# Weekly challenge 11/3 - 11/9  It's the nature of things...



## SquarePeg (Nov 2, 2018)

This week's challenge is pretty straight forward.  The theme is "nature".  Interpret as  you wish.  Landscapes, macro, trees, animals, weather...  you are in command.  

Post up to 3 photos each day.  They can be a theme or stand on their own.  

New photos only please.


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## snowbear (Nov 2, 2018)

These were actually shot an hour or two before the challenge was posted, but they are new, so I'm allowing it!

I dropped by a local park, this afternoon.

Milkweed pod




Red Berries




Purple flowers with orange & white critter




Bird watcher


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## Fujidave (Nov 3, 2018)

Today with the X-T3 + XF 50mm f2, sorry it`s not great as still waiting for my new laptop.  Sorry about just the one, my mistake.


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## Scott Whaley (Nov 3, 2018)

Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains.





Sunrise On Fort Loudon Lake, Knoxville, TN





Another Sunrise On Fort Loudon Lake, Knoxville, TN
Check out the meteor in the rigtht top corner of the shot.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 3, 2018)

Swan


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## gk fotografie (Nov 4, 2018)

There isn't such a huge variety of autumn colors in this part of the country where I live.
For beautiful nature, forests, (small) wild animals etc. the Dutch normally go on a trip to the east or south of the country, which is physically quite impossible for me right now, so ... 
On our way to the supermarket I saw this strange kind of fungus on a tree bark, no idea what it's called.


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## sj-gordon (Nov 4, 2018)

Took these last night just North of Ludington, Michigan.  The Northern Lights were not a bright as I was hoping for and clouds quickly rolled in and covered what little was starting to show.   At least I had a chance to get the Milky Way and the start of the light show.

Starry Beach house:  Milky Way over the beach house at the Ludington State Park. 


 

Beach Lights and Stars: A little bit of color and a lot of stars over some jetties in Lake Michigan





Heavens Eye: The only real color that showed up last night.  With the dunes, the night sky and the color from the aurora itself...  it looks like a giant eye looking down from the heavens.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 4, 2018)

Fiery maple


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## Peeb (Nov 4, 2018)

A single drop of water, looking like it is being launched into outer space:


 


Spoiler:  it was not launched into outer space.


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Nov 4, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> View attachment 165379
> 
> Fiery maple



That’s a cool shot.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 4, 2018)

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> SquarePeg said:
> 
> 
> > View attachment 165379
> ...



Thanks!


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## SquarePeg (Nov 4, 2018)

One more from today




Berry Good by SharonCat..., on Flickr


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## DennyN (Nov 4, 2018)

Took these today. Fall in Cleveland Area Metroparks.


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## gk fotografie (Nov 5, 2018)

A bouquet of chrysanthemums with heavy (as I understand in English) 'spider mite'
In Dutch it's called 'spint'
Picture taken at home with a small Sony p&s camera


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## gk fotografie (Nov 5, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> View attachment 165379
> 
> Fiery maple



Fantastic abstract! Nominated *POTM*

Gerard


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## acparsons (Nov 5, 2018)

Near Namsan Park in Seoul

Curiosity



DSC_7206 by Machiavelliar, on Flickr

Ferocity 



DSC_7092 by Machiavelliar, on Flickr

Simplicity



DSC_7168 by Machiavelliar, on Flickr


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## SquarePeg (Nov 5, 2018)

gk fotografie said:


> SquarePeg said:
> 
> 
> > View attachment 165379
> ...



Thanks gk!


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## SquarePeg (Nov 5, 2018)

acparsons said:


> Near Namsan Park in Seoul
> 
> Curiosity
> 
> ...



All great but Ferocity is awesome!  Love her pink sparkly bib.


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## SquarePeg (Nov 5, 2018)




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## Jeff G (Nov 5, 2018)




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## Fujidave (Nov 5, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


>



Cracking image @SquarePeg


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## Jeff G (Nov 5, 2018)

Thought I would try something different.


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## Fujidave (Nov 5, 2018)

Jeff G said:


> Thought I would try something different.
> 
> View attachment 165445



Love the negative space.


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## Jeff G (Nov 5, 2018)

Hope nobody minds if I slip in a dirty picture.


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## zulu42 (Nov 5, 2018)

Just getting into a ton of photos from a road trip this weekend. Too many nature shots to fill this thread. I'll post a couple from each day.

Pyramid Lake and then North into the bizarre landscape of the arid desert.


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## Jeff G (Nov 5, 2018)

Cool Zulu! 

I just came back from a business trip in Vegas recently, on the drive back some of the desert terrain and hills were spectacular. Of course I didn't have my camera and the boss wouldn't pull over for me to try and get a shot with my phone. The shots from a moving vehicle didn't turn out so hot.


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## zulu42 (Nov 5, 2018)

Thanks Jeff.  Yep the desert landscape has a beauty all it's own.


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## D7K (Nov 6, 2018)

sj-gordon said:


> Took these last night just North of Ludington, Michigan.  The Northern Lights were not a bright as I was hoping for and clouds quickly rolled in and covered what little was starting to show.   At least I had a chance to get the Milky Way and the start of the light show.
> 
> Starry Beach house:  Milky Way over the beach house at the Ludington State Park.
> View attachment 165363
> ...



Great set of shots.


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 6, 2018)

zulu42 said:


> Thanks Jeff.  Yep the desert landscape has a beauty all it's own.


If we look closely, we can find it anywhere. I really like that first one Zulu...really sharp and nice view.


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## gk fotografie (Nov 6, 2018)

(onions plant)


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## zulu42 (Nov 6, 2018)




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## waday (Nov 6, 2018)

When daylight savings time gets you up early...




Sunrise by Wade, on Flickr


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## gk fotografie (Nov 7, 2018)




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## Peeb (Nov 7, 2018)

Sunbeams in an Autumn Sunrise by Peeb OK, on Flickr


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 7, 2018)

Love those rays @Peeb


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 7, 2018)

Raindrops, Not Pussywillow


 
Scrutiny


 
Just an Ordinary, Boring Wet Leaf


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## SquarePeg (Nov 7, 2018)

@Dean_Gretsch  Love that first one.  Very cool.  And the shimmery effect on the last.  Fun stuff!


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## SquarePeg (Nov 7, 2018)




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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 7, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> @Dean_Gretsch  Love that first one.  Very cool.  And the shimmery effect on the last.  Fun stuff!



Thank you very much. We finally got sunshine ( Yayyyyy!!!!! ) and I noticed the raindrops immediately this morning when I took Miss Daisy for her walk. That last was just a leaf on the gray railing of a little footbridge over the old canal from her walk. The Lensbaby and a slight angle did the hard work!


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## waday (Nov 7, 2018)

Creepy by Wade, on Flickr


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## zulu42 (Nov 7, 2018)

@waday great treatment I really love the whole thing including the frame.

@Dean_Gretsch I am loving the boring leaf.


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## zulu42 (Nov 7, 2018)

I thought this rocky outcropping looked like a mummy head. The white eyes are actually piles of bird crap.


 

Must be a big, badass raptor who lives up there.


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## waday (Nov 7, 2018)

zulu42 said:


> great treatment I really love the whole thing including the frame


Thank you!


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## gk fotografie (Nov 8, 2018)

(it's fungus on a tree bark)


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## Peeb (Nov 8, 2018)

Dean_Gretsch said:


> Love those rays @Peeb


Thanks!  I'm always drawn to fog and/or sunbeams!


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 8, 2018)

This morning's frost on the windshield


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## zulu42 (Nov 8, 2018)

Super lucky timing when this meteor streaked across the frame while I had the shutter open
Meteor over pond


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## SquarePeg (Nov 8, 2018)

zulu42 said:


> Super lucky timing when this meteor streaked across the frame while I had the shutter open
> Meteor over pond
> View attachment 165571



That one deserves it’s own thread!  Nice work.


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## Fujidave (Nov 8, 2018)

zulu42 said:


> Super lucky timing when this meteor streaked across the frame while I had the shutter open
> Meteor over pond
> View attachment 165571



Fantastic image @zulu42


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## Jeff G (Nov 8, 2018)

Dean_Gretsch said:


> This morning's frost on the windshield
> 
> 
> View attachment 165569


  Most Excellent!


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## Jeff G (Nov 8, 2018)

zulu42 said:


> I thought this rocky outcropping looked like a mummy head. The white eyes are actually piles of bird crap.
> View attachment 165546


 Technically that makes it a crappy photo!  Good call on the mummy head, I like it. 



zulu42 said:


> Super lucky timing when this meteor streaked across the frame while I had the shutter open
> Meteor over pond
> View attachment 165571



Great catch!


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## zulu42 (Nov 8, 2018)

SquarePeg said:


> zulu42 said:
> 
> 
> > Super lucky timing when this meteor streaked across the frame while I had the shutter open
> ...


Thanks so much. I have to put a bunch of my road trip photos in this thread and themes because I took so many shots it would be way too many threads  If I had done a better job with exposure and noise control, or if I had captured the reflection of the meteor in the pond, it would have it's own thread 

Also thank you @Fujidave and @Jeff G!


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 8, 2018)

Nothing says Merry Christmas like holly...and a groundhog


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## vintagesnaps (Nov 8, 2018)

Put him on a Christmas card! 

That meteor shot is awesome Zulu. 

Wade you can't fool us ol' Polaroid & film photographers with your fancy schmancy editing! lol That's the stuff you peel off and throw away... and it doesn't leave white around the inside edges, you get a nice clean photograph (as long as you wait til the Polaroid ooze has dried!).


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## waday (Nov 8, 2018)

vintagesnaps said:


> it doesn't leave white around the inside edges, you get a nice clean photograph (as long as you wait til the Polaroid ooze has dried!).


How do you know I let the ooze dry properly? What if I didn't? LOL


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## RowdyRay (Nov 8, 2018)




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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 8, 2018)

Ray, that is a seriously sharp pic!


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## photo1x1.com (Nov 9, 2018)

Gotta love autumn!


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## gk fotografie (Nov 9, 2018)

*crossroads*





*misty mornings




*
And finally, let's not forget "man", biggest danger to nature...


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## oldhippy (Nov 9, 2018)




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## photoflyer (Nov 9, 2018)

Leaf from Dogwood, state flower of Viginia.  

Recently got a 300 mm F4 L.  This is shot handheld from about 20 ft (cropped a bit) with 1.4 teleconverter on a crop sensor (672mm equivalent).  I am really enjoying exploring its capabilities.


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## photoflyer (Nov 9, 2018)

sj-gordon said:


> Took these last night just North of Ludington, Michigan.



I have always wanted to shoot the Aurora.  Luddington is not that far North.  How often do you see it?


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 9, 2018)

Pretty good sharpness with such a big crop.


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## photoflyer (Nov 9, 2018)

photo1x1.com said:


> Gotta love autumn



Indeed.  The light is great.  Where was this taken?


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## photo1x1.com (Nov 9, 2018)

photoflyer said:


> photo1x1.com said:
> 
> 
> > Gotta love autumn
> ...


That´s the "Dachstein" in Austria.


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 10, 2018)

Hope everyone keeps this one current. You folks really submitted some fine pics!


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## Fujidave (Nov 10, 2018)

Couple of old ones from me.

1 Bashful



 

2 You rang



 

3  Too be


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## Streets (Nov 13, 2018)

Scott Whaley said:


> Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains.
> 
> View attachment 165321
> 
> ...



That meteor is more likely a short contrail.  A meteor would be much brighter even in daylight.


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## CherylL (Nov 14, 2018)

Shared my sunbed with this cute little one.  Maybe I was in his spot.



Iguana by Cheryl, on Flickr


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 14, 2018)

Very nice Cheryl!


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## Fujidave (Nov 14, 2018)

CherylL said:


> Shared my sunbed with this cute little one.  Maybe I was in his spot.
> 
> 
> 
> Iguana by Cheryl, on Flickr




Now that is a cracker of a shot Cheryl and see it`s with the 90mm again.


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## Jeff G (Nov 14, 2018)

Another beauty of a shot!  Lovin' the detail.


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## CherylL (Nov 14, 2018)

Fujidave said:


> CherylL said:
> 
> 
> > Shared my sunbed with this cute little one.  Maybe I was in his spot.
> ...



The 90mm is my new favorite lens. Thanks

@Dean_Gretsch & @Jeff G thanks


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## photoflyer (Nov 15, 2018)

A little late but this guy is the definition of cute


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## Dean_Gretsch (Nov 22, 2018)

I tried channeling a little @RowdyRay with this one


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## CherylL (Dec 3, 2018)

There were a few dozen running around the resort in Mexico.  Interesting to see the packs with babies.  The Coatimundi are of the raccoon family.



Coatimundi by Cheryl, on Flickr


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