I’m super appreciative of everyone’s kind comments! Thought I’d now share another one of my other favorite "grab shots" with you all. This is an image of Tionesta Creek in the Allegheny National Forest. And, amazingly enough, this photo was taken with my iPhone 11 ProMax CELL PHONE CAMERA! I just jammed on the brakes while driving thru the forest, jumped out of the car & nabbed this scene. The only editing done was a bit of vibrance color saturation, and that was IT!

Truly, the BEST camera to have with you when a photo-op avails itself, is the one you have WITH you, eh?

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Thank you ALL for your very kind comments on my moon/deer photo, they are sincerely appreciated!😬

As we’ve come to know, luck often plays a part in nabbing an eye-catching picture. As terminal cancer from Agent Orange exposure now has me in hospice care, I don’t get out to enjoy my favorite pastime of photography. However, I always carry my camera in my car, and occasionally jump out for a quick grab-shot of a scene that just simply appears. This was the case with the scenic photo here, taken when I only saw a bright full moon over an old building. It was only after I got to view it on my large monitor did I discover a lone DEER skulking in the shadows! That bonus deer truly made the scene! I’d rather be lucky than good!🥴

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Quick followup, this tip I suggested is for Windows PCs only! On MACs, it’s the Shift + Option keys!

I use Lightroom’s desktop version, Lightroom 6, and have occasionally experienced something like you have. But I found an easy fix that has worked every time so far. Simply hold down the Shift +Alt keys simultaneously as you then double click to start up the Lightroom app, and you should see a screen that offers you to “Start Normally” or “Reset Preferences”. Select “Reset Preferences”, after doing this, my issues seemed to go away. Good luck!

Yes, thanks, I am continuously aware that there are numerous FAA restrictions on where you can fly a drone. I even have the B4UFly official app installed on the iPhone that I fly the drone with. I always double check if I am near any restricted area, airport etc. before flying. And it is worthy to note here that DJI itself has full restrictions & continuously updated databases built right into the DJI GO4 piloting app itself which will confirm via GPS if you are currently in any such restricted area. If you do happen to be in any sort of restricted area, the DJI app will not even ALLOW your drone to so much as take off! This is, most assuredly, a VERY good safeguard to keep us drone pilot/photographers “legal & out of trouble” with the FAA!

I shot the Bradys Bend drone pic from an altitude of 250 feet above the vantage point of the already high scenic overlook deck there!

Amazingly enough, the DJI Mavic Air’s camera, on 3-axis gimbal, shoots only with a 1/2.3” 12 MP CMOS sensor with an f/2.8 lens and a 35-mm focal length! It’s images are pretty stunning, considering how small EVERYTHING is, no?

I originally flew a DJI Phantom 4 Pro but found it a bit difficult to fly, and it was kind of large..it, it’s batteries & accessories were carried in a very large & cumbersome case, a lot going on. Then I discovered the fantastic DJI Mavic Air, which took the same quality still & videos images, and was MUCH easier to fly. The drone & controller now fit in my pockets, and even feature obstacle avoidance & other high tech trickery making it a no-brainer for me. Both used my iPhone screen & software to pilot it, so a transition was easy. At under $1000, I sure as heck don’t know HOW DJI can pack all that great tech into such a tiny, easy-to-fly photo drone!

As user DrNikon had asked me "is the honeymoon over" with my drone shooting, my short answer is NO! As he requested, I'm sharing a few more of my favorite DJI Drone images here for the Hoggers. Hope everyone enjoys them

>>>The Presque Isle photo was comprised of two stitched images of Erie's beautiful Presque Isle State Park's lagoons. I was flying drone from a boat in lower left of image.

>>>>Pennsylvania's scenic Ohiopyle Falls

>>>>Brady's Bend on the Allegheny River near East Brady, PA

>>>>Fisherman's Cove on Sandy Creek near Franklin, PA

Presque Isle Lagoons

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Ohiopyle Falls

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Brady's Bend

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Fisherman's Cove Covered Bridge

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Thanks to everyone here for your very kind comments & critques on my “Islands” drone image. It was quite an honor to have the PA Magazine publish it as Hot Shot: Editors Choice, as a two-page spread, no less!

To answer fergmark’s question above:
Believe it or not, the DJI Mavic Air only shoots JPGs from an “only” 12-megapixel CMOS sensor! It will also take raw images if so desired. It’s resulting images are stable & breathtakingly sharp, with JPG file sizes of around 4-5MB. I routinely resample the JPGs to 350DPI, occasionally re-scale) and then refine them further for vibrancy, clarity, and presence using Adobe Lightroom 6 software. And for videographers, the Air shoots stunning HDR 4K videos that have to be seen to be believed. It also really helps a lot that this drone is amazingly easy to fly, even for a 73yr old non-pilot like me!

At 73, I’m an Agent Orange disabled Vietnam veteran who has already endured open heart surgery in 1997, and years of diabetic neuropathy pain. Five months ago the VA performed Neurosurgery on my left arm and hand to try to ‘save’ it from becoming a “useless claw”. Well, THAT didn’t work out, and I HAVE that useless claw now. As I see here that so many others are on, my doc started me on gabapentin, which has only been nominally helpful. With already ongoing issues of poor balance and steady daily pain, I can now barely hold onto my cameras to take my beloved photographs. But hey, at least I’m still alive. I survived the Viet Cong, but because of our governments irresponsibile (and initially denied health damage) use of Agent Orange, the phrase “Death followed me home” sadly applies to what remains of my life. But my daily coping mantra remains: “Every day is a gift..that’s why they call it the present”

Since adding a DJI Mavic Air Drone to my camera bag, my creative photo opportunities have really become greatly expanded. Aerial views can many times become unique eye-openers! And I was extremely proud to have had my drone image of “Islands in the Allegheny” published in the Pennsylvania Magazine’s 2018 September/October edition as the Hot Shot: Editors Choice! This aerial photo was taken from an altitude of 350 feet of the Allegheny River, a few miles south of Tionesta, Pennsylvania. Hope you Hoggers enjoy viewing it here.

Islands in the Allegheny

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Hey all, I've previously posted a few of my favorite "morphs", and a number of y'all have asked that I post a few more. Be careful what you ask for, folks!

Hopin that you get a kick out of these..Enjoy!

Seduction in the Grotto


A Pauper's Peace


Antelopean Gaze


OBX Sundown Horse


OBX Pony Herd Interloper?


Frozen Lake Erie StarScape


El Branchardo Lizardo


Brig Niagara Ghost Ship

Thanks to all here for your kind compliments on my “morph” photos! I’ve found that compiling these morphs provides me with a challenging & refreshing avenue for expressing old ideas & subjects thru a different sort of lens!