"Reuniion" by Jacke Dowell:
A very neat idea; an annual document of The Group. This is going to come out the wrong way, but in and of itself, this is "just" a group photo: not much to that. But, as they accumulate over the years, they'll become important historical documents to those involved (well, maybe not so much to the dogs... <g>). Photography can be a powerful tool. This particular photo is well done, if straighforward. I really like the last of the fall colours in the background.
"Snatch" by Paul Rojkov:
I hate racoons. One killed a cat of mine once. But, I must admit, they're damn cute. And, they tend to make great photo subjects; there's an almost human-like quality to them that makes them interesting. This is a nice grab, Paul. Well focused, caught at the right moment. The only small quibble is that I wish the background were a different colour; it's too similar to the colour of the racoon. In so saying, I know you take what you can get: it's not a criticism of you at all, that's just the way it was. All in all, a very nice photo.
"Pure Comedy" by Jerome Reyes:
This is a terrific photo, even down to the title (which is something I'm terrible at, BTW: titling my photos). The title ~makes~ us believe that ape is laughing it's head off, whether that is in fact true or not (he could have just stubbed his toe, and is now writhing in pain, but due to the title I laughed out loud when I opened this one). The photo itself is amazing. The perfect moment is caught for what you wanted to portray, Jerome. Technically very strong: composition (this is one where you want to fill the frame with Ape), focus, bokeh all look terrific. Love it!
"Sunny Day" by Facit:
I like the compostion, I like the moment caught - it looks like they're kissing! Not terrifically sharp, but hey, for a 500mm handheld, I'm not arguing; it's more than sharp enough. I do find that the upper portion of the seals or sea lions (is there a difference? I don't know...) is a bit washed out, so the top of their bodies really lacks definition. Hard to see where the seal ends and the sky begins. It looks like the sun was either overhead or maybe even behind the animals, so exposure would have been a very difficult compromise.
"Looking" by Cesar Matamoros II:
A cat of mine lost a fight to a squirrel once. They're vicous little beasts with sharp claws. But, like racoons, they're kind of cute. I really like the way they jump from branch to branch, and scurry along telephone wires. This is a cute image, Cesar. Again, good sharpness considering it's handheld with that length lens on the *istD. This shot shows off that famous Pentax bokeh! For some reason that I can't articulate, I really like what that curving telephone wire does to the composition: the shot would be somewhat bland without it, I think. And, of course, you caught the little vermin at the right moment, gazing at you. A nice shot, to be sure! Thanks.
"Bear" by Bernd Scheffler:
I DID IT!! Spent several minutes staring at those "two" bears, cursing, crossing my eyes, taking off my glasses off and putting them back on, and then about 6 inches (15cm?) from the screen, it finally locked in. Cool! Well, you get the "Most Unique Shot of the Month" award, just for trying something so different! And, I think you'll get the "Pentax Content of the Month" award too: not just a Pentax body and a Pentax lens, but a Pentax Stereo Adapter as well! A fun shot, Bernd. Thanks.
Well, I noticed that there are about 200 posts waiting on the list for me. Off to go look at some of those. It's snowing here, and much milder that it was been recently (Friday started at -23C , with a high of about -18C). I'll probably go get a few hours of "wandering with the camera" time before football starts (go Packers!). I'll try to do a few more comments after football.
cheers, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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