# Mini photo comp no.4 -new host- thanks Maxtor



## spitfire

Our good friend Maxtor is moving on to pastures new (*thanks for all your efforts Maxtor*) and so I've been asked to carry the Mini photo comp forward. My only regret is that I will have to exclude myself from entering. ( I did so enjoy entering too ) I may drop in a pic now and again for your interest only.

The mini photo comp is a bit of fun and is aimed at newbies and experienced photographers alike. It's intention is to give you a reason to get out there with the camera and improve your photography by giving you a brief or subject to focus on (see the pun there)

Ultimate judging will be by yourselves, but I will have the unenviable task of selecting the final ten (maybe less) for voting on. On that point, please accept that these will be *my* favourites and *mine* *alone*. (Serious face on) No discussion will be entered into.

So with that over with lets move on shall we?

The rules.

1. Maximum size should be limited to 800x600 (including borders) anything larger wont be selected.
2. Pictures *must* be you own work.
3. One photo per person.
4. There are no prizes for this comp (I'm skint)
5. With the odd exception there will be 10 days for posting pics and ten days for voting. Don't worry, I'll keep reminding you.

The brief for mini photo comp number 4 will be Wildlife. Squirrels, sparrows or slugs. Anything from the outdoors. Don't blame me if your budgie escapes in the process of filming:lol:

So get snappin' and I'll see you back here on the 26th June.

Good luck,

Spitfire


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## caledonia

All the best Dougie, with this new role.


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## Justa

well done that man 

nowt special this as I don't seem to take photos of wildlife !

I just liked the way these two posed for me though !


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## Shiny

Another duck from me too... taken at Slimbridge not long after i had my camera, was just after the duck came up from a dive


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## Davemm

im sure you will do a grand job, and im glad some one took it over.
well heres my effort, shot today with my new lens just a commen sparrow having a quick drink.


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## spitfire

Happy with the new Sigma Dave? Just checked, you went with the Nikkor?

Someone say *Duck*? Got two new bumps on the forehead and a damaged keyboardlol


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## Flaming Dragon

Here is my effort, such a shame to lose you as competition spitfire... really... I mean it


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## pooma

Thanks for taking over the running of the mini comp, would've been a shame to see it disappear. I'm sure you'll do a grand job Spitfire. Where's Maxtor gone?

Anyway, here is my stab at it, still not got myself a good camera yet so this was taken with my Kodak easyshare thing that I've had for a few years now.


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## Davemm

yer seems a very good lens, wasnt cheap but felt the better in the hand. just need to get out and use it more now.

seems ducks are going to be popular, maybe because they are slow lol.


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## Gary-360

Well done on your new job Dougie!

I've not got much time for new images, so here's one from a couple of years ago from a fishing trip. D80 & 70-300 kit lens:


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## NickTB

Shiny said:


> Another duck from me too... taken at Slimbridge not long after i had my camera, was just after the duck came up from a dive


Nice beading there


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## surgemaster

Gary-360 said:


> Well done on your new job Dougie!
> 
> I've not got much time for new images, so here's one from a couple of years ago from a fishing trip. D80 & 70-300 kit lens:


That IMHO is a beautiful picture of a beautiful bird :thumb::thumb


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## Bigpikle

I'll submit this favourite of mine...


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## mtxfiesta

heres mine


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## gex23

Davemm said:


> im sure you will do a grand job, and im glad some one took it over.
> well heres my effort, shot today with my new lens just a commen sparrow having a quick drink.


My favourite photo! 

I love the movement of the water and the sparrows pose, great work:thumb:

All the others are looking good too


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## n_d_fox

Not strictly wildlife as its from Tywcross Zoo but here's mine.


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## snoop69

'Im bigger than you' :lol:


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## NickTB

Taken at Colchester Zoo..










And resized :thumb:


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## spitfire

NickTB said:


> Taken at Colchester Zoo..


Nice pic
Resize to 800x600 please 

Thanks :thumb:


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## Gruffs

Here's my go.

Not strictly WILDlife as it was taken at the Monterey Aquarium but the tank was so huge it may as well have been.

Also in the days before DSLR so it's taken on a point and shoot Olympus compact.

Not the best but i like the photo.


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## MARKETMAN

Heres one from me, not technically the best, but what a chilled out Guy










:thumb::thumb:

Now Resized.....


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## spitfire

MARKETMAN said:


> Heres one from me, not technically the best, but what a chilled out Guy
> 
> :thumb::thumb:


Again, it needs to be resized please

Ok. I'll let you off with the 4 pixels


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## Gary-360

surgemaster said:


> That IMHO is a beautiful picture of a beautiful bird :thumb::thumb


Thank you Sir :thumb:


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## buckas

congrats dougie - will leave it a week or so see what i catch, otherwise shall be resorting to my stuff at the mo

nice shots by gary + bigpikle so far 

drew


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## spitfire

buckas said:


> congrats dougie - will leave it a week or so see what i catch, otherwise shall be resorting to my stuff at the mo
> 
> nice shots by gary + bigpikle so far
> 
> drew


Yes there are some great photos so far, keep them coming, there might be bonus points for new pictures


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## Davemm

dont mean to sound nasty or anything, but do shots from a zoo really count as wildlife?

i mean ok they are wild animals but not in the wild when shot. ( probly jsut opened a can of worms  )


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## -ROM-

Gary-360 said:


> Well done on your new job Dougie!
> 
> I've not got much time for new images, so here's one from a couple of years ago from a fishing trip. D80 & 70-300 kit lens:


LOL like me spent an absolute fortune on my D700 and some new lenses and hardly get time to use it.


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## spitfire

rmorgan84 said:


> LOL like me spent an absolute fortune on my D700 and some new lenses and hardly get time to use it.


Rhys, you really need to take some timeout to relax. All work and no play makes Rhys a dull boy

Dig something out your photo library


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## spitfire

Davemm said:


> dont mean to sound nasty or anything, but do shots from a zoo really count as wildlife?
> 
> i mean ok they are wild animals but not in the wild when shot. ( probly jsut opened a can of worms  )


I see your point, but if I step in a cage with it, and it wants to eat me, then it's wild enough for me:lol:


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## -ROM-

spitfire said:


> Rhys, you really need to take some timeout to relax. All work and no play makes Rhys a dull boy
> 
> Dig something out your photo library


Yeah i intend on having a few days snapping a little later in the summer.

For now here's one from my library. Shot about a year ago prior to having my D700. I actually posted them on the forum last year.

I got out of bed and saw this little guy so grabbed my little D80 with it's 18-200VR attached and took a few snaps.

P.S. please don't make me resize it for the sake of 16px


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## spitfire

rmorgan84 said:


> Yeah i intend on having a few days snapping a little later in the summer.
> 
> For now here's one from my library. Shot about a year ago prior to having my D700. I actually posted them on the forum last year.
> 
> I got out of bed and saw this little guy so grabbed my little D80 with it's 18-200VR attached and took a few snaps.
> 
> P.S. please don't make me resize it for the sake of 16px


Cheeky little beggers, aren't they. I wish there was more red ones about


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## tom_painter85

Cracking photos so far guys!

First competition photo, so not sure how well it'll go down, but I shot these to cheeky bucks last week in Scotland, just outside Ullapool while wandering up a mountain - just glad they weren't proper Stags or we'd be in trouble...


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## Rilla

Ill submit this 1:


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## Davemm

really like the above pic. great shot.


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## spitfire

Don't worry, I wont be selecting this one

Hoverfly​


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## Maxtor

Boy oh boy!

Mr Spitfire will indeed have his work cut out on this one!

Fine shots guys! :thumb:



Maxtor.


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## spitfire

Maxtor said:


> Boy oh boy!
> 
> Mr Spitfire will indeed have his work cut out on this one!
> 
> Fine shots guys! :thumb:
> 
> Maxtor.


Your telling me:doublesho I think i'll need to give this lot harder subjects in future But go on guys and gals, make my job harder. Let's have some more.:thumb:


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## Elliott19864

My effort, taken in Australia last year.










I had loads to choose from but picked this because it's kinda like, wazzz uppp? Nothing, just chilling, having a bud, in my tree.


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## Rilla

Not an entry, just thought this 1 might amuse some ppl lol:


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## Dan_V6

Rilla said:


> Not an entry, just thought this 1 might amuse some ppl lol:


hahaha! :lol: lucky boy :thumb:


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## Rilla

Bump!


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## james_RScos

Baby Robin!










Size corrected, sorry about that!


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## pringle_addict

Taken at Thoresby Hall, Leicestershire.....


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## chargedvr6

are dogs elligable? ours is pretty wild


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## Gary-360

james_RScos said:


> Baby Robin!


Looks like that crabby old git who sits on the balcony in the Muppets! 

Nice shot.

Gary


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## spitfire

Four days to go Ddubers, keep them coming:thumb:


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## bretti_kivi

fresh from the weekend....


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## spitfire

What kind of Lizzard is that Bretti?


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## spitfire

james_RScos said:


> Baby Robin!


I don't mind a few pixels here or there but I need to draw the line somewhere. People, could you resize images to 600x800 or as close as possible please. Thankyou:thumb:


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## NeilG40

Not really my kind of thing wildlife photography but here goes.


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## bretti_kivi

I have no idea, it was on the porch outside the summer house (that's at 63 degrees northern latitude), sunning itself 

Bret


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## james_RScos

spitfire said:


> I don't mind a few pixels here or there but I need to draw the line somewhere. People, could you resize images to 600x800 or as close as possible please. Thankyou:thumb:


Sorry about that, is that better?


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## kevgolfgti

heres mine taken last year with my old fuji s5700


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## spitfire

Bump


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## swiftshine

Might as well give it a try.










Seriously fast little buggers, but I love em. Seeing them take down a rabbit thats twice their size is something else.


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## untamed1

Mine


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## spitfire

swiftshine said:


> Might as well give it a try.
> 
> Seriously fast little buggers, but I love em. Seeing them take down a rabbit thats twice their size is something else.


What is it, stoat, weasel, ferret?


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## swiftshine

spitfire said:


> What is it, stoat, weasel, ferret?


It's a stoat. Wild as well. Not one of them tame jobbies


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## spitfire

swiftshine said:


> It's a stoat. Wild as well. Not one of them tame jobbies


I heard one catch a rabbit ( well I think it was) but I've never seen one:thumb:


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## swiftshine

I have a series of pics of the wee fella dragging a rabbit home. The rabbit was already dead and he stopped to say hello for a minute before getting back to work.


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## spitfire

swiftshine said:


> I have a series of pics of the wee fella dragging a rabbit home. The rabbit was already dead and *he stopped to say hello *for a minute before getting back to work.


Looks more like he's saying, (in a Mafia type voice) "Step of my grass, I smasha your face" :lol:


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## swiftshine

spitfire said:


> Looks more like he's saying, (in a Mafia type voice) "Step of my grass, I smasha your face" :lol:


:lol: He was a bit more cheeky than that:lol:

Just for interest here are a couple of others.


























All taken at the fastest shutter speed I could get (f5.6 on an overcast day) so you can see from the blur in the first pic how flighty he was


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## lois97

Some cygnets from last Friday.


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## lego_man

Well here is my attempt, taken whilst on holiday in Barbados, these little birds would come and sit on the tables whilst we were eating, and this little fella obviously liked cherry's :lol:

Any way, hope you like!!


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## spitfire

lois97 said:


> Some cygnets from last Friday.


They almost look too cute to be real.


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## james_RScos

lois97 said:


> Some cygnets from last Friday.


They are amazing!!!

:thumb:


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## james_RScos

swiftshine said:


> Might as well give it a try.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously fast little buggers, but I love em. Seeing them take down a rabbit thats twice their size is something else.


Nice work mate,

Iv seen one of these first hand taking down a rabbit, from first blow to last, amazing creators, first they take the eyes out so the rabbit came see then they go straight for the top of the spine with there teeth and parolize(sp) it, i was gob smacked to watch it.

we walked up to them to get a better look and the stoat started coming for us, so we left him to it.

Very cool animals.

:thumb:


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## DimGR




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## lois97

Another cygnet/swan shot from last Friday,not an entry but check out the hitchhiker on mums back:thumb:


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## spitfire

One day to go folks! Time left for some late entries:thumb:


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## spitfire

I'll finish this at 9.00 tonight. Just long enough for any late entries:thumb:


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## spitfire

Competition closed. I'll post up the selection for voting later:thumb:


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## SBerlyn

Oh bugger. Just seen it


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## Flaming Dragon

sberlyn said:


> Oh bugger. Just seen it


There's always one


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## spitfire

sberlyn said:


> Oh bugger. Just seen it


Mark it in your diary. Another comp in 10 days time


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