Theme # 365 "Yellow"

Every day I keep getting further behind but I promise to try and get more photos now that the weather is nicer. This photo was taken at the Railroad Museum in Riverhead , New York about ten miles from my house. I took my camera, dog and my wife (notice the importance of the listed order) for a short ride to this place. It's in total dis-repair and actually is closed. Since this car is on the tracks they did not fence it in. Some homeless people are living in and around some of the other cars but I did not see them but saw only their cloths and garbage all around. The sign on the bright yellow car indicates that at one time it may have been used for a traveling circus. Since nobody was around and the place was closed I could not ask anyone for any information. There's about 15 different types of old railroad cars here. I'll have to go back in the summer to see if it's open.

Nikon D90 2009/03/17 15:19:01

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 18mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/50 sec - F/11

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 320

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF-A

I have been tagged,...........

Madelaine tagged me and here are the rules:

•Go to your photo folder on your computer (My Pictures)

•Go to the Sixth folder of photos

•Go to the sixth picture

•Put the picture on your blog and a description of it

•Invite six friends to join the challenge

Friends that I have invited for this challenge are:

Lorri, Barbs, Jo, John, Sunny, and Dart

This image was the photo that I used back on January 5Th to test out the blog and post a picture to see how every thing works. The reason I picked this image was simple, I went to "My Pictures" folder and quickly browsing saw this one was already a JPEG and nicely framed. I would have loved to use this image as one of this years 365 but it was taken back in October 2000. My wife and I were camping in the beautiful Smokie Mountain National Park. On this particular day we went for a short (5-6 miles round trip) day hike relatively near Cosby Campground, where we were camping. It was a beautiful fall day in the mountains and we had a very nice hike. The Trail led us through a small group of very old camps that most of which were un-occupied. The park contains some privately owned land and homes which will become the property of the National Park System when the original owner dies. In this particular group of old homes only one or two were still occupied. It was like a sort of 20th century ghost town. The Park personnel do not (to my knowledge) destroy or burn the old cabins down. They let the elements take over and I suppose that in 30-40 years the old camps will be taken over by trees and the buildings will just rot out. I've hiked a lot of trails in these Mountains and every once in a while you will come across a old homestead that is being slowly returned back to the wild or just a old foundation with nothing else around. .

This image was taken with my old film camera the Nikon N-90S, 24mm f/2.8 lens and 35mm Etachrome E100VS slide film. I scanned this image from a 35mm slide into my PC with a Epson Perfection 4180 photo scanner. Post processing was done with PSE-4.

Theme # 259 "Repeating Pattern"

I was at Calverton National Cemetery here on Long Island visiting the grave site's of relatives and friends. This area is so different then most areas as this is the "Columbaria" where the inurnment of cremated remains are placed in small vaults. I have a very good friend whose father is buried here. I paid my respects to Harry and noticed that in between the sections where the vaults are located is a sitting area where one can meditate and perhaps reminisce or say some prayers. The repeating patterns were apparent but how do I photograph this structure which is at least fifty feet long and get the impact that I was looking for. It was late sun and the shadows were not cooperating with me at all. It was cold and my hands were freezing cold and I knew that this was a image for a wide angle lens. The car was parked quite a distance from here so I took about ten shots with my Nikkor 18-200VR lens but when examining the the focus with the zoom on the camera it just was not hacking the job. So off I went colder then ever and got my wide angle. Took one shot and came home. I use Adobe Lightroom extensively for PP my RAW files. I did all sorts of PP but just could not get the POP that I was looking for. So I went over to my presets menu and hovered my mouse over each one and you can see a thumbnail of the effect and when I hovered over this one I knew it was the one I wanted. Sort of surreal but it does get your attention. I very rarely use presets as I'd rather do the job myself and then save some of them for future use. Prior to using the preset I did not like the fact that I had some trees on the right and left as they(IMHO) were distracting. No matter what I tried I could not get what I wanted, but when I hit the preset the image popped out at me and the trees didn't bother me in the least. The link for those presets are here: http://www.albertdebruijn.com/gallery/page.php?13

He also has some new ones simulating film, The one I used for the image above was called ADB Steel Dark. His site is very neat.

Nikon D90 2009/03/12 15:48:27

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G

Focal Length: 12mm

Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/80 sec - F/22

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 320

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 94 "Fasteners"

I probably stretched this theme a little but ordinary paper clips do fasten sheets of paper together. By the way these are the small colored paper clips not the big ones. I used my Macro lens, light box, tripod and shutter release. Also I find that one must use manual focusing as the auto-focus does not know what detail to focus on and 99% of the time it focuses on the wrong detail.

Nikon D90 2009/03/11 15:54:56

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 105mm F/2.8 D

Focal Length: 105mm

Exposure Mode: Manual

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/13 sec - F/32

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: Manual

Theme # 43 "Celestial Bodies"

Not quite a full moon but I figured I would get some large craters with possibly more detail. But I like this shot anyway so here it is. I took this out on my deck tonight and because of the high humidity today there was a very thin sheet of frozen ice. I almost went slipping and sliding a couple times with tripod and camera.

Here is one of the best links that I've seen on Moon Images.

http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/moon/index.html

It explains in detail the how's, do's and don'ts of moon photography. I found it very useful and for one of my first attempts I don't think this is that bad. Possibly could be a bit sharper but then again I'm not sure. It goes without question I used my tripod, and delayed release with the infra red remote.

Nikon D90 2009/03/09 22:39:03

RAW (12-bit)Lens: VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 270mm

Exposure Mode: Manual

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/500 sec - F/11

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 400

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: Manual

Theme # 149 "Hobby"

Now since this is a Photo Blog how could I not post a picture of one of my first cameras that I got when I was around ten years old. Photography has been one of my favorite hobbies for a long time. There is a story about this camera and I promise to keep it short. My grandfather died when I was only four years old and my grandmother never remarried. There was a gentleman who was a very close friend and in ways a business partner of my grandmother named Mr. Alex Laky. He adored my mother when she was a child and when I was born I became his sort of adopted son. He always showered me with love and attention. Our family heritage is of Hungarian extraction and Mr. Laky occasionally went back to Hungary to visit friends and family. It was on one of these trips that Mr. Laky bought me this camera. It was made in Germany and when I goggled it I became aware for the first time the history of this camera. This particular model was made in or after 1938, it has a fixed lens and used 120 roll film. I shot hundreds of images with this camera but only a few survived the passing years. For those interested here is a link for Voigtlander who as I just found out is the oldest name in cameras and dates back to 1756. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voigtl%C3%A4nder

If you hit this page on the right side is a picture of my camera with a link for its history. I learned a lot about camera history from these sites.

I again used the light box with the plain white background with three lights. One on each side and one on top facing down. The lights on the sides were pointed up towards the top of the box.

Of course I used a tripod , manual focus and manual exposure. Post processing done in Lightroom2.3 and I applied a duotone effect to give the image a older vintage look.

Nikon D90 2009/03/07 18:26:46

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 35-70mm F/2.8 D

Focal Length: 58mm

Exposure Mode: Manual

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/20 sec - F/16

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: Manual

Theme # 107 "Footwear"

These old sneakers were at one time part of my canoeing equipment back in the mid eighty's. My wife and I love to camp, hike, and of course canoe. Today with all the new fancy gear, this, I guess looks outdated. Anyway my DW figured that these were obsolete, disgusting and disposable so in the garbage they went. Well Mr Ed (me) takes the garbage can up to the street and being the type of pack rat that I am checked out what she (MDW) was throwing away. Need I say any more? The sneakers were saved for another canoe trip up in the Adirondacks. Of course they are only back up gear as I now have new and fancy slip on canoe clogs. But you never know when they will come in handy.

I guess I am becoming a light-box-aholic as I again used it for this shot. I use my wide angle lens for the best possible DOF, Manually focused on the toe of the right sneaker and used a tripod..

Nikon D90 2009/03/07 15:09:42

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G

Focal Length: 24mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/8 sec - F/18

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF-Manual

Theme # 128 "Greek"

Well if you look real carefully at the equations from my college physics book I think you all will agree with me... Meaning that it all looks like "GREEK" to me. This book dates back to 1961 when I took Physics at the University of Florida. I cannot believe that at one time I actually understood Greek. I mean Physics and all the other Math and Engineering courses. I did well in the sciences but had to take extra English courses before they would let me graduate. I used my new light box with the dark blue poster board sheet for the background. Another plus for the light box is that the light was so good that this shot was hand held and only took a couple minutes to set up and get four shots.

Nikon D90 2009/03/05 21:01:44

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 44mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/200 sec - F/4.5

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF

Theme # 59 "Colored Glass"

The Church that my wife and I belong to is Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic. On Ash Wednesday when my wife and I went to church I noticed the large circular stained glass windows which dominated each side and the front and back of the interior of the church. Basically the Church is orientated North and South. This stained glass window is on the west side so I figured the setting sun would be ideal. The weather has not been cooperating in this endeavor but today was ideal. Nice clear blue sky and near sunset was my chosen scenario. I called the Church and asked permission to take a few shots. They were very happy and if things turned out OK they would be happy for a JPEG copy for their web site. I'm sure they will be as happy as I am. I got to the Church at around 3:15PM and was surprised that there were about 10 people visiting and saying prayers. I then realized that we are commemorating the season of Lent so I tipped toed around to my vantage point and luckily was not bothering anyone. The window sits around 25' off the floor so I wanted to get away as far as possible in order not to introduce distortion by pointing my camera at a steep angle upward. So I grabbed my big glass and took a few shots. I purposely did not use any flash so as not to bother any one. All the painted walls around the window were in deep shadows and I figured that would add to the image by not distracting from my main subject the "Stained Glass Window". Most times when using my tripod and long lens I will use the infra red remote and delay when taking the shot. This will help dampen any vibration from the mirror or my hand. The Exif data below will show the basic set up. It goes with out question that I tried hard to align the camera and tripod vertically with the glass window. As the sun was setting I was watching for that shadow to disappear ( just to the left of the main vertical brace) but all of a sudden it started to get wider so I had to fire away. This was because of the low angle (to the south) of the sun. So this is the best for now. I suppose that if I want the perfect aligned shot I would come back again when the setting sun is more vertically aligned. I hope I'm not losing every body but I don't know how else I can explain my method. In fact if I ramble on any longer I too will be totally lost.

Nikon D90 2009/03/04 15:48:05

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 122mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/13 sec - F/16

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 275 "Sense of Motion"

This wind generator is located at the Town Of Brookhaven center where all their offices are located. I had to go there today to file some property tax papers for my mother. It was very windy with gusts in the 30-40 mph range and was also drizzling on and off so I took this image while in the front seat, window down in the parking lot. The advantage of digital becomes more apparent to me as I took about 25 shots and this probably the best one. And at no cost just delete and bring some home to post process. I had a lot of difficulty as the wind was blowing so hard and that tail assembly is hinged so it was swinging back and forth as the gusts were from slightly different directions. The tail would move the whole assembly from right to left and the speed of the propeller would change so in essence I was shooting a erratic, moving, jerky target. In order for me to get the sense of motion of the whirling propeller I had to keep changing my shutter speed up and down. It seemed to me I was always behind one or two steps as when I would increase shutter speed the propeller also did. I was trying to get the optinum shutter speed matched with the wind speed so as to get the most "sense of motion " with the blurred propeller. I could have done better with a tripod but I did not want to get my camera wet and I did not have my rain coat for my camera with me. I think the guy upstairs was playing games with me. Any way I got what I got.

Nikon D90 2009/02/27 16:15:48

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 170mm

Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/60 sec - F/20

Exposure Comp.: 0 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

Hand held

Theme # 326 "Things With Wings"

Look at the wings on them geese or is it goose..
I made my "Do It Yourself" light box today and it seems to be working out pretty good. These Grey Goose bottles are pretty tall so you can see the seam between the back panel and the top panel. But I have only two lights and I believe a third light (pointing upwards toward the ceiling) would make that joint seem less. If you notice the bottle on the right is 3/4 full while the one on the left is empty. This stuff goes down really smooth like water and really works wonders when you are constructing a light box. I had the stereo on blasting some Rock music from Pink Floyd and Meat Loaf and my wife had to lower the volume at least a half dozen times. But I'll tell you I had a great time making the light box. The first attempt the light box came out round.......Only kidding around. It only took about a hour to make. Actually very simple.

Nikon D90 2009/02/25 00:22:58

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 27mm

Exposure Mode: Manual

Metering Mode: Spot

1/6 sec - F/25

Exposure Comp.: 0

ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

Theme # 271 "Second Hand"

Finally I'm back to post a new image. There is no big story about this except this is my Seiko watch and as you can see the second hand is ticking away. I used my macro lens and it looks acceptable but really should be much better. The problem I had was lighting. I really have to make a light box out of Styrofoam and few other miscellaneous items. The color temperature of the lamps I used were too low and I have to go to Home Depot and get the right ones. Knowing that I never shoot Macro I now must practice up. I really struggled to get this image.

Nikon D90 2009/02/22 21:48:13

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 105mm F/2.8 D

Focal Length: 105mm

6 sec.-F/40

Exposure Mode: Manual

Manual Focus

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV

ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

Theme # 267 "Sandy"

This is my first post in a few days so I feel I must apologize for not visiting all the other post's and blogger's but I have been so busy. It's good to get back in the groove as they say. This picture was taken at Smith's Point County Park, Shirley, NY. I took this the same day that I took the other fence image and the image of the TWA Flight 800 Memorial. It's funny because I rejected this image from being posted as I initially did not really care for it that much. But I kept going back to look at it and realized that I liked it. It was a beautiful warm day about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and there were a lot of people visiting the park. A young couple in love (constantly kissing) were watching me take pictures and when I stepped off of the sand dunes and walked toward the beach the young man asked what was I taking pictures of. I tried to explain to the both of them that the late sun, beautiful textured white and light tan sand and the fence with the shadows was so interesting. But I know that he could not see these things. When I got about 100 feet away he walked over where my foot prints were and looked down where I was looking and told his girl friend that there was nothing there. I was taking pictures of the pretty rough surf and really was not concentrating where I was walking or in what direction and the next thing you know a larger then normal wave came in and I got soaked way above my ankles. I didn't panic, drop my camera or tripod but very nonchalantly walked out of the surf back to the sandy beach. A lesson to be learned concentrate on what you are doing not on a young couple. They thought it was quite funny. Well needless to say that ended my photographic journey of the day. Homeward bound to change sneakers, socks and pants. It looks like snow but the sand is almost pure white very fine and then turns to a golden tannish color.

Nikon D90 2009/02/07 16:24:32

RAW (12-bit)Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 18mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/320 sec - F/6.3

Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance:

Theme # 362 "Windows"

This beautiful window is part of an old building situated on the grounds of the old Woolworth Estate. There are many buildings here and one by one they are renovated and repairs made as appropriate. I believe all the buildings are barn red and have the older double hung windows as you see here. At one time this particular building was servants quarters and now is used for storage. If you look at my first post you will see a window similar to this and I titled that image "If only windows could talk". That title is very appropriate for this image also. All sorts of stories, gossip and who knows what else would be learned about the ultra rich when they lived or visited the estate. One for sure could write a book about it. Items such as this window always catch my eye even though it may not necessarily be the most photogenic window in the world. But the colors, warm late afternoon sun light and reflections help to make this image passable. I also like the idea that the outside ivy has some how made it's way inside out of the harsh winter elements.

Nikon D90 2009/02/14 16:04:39

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G

Focal Length: 24mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/60 sec - F/7.1

Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 239 "Power"

Not too much I can say about this image other then these high power lines supply eastern Long Island with some of their electricity requirements. They are running basically East and West. The low setting sun is directly behind me. It's kind of difficult to capture these enormous, high towers but the warm light , the towers and the fall like colors drew my interest. Take note that the whole image is in acceptable focus. I focused on the tall grass on the left foreground only a few feet from where I was standing. This location is a few miles from my home and I figured I'd give it a shot.

Nikon D90... 2009/02/14 16:18:04

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G

Focal Length: 24mm

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/100 sec - F/11

Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV Sensitivity: ISO 200

White Balance: Auto

Theme # 196 "Navigational Aids"

There is not too much I can say about this image other then it is exactly like the theme says "Nav Aids" used by the FAA. It located across the street from where my last post (Warnings) was taken. There is not too much data other then that which I got when I goggled that site.

I don't no if you have noticed but I am using my new found toy the Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which through a series of sales and trades I purchased from the Nikonians used equipment forum. I absolutely love this lens because it now gives me the capability of some wide angle shots which could not be done before with my other lenses. Since the Nikon I have has a form factor of 1.5 this lens at the widest is really a 18mm (compared to a full frame 35mm sensor).

Nikon D90 2009/02/11 14:27:41
RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/80 sec - F/22
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 351 "Warnings"

This secured gate and fence surrounds the 2921 acres of the old Grumman Aircraft Flight Test Facility located in Calverton, NY. At one time when Grumman was still in operation here this gate was the primary entrance for Plant 7 and the Flight Control Tower. The previous image of the F-14 Tomcat was taken no more then a half mile down the road along this fence in Grumman Memorial Park. From this vantage point one cannot see the enormous hangers which housed all the aircraft when being built and flight tested. The reason I mention this is that when TWA Flight 800 went down and parts of the wreckage were found the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) needed a facility large enough to try to piece together the aircraft. At that time Grumman still had possession of this property and allowed the wreckage to be pieced together in one of the hangers. If you want you can see this in some of the pictures that are in the link I provided in the previous post. I personally went thru this gate thousands of times while gainfully employed by Grumman.

I believe that this pretty well fits the theme but I wanted to add a foreboding look to the image so I played around in Lightroom, converted to Black and white and finally settled in on a sepia toned image as I thought it added a dramatic effect telling one stay out or else. I added a little vignetting effect to focus in on the sign and barbed wire fence. At one time these fences were paroled by armed guards and no photographs were allowed. It's really funny because as I was taking this image I kept looking around for the guards which are no more. I guess it was ingrained in my memory bank absolutely ... NO PHOTOGRAPH'S.

Nikon D90
2009/02/11 13:54:06
RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 12mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/125 sec - F/20
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 250
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 188 "Monuments or Memorials" Part 2

This probably should have been the first image but I'll leave the best for last. This is the front of what you saw partially in the other image. This side signifies the release of 230 sea gulls into the sky from the ocean waves. On the other side as you saw in image #1 all 230 names of the crew and passengers lost on that flight were inscribed in the black marble surface. If you look closely at the image above you can see reflected on the surface the 14 flag poles ( middle left side) which represent the 14 countries from which the victims came from. You can read all the details at this site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800

I converted this to Black and White in Adobe Lightroom-2

Nikon D90
2009/02/10 15:01:10
RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
1/80 sec - F/8
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 500
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 188 "Monuments or Memorials"

This is only a very small section of the Memorial dedicated to Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 800. Flight 800 was a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Rome, Italy. On July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 hrs. EDT, the Boeing 747 exploded in mid-air and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the shores of Long Island near East Moriches, New York. All 230 people on board (two pilots, two flight engineers, 14 flight attendants, 212 passengers) were killed and the aircraft was destroyed. A good link for more details on the accident can be found here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_800#TWA_Flight_800_International_Memorial
I am not too sure about this image but figured I would post it any way and go back again to the memorial and try again. This was my third trip to this site and very few pictures if any can do it justice. I tried early morning, late evening right before sunset and today a little earlier in the afternoon but cloudy, overcast dreary sky. The problem was that the monument itself is highly polished almost black marble and the sun and blue sky reflecting off it would drive me crazy. Every thing around would be reflected like a mirror and it was sort of difficult to really see the etched names and designs in the marble. Today's reflections look like I converted it to Black and White but that is not the case. It's in color. I know what image I want but have not been close as of now. If you browsed the link I provided you can see the whole Memorial and get a better feel for what it looks like.

Nikon D90
2009/02/10 15:08:37
RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 19mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/50 sec - F/8
Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 500
Optimize Image:
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A

Theme # 98 "Fences"

Today, here on Long Island it warmed up to a sizzling 45 or so degrees. I just had to take advantage of the heat wave so naturally went down to the beach to see what I could find. This scene is situated at Smith Point County Park, Shirley, NY. It is a beautiful park located on the ocean front and has swimming and camping facilities. It is also the home of the Memorial of TWA Flight 800. I went there to take pictures of the Memorial and what ever else captured my interest. When I saw this fence and the golden colors of the tall grass I knew I had a winner. The fence itself is only about two feet high. I wanted the best depth of field possible so I went back to the car and got my tripod. I cranked up the ISO to 320 and stopped down my aperture to f/25 and took 3 shots at different zoom settings. The reason for my choice of a higher ISO was that it was pretty breezy but I still wanted a fairly fast shutter speed to stop the wavy tall grass. What amazes me the most is the depth of field I got with this lens. Its my general walk around lens that at times I have been known to say is a little too soft for my liking. I actually focused on the bottom of the left most post and I guess coupled with the f-stop chosen came out smelling like a rose. I really did not expect this with a so called general purpose walk around zoom.

Nikon D-90 2009/02/07 16:18:58

RAW (12-bit)

Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 32mm..1/50 sec-f/25

Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

Exposure Comp.: -0.3 EV

Sensitivity: ISO 320

White Balance: Auto

Tripod mounted

Image count: 27/365