Well these are much better than my first attempts at macro but in my defense I was using film and limiting my shots

The second is the best of the bunch for me too Jeanette, however they would all benefit from being a little bit sharper, forget worrying about angles for a while and concentrate on your focusing technique, macro is one of the most dificult subjects to master, working at such close quarters makes depth of field extremely shallow so focusing has to be critical, add to that the problems with magnified camera shake and macro becomes evben more difficult.
Watch your apertures, keep them as small as possible in an attempt to get that bit extra DoF but watch your shutter speed too, you can also try flash, even if it is bright and sunny flash will eliminate the problem of maintaining a high shutter speed but you will have to do a bit of experimenting to get the exposure right.
You have the whole English summer in front of you (all four days of it) so you have no excuse not to be a macro guru by the end of the year

Actually I think it does, but then again it doesn't, the wider format adds to the length of the plane, but I think the tarmac in the forground gave a better composition, but you misunderstood my suggestion anyway, just off centre in the foregound is a clump of lighter coloured grass, once I had seen it my eyes kept going back to it, it was that which I thought would be better cropped off, or maybe just darkened down to match the other grass:
Just nitpicking really, it is a super shot regardless.

These aren't half bad so go buy the 500mm forget the camo suit though, birds can see you miles away camo or not

I'm with David, the last shot is the best of the bunch, I just hope your getting commission from Doric.

I must make a public apology to anyone who's images I have said were soft, I just read the above and thought "you must be kidding niether is sharp"

Makes mental note to wear reading glasses when in front of the monitor

good job it wasn't a Pentax lens, I hear the SMC is prone to corrosion from Squirrel snot

Both are nice Scott but I'll go with the others and say the second has the edge.

Thanks for the thumbs up guys, and thanks for the ID Jonathan.

I was a little concerned you would all shout yuck at the lilac background

Shhhhhh! the wife might hear you

I was busy minding my own business last night, well on this forum actually, when my wife made me get up from my comfy chair and follow her into the spare room, she parted the blinds and pointed to this:

[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/_K207758s.jpg[/IMG]

Yes I know the mastic around the windows has cracked but you were supposed to be looking at the chrysalis

She then pointed out the gungy brown stains left by whatever had emerged, then gently moved another part of the blinds to reveal this;

[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/_K207759s.jpg[/IMG]

Yes I know they are vertical blinds but I forgot to rotate the picture.

It seemed quite docile, I suppose I would be if I'd recently emerged from a crysalis, though it did look well formed and as if it'd been out for some time, I gently coaxed it onto a bit of paper and transfered it to a nearby plant:

[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/_K207796s.jpg[/IMG]

After snapping away for several minutes I decided it was time to free it, unfortunately it didn't want to go but eventually I got it onto a potted plant in the back garden, I was still there this morning waiting for the sun to come around the corner, so I lifted the potted plant into the sun and managed about four shots before it was off;


[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/_K207802s.jpg[/IMG]

Butterfly population increased by 1 thanks to yours truly

PS can anyone tell me if this is a Large or Small White?

if I ever visit this place I be carefull not to utter blasphemous remarks or think wicked thoughts, thanks for the warning

PS nice set of pics Peter.

I thought Lenses also had a two year warranty if bought from a pro dealer? and didn't you buy from SRS?

As for the quality of the lens hood, mine has also broken and is now a very slack fit, I thought about asking for a replacement but TBH I cant see it lasting any longer due to the flimsy design.

EDIT remind me to never get into a gunfight with snootchies, he has a faster trigger finger

I doubt its the other birds that are keeping them away, goldfinches are fiesty little things and quite capable of standing their ground against other small birds, as for the larger birds they shouldn't be able to get onto a niger seed dispenser anyway so it shouldn't be an issue.

In my own garden I had never seen a Goldfinch but I bought Niger seed to try and encourage tha odd greenfinch to visit more often, within a couple of days of putting it out I spotted Goldfinches tucking away, I also find that whilst other birds are easily scared off the Goldies are a little less spooked and will continue to feed. your Goldfinches must be wimps

I much prefer the inside of planes, outwardbound ones especially

Cant really say much that hasn't already been said about the pic, except I would crop off that clump of lighter coloured grass in the foreground, I didn't see it first time around but now I know its there my eyes keep wandering to it