Monnie's 30 Day Challenge

[yellalablady]

I'm going to start my 30 day lens challenge as of yesterday, Jan. 3rd. I'll be using my new Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS.

Anyone that wants to start their own tread for this assignment, I'll sticky it to the top, if you're not able to. It's at the bottom of the New Thread page.

Crazy Narcissus. It's in bloom this early. Bet it doesn't survive this cold weather.

1/30
ISO 400, 1/320, f/5.0 FL 88mm

[Bishop]

Saw a bit of that blooming at Magnolia the other day. Nice shot Monnie. Have fun playing with your new lens this month

[yellalablady]

Thanks, Linda.

[yellalablady]

This is Sophie giving me the "she got the camera, again" look.

2/30 - ISO 400, 1/250, f/14, FL 105mm

[Skippy]

Monnie isn't way to early for daffy's? What is minimum focus distance on that lens? Seems to be pretty close.

Skippy

[Bishop]

Great shot, that looks like a really sharp lens Monnie. Her eyes are amazing.

[yellalablady]

Skippy, the published distance is 1.48ft/0.45m. I thought I was closer to Sophie than that. But since I was at the 105mm FL, I might not have been that close. I was mighty close to it, though.
Linda, yes, it is a very sharp lens. I can't believe how sharp even my throw away shots are. Sometimes a better lens does make all the difference. It sure doesn't hurt.

[Skippy]

It looks like you were a lot closer. Just inches away from her nose. It is sharp.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

I know. There isn't much of a crop, either. Just a little to get rid of some dead space in the top left.

[yellalablady]

Missed yesterday. So, here's day three

3/30 - ISO 800, 1/2500, f/7.1, FL 105mm

[Skippy]

He's saying "What again" great expression on his face.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

Actually, he was demanding equal coverage. If I put Sophie's picture on here, I have to put one of him. This is his primping for the camera pose. I was standing on the back steps at my DDs talking to my SIL. Buddy was mentally off in the distant dreamland chasing balls. I turned the camera on him, called his name, and when he looked at me with that "where's the ball" looked snapped his picture. I do love this lens. There is very little editing to this shot. A slight tweek in levels, crop, and a smaller amount of sharpening, that's it.

[Bishop]

Looking good there Buddy. Nice shot Monnie. Once again, very sharp, I can see every blade of grass!

[yellalablady]

Thanks, Linda.

[yellalablady]

Looks like the lobby of a swank hotel, doesn't it? This is the 4 story high atrium of Blackbaud on Daniel Island, SC. Blackbaud is a worldwide software company. The pres. of our pet therapy group works there. We had a board meeting in their conference room. I asked if I could take pictures of the atrium.

4/30 - ISO 800, 1/50, f/5.0 FL 24mm. Hand held

[Skippy]

Lovely place Monnie. What are the red flowers. Poinsettias or something else?

Skippy

[yellalablady]

Yes, they're Poinsettias. The were all over the place. It was so pretty and peaceful.

[Bishop]

Beautiful Monnie. It truly does look like a five star hotel. Good shooting.

[yellalablady]

Waiting on the moon to rise over the trees tonight. Decided it wasn't going to happen because of the cloud cover. Decided to shot one of the pecan trees instead. I'm getting desperate for shots here.

5/30 - ISO 1600, 1/250, f/4, FL 40mm

[Skippy]

That's a pretty good size pecan tree.

And for the Poinsettias isn't it amazing how much money we spend, only to throw out later. But they are so pretty.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

Agree about the Poinsettias. I just threw one out yesterday. We put them in our Church every Christmas. After our Cantata we can take ours home. I gave up long time ago trying to keep them alive. I felt like such a murderer for letting them die. I'm just not able to keep them alive for any length of time.

It is a big pecan tree. But, it's the smallest of all our bearing trees. We have some over twice that size. This one is a relatively young tree. It's only about 30 years old. Our oldest pecans are around 75 years old.

[yellalablady]

Our neighbors were raking and burning leaves, today. I decided to try my hand at fire shots again. This one turned out pretty good.

Fire and Smoke
6/30 - ISO 1600, 1/800, f/7.1 FL 90mm

[Bishop]

Great fire shot Monnie. I've not had my camera out for a couple days.

[Skippy]

It has been mild here but not that mild. Guess it is better than shoveling snow. Couldn't a Poinsettia stay outside down there? When I do try to keep one. I take outside and sit on the north side of the house and try to remember to water it. It will stay out until there is a threat of frost which means it endures some pretty chilly weather. They do come in and turn somewhat red, but not like nursery ones.

That fire shot turned out well.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

They would do all right outside in the spring and fall. In mild winters they would probably survive. Not sure they would do well in our hot and humid summers. I don't have a green thumb. It's sort of survival of the fittest at my house for plants.

[Skippy]

Did a little research on them yesterday. They sometimes do get ugly when they go dormant, loose all their leaves. But living where you do I would try at least once to plant one outside. The east side of house or building would be a good place. Some are being chosen for cooler temp. flowering in the greenhouses too.

They were grown in S. Carolina first after all.

Poinsettias are named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first Ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant back to his plantation in the U.S. He grew the plants in his Greenville, S.C plantation and gave them out as gifts to friends.

I believe that was around 1825.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

Greenville is at a higher altitude and much different climate to where I'm located. The Greenville/Spartenburg area is the very beginning of the foothills to the Blue Ridge mountains. The don't call us the Lowcountry for nothing. I might have to give one a try. Maybe next year. This year my spare bedroom and it's closet is home to one Bird of Paradise, one Nun Orchid and in the closet is a Plumeria. None of these are native to this area. It get way to cold for any of them. The BofP and Nun Orchid continue growing in the well lit bedroom. The Plumeria is dormant for the winter. I'll put it out next spring and it should bloom.

[Skippy]

Sounds like your spare bedroom is full at the moment. I would take care of just so long and then I would forget something. Probably that dormant Plumeria. I would find it later in state close to being a fossil.

Skippy

[yellalablady]

Was trying to get a shot of my popcorn tree. It's just ready to pop. I waited a little too long and it was getting too dark. I usually shot sunsets in the opposite direction to this. Our best sunset is in the southwest. This is toward the NNW. I thought it was rather pretty.

7/30 - ISO 1600, 1/400, f/4 FL FL 35mm

[Skippy]

It was dark and rainy all day yesterday. The lawn was still bare this morning, but now is white and the roads are slippery. a good reason to stay home on Fri. the 13th.

Skippy