Phone or camera?

I've been giving some thought lately to the use of an iPhone for a serious camera.  Not for me since I don't have a smart phone and already have camera equipment I need to use.  But the handwriting  seems to be on the wall about the direction the market is going.  Go to any public setting where a lot of folks are taking pictures.  There will be more phone cameras than film and digital SLR's combined and probably more than the total point-and-shoot cameras.  On forums I regularly monitor, serious photographers are talking seriously about the potential of smart phones (and available aps and post-processing software) for taking serious photographs.  Most admit the results will be limited to print sizes of 8x10 or smaller, but that is true of most point and shoots already.   Which leads me to wonder if the progress in camera phones may signal the end of the point-and-shoot segment.   Why would someone buy another little box to carry around and keep batteried when they already have one that can perform as well and immediately share those results with any number of other persons.  

Topsy-Curvy

The July challenge in the Viewfinders camera club is "curves".   The first thing that came to mind was a roller coaster.   I went to Google Earth and noticed there was one next to the fence at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.   I didn't really want to enter the park or to pay the $15 parking fee, so when I went there, I used the drop-off entrance and luckily found there were some free 30-minute parking spots.  Perfect.  A short walk to the parking lot and about 20 minutes standing around led to this shot.  I like it for a number of reasons.  Hope you do too.   Comments welcome.

Hippo-Flection

The June 2012 theme for the Viewfinders challenge was "reflections".  I wanted to try getting some repeated reflections from several mirrors, so I made this shot.   I used three 12" sq. mirror tiles taped together to make a equilateral triangle box, open at the top and bottom.  I set it on a white board and took the shot from the top.  The target is a small silver-colored hippo that is about 3 inches long.  The only concerns I had were keeping the camera out of the shot and getting enough light into the box to offset the loss from multiple reflections.  I put a desk lamp above the box and used a wide-angle lens to get a wider coverage and greater depth of field.  A photoshop adjustment of brightness let me add some light to the far side.  I am fairly well pleased with the outcome.    Comments welcome.

Critters great and small

So I was painting some benches in the back yard and found a good specimen of scorpion under one of the legs.  It was daytime and it was very sluggish, so I was able to scoop it into a small jar.  My thought was to try to photograph it.  Today I transferred it using a monofilament loop through a soda straw into a plastic soda cup.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was not alone.  Don't know where the little guy had been hiding, perhaps clinging to the large one (mother?  father?), but he was pretty active, running around the inside of the cup and hiding underneath the large one.  I took some shots of which this is about as good as any, then released the two back into the yard into a leafy area where they should feel at home.  Sure, I may get stung by one of them some time in the future, but hopefully not.  Notice that the little one does not have a tail yet, but his pincers are well developed.


Comments welcome.  gear:  Lumix G1, Leica 45mm Macro handheld, autofocus.

Hurry Back!

We have a small basket near the front door for people to leave notes in when no one is at home.  I don't remember anyone ever leaving a note, but it was a convenient, dry place for a bird to build its nest and here is the result.  I was not able to catch a photo of the parent, but apparently she kept the food coming because the chick is no longer there.  ( I hope the neighbor's cat is not responsible. )  Shot was taken through the window next to the door.

Sun Spots

OK, here's the next puzzle:  How did I get this image of the sun?   Was a telescope used?  What kind of filtering would let me focus directly on the sun's surface?  Or did I just borrow the shot from someone else's photograph?   Or did I use a projection through a pinhole onto a blank surface?


Any ideas?
I will give you a hint:  You could make the same shot without buying expensive equipment.  You would have to buy something, but it would not be costly.

New Puzzle Photo

OK, Sports.  Here is another photo to identify.   This one should be a lot easier than the burning match.  This is something you surely have seen, but maybe not in this color.  And maybe not from this angle.  Any ideas?