Friday, May 21, 2010

FAQ Friday, episode 4

Welcome to the fourth episode of FAQ Friday, where I'll answer the questions you've posed this week and make a big announcement.

From The 7MSN Ranch:
Q. Why don't you do some cool giveaways?
A. Because I don't have any sponsors knocking on my door offering up cool prizes, and all my disposable income seems to go to my veterinarian's kids' college fund.

Wait...what's that knocking I hear? Why, it's a sponsor! And they've offered to give away a prize to one lucky reader. Come back next week for the actual contest, but here's what the prize will be: an $80 gift certificate at online retailer csn|stores. Now I'll be the first to admit I'd never heard of csn|stores until they contacted me, so I did a little due diligence before taking the bait. Come to find out, they're a pretty big deal in this here online universe, and they sell everything from sectional sofas to sauce pans to scratching posts. Though I haven't purchased anything from them yet, their motto is "shop easy." After window-shopping my way through their site, I can vouch that it is refreshingly easy to search through their millions of products. So stay tuned for the contest next week.

From Pat in East TN and Nancy in NC:
Q. Did you put Deets up on George or does he go there himself to check out the view?
A. I'm still cheating and putting Deets on George's back, usually when I'm desperate for something to blog about. I figure if I do it often enough, Deets will hop up on his own. Deets loves it up there, George ... not as much, but he knows it makes me happy so he plays along.

From JaneK:
Q. Is the sky ever ugly in New Mexico?
A. No. I love easy questions!

There were several photography questions this week...

From Morning Bray Farm:
Q. So, was the D80 hard to figure out?
A. Kinda sorta but not really. I found Ken Rockwell's site soon after I purchased the camera, and everything I needed to know about using it, I learned from him. He has written his own user's guides for many popular cameras, and they are so much easier to understand than the manufacturer's guides, say nothing of being in large-enough type that I can read them! Whenever anyone asks me for camera and lens recommendations, I point them to Ken's site. There is so much excellent – and free – information there, I get dizzy.

From Jen at Cabin Fever:
Q. ...that last photo literally almost made me dizzy! Goodness. Very cool photo, though. Care to explain how you took it or what your camera settings were?
A. I wasn't sure myself until your question prompted me to go figure it out. It appears I pressed the shutter while I was zooming out the lens and a slow shutter speed captured the motion of the zoom. In other words, D.A.L. (dumb-ass luck). Here are all the settings:
shutter speed - 1/60
aperture priority
f/5.6
iso 160
focal length 44 mm
lens 18.0 - 135. mm

From Pat in East TN:
Q. How on earth did you ever get Smooch to keep the glasses on and then give that look in the last one?
A. D.A.L.


Keep those questions coming. Your appreciation of my four-legged family and photographs is what inspires me and keeps this blog going. Thanks, friends!

17 comments:

  1. I simply love FAQ Friday's, not only for those burning questions I like to see answered but also for the couple of laughs I usually get on occasion, like D.A.L. I loved that explanation for those 2 questions!

    Can hardly wait for you giveaway!

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  2. I'm glad you like blogging so much because I love following the adventures of you and your four legged friends and the daily life of your ranch :) I'm half a world away living in Suburbia but it's so awesome that I can read about a wonderful rancher woman and her animals! Thanks :)

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  3. DAL is a good thing when it comes to animal photography. Thanks for the link to Ken Rockwell. I could use the help.

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  4. I haven't really followed your blog all that long, but I love checking it out every morning, especially if you have pics of your boys on it. So I am not sure ..but how old are George and Alan? Do you like one better than the other or is it like with kids...you can't really say? lol.......Keep up the great job!

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  5. There is a lot of reasons I enjoy coming to your blog. I even have it on my top sites cause I pay it a daily visit. I guess no. 1 reason is I love the photos of the animals. But no. 2 would be I love quick humor. I guess no. 3 is that I am nosy. I like to see what is going on in others lives. Thanks

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  6. Totally cool on the giveaway, Carson! Are you going to start telling us you love us more than your luggage soon? ;) I'm going to check out Ken Rockwell's site...thanks!

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  7. Thanks again Carson. I also like the FAQ Friday's and I'll sure check out Ken's site because I'll be da*ned if I can figure out my owner's manual! Have a good weekend on the ranch.

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  8. I don't think you're dealing in dumb-ass luck with these wonderful photo moments you get - I think it's you being there, fully engaged and enjoying the moments with the animals, and having a very good instinct (think so good it's almost like breathing) with when to click the shutter!!

    I guarantee you - anyone trying to get the shot just to get the shot wouldn't get the shot.

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  9. Congratulations on your first sponsor!! You have a great website and hopefully more sponsors will find you to help with those "college" payments. Keep up the good work!

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  10. What a fun post! Your blog is absolutely fantastic!

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  11. And...your blog is what keeps MY blog going (although not at the same breakneck speed!).

    Thanks, friend. ;-)

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  12. Mel N.Y.
    What Brenda said !

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  13. I wondered about Deets, too....!
    Great questions and your answers were terrific, too....I will have to check out that site you mentioned for Camera info...!

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  14. so glad I made the questions! But I'm not sure I really like the answer b/c it means the grass really is greener and I'm stuck on the brown side....oh well :-) I'll just have to make it a travel destination!

    And as far as DAL? I love it! If we are all honest, we would all admit that DAL plays a least a small part things that we excel at. Now I have a term for it...thanks!

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  15. Haha a cool donkey with a friendly cat. Btw there really are no ugly skies out there!

    Jason from Dog Beds

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