A fine set Alan, I particularly like the aurora and the field mouse on the dandelion head. July and August make a good juxtaposition - it looks like the bi-plane is flying over the fox in the field.
David

Thanks for your comments QC, Reso, Alan, Peter, Nigel, Karlo, Fishbones, Irek and Andy. Much appreciated,
David

A New year - time to look back on some of my favourite pictures from 2017. Here's a selected dozen covering events such as the Whitby Goths, Edinburgh Fringe, Durham's annual Streets of Brass Festival and the annual Durham Miners' Gala service in Durham Cathedral. There's also a couple of other cathedral architectural views, street style pictures, three railway photographs and a landscape. The majority were shot on my K3 but the K5 and K30 also features. Lenses range from the Sigma 10-20, to the Pentax DA* 16-50 and DA 50-135mm and Pentax D FA*70-200mm lenses.

001 Goth Face



002 Fringe Face



003 Baltic Art



004 Fast Food Break



005 Ffestiniog Steam



006 Talyllyn Railkway Steam



007 steam Smoke and Steel



008 Safe Sax

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009 Durham Miners' Gala cathedral service



010 Exeter Cathedral



[b]011 Scissors Arch, Wells Cathedral



012 Estuary Pastels



009 Miners' Gala in Durham Cathedral

Fantastic project - art and technique combined. I liked several of the earliest ones you posted and then along came the later ones which were even better.
David

That's a lovely and carefully considered set Bill. Using a tripod certainly slows you down and makes you really think about detail and composition. I particularly like No.5 with the rusty fence, a nice touch that.
For years I avoided using tripods at all because for 95% of the time they didn't suit my shooting style which involves me being on the move and reacting quickly to opportunities, particularly in street photography. But I started using one a couple of years back and found it improved the quality of my images when visiting the railway museum at Shildon for instance. I've started using lower ISOs, smaller apertures, using the live view and taking time to pick out detail. There's no rush there, museum exhibits, like trees, don't suddenly walk away from you.
David

Wotcha!!!
David

No specific subject this week - a bit like last week's except the theme this week takes a look at small details. It can be about architecture, people, machines, plants, animals or anything featuring not the whole scene but minor details.
The usual rules apply, pictures must be taken on Pentax cameras or closely related clones and the deadline is midnight Sunday January 7 2018 British time. The winner will be expected to select the following week's topic and judge the competition giving comment on each entry.
David

What a great set of images from one of my favourite locations. I'm not picking out individual pictures - the quality of all of them is superb.
Incidentally I would hesitate to call these Glen Coe - its Rannoch Moor. But close.

Thanks Neil and Peter. Sorry you missed No.9 last week Neil, it won't be running on the mainline for much longer as its owner John Cameron is retiring to his museum it after its hectic career in the heritage sector following a front line career with the LNER and BR.
Peter, I wondered if I might see you in York but as you say you got pictures much closer to home.
David

Steam at York
Forty years after British Rail ran its last ever steam trains on the mainline the heritage sector steams on with historic and new build locomotives running charter trains alongside the newer electric and diesel trains. Three large steam engines were in York on Saturday with Christmas specials from London and Birmingham. Ex LMS express loco Royal Scot brought in the Yuletide Express from Ealing Broadway, London and ex LNER A4 Pacific Union of South Africa took the train back to London.
Former Great Western Railway Castle Class engine Earl of Mount Edgcumbe powered the Christmas White Rose special from Birmingham and back. Huge crowds always turn up to photograph these events and not just when headliners like Flying Scotsman and Tornado are working. Thank heavens for live view so you can grab overhead shots.

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe arriving from Birmingham



Royal Scot after arriving from London



Crowds mobbing Royal Scot



A4 Class streamliner Union of South Africa



Union of South Africa and fans