Here's a thread for discussion of the weekly comp. I'll bow out as soon as the first entry is in.

That sounds utterly ridiculous, I think I'll cross that off my list....

This is on their website:

"In keeping with common practice, on grounds of both security and copyright, we regret that no cameras, video recorders or any other types of recording equipment (including notebooks) are allowed in the Museum."

Common practice? And how security, or indeed copyright, could be breached by a notebook is beyond me....

They continue:

"Also, due to security issues and a theft from the museum in 2002 no bags, except handbags, are allowed in the museum."

Evidently thieves don't ever use handbags....or maybe only on the high street?

The second one for me, I like the starburst from the lights

Sounds like a fun day out, looking forward to seeing more pics!

I agree, nice mushroom, and the first picture of the lights and the thinker especially are excellent shots.

The monkey shot for me too, the re-processed one looks better, as does the lion.

Great set, Tim; the first Alfresco is my favourite.

Thanks for the comments! It seems a general consensus that Pensive should be cropped, so I will give it a try. Thanks for that link Dr Mhuni, I will check it out later when I get back from work (got three days of groundschool)
I was pleased that finally I got some street shots I am happy with, and yes, the purists may say I should be using a wide prime, but I like the versatility of the 18-250, so will continue with it. It's nice to have that huge range; some shots are not possible at wide angle, so why miss them? Not the most discrete lens though My favourite street shot so far was my entry in the weekly competition, taken in Osaka, which was shot at 250mm

Mary misunderstood Phil the photographers use of the term "fill-in flash".

One, three, and four get mine! Especially four, I love the colour of the plants against an almost mono background. Colour popping au naturel.
The second one is lovely too, but perhaps needs to lose the tree trunk on the left?

Hey Doc thanks for that. I like the other guy in Pensive, so against all advice I am going to keep him!

I have been looking at street photography a lot recently. Tim is, I think, the master here of the black and white, off the cuff street shot. CWyatt has an eye for a street shot that I think is quite rare. I love your stuff too, which is probably more the type of street photography I identify with. Typically, street photography is done with something around 35mm in full frame terms, and then converted to mono. I have recently decided to try out a different approach, using the Sigma 18-250, which I always have on the camera at work, purely for it's range.

All the shots on here were taken on my Sigma 18-250, which I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with. I love the range, and the opportunities it gives me to quickly frame shots. I hate the fact that optically it is inferior to lenses not designed to the same greedy spec. Saying that, I think it outperforms the 18-55 WR at 18mm. It also has an ideal range at work. As it is my default lens at work, I have started leaving it on the camera when I arrive somewhere, and have recently found that with people, I can track them, frame the shot and and give myself more chance of catching something interesting. It's a bit like game photography, except it's people and their habitat rather than animals and theirs. I just wish it performed a bit better. But I will persevere with it until a better one comes along