Greetings From France

[Andre]

So what can you photograph if it rains cats and dogs, in South France

The gutter

http://i42.tinypic.com/20i9e06.jpg

But then the air is clearing

http://i44.tinypic.com/25048rq.jpg

The Arize is a lot wilder than usual as it enters the cave of Mas d'Azil

http://i40.tinypic.com/21alqj8.jpg

obviously also at the exit.

http://i44.tinypic.com/6ftu9e.jpg

[Andre]

We also passed the cross way with 12 little chapels that I used as Landmark

http://i39.tinypic.com/2r3yydt.jpg

[Andre]

And then the sun sets

http://i40.tinypic.com/b84awm.jpg

[Gad]

http://i44.tinypic.com/6ftu9e.jpg

Wow, just as bolted blood in one's heart once it sense the anguish of love... Someone please refraiz it. :biggrin:

As usual Andre, great pix :)

[lisab]

As always, it looks very nice :smile:.

[Andre]

Thanks, Drizzle and Lisa. Some more then

Yesterday we visited the land of the ntenae people (http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Andorian), Andorra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra). But they all looked like normal, somehow. But -not unexpectedly- a lot of snow:

http://i42.tinypic.com/95y5fl.jpg

Enroute, you pass Ax Les Thermes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax-les-Thermes) with its hot spring. It's still a bit autumn there:

http://i43.tinypic.com/350l54h.jpg

Dawn, this morning:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2d0do9h.jpg

and eventually as the sun rises, the valley gets the first sun rays:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2qxm9fl.jpg

[Andy Resnick]

Jealous = me.

[dlgoff]

Excellent photos Andre. I wish I were there. Thanks for sharing.

[turbo]

Thanks, Andre. You have a great eye. It's nice to have the location and environment, but it's essential to "see" the best shots and take them.

[Andre]

Thanks, Don and Turbo, still more in the pipeline to come.

[Evo]

Absolutely beautiful Andre!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[edward]

Jealous = me.+me me me

[Borek]

Great place, great pictures.

[Andre]

Thanks, Evo, Edward, Borek

And now, today I made the pic finally, which I had in mind when I bought this camera, a flying dragonfly. One of the most challenging ever.

I have seen more flying dragon flies and certainly in better quality, but I never have seen anything like this before:

http://i40.tinypic.com/20v0qpk.jpg

See what I mean?

[Borek]

:surprised

It looks so helicopterish...

[turbo]

:surprised

It looks so helicopterish...Igor Sikorsky would be proud!

[Andre]

yes sure, but there is still something very odd, that I was completely unaware of.

Maybe it helps to imagine a 3D picture -using the fish in the pond-, when I show the whole uncropped frame (15% size). Also, I shot horizontal tilting down maybe some 10-20 degrees

http://i39.tinypic.com/20oxp4.jpg

What is so odd?

[Borek]

How come it is in focus? You were hunting the dragonfly, or taking pictures of the pond?

[Andre]

Isn't that an amazing feature of the 7D, obviously I was hunting/tracking him and this particular shot was in tracking/predicted focus and re-focus delay as he is clearly outside the focus array.

Hint: look carefully at the head and body co-ordination.

[Borek]

I think I know what you mean - head is still parallel to the horizon. At least it looks this way.

[Andre]

Exactly, while the body is banked/tilted some 60+ degrees to the left for a quick agile turn, the head remains horizontal,

Amazing.

[Andre]

Anyway, back home for a week already but I simply have to share some more, especially the sunrise

http://i39.tinypic.com/o8gq42.jpg

Ok I will get rid of the phone line, would be a shame not to:

http://i40.tinypic.com/35mkxgz.jpg

This one needs some cropping away distractions, eventually

http://i41.tinypic.com/n5iz9t.jpg

This one is entered in a contest under the title: "View on Bridgton, Maine, from the grocery store"

http://i44.tinypic.com/vmvioi.jpg

and there are dozens more.

[lisab]

Wow :!!) the fog gives such an ethereal look...those pix look like paintings!

[Evo]

Amazing pictures! The first reminds me of the view from the upstairs bedroom at my grandmother's in the French Alps. The fog was so thick that it looked like a wall moving in across the valley below. There were three very tall trees and after the fog covered the Valley, these three tree giants loomed above the fog like the creatures in LOTR. We'd really give ourselves a scare.

[Borek]

Great moment. Unfortunately, the only way I can take pictures of the rising sun is when I am still awake. Getting up in the morning is something I never fully mastered. Just like going to bed in the evening - I can always stay awake for a moment longer.

[Andy Resnick]

Anyway, back home for a week already but I simply have to share some more, especially the sunrise



Really excellent!

[Andre]

Thanks all, those show why I love to be there. Obviously I try to never miss a good sunrise, it's so unique. So combined with the bonfire sessions deep into the night, who is talking sleep?