Great 'of the moment' shots, I think you were in the right place at the right time, although it must have been very difficult conditions.

Regards
David

For me, trees are amongst the most difficult of subjects. So much clutter, nowhere for the eye to settle, unless the photographer is very careful about the composition, focus etc. This set succeeds where many others fail, not in all of the shots, but overall it is very accomplished and attractive.

Standout shots for me are 6, 10 and most especially number 3, with the Silver Birch in the centre giving a focal point to the scene. The other thing that strikes me, apart from the considered approach and skilful compostion is the natural colouring and obvious camera skill that has delivered technically excellent images, free of shake.

Regards
David

If it could be the Friday evening (18th) that would be fine for me, unfortunately I'm in the South East of England up until then. How does that suit?

Regards
David

Well done Stan, fabulous image.

Regards
David

The mono treatment suits these well, a tremendous set of images.

Regards
David

Yes please! Let me know when Drew and I will be there if I can.

Cheers
David

Very attractive shots Drew, the third one really hits me in the eye and stands out for me.

Regards
David

These are superb Stan, both real corkers. The light is pretty special on the first, but the second one is just outstanding.

Regards
David

Very well shot Neil, these are a real treat.

Regards
David

Hi and welcome from me too.

I would agree with AndrewA on the Sigma 17-70 if it's a 'general purpose' lens you most need, i.e. one that would be good for portraits, street and weddings. I've owned the Pentax DA 17-70 and now own the Sigma 17-70 F2.8-4 HSM OS, having bought this lens from AndrewA. It is a better lens than the Pentax.

When your budget allows, I would also highly recommend the Pentax DA* 50-135; it is a magnificent portrait / wedding zoom lens, with IQ that equals many non-zoom lenses. However, this will set you back £500 or so for a good used example.

If you don't mind manual operation, there are any number of older lenses in the 'K', 'M' or 'A' series that have superb IQ and can be bought for reasonable money, usually well under £100 depending on model. The 'A' series have automatic aperture control, whilst the 'K' and 'M' series are manual for everything. Look for focal lengths between 50mm and 150mm for portraiture.

Hope this helps.

Regards
David