Sebastian started it.

Yesterday's forecast for high winds made me check the prediction for conditions on Lake Michigan. Waves up to 10-14' were predicted on the Indiana shore, so a friend and I headed out. The first shot is of a lighthouse about as far away as you can get from the one Sebastian shot. The second is Chicago in the distance. We also saw almost a dozen kiteboarders blasting around the lake - looks like a lot of fun!

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a National Park I've never visited, so we stopped at Chellberg Farm while we were out - right in the area. It was the last day that the interpreters were there so we lucked out (cookies were great!).

Later that day, she was making pork chops. Don't tell these guys... :eek:

Amazing shot of the kiteboarder, nailed it !
Love the angles on both from the second batch...cool how people are giving a story to their sets of shots.

I like the first shot of the lighthouse and the wave jumper, must have had a good lens to take these, were you using a tripod? S

Thanks - imagine my surprise when I actually pulled that shot off, not being a sports shooter and all! :) I was using an 80-200 f2.8 and tripod, sitting down on the wall shown in the lighthouse shot. I waited for them to get close and then shot. It was really windy (gusts to 50mph) so the wind would blow both me and the lens around if I stood up.

Great, very sharp, I find now that I'm bringing my tripod everywhere even though it's heavy. I have VR on my 70-200mm 2.8 but just can't get that clarity if I'm holding it, goes to show a difference in a lens too as I did some tests with my 18-200mm 3.5, quite a difference actually between that and a 2.8 when cropping in. S

Hey Steve!
Glad to see some stuff from you.
Keep shooting!
Brian
:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by shootme

I find now that I'm bringing my tripod everywhere even though it's heavy.

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Ah ha! :) Tripods are worth their weight a lot of times. I have a smaller Gitzo carbon with an Arca Swiss ball head and yes it was expensive but I actually use it rather than leaving it in the car. I had read and also figured out for myself that buying the right tripod up front would have been cheaper in the long run. :)

It was so windy out there that the lens was getting pushed around. That, and I was getting pushed around so that I don't think VR would have been that much of a help. I have the Nikon 18-200VR and it's a good lens but not perfect for everything. That said, it's the one I use most of the time these days. My 80-200 is the older non-VR version.

Can you give me the model number of the tripod and ball head, I might start to look around for another one, somethong that works better for the backpack I carry around - Lowepro, mini trekker AW. Cheers. S

Nice images! I love looking at scenes of an angry Great Lake (verses actually being IN an angry Great Lake - I've done that too many times and not on purpose).

Nice shot of the piggies as well :p

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Originally Posted by another view

...It was the last day that the interpreters were there so we lucked out (cookies were great!).

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I'm not sure I understand the reference to the interpreters. What were they interpreting from? Just curious.

Thanks for sharing!

The tripod is a Gitzo G1228 which isn't made anymore but I'm sure they have something similar. It has four carbon fiber leg sections so it folds up really small (fits in a kayak, important criteria!). Fully extended it's a little short for me but that doesn't bother me. I've used a 400 f5.6 with it but nothing bigger and heavier. The ball head is an Arca Swiss B-1, which I think is the original. Both of these I got used and they're fairly old for this type of stuff. I use custom quick release plates from Kirk and Really Right Stuff. The plates are expensive but there's really no point in going to this system without using them. Like I've said before, I haven't even looked at other tripods and heads because this stuff is just good. That saves money! :)

Loupey, the interpreter was at the farm within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. She was showing what life was like a hundred years ago. She was cooking on the wood stove when we were there. Good timing!

Funny stuff...here's the same pig in july.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/...621d4151_o.jpg

Of course, I just shot the tasty end. the nose and ears are all gristle.

What a catch, dipped in chocolate, yum...well done ,should put this in the funny shots.

Guilty as charged.

I love the skyline shot.

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Originally Posted by another view

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a National Park I've never visited, so we stopped at Chellberg Farm while we were out - right in the area. It was the last day that the interpreters were there so we lucked out (cookies were great!).

Later that day, she was making pork chops. Don't tell these guys... :eek:

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I love the photo of the woman in the farmhouse! Those old farmhouses always fascinated me. Love the sports shot of the wave jumper! It looked like it was pretty cold out there :) Very cool photos.