ABSOLUTELY love the last one. There is nothing wrong with PP when it's well done (as in this case). Congratulations.

Well, by God, lets go ... I'll meet you in London. :)

Very nice. You're a woman after my own heart. PUSH THE BOUNDS. Love it. Marry me?
:-)

Well thank you for your very nice comments. I've only been on UHH for a day, but already it's a huge ego-stroke. Thought I had evolved beyond that, but I guess I haven't. It still feels good. Thank you.

Truth be known, I think I just got a bad copy. They were plagued with problems early on based upon my research. Many folks are very happy with the lens. Because I always (mostly) shoot at the extreme FL of 400mm the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM is a better lens for me. Side by side comparisons usually show the prime has better IQ than the zoom (pretty typical in most lenses). I really don't miss the flexibility of the zoom for what I do, and I shoot at high shutter speeds (1/1000s to 1/2,500s most of the time) so IS is no big deal. Given two 'good' copies of both lenses I think the prime will still out shoot the zoom, but I'm pretty sure my 100-400mm was a 'bad' copy. Sent it to the Canon factory twice, but they couldn't fix it to my satisfaction. Hope this provides some insight. Thanks.

Thank you, once again, for the nice comments. It is fun to share my images with such a receptive audience on UHH. It looks like, from your bio, that you've been to Africa. Absolutely on my bucket list. Hope I have enough years left to make it there. :)

I volunteer my time and photography to two very worthwhile organizations here in Yucatan, MX: Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve and Puuc Jaguar Conservation. Primarily I'm interested in shooting the wildlife, but I had a unique opportunity to shoot an authentic (not for tourism) Shamanic earth blessing in the jungles surrounding the Ruta Puuc. This was the first time, in over 15-years, that this blessing has been offered, and I was extremely fortunate to be invited. The ceremony itself is called Hetz Lum, and is an offering of gratitude. The Shaman and indigenous Maya were very welcoming, and I was able to document a significant piece of anthropological history. Equipment used: Canon EOS 5D Mk2 camera with EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens. Handheld, available light only. Special thanks to my Maya guide and teacher: Santos Evelio UcUc.

Smudging the Alter - 40mm, 1/160s @ f/4 ISO 100 avail light


Traditional Cornmeal Bread Offering - 40mm, 1/320s @ f/4 ISO 100


Maya Girl in Sepia - 40mm, 1/250s @ f/4 ISO 100

Yeah, it was tough shoot. But like they say: Someone's gotta do it.

:-)

Yep, that was MAG-12's ordnance dump that blew. Lit up the sky like an atomic bomb. Knocked me on my ass when it blew. We lost our Flight Surgeon, Lt Stanley R Lewis USN(R) MC that night. His bunker took a direct hit with a 122mm rocket, KIA instantly. I rotated back to CONUS Feb 08, 1968. We had some WIA that night too. I was with MAG-13, and we only had 2 birds that could fly the next morning. Bummer.

Are you kidding me? I was at Chu Lai 67-68. Were you there for the fire works on Tet? We got blasted big time. I remember when AMERICAL and the 196th Light Infantry Brigade arrived in 67. Small world. My Lai was just a few clicks south on Hwy 1. I visited My Lai in 2004. I also visited An Tan village right outside the main gate, and Dong Binh II at the south end of the airfield. Couldn't get onto the old base, but climbed Hill 43 and got a good view. The old runways are still there, and a few concrete revetments, but everything else is gone. I was able to get out onto the point, Ky Ha, where we had our MAG-36 choppers (before you arrived). Small, small world.

Shortly after I arrived in Ciudad de Merida, Yucatan, MX I was approached, and offered the job, of Staff Photographer for The Yucatan Times. It was a great experience, but ultimately cut into my time (I'm retired after all), and kept me from pursuing my Wildlife, Nature and Travel Photography. So, I quit the job ... but not before I photographed the famous Corona Girls of Mexico (hey, I was on assignment). Beyond that I'm not saying a thing. These are for my guy friends on UHH (especially my fellow VN Vets). Oorah, and Semper Fi.

Corona Girl


Corona Girl


Corona Girl

Welcome back Kramer. It was a lifetime ago, wasn't it?

Thank you Gene,
Welcome back to you as well. If you were to go back to VN now I think you would be impressed. You have to look very hard to see any vestiges of the war (which they call the American War). On my two visits back as a civilian I've had the opportunity to talk to former Viet Cong and NVA soldiers. There was no animosity, only genuine mutal respect.
Steve

Nicely done. I also use Corel Painter Essentials 4 in conjunction with PSE10 often. PP in a very controversial topic in photographic circles. Personally, I like it when appropriately applied (as you did here).

Wow, thank you so much. It sells consistently, if not abundantly (but then I didn't write it for the money).