cyberastrofolkie's photos

Every so often. a new one shows up. This young one appeared today and wants to eat at my window, but is somewhat timid. I try not to name them or become attached to my wild pets. The life expectancy here in northwest Connecticut, USA, for the wild Squirrels, may be a year, or less. Out front is a road. This is a residential neighborhood. The road has a posted speed limit of 30 mph. Most of the drivers I see are driving way over the speed limit, possibly 50 mph or more. Any animal, wild or domestic, has little chance of reaching the opposite side. This road sees much pedestrian use: walking, bicycling, running, walking the dog... It seems only a matter of time before someone gets injured or killed. Will that change anything???, probably not. For this image, I used my original model Pentax Q Camera and attached 02 Standard Zoom Lens, hand held with the lens up against the opening of the crank-out window, ISO 800, f8, 1/160 sec, with available ambient light. This is a 12.4 mp full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I took this image of a fly face, possibly a small Robber Fly, in northwestern Litchfield County, Connecticut. It wasn't a bright day today and I could have used more sunlight for lower sensitivity and a smaller aperture for greater DOF. I used my macro lens and 2X TC I regularly use with my Pentax K mount cameras, this time adapted to the Q. I edited this image in FastStone to slightly lighten the shadows an add a bit of contrast. I took this image hand held at the camera and the end of the lens barrel was resting on a panel of slate. Note: Due to this camera's 5.6X crop factor, this lens set-up is functioning as 1008mm f5.

I may have inadvertently turned these harmless innocent Red Spider Mites into sugar addicts as they sample the maple syrup I placed in their path. The maple syrup served its purpose of slowing them down to a stop to allow me to image them. The line across the bottom of the image with the vertical marks is the edge of a clear plastic metric ruler. The space between two adjacent vertical marks,centerline to centerline, is one millimeter. This image started out as a 4:1, at the sensor, macro image. I edited this image in FastStone. First I straightened the ruler. Next I cropped the image to remove some distractions, including a fifth Spider Mite in the right side that was only partly in the image. Finally I tweaked the exposure values by slightly softening the highlights, lightening the shadows, and increasing the contrast a bit. I'll know if I created sugar addicts if they are lined up at the door tomorrow looking for more maple syrup. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1 Tube and Two Stacked Tamron Adaptall-2 01f Flat Field Teleconverters with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount, all attached to my Pentax K5 Camera, mounted on my heavy duty 1970s vintage Slik aluminum tripod with the legs partially extended, but closed together as one heavy monopod, holding the camera vertical and suspended over the mites, manually focused by adjusting the camera up and down (the lens was fully extended for the highest magnification), Shake Reduction manually set to 400mm, ISO 3200, f22 on lens, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. Note: If you measure how many millimeters fit inside the space between two adjacent marks at the bottom of this image, centerline to centerline, at whatever size your are viewing, that number will be the power of magnification of your view.

This small Red Squirrel was sitting on the edge of the roof looking down at my feeding station and me. I was looking out my bedroom dormer window and just happened to have my Pentax Q in my hand to capture this moment. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 Macro Lens and generic Pentax K bayonet Adaptall Mount and a Chinese-made Pentax K to Q adapter, all mounted on my original model Pentax Q Camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 90mm focal length, ISO 400, f8, 1/25 sec, with available ambient light. This full resolution Large JPEG was edited in FastStone and adjusted the contrast to enhance the detail. Due to the 5.6X crop factor of the original model Pentax Q, this lens was functioning as a 504mm f2.5 telephoto lens.

I was pushing the limits today. I took this shot of a male Red-winged Blackbird perched on a branch about 80 feet away, according to the focus ring dial. I was using my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55B SP 500mm f8 mirror lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 01f 2X Flat Field Teleconverter with a generic Pentax bayonet mount, attached to an inexpensive Chinese-made Pentax K to Q adapter, all on my original model Pentax Q Camera, all mounted to my heavy-duty 1970s vintage Slik aluminum tripod. I released the shutter via a hand held IR remote. On a film camera, this lens set-up would function as a 1000mm f16. But on my Q, with its 5.6X crop factor, this set-up functions as a 5600mm f16 telephoto lens. This shot was taken through my opened office window, on the second floor, and I had to put up with having to sit on my comfy office chair, such hardships. This was a lens test shot. I found the original to be looking washed-out and edited it in FastStone to reduce the highlights and add some contrast.

I just received, today, an ordered used Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55B SP 500mm f8 mirror lens and this is one of my test shots mounted to my Pentax Q camera. This Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura, was perched on a tree branch in the backyard, perhaps 75-100 feet away. I was struggling with the hardships of imaging from my makeshift blind, my office. My camera and lens were attached to my tripod and pointed out my opened office window while I sat patiently on my comfy office chair. For this image, I used my old manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55B SP 500mm f8 Telephoto Mirror Lens with an attached generic Pentax K bayonet mount, mounted to my original model Pentax Q Camera via an inexpensive Chinese-made K to Q adapter, all mounted to my 1970s vintage Slik heavy-duty aluminum tripod, manually focused, ISO 400, f8, 1/100 sec., AV Mode, with available ambient light. I operated the shutter release via a hand held Infrared remote. This lens was functioning as a 2800mm f8 Telephoto Lens due to the Q's 5.6X Crop Factor. This is a 12.4 mp full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

This is an image of the Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55B SP 500mm f8 Telephoto Mirror Lens with a generic Adaptall PK bayonet mount with attached inexpensive Chinese-made K to Q adapter on my Pentax Q Camera. This whole assembly is mounted to my 1970s vintage Slik heavy-duty aluminum tripod. The Q has a 5.6X crop factor causing the 500mm f8 lens to function as a 2800mm f8 lens in 35mm film camera terms. For this image, I used my Pentax K5 Camera with my old manual focus Vivitar PK-A/R 17-28mm f4-4.5 wide-angle zoom lens zoomed to 28mm, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 28mm, ISO 400, f11, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from the camera's built-in electronic flash. This image is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this Tufted Titmouse at one of my feeding stations, this one is the ledge outside my bathroom window. I was located out on the driveway, approximately fifty feet away. This is an experimental test shot. For this image, I used my old manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 60B SP 300mm f2.8 Telephoto Lens with an attached generic Pentax K bayonet mount, mounted to my original model Pentax Q Camera via an inexpensive Chinese-made K to Q adapter, all mounted to my 1970s vintage Slik heavy-duty aluminum tripod, manually focused, ISO 400, f8, 1/320 sec., AV Mode, with available ambient light. I operated the shutter release via a hand held Infrared remote. This lens was functioning as a 1680mm f2.8 Telephoto Lens due to the Q's 5.6X Crop Factor. This is a 12.4 mp full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

The camera is the original model Pentax Q. The lens is my old manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 60B SP 300mm f2.8. The lens has a generic Pentax K Mount bayonet mount and is joined to the camera via an inexpensive Chinese-made K to Q adapter. This whole assembly is mounted to my 1970s vintage Slik heavy-duty aluminum tripod. The Q has a 5.6X crop factor causing the 300mm f2.8 lens to function as a 1680mm f2.8 lens in 35mm film camera terms. I did some experimental test shots of birds with this set-up today and will post some images after this one. For this image, I used my Pentax K5 Camera with my old manual focus Vivitar K-AR 17-28mm f4-4.5 wide-angle zoom lens zoomed to 28mm, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 28mm, ISO 400, f11, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from the camera's built-in electronic flash. This image is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

This is a lens test shot taken through the closed bathroom window in northwestern Litchfield County, Connecticut. The lens is an old original Tamron Adaptall, Model SZ-38, 38-100mm f3.5 Close-focusing Zoom Lens, manufactured between 1973 and 1976. This lens is very heavily built and weighs 750 grams. This male Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, is a regular visitor and has become more tolerant of my close presence. For this image I used my Tamron Adaptall, Model SZ-38, 38-100mm f3.5, Close-focusing Zoom Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall Pentax KM Mount on my Pentax K5 Camera, Shake reduction set to 100mm focal length, ISO 800, f8 or 11, Lens zoomed to 100mm and close focus set to closest distance, 1/160 sec, with available ambient light. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing. Be sure to view this one large, as there is much detail visible.

I watched and waited patiently as this camera body sat at KEH while I waited for a sale. The sale arrived the day after Christmas (Boxing Day in some locations). This is a Pentax K5 body, factory refurbished. I took a test shot upon its arrival on December 31, 2014, and viewed the EXIF in PhotoMe. The shutter count was 187. Mounted on the body is a Sigma-A 90mm f2.8 macro lens and Quarry Master 2X Teleconverter, which I was testing. The lens and TC were part of a lot of used gear I purchased last year from a local photographer. I imaged this scene with my Pentax K20D and Manual Focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 27A SP 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 CF Macro Lens with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax KA Mount, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 70mm, ISO 400, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full-resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) without any editing, post-processing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I have never seen a hawk this darkly colored. We have many Red-tailed Hawks here in many variations. I believe this one is an Accipiter. The general consensis has been that this is a Cooper's Hawk. I imaged this one in the back yard in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA, very close to where New York meets Connecticut and Massachusetts. It would have been nice if the weather conditions were better. Because of the dark gray day, I had to raise the sensitivity up to ISO 1600. I made some adjustments to the shadows and contrast in FastStone. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 55BB SP 500mm f8 Mirror Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 140f 1.4X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K M Mount on Pentax K20D Camera, hand held at the camera with the lens pointed out the opened bathroom window and resting on the window sill, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 700mm, ISO 1600, f8 on lens, 1/180 sec, with available ambient light. My lens was functioning as a 700mm f11 Mirror Lens.

I had my car parked in the lower driveway so as not to block the upper driveway where I usually park, which is near the front door. I did not want to obstruct the front door where the Trick or Treaters might be. I waited until it was past the time any more children might visit and decided to move my car. When I attempted to open the front door, I saw something odd on the outside surface of the door and when I first saw this critter, I thought it was a fake one left there by one of the children as a Trick. On closer examination, it turned out to be a live salamander of some sort and this one decided to crawl up the outside of the front door. It has been raining all evening and it feels rather balmy outside. The whole experience has turned into a real Halloween Treat. I imaged this guy on the front door in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 27A SP 28-80mm f3.5-4.2 CF Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A Mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, Shake Reduction set to 75mm focal length, ISO 400, f22, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) without any post-processing, editing, cropping, re-sizing, or adjustment. The dark area at the bottom of the image is a shadow caused by the lens hood.

This is my first Jagged Ambush Bug (Phymatinae) sighting from July 30, 2007, the first of many images since. Little by little, I am bringing my best works from flickr to Ipernity. This is a rather odd looking insect predator. They lie in wait on flowers for a flying insect to land and grab the insect with their "lobster-like" front claws. They then extend the mouth parts (folded under) and puncture the insect's body to suck out the body fluids. This one is a female and is perched on a Queen Ann's Lace flower. The males are darker with orange colored eyes and their bodies are chunkier looking. These insects are winged and fly from flower to flower to stalk their prey. They rely on stealth and some camouflage. They are rather small in size, about an eighth of an inch wide and about three eighths of an inch long. I have seen them with captured insects many time larger, including butterflies, honey bees and large bumble bees. The original image was twice life-size (2:1), at the sensor, and was cropped. For this image, I used my old manual focus Pre-AI Micro-Nikkor 55mm f3.5 Lens and Nikon PK-3 Extension Ring plus Vivitar 2X Teleconverter plus Fotodiox Nikon F mount to Canon EOS mount adapter ring on my Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D) Camera, handheld, manually focused, stop-down metered in Av mode, with fill-in flash with camera's built-in electronic flash. I captured this image in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA.

This is a 2:1, at the sensor, macro image of a Lilac flower and raindrop. I captured this image on May 11, 2013, in rural upstate Columbia County, New York, USA. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 Model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 Macro Lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1 Tube and Tamron Adaptall-2 01f 2X Flat Field Teleconverter with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A Mount, all mounted to Pentax K20D Camera, hand held, manually focused by moving the entire assembly back and forth, Shake Reduction set to 200mm, ISO 400, f19 on lens, 1/30 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a Full Resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post processing, editing, adjustment, cropping, or re-sizing.

This is another view of the "Just Hanging Around" image with a different lens set-up and a different exposure. This is a 1:1 (life-size), at the sensor, image. I imaged this member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II where it landed, hanging from a low branch of a small tree in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 macro lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1tube with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, ISO 400, Shake Reduction set to 300mm focal length, f16 on lens, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this Cicada shed nymph case where the adult Cicada emerged from this case. The nymph lived underground and before emerging came out from underground, crawled up the tree trunk, crawled out a branch. and crawled out to this leaf. If you view this nymph case large, you will see the dried mud still coating the outside of the case from when this nymph lived underground. This nymph was a member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II and was imaged in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my manual focus Tamron Adaptall-2 model 52BB SP 90mm f2.5 macro lens and Tamron Adaptall-2 18f 1:1tube with attached Tamron Adaptall-2 Pentax K A mount on Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, ISO 100, Shake Reduction set to 300mm focal length, f13 on lens, 1/180 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a less than 1:1 close-up. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.

I imaged this member of the 2013 Magicicada Brood II where it landed, hanging from a low branch of a small tree in the parking lot of Poet's Walk (park) in Red Hook, New York, USA, on July 05, 2013. There were quite a few active adults in the trees and the sounds, to me, sounded like what you might hear if you were operating an electric weed wacker. For this image, I used my AF Tamron Model 572D 70-300mm f4-5.6 LD lens in macro mode on my Pentax K20D camera, hand held, manually focused, focal length 300mm, ISO 800, f13, 1/125 sec, with fill-in flash from camera's built-in electronic flash. This is a full resolution Large JPEG and is Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) and is without any post-processing, editing, adjusting, cropping, or re-sizing.