For me this years journey has been one of a search for excellence. I find that I have a number of tack sharp pictures with excellent color balance, that are less than inspiring. Subjects that are well defined, backgrounds controlled yet no compelling reason to view. So taking another tack ( in the venue my latest is my greatest). My first pano.

A bend in the road, South East side

(Download)

Not the result I expected when he landed on my porch. I was delighted he picked my porch for a momentary stop, grabbed my camera hoping he would stay for a few shots, not expecting him to stay for a few Hummers.

real fast with a big beak. Something you notice when approaching.

That is two different Hummers, he ate four before I ran him off. He was Hummer hunting

He ?? caught and ate 4 Hummers before I got the hose and ran him off. He was Hummer hunting

Yellow Beak and Black feet
Its the Great Egret
of which we speak

Elegance in flight

(Download)

impressive stature

(Download)

Never leave your Egret in-charge of the Hummers feeder

(Download)

Hummers have no chance

(Download)

no chance at all

(Download)

I do not know who to attribute it to, but "compose before you expose" is my favorite quote/saying.

Thanks for the reply, as to the details....shot with a 5dsr and a 100-400 II near the open end (around 100mm), f4.5 1/250. I kept the ISO near base (100) . the Park is really two different areas one being north and west (Mojave desert) and the other south east (sonoran desert). This pano was to show the south east side. The north and west side is far more popular and most drive past the south east side without giving it a glance.

A short visit to Joshua Tree National Park, The pano was to big to attach so I lowered the quality and the pix/per inch hope it turns out . Posted in the wrong section, but I do not see how to move it to the photo section. Maybe the Admin will do it for me.

Joshua Tree or Tree of life

(Download)

Skull Rock

(Download)

the South East side of the Park

(Download)

I do, have for years.

Something like "failure can be fun" or your "best fail ever." My favorite "all the right steps, wrong result."

Thank you tjim. I think a site for failures would be amusing.

The rule I am breaking with this post, never show your failures. If I was a professional this would apply, but being a armature I thought who better to share a couple of amusing failures with than other photographers.

Last year in the fall it was all about the "Super Moon". I knew how I wanted to frame the rising of this Super Moon and I used a few phone apps and a little math to determine where I need to setup to capture what I wanted. In trying to "move" the moon to where it should have risen I created the double or superimposed shot. I did eventually get what I was trying to do, but along the way a few failures.


Attempting to adhere to ethical behavior I stealthily (or so I thought) approached the traumatized fledgling blue heron, only to be dive bomb by an ever vigilant parent . They have very big beaks.

The moon was to rise over the prominence to the right

(Download)

Fledgling Blue Heron

(Download)

As a previous poster stated a $300 Chrome book will do everything you asked and more. If your cell phone supports a hotspot buy the wifi model if not then think about the cellular one. My CB fits in the back of my thinktank back pack and I wouldn't leave home without it. Download yes, transfer yes, cull yes, Live view yes, edit...not really. In reality outdoors in full sun a cover is required to use it for live view shooting but almost anything will do. CC mobile apps work . I have used this method to live view via a cable to my 7D and wifi to my 5DSR. Just to be clear a Chrome book does not run windows or OSX it runs Chrome (think Android) and IMHO is not suitable for most editing.

The canon 400L 5.6 without IS can be found for around $800 and will solve the reach problem on both your cameras. The Yongnuo 2x III is a knock off of the canon 2x III and costs less than half. The 100 - 400 mk II is sharper than any of the 150-600 weighs less and has a minimum focal distance of 3'. So as to image quality.... the 100-400 is hands down the better

Same bird (American Kestrel ) 7d with 400 L 5.6 and Yongnuo 2xIII on 7D (f11 iso around 250) and 100-400 mkII on 5DSR crop to same size image

(Download)