a700 in a Washington rain forest

[KevinBarrett]

I drug my a700 out into the wet and chilly world of Washington's rain forests. My wife and I visited my brother over Thanksgiving and we tended to go out hiking when we weren't cooking, eating, or shopping for more food. Seattle's suburbs are laced with public parks that plunge you right in among the slime molds, bracket fungus, and banana slugs. Lots of good opportunity for macro work if your kit is so equipped--mine wasn't, so while my brother bested my close-focus ability with his Pentax 18-55 WR and a Sigma 70/2.8 Macro, I looked for larger perspectives with my Minolta 24/2.8 and Tamron 17-50. Comments and critiques are welcome!

[Greg Beetham]

What is it fungus and horizontal trees? how do they know? the same thing happens here, although you also occasionally see some around the base on vertical trees as well, I must admit.
Not bad KB, seeing as how the conditions were so difficult, what with the drizzle, overcast, WB issues to watch out for and probably chilly as well.
Greg

ps. What's that faint halo thingy just above the bottom mushy ?

[Lonnie Utah]

Thumbs up on #4. It would have been better wtih more depth of field in the foreground.

[aster]

Lovely!

I enjoyed them all Kevin. Must have been difficult with the lenses that were by your side. Nice shots of the micro landscapes though!

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[KevinBarrett]

Thank you, guys! The white balance was pretty tricky in the field, I tended toward Cloudy +3. However, when I got home with the RAWs, I converted them to Daylight in SIDC. The fourth picture of the mushroom was already at f/9 and 1/2 second, and while I, too, think it could have had more DoF up front, I didn't want to give up the blown out overcast bokeh in back. The "halo" thingy is a fern about four feet behind the mushroom.

[Juanito200]

Beautiful shots Kevin. That does look like a challenge for WB. I bet it was hard to get the greens just right! Thanks for showing more of them!

[Dr. Harout]

Great shots all, specially 2nd and 4th.

[Lonnie Utah]

The fourth picture of the mushroom was already at f/9 and 1/2 second, and while I, too, think it could have had more DoF up front, I didn't want to give up the blown out overcast bokeh in back.

GD ND filter!!

[KevinBarrett]

GD ND filter!!

Ah yes, I might have enjoyed having one of those on the trip, but but not necessarily for this picture. Number 4 here was achieved by setting my camera on the ground, using 2 second MLU, and guessing at the composition since I wasn't willing to lay on the slug-filled, mossy, leaf-litter to look through the OVF. Filter use was out of the question. Besides, I was already in "use all of my toys" mode, and throwing a GD ND filter into the mix would have tripled my time spent on each shot (not to mention more numb wet fingers and lens cleaning to do between outings).

[Greg Beetham]

If it was here KB, lying on the ground in the rainforest is even more of a no no, leeches...they manage to get on you despite numerous precautions, including spraying your gumboots and jeans with aerogard...persistant little blighters. Oh well a little salt and they drop off and shrivel up pretty quick.
Greg

[Winston]

Thanks for sharing these. I like all of them. I need to get over there. I haven't been there for thirty years and never with a camera.

[kingfisher]

indeed all shots are great
number two is my favorit
i think it shall also good in B&W

best wishes
gustav

[gio67]

great pics kev, but my favourite is #2 very moody