Welcome to the new list members! I created this list a couple of
months ago not knowing if anyone would sign up, but I am pleased to
see a few new members.

It has been such a great summer for photography here in Virginia. I
feel very fortunate to live in an area with such diverse photo
opportunities and hope to take best advantage of them. With the
coming of autumn I always have a heavy heart as our koi pond starts
to shut down for the winter. It brings us so much joy each and every
day throughout the spring and summer, making it difficult to see the
plants start to fade and the dragonflies leave as winter approaches.

To help us get through this coming winter I created animated GIF
files of our waterfalls. They are comprised of a series of photos
taken in rapid succession which are then combined to create an
animated view. These animated files will not run smoothly until all
of the images download to your browser, so give it a few moments:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/66573207/original
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/66524247/original


Here's my top 12 favorite photos from recent weeks (not in any
particular order):

Muscovy Portrait:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/67471927/original

Woodland Falls:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/67308775/original

Blue Heron Catch:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/63955857/original

Placid Kayaker:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/66623347/original

Damselfly Close-up:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/64338540/original

Koi Coming Up:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/64553199/original

Intimate Lotus:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/65490379/original

Frog on my Finger:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/67277265/original

Delicate Butterfly:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/65608331/original

Iwo Jima Memorial at Night:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/66756678/original

Canal Reflections:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/67308770/original

Turtle Eye:
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/image/67124874/original


-- Macro Tutorial --
I receive several emails a week from people looking for advice on
how to get started with macro photography using their Digital SLR
cameras. So, I've created a tutorial called "Macro Made Easy" to
help answer the most common questions. It is a work in progress, but
so far the response has been very positive:
http://www.sayersweb.com/photography/html/article-easy-macro.htm


-- Recent Photo Opportunities --
In recent weeks I've participated in several photo outings with
local photographers. It has been great fun and has motivated me to
try photography at places I would normally not pursue. Here are
several recently created or updated galleries:

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/kenilworth_aquatic_gardens

Brookside Gardens - Butterfly Exhibit (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/brookside_gardens

Washington DC Sights (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/washington_dc

Washington Redskins (American Football) 2006 Training Camp (new):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/redskins

Great Falls Park - Maryland (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/great_falls_md

Huntley Meadows Park (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/huntley_meadows

Great Falls Park - Virginia (updated):
http://www.pbase.com/sayer/greatfalls

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


-- Photo Gear Updates --
http://www.sayersweb.com/photography/html/photo-gear.htm
I recently bought the Canon 10-22mm lens and have been pleasantly
surprised by the images created with it. This lens provides a very
wide angle of view to the camera allowing large things to be
photographed without your having to move far away to fit everything
into the camera's frame.

A new Tamron 2.0x teleconverter now joins the Tamron 1.4x. A
teleconverter works in conjunction with the lens to add more
magnification. So, using the 2.0x teleconverter on my 400mm lens
results in an 800mm focal length, thus doubling the magnification.
The down-sides to using teleconverters are loss of light, autofocus,
and image quality. Photography always involves juggling trade-offs
to get the best results possible.

A new tripod made by Velbon has replaced the troublesome DynaTran.
The new tripod is lighter and much easier to use.

Two new monopods, one with legs. I ordered the rather inexpensive
Sunpak Versipod II monopod that actually has three small tripod-
style legs. It is nowhere near as sturdy as a tripod but is more
steady than a standard monopod. I've used it extensively in recent
weeks and have found it to do a good job. I also ordered a Bogen
681B monopod at the same time since I was not sure if the Versipod
would be very useful.


-- Technical Difficulties --
With all of this equipment there are occasional technical
difficulties:

1) DynaTran tripod - The twist lock legs continually grew more
difficult to operate with time. I finally could not stand it any
longer and replaced it with the Velbon.

2) This past weekend one of the camera batteries went dead after
only a few shots after being fully charged. This is not the same
battery that previously had problems.
3) The tripod collar on the Canon 400mm lens continues to be
problematic. I need to research how it can be fixed.

4) The new Versipod II legs started to get loose and would not
remain open on their own. I quick tighten with an allen wrench set
it right.


That is the latest news... Autumn color is due here any time which
should provide some good photo opportunities.