The Quiet Picture

* * *

I know I’ve posted a lot of squirrel images lately but at least I hope that they are improving…

I just learned that the constellation of Cygnus, or Swan, is sometimes also called the Northern Cross. Fair enough.

Before anyone says that there’s not enough contrast, I would like to say that it was one of those un-contrasty days. A cold day after a warm one, so the landscape was covered in frost and fog.

But I finally did some shooting with the Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro, not just this building (the Loosgruvan museum) but also some genuine test shots. Sort of. I’m waaaayyyy too lazy to properly test lenses, so I just half-heartedly shoot something that approximates a test image and it all really comes down to, “ok it’s impossible say if this is the sharpest lens ever made, but is it sharp enough for me?” It is. I think so. I’m too lazy to return the lens anyway. But seriously, it will work for me. I hope so.

We got some real snow this week - not nearly as much as SMHI was forecasting, but enough to cover the landscape in a white coat and enough for the ski tracks. I’ll wait until my achy breaky back stops twinging before I get on the skis though, today I settled for a walk through the winter forest.

* * *

I finally caught a jay on sensor. I only managed two shots before it flew off, clearly bothered by the sound of the shutter. The squirrels on the other hand are not too bothered, in fact they seem get more tolerant of me and I can come within few meters before they finally run off. There were no less than three squirrels fighting over the sunflower seeds today, it was very entertaining to watch them chase each other up and down the trees. I even witnessed a squirrel falling down a tree - I thought it never happens… it landed in the soft snow and was back up the tree as fast as a lightning. In a squirrel fight, there’s always a loser so this one poor guy spent a while contemplating its fate and giving me a chance to play with light. One squirrel’s loss is one photographer’s gain…

I’ve done almost a complete overhaul of my photography gear since I got the 40D. I’ve sold the 20D, 70-200mm f4L and (gulp) 100mm f2.8 macro lenses and some accessories. I have wanted to have a longer macro lens since for ages, and the zoom lens has hardly been used since I came back from Canada last year. I used the money to get the Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro, hopefully it will double as a short tele so I won’t be missing the 70-200mm.

I’ve had a few Sigma lenses in the past and I didn’t like any of them, so I swore that I will never get another. But last spring when I was on the lookout for a real wideangle, I thought the 15mm diagonal fish-eye would be a fun lens to challenge my usual narrow field of view. It had gotten good reviews and I wasn’t disappointed, I think it’s just about as sharp as expected. Except, I’ve failed the challenge so I haven’t used the lens much. Just can’t figure out those darn wide angles!

So, having finally gotten a Sigma lens that was up to something, I thought I’d take my chances with another EX lens with rave reviews. I chose the 150mm over 180mm mostly due the lighter weight, but I also wanted an f2.8 instead of f3.5. I’m hoping that this lens will spare me from choosing between the 100mm and 300mm lens for my outings. I had to give up lugging both of them because it’s just too much weight for me to carry up a mountain and then down again.

I was planning to post some sample pictures with the new lens, but I’ve hurt my back and I’m in no condition to leave the house and carry the camera and tripod with me, so the pictures will have to wait. Yes, the new lens is heavy enough to require a tripod so I won’t be able to do as much hand-held macro work as I used to with the 100mm lens, we’ll find out next summer if I can live with that.

Other new gear I’ve bought to replace old is an L-bracket for the 40D. It’s a lot bulkier than the 20D ditto, owing to the change of construction with the remote socket in the camera. And having mentioned the 20D L-bracket, I’m selling it - just let me know if you’re interested!

Other stuff I have to sell is a pile of step-up rings and filters that have accumulated over the years (ad). Once I get rid of these odds and ends, I’m done with the gear exchange. Until I find something else that I absolutely must have…

I’ve been wondering how come I’m having to re-fill the bird feeder more often than usual… got an answer this morning. The new feeder I got last week isn’t nearly as squirrel proof as the other ones! This is a 50/50 feeder, half nuts and half hemp seeds. The hemp seed side has a very tight mesh, but big holes at the bottom so that the seeds fall out on the tray. That’s what gives the squirrels free access to the food, they don’t have a chance with the mesh even if this one seems to be having a go at the nuts. If I want to leave any hemp seeds to the birds, I’ll have find another type of feeder! Speaking of them, there were hardly any today. I think the squirrels scared them off, so that’s another reason to find a squirrel-proof feeder.

Please observe the snow in this image. A very nice snowfall front passed by last night so that the scenery was completely transformed in the morning. Unfortunately the temperatures soon crept up above freezing so the snow literally just dripped down from the trees. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

October - just waiting for the winter now. Got some great autumn colours early on, but a few blustery days in the middle took care of them. Got the first snow, lost the first snow… got some snow on the last day on the month, but will probably lose it on the first day of the next. One thing I have to say though - where’s the rain? It has hardly rained at all, especially considering that it’s autumn. The barometer average is the highest this year so far, which more or less says it about the precipitation.

* * *

* * *