What about "Junior Member" ?
I must admit, I was surprised at how quickly I got to "Forum Veteran".

Thanks again for the tips, and thank you all for your patience with me.
I sometimes feel I am, ( how can I put this ), insulting your intelligence with my naive pics, but you are all so helpful.

The best promise I can give is I will come up near your standards...eventually

Thanks for the comments Mike

Yes I was standing up when I took the shot. I still get very self conscious getting close up and cuddly with the subject

With your comments in mind and Don's suggestions about taking many shots of the same thing, but from very different perspectives, I'm going back tomorrow to try and make something of this subject.
I'll take my tripod with me this time as has been suggested before. TYhat'll help slow me down and look properly so I get a straight horizon, ( if I include it ).

As for the restriction on getting close up, I did (foolishly) consider trying to get on board...then thought better of it!

Wasn't sure of the etiquette of posting "alternatives" whilst the competition was running, but I notice someone else has so I presume it's OK.

C&C please.

Now that's really nice!!!

I get flack of my missus too. I suppose I need to go by myself, that way it won't matter if I spend half an hour photgraphing the same tree!

I'm definitely going to follow Don's suggestion of taking many and various shots of the same thing, from different angles. The place I took the photos for this weeks comp held some nice surprises, so I might go back there after work on Monday.

Lots of suggestions. Thanks folks

Don't know about 15 feet from my door, ( neighbours already think I'm mad ), but might take my camera to work and pop out to the local national trust nature reserve at lunch time.

Just had a look at this week's competion and Cabstar is exactly what I had in mind. How did he KNOW that that would make a good picture?

Thinking back, the winner of the "Blue" competition a few weeks ago.
I don't "get" it.
I looked at it and wondered what it was. I showed it to my brother-in-law , without telling him it had won and he said WOW!! I bet that won!

That's good, because I really need to learn it

I've got to admit, though, that posting my pics on here does two things. I stop and think before I "click", although, I could do with thinking a bit longer sometimes.
And the C&C I get back is like having private tuition

How do you get it?

I've been looking at some photos in "Your Photos" by "Bob and his Pentax" and he gets a lot of similar comments as I've had.

One of which boiled down to; very nice shots, but not artistic.
(BTW, I'm in no way passing comments on your photos Bob I like them )

I've looked at some of my friend's photos and the subjects he chose I wouldn't have even considered, yet they are (to my mind ), really good photos.

An example, a piece of rusty ironwork on the beach. I'd walk past it and curse it for littering the beach. He photographed it ( macro, I think) and it really works...how did he know it would?

Probably a rhetorical question, but I had to ask.

OOoo
I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. I use an old manual 62 - 170mm lens ( I think it is ), which I have left over from my Super ME. I've been manually focusing thinking that's what I had to do.

But you ( very sharp eyed ) people have said my photos are slightly out of focus.

Having said that, some of the photos on here which people have said are out of focus I can't see anything wrong with.