with a clean card for the day. I did upload some to my photo stream to share with family and friends, however they were quickly picked shots with no to little editing. I prefer to shoot in neutral with a soft focus and then go into Aperture and adjust the color and sharpening slightly. I'll share some as soon as I get some time to start going through them