# Unexpectedly good photographs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570 "2006-09-05T23:51:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/81 "2006-09-09T10:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=MrFantsyPants] We found them like that, so sadly, my contribution to the photo comes down to pressing the button. [/QUOTE] That makes it much more cool IMO. Finding something like that is a lot neater than making it with a view to taking a photo. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/82 "2006-09-09T12:59:58Z")
I had forgotten about this shot. [Shadow Hound.](http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/16707/67027/f/400900-Petit-Jean-Shadow-Hound-0.jpg) We were both sitting in camp reading when I looked up and saw that we had a visitor. The wind blew a few seconds after I snapped the picture and he was gone. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be getting any calls from Golden Palace Casino. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/83 "2006-09-09T13:09:44Z")
[QUOTE=honeydewgrrl] I had forgotten about this shot. [Shadow Hound.](http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/16707/67027/f/400900-Petit-Jean-Shadow-Hound-0.jpg) [/QUOTE] Yikes, Scooby! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/84 "2006-09-09T14:37:47Z")
It’s not entirely unexpected by now, but it’s still a bit surprising to me how well sunrise/sunset photos seem to turn out, no matter how little thought is put into them. Examples: [Cactus in Arizona](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/52506736.jpg) [Ocean City, NJ](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/36199211.jpg) [Lake Mendota, Madison WI](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/58252956.jpg) [Another of Madison](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/58686301.jpg) Also early post-sunset photos of city lights- those seem surprisingly easy to get right, too. Here’s a [trio](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/54677191.jpg) [from](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/39005840.jpg) [Ohio](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/42971090.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/85 "2006-09-10T00:51:50Z")
So many awesome pictures in this thread, but _this_ one.. [QUOTE=Zebra] [Traditional](http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a145/StevenBarrett11238/SDMB/Gates2.jpg) [/QUOTE] literally took my breath way. It’s absolutely amazingly beautiful!! Excellent job! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/86 "2006-09-10T02:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=winterhawk11] [This](http://www.magespace.net/meep_tenshi.jpg) is probably my favorite picture I’ve ever taken, and it was just a quick shot with a phone camera. I love the way Tenshi (the Singapura) looks so protective, and little Meep (the Russian Blue, who’d just recently been diagnosed with lymphoma) looks so comfortable, like she can afford to let her guard down because her “big brother” is looking out for her. Meep’s gone now, and that picture always brings out bittersweet emotions in me. [/QUOTE] I’m actually choked up a little here. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/87 "2006-09-10T02:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] So many awesome pictures in this thread, but _this_ one.. literally took my breath way. It’s absolutely amazingly beautiful!! Excellent job! [/QUOTE] Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/88 "2006-09-10T02:51:20Z")
On Thursday I arrived home from being away for four months to find that my boyfriend had left a dozen roses for me on my kitchen table. So of course I took pictures and [got](http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l25/bsolly/Roses002.jpg) [these](http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l25/bsolly/Roses005.jpg)[pics.](http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l25/bsolly/Roses027.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/89 "2006-09-10T04:33:14Z")
[Unexpectedly](http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238925038&size=l) [good](http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=234282594&size=l) flower photos. The first one I took this morning at a state park (Lake June-in-Winter Sand Scrub, if you’re curious), and I’m honestly surprised how nice it came out. I had to stick my hand near it and shoot blind because of the way is was situated. I didn’t even notice the bugs until I saw it on my PC. The second one I took at the Magic Kingdom (at Disney World) of all places, sometime last month. That one I just pointed up and fired. Who knew that a rainy hibiscus could be so pretty? Then there’s [this one](http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238959527&size=l), along Spring St at the Bowery in Manhattan. I was just walking and I thought – I should have a picture of my hotel’s neighborhood. That’s what came out. And [another flower picture](http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=238959524&size=l). This one I like because the flower came out off-center, and so very saturated in contrast to the ground and leaves below. The colors have not been altered, but the flower just springs out of the background. That may be my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/90 "2006-09-10T05:16:29Z")
[This](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/Garf226/wheelresized.jpg) is probably my favorite picture that I’ve ever taken. The colors aren’t natural though – I was playing around in Photoshop one day and ended up with that. I still like it though. Another couple favorites are [here](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/Garf226/low.jpg) and [here](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/Garf226/glass.jpg), taken at a local restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/91 "2006-09-10T05:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=PigBoy] It’s not entirely unexpected by now, but it’s still a bit surprising to me how well sunrise/sunset photos seem to turn out, no matter how little thought is put into them. Examples: [Cactus in Arizona](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/52506736.jpg) [Ocean City, NJ](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/36199211.jpg) [Lake Mendota, Madison WI](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/58252956.jpg) [Another of Madison](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/58686301.jpg) Also early post-sunset photos of city lights- those seem surprisingly easy to get right, too. Here’s a [trio](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/54677191.jpg) [from](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/39005840.jpg) [Ohio](http://www.pbase.com/piggiston/image/42971090.jpg). [/QUOTE] Thos sunset pictures are AWESOME! Very nice. I really like [this one that I took of my friends](http://www.flickr.com/photos/27783469@N00/233328284/). I gave them barely any direction, but I think it turned out nice. The boys are super photogenic and willing models, so I took a lot of great pictures of them this summer. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/92 "2006-09-10T07:01:30Z")
Just a random selection of some of my vacation pictures: [Carlsbad California sunset](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=7ba2scd.jpg&.src=ph). I love sunset photos 🙂 [Badlands National Park](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=15d8scd.jpg&.src=ph) South Dakota. Turned out way better than expected, and yes the sky looked just like that, hence the suprise. [Black Hills](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=b70ascd.jpg&.src=ph) South Dakota [Deer](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=c93escd.jpg&.src=ph) at Devils Tower. This was a lucky shot. [Sun shining through storm clouds](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=3c67scd.jpg&.src=ph) in Wyoming north of Rawlins. [Wyoming highway](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=57a7scd.jpg&.src=ph) too bad the bug splats are on the windshield [Oil refinery](http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/neolith76/detail?.dir=5121&.dnm=b44dscd.jpg&.src=ph) ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/93 "2006-09-10T08:14:12Z")
Just got back from a trip down the coast, where I hijacked my mum’s camera, and started snapping away. [This](http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraindigo/239061170/), [this](http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraindigo/239061173/) and [this](http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraindigo/239054006/) were all spur of the moment shots, playing around with the Macro function on my mum’s camera. This [little guy](http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraindigo/239069008/) however was a total fluke. We found him in the grass, and we didn’t want to disturb him too much so I took the photo as best I could through the grass and undergrowth. It looked shocking on the camera display, so I’m really chuffed with how well it turned out once I uploaded it. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/94 "2006-09-10T18:56:12Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] So many awesome pictures in this thread, but _this_ one.. literally took my breath way. It’s absolutely amazingly beautiful!! Excellent job! [/QUOTE] Um, this may be a stupid question, but what are those things? ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/95 "2006-09-10T19:58:17Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] Um, this may be a stupid question, but what are those things? [/QUOTE] They are [The Gates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gates) that were put up in Central Park, NY. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570/96 "2006-09-10T21:49:07Z")
Great pictures, Thalion, Zebra, Sierra Indigo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpectedly-good-photographs/371570.md?page=4)