Saturday, January 8, 2011

**Free Week** (This week's Photo Hunt (non-)theme)



What kind of photos do you find hardest to take? For a time, I despaired of ever being able to take a good photograph at night. But since I acquired my current camera close to three years ago now, I've been able to take a number of "after dark" snaps that I've felt good about (like these and these).

Thanks also to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ2, I've found myself able to take some action shots that I don't believe I hitherto would have been able to. Action shots like the two in this Photo Hunt entry -- hence my wanting to take this **free week** opportunity to show them off!

Re the upper photo: Believe it or not, as I was wading in the shallows at Stanley Main Beach one day, I looked down and saw a tiny fish struggling to not be washed ashore by the tide. Caught up in viewing its fight to survive (which it miraculously did win), I managed to also take a few photos for posterity -- of which the one in this entry is the one I like the most.

Re the lower photo: Back in May, I took a day off from work to go and view the Tin Hau birthday celebrations at Joss House Bay. On the ferry back, some people were throwing "spirit money" into the waters in order to get (more) blessings from the goddess of the sea -- and for my part, I did feel blessed to have managed to take a shot of two of them in mid-flight before they hit the churning water. :)

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I *love* the Tin Hau photo! At first I thought it was a collage, because it's such an unexpected juxtaposition.

MaR said...

Wonderful!! Photohunt

sarah bailey knight said...

Wow, great photos. The second one is very very cool.

Anonymous said...

wonderful results. i like how you tackled this free week theme.

happy weekend.

Carver said...

These are both great action shots. They are so hard to capture. I'm glad to hear that the fish lived to tell the tale. Happy Weekend!

YTSL said...

Hi duriandave --

Oh wow re your thinking that photo was a collage at first. And yeah, I really like it too. :)

Hi Mar --

Glad you think so! :)

Hi sbk --

Thanks. Re the second one: aiming that shot felt like target shooting... took a bunch of shots from the ferry -- some of which came out less satisfactorily. Thank goodness for digital cameras! :)

Hi ewok1993 --

Having a free week can cause one to rack one's brains more than usual, huh? Thanks and hope you have a happy weekend too. :)

Hi Carver --

Thanks -- especially coming from someone who takes great action shots aplenty! :)

Liz said...

Wonderful shots. Happy hunting!

Liz @ MLC

magiceye said...

lovely captures!
and yes thanks to you have added my post to the hunt too!

jmb said...

What great finds for the free week. I love the plucky fish who did manage to make it.

Happy weekend to you YTSL and a Happy New year.

ancient one said...

Wonderful photos.. I'm enjoying seeing what everyone is using for Free theme.

Anneke (Mudhooks) said...

Because the first one was a fish, I thought at first glance the second was jellyfish. Then I thought someone had thrown some slices of orange.

http://mudpuddle.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/photo-hunt-free-week/

LifeRamblings said...

Action shots are one of those things I had a really hard time in photography. I've difficulties setting the correct shutter speed when taking motion pictures.

Randi said...

Terrific action shots! I agree, they are really hard to capture, no matter what kind of camera you have. I always use the camera setting: "continuous shots". Unfortunately I can´t see the second photo.
I wish you a happy weekend.

eastcoastlife said...

I can't see the second photo. Is it supposed to be seen by only a clever person. Oh no, I'm stupid. :D

Happy New Year, sweetie!

Anonymous said...

good shots - I know what you mean about the difference a new camera can make . . . although I'm still working on the night shots . . .

Have a good weekend.

Randi said...

I checked again, and it´s the same. When I click on the space the link says it was not found on this server. Did you publish a gif-picture?

eastcoastlife said...

I can see the 2nd photo now. The spirit money looks very different from the ones we offered to the spirits in Singapore.

Karen said...

Love the first one!

Annie said...

Spirit money! I love that. Both photos are wonderful and unique. "Free week" is lots of fun thanks to shots like yours!

healingmagichands said...

Very interesting photos, and the link about "Spirit Money" was an interesting read. Although, I have to wonder just how pleased the Goddess of the Sea is to have "fake money" tossed in -- hopefully she doesn't view it as litter!

Marites said...

that's really interesting and i'm glad to know that the fish won. great captures!

gengen said...

Nice shots...Happy hunting.

Trekcapri said...

Hi YSTL, great two photos for free week. You have such a good eye for catching things that are so unique and I enjoy reading your description. Very interesting. Thanks so much for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.

Brita said...

Great shots! Happy New Year!

Marta said...

Motion pictures are definitely hard. I can only do them on a sunny day with my big camera. You are doing well with your new camera I like the second photo - the contrast is great.

Unknown said...

the fish shot is wonderful! i've never seen a fish taking a breath caught on camera before.:p

Cats~Goats~Quotes said...

Really nice photos. Interesting about the spirit money..and Mom would have had to pick up the fish and toss it back :)
~ Napoleon

Susan Demeter said...

Wow! These are great shots! You inspire me to get a better camera! My current camera would never manage action shots like these, and night shots are tricky for me as well.

YTSL said...

Hi Liz --

Thanks and yes, have been happily Photo Hunting over the past 24 hours or so... :)

Hi magiceye --

Hope you continue Photo Hunting. Love going to your blog every Saturday morning and seeing something new and interesting there. :)

Hi jmb --

I worried about that fish, hence my observing its progress for a time. Thank goodness it didn't end up dried up on the beach!

Hi ancient one --

Yes, I know many of us find a free theme difficult (so much to choose from!) but it's been very interesting seeing what various folks have come up with for this week. :)

Hi Anneke --

Teehee... and hope reading my comments in the entry helped you figure out what they were in the end! :)

Hi Life Ramblings --

Sounds like you have a *real* camera. I don't go with the manual functions -- rather, I try out different settings already in the camera. And thank goodness for the Sports function for motion shots! :D

Hi Randi --

Oh dear x 2. Eastcoastlife had your problem the first time she visited but seems from her comments that she eventually saw the second photo... :S

Maybe third time might be the charm?

Hi EastCoastLife --

Dear, you clearly are far from stupid. So... :D

Hi JDeQ --

A bad worker blames his tools. So I guess we who credit our tools are good ones, huh? ;b

Hi bensrib --

Seems like both photos have their fans. ;b

Hi Annie --

Spirit money AKA hell notes to pay/bribe one's way out of/away from hell (and to have blessings showered upon one)... What a thought, huh? Still, better to be safe than sorry... ;b

Hi healingmagichands --

No, no, that is not fake money. Rather, it's money for another world -- that inhabited by the Goddess of the Sea! :DDD

Hi Marites --

Thanks for reading as well as looking. :)

Hi gengen --

Thanks and same to you. :)

Hi Trekcapri --

You're very welcome and thanks in turn for your comments. They make my day! :)

Hi Brita --

Thanks and happy 2011 to you!

Hi Marta --

Not so new... close to 3 years old now but long may it last! :)

Hi Luna Miranda --

The fish shot came out way better than I intended. Love the ripples emanating from/surrounding it. :)

Hi Napoleon (Cats~Goats~Quotes) --

Am not sure if I would have been able to pick up the fish. Can see it attempting to jump out of my attempted reach!

Hi Sue --

My camera's already close to 3 years old so can imagine newer cameras being even better. Still, will definitely go with Panasonic for cameras from now on. :)

YTSL said...

P.S. to Randi --

I just logged on a found the Photo Hunters icon missing from this entry. I think Google/Blogger's having some problems. Hopefully, they will be resolved soon and everything on this entry will be visible to all!

Gattina said...

A very special picture, the first one. I have difficulties too with night shots, I haven't discovered yet although I have my camera since 2 or 3 years now, lol !

Gizelle said...

cool shot of the fish!!!

YTSL said...

Hi Gattina --

I wouldn't dare to say that I'm a night shots expert by any means but I'm definitely happier with those now than previously. I think it helps that my current camera has a better flash than the previous one. Of course, I think having a tripod would make things all the more better -- but I've yet to go up to that level in terms of equipment. :)

Hi Gizelle --

Glad you like that shot. :)