Has it really been since May 1 that I posted an update? These past
weeks have been quite busy with several photo adventures, some new
gear, and even a few technical difficulties. I've even met a few
local photographers and have enjoyed meeting up with them for
several photo shoots.

Since it has been a while I thought it might be fun to start off
with my top 10 recent favorite photos:

Cardinal Close-up:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/62970415/original

Colorful Dragonfly Face:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/63306818/original

July 4th Fireworks:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/63077009/original

Blue Heron with Dragonfly Prize:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/62081229/original

Fawn in Hiding:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/61444026/original

Dark Hollow Falls:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/61403126/original

Juvenile Bald Eagle Flight:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/60164633/original

Osprey Flight:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/60164645/original

Green Frog Portrait:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/62358450/original

Chincoteague Sunset:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/60312293/original


-- Walker Exhibit Ends --
http://www.sayersweb.com/photography/html/exhibitions.htm
The exhibit, which ended on June 6th, turned out to be a great
success. It was a lot of work, but well worth the effort. I learned
a lot and many people had a chance to see my photos for the first
time.


-- Recent Photo Opportunities --
These last few weeks have offered many exciting photo opportunities
including several local outings, 4th of July Fireworks, and even a
trip to Shenandoah National Park. Here are several recently created
or updated gallery pages from these recent adventures:

Shenandoah National Park (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/shenandoah

Riverbend Park (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/riverbend

Fireworks (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/fireworks

Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/accotink_bay_wildlife_refuge

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/occoquan_bay

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/chincoteague


-- Photo Gear Updates -
http://www.sayersweb.com/photography/html/photo-gear.htm
Over the last several months I've been investigating different
options for using flash in photography. This has resulted in two new
flash purchases:

Canon Speedlite 580EX -
Shoe mount flash unit that is a bit more powerful than the 420EX
I've been using. A primary use of this flash will be for bird
photography in conjunction with a Better Beamer flash extender. The
extender magnifies the flash using the same technology used to
produce a stronger beam in lighthouses.

Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite -
This is a specialized flash unit that attaches to the end of a macro
lens and has two separate flash heads that can be angled and also
rotated around the lens barrel. This flash will primarily be used
with the Canon MP-E 65 1-5x Macro lens.


-- Technical Difficulties --
With all of this equipment there are bound to be a few occasional
technical difficulties and I have had a few recently:

1) I managed to break my carbon fiber monopod in half while
adjusting the height. It snapped like a twig. I tried to glue it,
but no such luck.

2) On a recent outing I went to power on one of the cameras and
found that the newly charged battery was dead. Things got worse when
I realized the spare batteries were still at home in the charger.
So, I spent the entire day swapping a single battery between both
camera bodies.
3) The new 65mm macro lens had a cable come loose inside requiring
it be sent off to Canon for repair. It's back home now and working
wonderfully.

4) The flash shoe on one of the camera bodies started to pull away
from the camera causing the attached flash to flop around. I was
very concerned about repair cost and time. Luckily, someone on an
online forum was familiar with the problem and explained how to
remove the plastic cover which revealed the loose screws. A few
turns of a screwdriver and good as new. Thank goodness for the
internet!

5) The tripod collar on the Canon 400mm lens would no longer tighten
snuggly around the lens. This became very inconvenient when out
trekking around and having the camera and lens rotate upside down in
the collar between shots. I'm trying a low-tech fix of wedging a
small piece of cardboard inside the collar where the screw tightens
down. So far, so good!

Plenty of technical difficulties recently, but so far things are
working themselves out. Next up is a new monopod to replace the
broken one.