Focus and contrast: red hot pokers imitate art

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Once again, life imitates art. These red hot pokers are trying valiantly to be a screen print! They're a marvelous splash of color in the landscape of late summer, downunder, where the dust and "brown lawns" can become a little jading and overwhelming after a long, parched summer. Getting the shot was tricky, but far from impossible. It's a question of not letting the camera focus anywhere it wants to. Automatic focus is fine and dandy, but for an image like this -- click the camera over to manual and make sure it gives you what you want. Photo my Mel, 2009.