LTE 2.0

[ArkieDukie]

I think I have set a new record: 1 registered member and 8 stalkers, err, guests.

They're tracking The Master.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Off to Ft. Lauderdale today for a week. Not vacation, I will be attending to some family matters to help my Mom and Dad. But it sure will be nice to have some warm weather (I hope!)

Safe travels!

Trip/flight was easy and on time. Southwest is definitely my favorite and preferred airline. Comfortable clean planes, nice people, on time flights, free baggage and soft drinks. They will get my business every time, the few times per year that I fly.

Weather is cool and sunny, in the mid 60's. Warm for NC, cool for Ft. Lauderdale this time of year. No complaints - it is very comfortable!

[ArkieDukie]

Off to Ft. Lauderdale today for a week. Not vacation, I will be attending to some family matters to help my Mom and Dad. But it sure will be nice to have some warm weather (I hope!)

Safe travels!

Trip/flight was easy and on time. Southwest is definitely my favorite and preferred airline. Comfortable clean planes, nice people, on time flights, free baggage and soft drinks. They will get my business every time, the few times per year that I fly.

Weather is cool and sunny, in the mid 60's. Warm for NC, cool for Ft. Lauderdale this time of year. No complaints - it is very comfortable!

Glad your travels were smooth, Ozzie. Hope your family matters progress as smoothly.

I agree with you 100% about Southwest. They rock.

[Lavabe]

I spent some time yesterday at the camera store, trying out lenses. I took a few shots with a 50mm lens (fast, cheap, sharp) and a 105mm macro ($$$). Had intended to look at a 60mm macro ($$) but they didn't have one at the store. I think that I've convinced myself that the 50mm lens would be a good one to have because it is very fast and therefore good for low light situations. I'm torn on the macro, though. Anyone have experience with 60mm vs 105mm macro lenses?

I took one shot with the macro that absolutely blew me away. Otherwise I thought my shots with the 50mm lens were better. My guess is that the macro lens requires some practice. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow to try out the 60mm macro; I think I'll take a prop with me and see what I can do. What would be a good prop for trying out a macro lens? Something small with lots of detail, right?

Flowers. Specifically, go with some sort of lily, so that you can explore depth of field issues. Considering that you'll be wanting to redo all your photos at MOBOT, a flower would be an ideal subject.

I find a good tripod is essential with many forms of macro photography.

Try the 60mm, and see if you can deal with it for what you'll be shooting. I'd hate to recommend the 105 without you trying the 60mm.

[ArkieDukie]

I spent some time yesterday at the camera store, trying out lenses. I took a few shots with a 50mm lens (fast, cheap, sharp) and a 105mm macro ($$$). Had intended to look at a 60mm macro ($$) but they didn't have one at the store. I think that I've convinced myself that the 50mm lens would be a good one to have because it is very fast and therefore good for low light situations. I'm torn on the macro, though. Anyone have experience with 60mm vs 105mm macro lenses?

I took one shot with the macro that absolutely blew me away. Otherwise I thought my shots with the 50mm lens were better. My guess is that the macro lens requires some practice. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow to try out the 60mm macro; I think I'll take a prop with me and see what I can do. What would be a good prop for trying out a macro lens? Something small with lots of detail, right?

Flowers. Specifically, go with some sort of lily, so that you can explore depth of field issues. Considering that you'll be wanting to redo all your photos at MOBOT, a flower would be an ideal subject.

I find a good tripod is essential with many forms of macro photography.

Try the 60mm, and see if you can deal with it for what you'll be shooting. I'd hate to recommend the 105 without you trying the 60mm.

Thanks, Lavabe! Good idea - I'll have to stop at the Schnuck's near the camera store and get some flowers.

The 105mm macro lens that I tried out was $$$ because it has VR (vibration reduction). I've read lots of reviews on both the 60 and 105mm macro lenses, and people either swear by VR or say that you shouldn't use it at all on close-up shots. They all say it's great for portraits, though. One professional photographer's website (Ken Rockwell) has an entire article on why he swears by VR. Nikon recommends against using it, though - something about possible focusing problems. The person at the camera store (Creve Coeur Camera) said that the 105mm is better because you don't have to get as close to what you're shooting. Lots of reviews say the same thing. Since I do try to get shots of bugs or butterflies on flowers (MoBot pics), I can see where 105mm would be an advantage.

[YmoBeThere]

What the hey, David Duval finished second at a golf tournament? It's been a super long time since he has done anything.

[devildeac]

Off to Ft. Lauderdale today for a week. Not vacation, I will be attending to some family matters to help my Mom and Dad. But it sure will be nice to have some warm weather (I hope!)

Safe travels!

Trip/flight was easy and on time. Southwest is definitely my favorite and preferred airline. Comfortable clean planes, nice people, on time flights, free baggage and soft drinks. They will get my business every time, the few times per year that I fly.

Weather is cool and sunny, in the mid 60's. Warm for NC, cool for Ft. Lauderdale this time of year. No complaints - it is very comfortable!

Washington, DC would like to send you some snow.

[wilson]

What the hey, David Duval finished second at a golf tournament? It's been a super long time since he has done anything.

This is the first time he's finished in the top thirty since 1999. I say good for him. Guy's had a long, hard road back, and you gotta respect him for having stuck with it through that long of a struggle.
Incidentally, David Duval is a Georgia Tech grad.

[YmoBeThere]

Incidentally, David Duval is a Georgia Tech grad.

Yep, that is what usually makes me take notice.

[wilson]

I have a series of small scabs on my left hand that look like Hawaii.

[YmoBeThere]

TMI?

[wilson]

TMI?

No, they're just tiny little scrape thingies...perhaps suffered while roughhousing with Walter. Not noteworthy or even really noticeable in any regard except the fact that they look like Hawaii.

[Very Duke Blue]

Good night. Way past my bedtime.

[Very Duke Blue]

Good night. Way past my bedtime.

Does this count as PWing?

[Rolvix]

I figure you guys might appreciate this.

My friends and I just hit 1,000 comments on one facebook picture! (800 in the last hour or so)

[Lavabe]

I figure you guys might appreciate this.

My friends and I just hit 1,000 comments on one facebook picture! (800 in the last hour or so)

Beats 1,000 comments about John Wall. ;)

[bjornolf]

Good Morning, Lavabe!

[Miles]

I figure you guys might appreciate this.

My friends and I just hit 1,000 comments on one facebook picture! (800 in the last hour or so)

I can hear the screams and cries of of pain from the Facebook servers now.

[YmoBeThere]

Official version of My Sharona. I hate when they have embedding disabled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVdnqEyToqg

The following is from the New York Post:

The frontman of the late-'70s rock band The Knack -- whose song, "My Sharona," became a pop anthem for a generation -- died yesterday at age 57.

Lead singer and songwriter Doug Fieger had been battling lung and brain cancer for several years.

Fieger, whose lawyer brother, Geoffrey Fieger, gained fame for repping suicide doctor Jack Kevorkian, once said his band's biggest hit was inspired by an old girlfriend.

"She had an insouciance that wouldn't quit . . . She also had an overpowering scent, and it drove me crazy," Fieger said in 1994.

The song, which Fieger co-wrote, landed at the top of Billboard's chart and stayed there for six weeks.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/m ... z0fcHC5xya

[wilson]

I just had a conversation about ramekins with Mom.