is that a BAD thing?
I used to work at a mental hospital.
one day I grabbed some pajamas that had "Selkirk Mental Health Center" emblazoned across the chest and back.
One of my co-workers wanted to know why...
I told him I was taking my son on my motorcycle to see my buddies new chopper, at a Hells Angels convention Near Kenora ont (Vermillion Bay).

"You're going to a biker party on a yamaha crotch rocket?" he asked, "aren't you afraid?"

"They won't F#$% with me when they see these pajamas" I replied....

here's something to try....
walk 15 feet from your front door (any direction you can), pretend you have a one meter circle around that spot(stay in it), pick one subject near you, and photograph it. Now try to take twenty five more photo's of it. try different angles, overexpose, underexpose, different focal lengths/lenses. *and aperture/shutter speed combinations*
Now look for ten more subjects in the same spot and repeat for each subject.

go over your results and see what you like.
try a different direction next week.

then when you spot a peice of litter on a park bench, approach it from every angle, walk around it, try up close and further away.....

nothing wrong with really good photos.

if you see alot of really good photos, why would some stand out more than others?

is ironwork art?
is litter on a park bench art?

perhaps a man walking past litter on a park bench is art?

sorry no answers...only questions.
I can't tell you what art is. You'll know it when you see it. just don't count on anybody or everybody, or somebody to agree with you.

well, before this forum, there was the literary masterpeice:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyone_Poops

pm me, when you decide on a price for the 400-600 mirror, I want one, but not sure if it's financially feasable....

the k10's af performance in low light is *ok*

it is not the best, nor worst I have used.
like all slrs the lens you use has a big impact.
look for fast lenses, the ones you are looking at won't give the best af performance in low light. the star zooms at f2.8 (16-50, 50-135, 200) will af faster. as will the 50mm 1.4

to improve low light af you may want to use a flash that projects an af assistbeam.

I prefer to use mf in low light, and faster glass makes that easier also, but with practice the slower lenses you are looking at should be fine.

there's lots of tip,s if you search these forums on shooting low light and events.....

I looked out my window and it's still spring here in Manitoba.... meaning Hell hasn't frozen over... (there is a tornado warning though).

Congratulations! hope to see some pics!

true.

When I was younger I had this junkyard dog of a motorcycle, a gpz750 turbo. When-ever I wasn't fixing it, I'd be out terrorizing the streets.
I'd see some goof dressed up like a Power Ranger, riding the latest and greatest bikes money could buy. Often these guys didn't have any scuff on the knees of thier expensive leathers, thier tires were barely worn down the middle, never mind edge to edge, and thier footpegs looked brandnew.

Me? even my exhaust canister had road rash.

What a waste I used to think, that guys who know how to use that equipment, can't afford it.
(now that I can afford it, my reflexes aren't what they used to be, and I grew up a bit and realized the streets are no place for that kind of riding).

So while a dslr is overkill for most, at least for those who want to learn, it's affordable!

I got two viv 283's and an ftz500, and a 360fgz unit plus a ringflash.
there's always one set of batteries in my hip pak, and one on the charger. I've never run out of power mid shoot! and seldom have I had to grab the vivitars, but it's nice to know they're there!

I considered those for Wedding use, also quantim battery paks.
the cost was close to that of a second flash unit.
a second flash unit is more versitile.

since I have about five flash units (some bought for as little as $20.00 used) available, it just makes more sense to me to keep them all ready with a set of rechargable batteries and have a charger in my vehicle, or at the location (my newest solution is working great for me...so far... see power play thread).

so when one unit starts to die, grab another flash unit (if I'm really busy, when I'm not, get the dead batteries on the charger).