PossumCorner

Extension tubes - yes I have a set that got a bit of use a few years ago, but to be honest I couldn't be bothered with all the changing, extras to clean, all that. Same reason I wouldn't use extensions with a perfectly good lens, would prefer to work with that lens to get what I want rather than mess about with "inserts". Same with inverting a 50mm or whatever, still need an extra connection piece and the less changing I have to do, the happier. The less lens changes the better for the cleanliness of sensor/camera/lens (or call it laziness) - I prefer to have two bodies set up than need to keep changing lenses, let alone some extra bits in between. But the ext. tubes give a good result and it would take more expertise and pixel peeping than most of us have to really see a difference. Or Persephone's neat p&s macros - challenge most people to say they were or weren't taken with a DSLR and macro lens if they weren't told.

Love our D50. The Tamron 90mm macro is a well-regarded lens, gives an excellent result and no-where near the cost of a Nikon lens. Also check the Sigma macros - I have the Tamron 90 for our Sony cameras, but a lovely Sigma 150mm macro for the Nikons. It was a bit dearer than the Tamron plus heavier, I generally need to use a tripod or support for it, so it is better (for me) in set-up shots, whereas the Tamron is lighter so I can hand-hold for longer. If you take your camera into a decent store, they should allow you to try a few different lenses on it in store to get an idea of how they feel to focus and hold.

Mr Dursley: "There's no such thing as magic". Where's Harry Potter when you need him?

Onya Piper! Now where's SammieS - ? Assume "in" - needs to add to list.

Another cut and paste update: REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Kristin (kja) Larissa (gapvic) Hannah (RallyValley) Judi (PossumCorner) IDEAS FOR THEMES: In the yard Shadows Whimsical Eyes are the window to the soul What I love best Low light/night shots A colour theme (e.g red, blue, yellow) Frozen action Little people A bit of magic Seen today out driving Sport - cricket, dog-sport, netball, whatever's on. Cooked or Raw - cordon bleu or salads/sweets Feathered - wild or domestic (No zoo shots) Water - a drop or an ocean ? ? BLOG TITLE: Our Photo 2013

Sounds good - a commitment, but not unrealistic demanding - so many of the dailies or even weeklies back-pedal to appear more of a chore than a joy. Can't think of themes without making them too narrow, - or over re-cycled like backlits and motion blurs etc. "Seen today out driving" "Sport" - cricket, dog-sport, netball, whatever's on. "Cooked or Raw" - a done dish - cordon bleu or simple salad. "Self Portrait" - but is already covered in the About Section (once is enough or one too many, oh well if must). Blog-name - no inspirations - Cameras Off-lead.

Try Shutterbox. Ring John, they are great and will tell you if they can or don't. Highly recommend. Contact details are: http://www.aussieweb.com.au/business/shutter-box/1906125/

Haven't read whole thread - we had choice of de-barking young Rheneas (my avatar dog, Pom/ShetlandSheepdog cross probably) or pts, 2nd owner through RSPCA, returned for barking, so last chance owner. Barked day and night, at nothing, joy of barking. Complaints from neighbours, Council. Training, environment, behaviourist, all that. Result no change. Went through all the legal procedures, documentation, proof etc. Debarking created happiest dog in world. No more need to be told to be quiet 24/7. Still barks day and night years later, happy as a pig in mud, minimum sound, maximum fun. So I could never advise against it, but would only say to be very careful to take time to find best recommended vet, and get the paperwork right.

They look good K - my neighbour has some good ones going which really surprised me for this hot dry area. She has half-sunk a couple of old baths into the ground, and the frogs find their way in so they are full of taddies. Just has to be sure the water is topped up so they can crawl out when mature. We do have kookaburras around, but not in the numbers they were in the Dandenongs. I could never keep a fish pond of any kind going in Belgrave because the kookaburra hordes always found a way to get them. Do tadpoles eat mozzie larvae, or are they vegetarian?

Brilliant, you're on a roll now, first of many!

Not absolutely sure but I think the BYPoultryForum used Vista Print, and to get a price of about $17ea (plus $2.50ish ea postage) they had to pre-order 50 calendars. I always recommend Red Bubble but if the prices have gone up that much, maybe time to re-think. But I do think RB is great in the way there is no minimum and no wastage. When I worked for Allen Calendars they would have a lot wasted, left-overs from standard and custom print runs. Don't know their charges, here is a link, looks like minimum 100, probably not what you had in mind - business/club? But they used to do some super quality work (as well as some pretty ordinary - it's the get what you pay for thing again). http://www.allencalendars.com.au/shop/Custom+Calendars.html They do the calenders you get given by the local grocer (ordinary quality, one for everybody) or your high end whatever supplier (brilliant quality, valued customers only). It's not only 12-13 image calendars, they do the 'budget' single image styles.

What a hoot Frodo's mum, I've seen that action as the monthly Challenge on its own on a photography forum. One I'd rather we didn't take up if that's okay?

I think the first suggestion is fine - as you said people have other distractions. Something like: "Look! No dogs!!" Or a "through the ?? window" (has to say which window, kitchen bedroom whatever) and also might motivate me to get bucket and sponge and clean the windows, something has to).

Two weeks - I remember that - also remember darkroom hours. Lovely sharp shots Hankdog, the duck is a gem. Some Ibis called in briefly the other day, and a few corellas. Hope the ibis return soon, maybe catch in focus next time.

Excellent quality at Digital Works in Hallam (Vic - near Dandenong). www.digitalworks.net.au You can drop off pick up in person, or order on-line for return mail delivery. Camera House in Croydon (Vic) are more than a bit better than most. Same you can be an in-person customer or use on-line system. (Not all 'Camera Houses' are the same)

Frodo'sMum they are super shots!. Last night we had nature's explosive force by the pony yard. Baby bunnies 'sprung' approaching the garden.

Congrats, lovely foal, beautiful expression. I do like the shots of Dacia, look at her 'thinking' with her nose.

Yes, I bought one when we bought the Sony A55s (one each to avoid confrontation). It is great, I had read some reviews of it and looked at quite a few examples of its work. Love it, lives up to its press. But (there's always a but) I do have a 150mm Sigma macro with a Nikon mount, and if I want to "do" macro I tend to pick up the Nikon rather than the Sony. Nothing against the Tamron, it is a lovely lens. If I can chase up anything I've done with it I'll add it here - changing computers around, they'll be on an external drive packed "somewhere".

I thought not having blown-out highlights on the chrome, and not having distorted photographer reflections on chrome or duco were the important issues to the owners. If it is at a show-and-shine or a vintage rally or any public place those with evil intent just pop along with the rest of the spectators and jot down the number plate in their little notebook, or take their own phone-photo. Same with showy motor bikes - when they do for example the Childrens Hospital run at Christmas - it's all public area, the rego numbers of the Harleys aren't an issue.

Bite the bullet, pay the money and go through the Old Melbourne Gaol. Some lovely stonework internal shots and long-shot interiors. Wood-panel courtroom interior if you do the Ned Kelly trial re-enactment show. The plain doorway across the road is the one the detectives came through in the opening credits on one of the early TV cop shows, D24 or one of those, the old Police Headquarters. Nearby statues outside the Public Library. It's all near the cathedral Aussie3 mentioned.

(Huh?) Ripley that's a great shot of Freya, isn't she out of ChezzyR's lovely girl Rosie?

I hadn't seen the warning on the wishbone either, that's a good tip. Yesterday I read a vet note that chicken necks are not safe - dogs gulp them and choke too easily. Back to frames I guess. What happened to that good 'pinned' thread on where to get this or that feed in bulk, it listed the chicken processors that sell the boxes of frames. Gone, or hidden somewhere still? Edit to add: Found it!! Look in the Health/Nutrition/Grooming Section - it is still pinned at the top, still active.

For any Dolers who can overcome their political stance and pick up a copy of Burkes Backyard, this month has a larger pet magazine included. (Yes it road-tests Whippets, and promotes a designer dog producer). But aside from an excellent poultry segment (Meg of course) it does have a vet's take on toxic plants, and yes it does list bulbs including onions. And brunfelsia. And apricot kernels, as Nic.B mentioned. That's my worry, the apricot tree is huge and productive. A fox comes in and climbs it for apricots. So does Piper, she is an amazing good tree climber for a Rotti. Mostly she eats the fruit and spits the kernels, but now and then passed a kernel so I know a few went down with the fruit last Christmas.

No it's not. It is Trandescantia if anyone wants to be correct, but calling the plant Wandering Dew was only introduced to make it sound politically correct because Wandering Jew didn't sound "nice" and it's an informal name-change of a common name that has not stuck. But anyone who doesn't like calling the plant WJ can't go wrong with Trandescantia. Persephone, glad I'm not the only one in town to speak for the oleanders.

Mostly because a good one is stunningly beautiful. Yes they can be toxic, but it is greatly over-emphasized, no child has died in Victoria (ever) from oleander poisoning. Whereas children and adults have died from the toxin in eucs (red gum and blue gum). I have red gums growing and not about to get rid of them. We have just planted twenty oleanders, mainly for brilliant colour, but also for shade. A nearby property has a wide oleander-lined driveway, massive trees, and in fifty years they have never lost a sheep, dog, donkey or pony to the oleanders. It isn't that they are non-toxic, but there is a lot of urban myth around that they don't deserve. Wandering Jew (Trandescantia) is a right nasty plant. At its very worst in wet weather, the sap comes out onto dogs' coats and sticks. Some dogs are not affected, piper could crash through it all day along the creek without a problem. Frodo however is super allergic, takes convulsions, and has cost us some emergency runs to the all-night vets in Waverley. They found a tick on him after one episode, and could not rule out tick allergy or spider bite, but the WJ is the main suspect. Usually the allergy comes out as a rash on the feet, quite nasty, it doesn't often cause fits, Frodo is just so unlucky. WJ is toxic to cattle, but doesn't harm poultry. A good treatment for a patch is to fence it and run some chooks there for a while, (just lock them up safe from foxes at night). It pulls out very easily too. Having said all that I'll just mention here, not start a snake thread. I was just walking up our laneway between the pony paddock and the nature-strip and road. Frodo and Rheneas startled a really big brown snake sunning itself in the laneway. Much barking and leaping, I thought they were swearing at rabbits so kept walking up to them until I saw it rear up hissing (quite loud, very loud) and strike at Rheneas. It missed, I think it was just a bit annoyed not really super serious, and Rheneas pouted and trotted off after Fro. I grabbed Piper and sent her after the little dogs because she hadn't seen it and I didn't want her to get involved. Then threw sticks at it til it went off into the bush along the nature strip. And I'm p'd off because I was about to rotate ponies to that side paddock, now I don't know whether to or not. And the main poison I worry about is sugar in the grass: have just got James through a laminitis attack, so the spring grass is the real enemy!