no, not really, you call a guy, he backs a truck up, runs a chute through the window.....
sometimes they need a little nudge to leave the nest, is all....

May I suggest you send him to the store for some paint....and while he's out you fill his room with cement?

did you check your camera settings? on the k10 to use an off camera flash in wireless p-ttl mode requires setting the flash mode in the camera body to wireless, and making sure the flash and body are first attached, and set to the same channel...then it works...there may be a custom function setting in the menu to activate using your internal flash in wireless mode....
I think there's a sticky with directions, but you'll have to do some guesswork to get it on the samsung/sunpak

I dunno... around here that's pretty much the norm, and hardly likely to provoke a reaction... He's probably just re-thinking the whole idea of letting me live in His house... maybe trying to decide if today is the day he's gonna go work on my brakelines....

I was flipping him the bird....no wait, I was snapping my fingers!

having just skimmed through this thread...
I've a couple pointers....

one: make sure your exporting your images in the same colorspace as your viewing them.... for example, it is possible for me to have aperture set up to run in adobe '98 rgb and then export into srgb...now I can imagine that if I did that backwards, and exported to adobe 98 after viewing in srgb.....

if in doubt, switch EVERYTHING to srgb (monitor, software, and camera) and try it there while you read up on, and set up proper color calibrated workflow!

next: look at the light.
seeing the light is a skill that can be learned.
using the large window was a good start. now get the subject closer to your lightsource, and turn to higher iso's (800 for exapmle) to get a smaller aperture for more dof. look at your background, all that wasted space is affecting your exposure. turn your camera verticle, and move in closer to get the distractions out. set your color balance with white paper.

here's my sons cat:


this is lit from a large softbox, but a softbox like that was designed to emulate the light you'd get from a large window on a bright overcast day!
you can get a better shot with what you got and some practice. use manual controls! focus on the eyes.set up a stuffed animal and work your settings, add lights or background material and when you get everything right, remove the stuffie and stick in your cat, and bam...pro quality shot!

father ted...
I agree with what you said...
I suggest "getting it right in camera" is the best policy.
photoshop is best used as a tool to unleash your creativity, so it helps to start with a good, properly exposed, properly composed shot.
sure photoshop can be used to fix mistakes, but you'll be a much better photographer if you spend that time fixing your mistakes at the "Taking phase" as opposed to the "Post production phase".
then you photoshop time can be spent making "great" shots better, as opposed to making "so-so" shots useable.

we have a "Pentax" bag that I believe is simply a rebadged slingshot bag.
the k10 w/grip, and 16-45 + 28-200 + 501.4 all fit nice and leave room for spare cards +battery, 72mm polarizer and step down rings, 330 fgz flash, polaris meter, lens pen, and some micro mineral face powder.

aperture was recently updated to support all pentax slrs!
(if your a mac user)

the color scheme works and the way the tree braches blend into the stones (becoming veins in appearance) is nice....
still, I'm a little lost because the image is busy, and doesn't draw me in, and hold my attention at any one point....

now if one of those stones had a shape with recognizable interest (ie shaped like an animal's or persons face) in a power point of the composition, it would elevate the peice from "Very Nice" to "How Much?$$$"

over all I really like it.