Crimson Rosella's in our Garden

I'm still trying to capture a really good close up of these wonderfully colourful birds we have as regular visitors in our garden. Here a few of the latest.

Crimson Rosella's often feed from the birdseed holder we have hung in the trees which are right outside our home office.


This was my week in photos. Hope you enjoy. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know if anyone out there in cyber land is reading my blog. I'm still learning it all and trying to refine and develop my blog into something that others are interested in reading about. Any and all feedback most welcomed ... especially the positive kind. :)

Crazy Days in a Haze

The Black Hole
I've been temporarily out to lunch and laid up in bed with the flu and a bad back... sciatica is suspected. I felt like I was going into a black hole when I took this shot or perhaps it was the effects of my pain medication :)

An assignment done for Learning Photography with Neil Creek.

This photo was Neil's pick of the week. I was quite chuffed and a little excited when I first saw he had picked it as his favourite for the week. I value his opinion and find I am learning so much through his tutorials and challenges.

This is what he had to say about the photo:

"Why I chose this: This photo, titled “The Black Hole” works for me on several levels. Without knowing what the photo is of, it does distinctly remind me of the computer graphics visualisations of black holes that I have watched on many documentaries. This appeals to my interest in astronomy. The soft, slightly blurred circular lines of colour draw the eye right into the photo, as does the underexposed exposed background. When one reads the description and lean that the subject is simply a spot lit mirror ball, one is impressed from where the complex yet subtle image came from.

Reading further into the description and learning of Chrissy’s state of mind when taking the photo opens up a whole new level of appreciation for the photo, as it offers a glimpse into a world of drug and pain affected perceptions." Neil Creek

I tried really hard to do this project from my bed while laid up .. its the best I could come up with at the time considering the strong effects of pain killers.

I put my disco light on one night after taking my medication and this is what I came up with trying to use the manual settings on my new Canon. I’m still working it all out and hope I am close to what was required for the assignment.

I've spent many hours now studying my new Canon Rebel XTi instruction manual for this project with Neil Creek.

I was 2 days overdue .. but I submitted it anyway, just to let Neil know I was still around and following his tutorials and challenges which I have found to be a great way to learn photography.

The Project: 1 second shutter speed.

The above shot depicts the pain in my back at the time of taking it. Pain relief was felt when I saw the result of the photo. I personally love it and if you look really close you can see me in the centre of it taking the photo.

Camera:	Canon EOS 400D Digital
Exposure:	2.5 sec (5/2)
Aperture:	f/5.6
Focal Length:	53 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0/3 EV
Flash:	Flash did not fire

I love the effect I have created here with a slower shutter speed. I'm still fiddling around with all the manual settings on my new camera.

The little light worms down the bottom of the photo are cute too ... looks like they are on a mission. ............ or maybe I've had way too much medication .. ☺

I haven't done many adjustments to this photo .. a tad saturation, a crop and a 1% rotation.

Camera:	Canon EOS 400D Digital
Exposure:	1 sec (1)
Aperture:	f/5.6
Focal Length:	55 mm
ISO Speed:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Flash did not fire

Seen in the group"Learning Photography with Neil Creek"

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Chrissy Downunder

Healesville Sanctuary

Australia's premier wildlife park
is nestled in the foothills of the Yarra Valley, just one hour from Melbourne. Koalas, dingoes, kangaroos and the unique platypus are just a few of the 200 species of Australian wildlife flourishing in a stunning Australian bushland environment.

Don't you just love some of the old Aussie nursery rhymes. This is what I had singing in my head when taking a shot of this Kookaburra. I had to zoom in, so unfortunately the pic is a bit grainy .. although I don't mind the effect.

For those of you who don't know this catchy little tune, you can listen to it here at All Downunder

Put these words to the tune and you will see what I mean about having it playing in my head.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mr Benny Percy

Mr Benny Percy - Our pet budgerigar.

He came to live with us when my father (mysticfrank) moved to Tasmania last November. Benny is a 10 yr old Australian Budgerigar with very striking colours. I have taken a lot of photo's of him over the last year. He has quite a great little personality and hopefully I have captured this in some of his pic's. Peter (my partner) and Benny have developed a wonderful bond as you will see in some of the other photos I will be posting.

Click here to see a slideshow of Benny on WAYN

The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) nicknamed budgie, the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus, is a small parrot belonging to the tribe of the broad-tailed parrots (Platycercini); these are sometimes considered a subfamily (Platycercinae). In the latter case, the Budgerigar is sometimes isolated in a tribe of its own, the Melopsittacini, although it is probably quite closely related to Pezoporus and Neophema.

Read the full article here:
Mr Benny Percy on Flickr - Photo Sharing!