Interesting. It is definitely a contrast to the predominate blues and greens of the island. Thanks.

Thank You all for the warm welcome and the great responses I have received to my postings!

For your viewing pleasure (hopefully) and critical analysis. Took this while having lunch during vacation on Bora Bora, Nov 2012.

Once again, Thank You all for your very kind replies!

The ship spends a portion of the summer at the dock right outside my office so I have quite a few photos. I have one of it anchored offshore in the morning mist which I think is fairly good. The location is Athens, NY on the west bank of the river. About 30 miles south of Albany.

If any of your trips take you up the Hudson River you should check out Poughkeepsie. They have a huge railroad bridge over the river that has been converted to a pedestrian walk and park. Riverwalk, I think it is called. I'm told it has excellent views of the river valley and surrounding area. I hope to make it there this summer for the July 4th fireworks. Should be a great vantage point.

I assume you are using the Automatic setting on the dial. Using the P setting will still automatically set exposure and apeture but will eliminate the flash. If you want to have some real fun with the camera when you get more comfortable with it try exploring the M, Av, and Tv settings. With a bit of practice you may well come to prefer these settings. The manual that comes with the camera is quite good, but if you haven't already done so, go to the Canon site and download the online manual. It covers much more of the camera's features. As others have mentioned, there are a number of good information sources available. Scott Kelby has written a wide variety of both general and specific photography books. If you go to the B&H website you will also find a large selection of free tutorials and demonstrations. Have Fun! Remember, digital "film" is free! Use it like it's a machine gun!

Very interesting. Especially the lighting effect in the first one. Has kind of an old science fiction movie look about it. "Mindless masses moving about". Or something like that anyway.

I read your earlier thread on this matter and even though I am not familiar with Israeli law it would seem that you did everything legally and morally required to put the matter behind you and enjoy your camera. It seems you were quite focused on having the features offered by the SX50 but have now taken a liking to the 70D. Not surprising. It is an excellent camera. I have one and I love it. Used to have a Canon T3i which is a very good camera but the 70D is definitely a step up. The 70D will give you far more options and capabilities then the SX50. The trade off is, as you stated, it takes a while to learn how to use all it's features. Especially if you haven't used a Canon before. You will probably also start exploring other lenses to take advantage of more situations. The possibilities are almost limitless, but can get expensive. It's like they say in racing: "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?". I have already spent far more money then I ever planned to. My rational is that it's a hobby and therefore not governed by the rule of reason! Just creating photos that make me happy and interest others makes it all worthwhile. One tip:I visit sites like Canon or B&H often to read the customer reviews of just about anything I plan to buy. Some great info can be had.

Just before I bought my 70D (from B&H) I asked several of the local pros about 42nd St. They have some great lens prices. I was told that many of their prices are so good because they will break up kits and sell the components separetely. This could play havoc with warranties. From what I have read Canon, and probably all the major brands, dictate selling price. Super low prices would seem to indicate something funny going on. Broken up kits, grey market, refurbs. Could be any of that or none of it. I have no personal experience with 42nd. I opted to stay away. Just relaying what I was told by pros who have been in the business for decades. One does a lot of work in Manhattan and is familiar with all the major retailers there.

I feel honored if people just take the time to look at my photos. If they want to edit them to present their vision of my photo, then by all means, do so. No need to ask. If I put something into a public arena then the public can do what they want with it.

A number of zoom lenses have a lock button on them but the purpose is to keep the lens locked in it's shortest configuration to help prevent damage between uses. Or, perhaps you saw a reference to the exposure lock button on many DSLR's. That's located on the camera though, not the lens.

Yes. In fact it was there this past late summer or early fall for about a week. I believe there was some type of festival going on. It usually is in Kingston at least once a year. It will also often overnight in Kingston when going up or downriver. Good photo op.

Ah! I found the problem! I just re-read my original post and it seems I was using Essentials 10 instead of Elements 10. Silly me! No wonder it didn't work! I probably better trade in my Essentials 12 for Elements 12! Dang! That was a wasted $2.37!

So, it looks like I can't blame my disaster on Elements!