I had to go over to Foley, AL today and thought, as long as I have to go that far, I think I'll cruise Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, since I have my Nikon and all.....you can relate, right?

Who did number 1 in the channel?


Oh man, here's a guy with a camera...


Be real still and maybe he won't see us in the grass...

I thought I'd go out on the porch yesterday, late afternoon and try taking the 150-500 mm instead of the 70-300 mm in an attempt to see HOW CLOSE...I could be to the feeders and have them still land... I was about 20-25 feet from the landing zone, and kept my eye to the viewfinder to minimize any movement....

Wedding are a whole other story. There is room for lawsuits if it doesn't go as planned, since it is a one time occurance. Extra everything, because if one camera doesn't work correctly, or fails all together, Grab the backup. The friends I have utilize two photographers for the entire day.... They use a very detailed contract, leaving nothing to chance or a handshake. As more and more enter into photography, they find the price is constantly being haggled over. I'm certainly not trying to be negative, just want to mention the liabilities should you consider weddings.... I would reiterate the point made repeatedly.... shoot, shoot, shoot. Learn your camera and get comfortable with buttons and dials, avoiding the "green A".

This is as big as any grasshopper I've ever seen, and I let it crawl off of a railing along the river and onto my forearm. The dof is a little off, and I'm a little nervous... It is about 5 inches long, and surprisingly, it moved very slowly. I put my arm back down along the railing and it eventually crawled off. The 3rd shot is a spider found at the same location. I love this location for nature...

Thank you so much!

I've learned more and more to position myself in locations that may render entertaining shots... I call it patience and persistence. Here's a couple of examples.

Weather Forecast


Saturday Night Fever!

I've shot through the range of phases more than once, and it can get pretty dicey before reaching the "new moon" :)

I woke up with an assist from my Yorkie, a 5 pound female, who wanted to go out and do doggy business. We did, and I noticed how big and bright the full moon was, so when finished, I got the tripod out and put it on the porch. I then got the D7100, with the 150-500mm, setting it for SP at 1/500 and ISO 100. turned the porch light off, took a couple of shots and came back in. Slight mod to the contrast, and cropped it down as much as possible for this final look.

I went over to Fairhope Pier (Alabama) to see if I might run across some pelicans or herons. What I found was this guy and a lot of wind. Not a good thing when finding yourself with a 150-500mm on my D7100 and not carrying my tripod. He was way out on a piling, but used SP at 1/500, ISO 200 and went for it. The overcast sky worked well for a backdrop, and a strong gust rocked him up on one leg.

Welcome. I'm new to the site as well, and a Marine Combat Veteran out of I Corps 1965-1966. I found that I preferred nature, floral macro and landscape to portraiture. I think it's the desire to only focus on the beauty of it all.....good luck!

I hope that love of photography enters into it somewhere, because if not, it becomes work, and sometimes exasperating, and often tedious. I never use the on camera flash since it is on the same axis as the lens, so consider a speed light in addition to your camera of choice to prevent shadows, even when shooting outdoors. Also a stand, umbrella, and triggers. (I use pocket wizards). I wish you much success.

Hello all. I'm 67 years old and started shooting in 2009 with a Nikon D40. I now shoot with a D7100 and am working on a photo book that I can dedicate to 3 friends lost in Vietnam.

A Heron shot at Fairhope Pier on a very overcast day, which I feel worked out quite well...