Great shot of a pileated woodpecker, fairly common throughout the Southeast. Has adapted to human habitat. Find an ivory billed one and you'll be famous. It's supposed to be extinct but people (Arkansas and other places) continue to claim they've spotted one. No proof yet by ornithologists. Chuck

Angler, great shots. What's the name of the bird - it certainly isn't a Southeastern variety. We have titmice, but not these. Also, how did you blur the entire background out?

Hi Bmac, the Wakulla River (which flows just south of Tallahassee into the Gulf) has manatees during winter and they may still be in the waters in April. You can rent canoes and get closeup photos of these mammoth and gentle animals. Enjoy your Big Bend experience - it really is the old Florida that is fast fading away.

Here's a link that should help you with fishing as well as birding/wildlife/etc with numerous links - http://myfwc.com/viewing/recreation/location/
You can go to www.floridastateparks.org for park sites. I would consider Destin/Ft. Walton Beach for some of the most beautiful beaches, sand dunes, aquamarine water scenes, also in Marianna there are the Caverns worth seeing. Tallahassee shore has St. Marks Wildlife Refuge and in April you should get great shots of birds and butterflies - there is also fishing available if you have a small boat (no rentals available). Let me know if you have questions.

Again, many thanks! Do you know anything about remote shutters for cameras? Years ago it was a cable, now I see they are infrared or electronic shutter releases. I need one for taking photos of birds/hawks from distances of 20ft to 150ft.

Thanks, Reyn. I noticed when searching for filers that they are in odd numbers such a 47mm or 72 mm. How do I know what size to buy for my two lens?

Thanks for the advice, Malcolm. I will get some of those filters. I should correct my earlier email - my camera is a Rebel T2i not a T1i. No other responses yet. Chuck

I have a Rebel T1i, with both 18-55mm and 55-250mm lens. I need a screw-on type lens protection lens and a remote shutter release (for wildlife shots at a distance of 15-50 ft away.
I need advise from all you pros who've provided me with such an abundance of information in recent weeks. I'm a novice trying to catch up. Thanks

Great shots - as a nature lover, I was impressed with the closeups of butterfiles. What camera and lens setting do you use?

Chuck (dawg4ever)

I'm the fellow who joined last fall and sought advice for my trip to Italy. Thanks to all who gave me tips. I shot 2,000 photos and learned a lot about landscape, portrait and automatic settings. Still learning, but advice received was much appreciated.

Wow, John, those are great photos. I especially liked the bluebirds. I am trying with nature shots, but a long way from this quality. Thanks for sharing!

Fascinating - the knowledge you people have about photography, and your willingness to share it with others. I could read all your comments for hours, but I have work to do. Thanks for the input and answers you've given me about beginning photography, raw vs jpeg, etc. I hope someday I'll be able to understand it all. :D

For fear I'm showing my ignorance, can someone explain JPG vs. RAW? And the pros and cons of RAW. Thanks

Thanks to all who responded to my plea for help with my new Canon Rebel T21. Your tips and advice, and links, will be invaluable to me. I really do appreciate the time you take to respond to a stranger.

Thanks - will do! The manual is certainly frustratingly complex, but I guess the camera is too.