Friday, April 5, 2013

Looking through a new lens....


It's a little frustrating when you have a new toy and can't play with it! On Saturday I upgraded and bought myself an OM-D Olympus with a 12 - 50mm lens, it's a little beauty, so many 'in camera' features (below)! Don't get me wrong I still love my Pentax and the Lumix has been brilliant, I won't desert them, but like moi, they're getting on a bit :) I'm sure you'll recognize the Lantana growing profusely over the wall above, although considered a Class 3 toxic weed in many parts of the world including Australia, it is ideally suited to dry and extremely hot weather conditions making it a fantastic filler in gardens as long as it's kept well under control. It also shelters several native marsupial species from predators and offers a habitat for the vulnerable Exoneura native bee, which nests in the hollow stems of the plant. I think if I can bend :) I may plant one this weekend. CUBIFA (can you believe it's Friday again) hope it's a good one, take care and stay safe.....

34 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new camera!! Isn't it fun to get a new one -- whether you need it or not!! I love those colorful flowers and your wonderful blue, blue skies! Have a great weekend, Grace!!

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  2. 'How do you like them apples?'

    I like them a Lot!:-)

    Aloha, G

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  3. Ooh, gorgeous and uplifting colour - loving the bright, bold splash with your new toy! Here's to continued good recovery, lots of limberness and a Happy Weekend with your new camera!

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  4. Huauuu... Belas fotos com Olympus, parabens

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  5. The Lantana is beautiful! Enjoy your new toy, Grace. :-)

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  6. I need to buy a camera. All I have is a 4 1/2 year old baby point and shoot! But before that, plumber, lift change, oh and I don't have lantanas to photograph but I could rustle up some Coke zero... :-)

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  7. Very exciting!!! I need to buy a new lens. Congrats and enjoy!!! Your weather looks wonderful!

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  8. Lantana does quite well in our desert, but it does freeze back in winter and we have lost several due to very cold nights.

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  9. I guess Lantana isn't a pest here since it doesn't survive our winters and is considered an annual. Lovely shot Grace!
    My venerable Lumix (point & shoot) is in having dust removed from its sensor and lens so I am using an older Lumix with only a wee zoom on it. I'm feeling lost!

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  10. A new toy...what fun! I love it when I get new toys.
    We have a lot of lantana around here too! It's the perfect climate for it.

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  11. Hope that back is improving. Walking is good so I think it would be good to take your new camera out for a nice gentle walk :).

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  12. "...getting on a bit?"
    But you only look 25 in your picture....

    Iy matters not which camera, the sky is always the same. "sigh"

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  13. Great colors, awww! Always great to have a new toy, too!
    And thanks for teaching me new stuff, CUBIFA, haha :-)
    Well, still Thursday evening over here, but tomorrow...

    Funny enough it´ll make me (as a German maybe only?) think of CUBA, where I spent three great holidays. Awww, the music, the life there, it´s one! It´s wonderful and it´s in those people´s souls.

    Hmmm, thanks, Grace, guess I have a new word combined with wonderful thoughts for Fridays in general (if you ever go there (or have been), Varadero is the place, Sunbeach hotel. Wonderful Carrebian Roast, friendly staff... and mind you, the Pizza, yum!)

    CUBIFA, I got that one :-)

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    1. And the beach. And Varadero... so much to discover. And Havana, certainly. The music. Oh, I did mention that already? I just had to do again. Awesome place. "Friday on my mind" ;-)

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  14. I didn't realize that Lantana was a weed...a beautiful, colorful weed at that!!! love the color in that bottom photo!

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  15. Congratulations on the new camera, Grace!!
    The first photo is wonderful!!

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  16. The initial stages of dealing with a new camera can be both exciting and frustrating! My old camera "passed on" last Christmas! I had to get a new one! I too am torn about the lantana! Wow can it spread fast - may nothing get in its way! Definitely weed-like habits! But what a colourful, "happy" plant gracing difficult slopes especially! Wonderful photos!

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  17. Lantana is a favorite in our part of the US and it comes in some very nice colors. I did plant some a few years ago but Tom thought it was a weed. How funny! I like the treatment on your second photo.

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  18. It's almost too attractive to be considered a "noxious weed."

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  19. wow! I have never seen lantana this big. I've planted it as an annual in little container pots here in the Summer & have never gotten them any where near this size! Amazing.

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  20. The OM-D is my walkaround camera and it's fabulous. Hard to imagine getting such excellent images from that little thing. My only criticism is that the menu and control system is so much more complicated than my big Canons. When the budget permits, get the wide angle screw-on adapter. It works very, very well.

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  21. These are great. Enjoy your new toy.

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  22. Congratulations on the new toy Grace - enjoy it. The still life shot is very cool. Lantana is a weed I could live with if kept nicely trimmed. I hope you are feeling better.

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  23. Enjoy your new lens! Love those blossoms.

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  24. How exciting. A new toy! The shots are nice and crisp.

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  25. PS. I did use a tripod in my recent night shots. I used a long exposure too. It made the water look like a mirror.

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  26. new toys are always such a pleasure ... i think once your back is better you will be unstoppable

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  27. Always fun to have new toys! Love the images.

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  28. Der Fotogaf macht die Bilder nicht die Kamera.

    Gruß
    Noke

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  29. Congratulations on the new toy!!!

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  30. I'm lucky I can take photos on my phone!

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  31. I like your artistic image with the bright colors.
    Enjoy your new camera lens.

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