It took a while, but I finally got some acceptable snow crystal shots this season.
Here are a few: http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/2007/070303/IMGP0640.htm http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/2007/070303/IMGP0646.htm http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/2007/070303/IMGP0668.htm http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/2007/070303/IMGP0662cr.htm I'm not a big fan of the perfect, paper cut out, absolutely symmetric snow crystal. For me, these ragged / run through the mill subjects are what it's all about. It's interesting - I had shifted over to using a Sigma 50mm EX f2.8 macro lens for snow crystals last winter. Before that I used either an M 50 f4 macro or M 50 f 1.7 standard lens. (Lenses are reverse mounted on gobs of extension.) Anyhow - I wanted some new snowflake shots for the Pentax Gallery so I pulled out the M50 f4 and used it on Saturday. Independent of that, I finally remembered how to get the lighting right (it seems to take longer every year...) I have to say - that old relic of a macro lens really kicks. It _is_ slow and dim with all the extension, but it still really produces the best images. I stopped using it because the aperture was slow in the cold - not stuck, but slow. So I have to tap the aperture arm on it to get it to fully stop down. I'll definitely be getting it fixed. The rest of Saturday's shot's (and the more recent other shots from this season) are here: http://www.markcassino.com/galleries/stream/stream05.htm Commentary is here: http://www.markcassino.com/b2evolution/index.php Comments appreciated - MCC -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mark Cassino Photography Kalamazoo, Michigan www.markcassino.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
