Welcome to the forum Tony.....


....and welcome to anyone else who's introductions I missed

Well Lilly, I dont do portraits (not my scene) and I dont like kids, had mine and enjoying the rest till the next generation comes along (which wont be long now ...I'm too young to be a grandad

Anyway I love this pic, dont do anything with it, its fine as it is, I've seen profesional partraits that dont even come close to this, and my attempt wouldn't even get to the bottom rung of the ladder compared with this.

I give this pic a score of 99.9% (I'd have given it 100% but I dont like blokes either )

Well actually guys this is not as funny as it seems, after playing with my new toys yesterday evening my wife found a small black screw on the floor, It is obviously from a camera, looking at the size and shape of the head it is from a Pentax camera (or lens)
I checked my new K20D, I checked my K10D, I even checked My istD, I checked every lens I have, I even checked lenses I hadn't had out that evening in case it had come out earlier and got lodged/stuck in/on somthing else.
No way can I find out where that screw has come from, it looks new, there is no sign that it has been screwed into anything (ie no loss of paint from the threads).
I just hope its fallen out of the packaging and has been a stray from the factory
Has anyone else had extras thrown in with their Pentax kit?
I was going to ring SRS today but decided to get off out while the sun was shining, must do it tomorrow.

Exactly the reason I have a small Tamrac Expedition, I could add extra pouches onto the webbing when needed.

I looked at the 100AW today and thats going to be way too small. i'll have to see if I can find a 200W but I'm actually considering a Tamrac Aero Speed Pack, http://www.tamrac.com/welcome.htm, it can be hung from the shoulder and opened from the side a bit like a slingshot but it still has the benefit of two shoulder straps, I think I could put additional lenses into the top compartment when needed, my new DA*s came with protective lens pouches so no real problem there.

OK, just kidding, I know your not a monster

I still think the sky is overcooked, maybe a 1 stop grad would have been better.
Maybe the image itself just does'nt do it for me, I know its the sort of scene we'd all stop and snap, even spend some time on, but this one is no where near as good as your other stuff, I think deep down you feel the same way too and this is why you've asked for advice, you look at the image and can see something there but cant put your finger on it, maybe Don's right and it needs another element.

PS; took my 16-50 out for the first time today, unfortunately I did'nt get much, I could have used some ND grads

Of course......I knew that, I should have made myself more clear, "covercooked the sky with the use of an ND grad"

right, I'm off to hide in the darkest corner I can find untill Nathan forgets this post completely

What bag are you using Kris? and do you find the lens hood on the 50-135 a bit of a loose fit? Mine does'nt seem to lock in place all that well, at least not as positively as the 16-50 or anything else I've ever had.

Sorry Nathan but I think you've overcooked the sky, it does'nt blend with the lower half, which is probably why John suggested the crop (he did'nt want to hurt your feelings)

I thinks Liams idea was OK but I think thats overcooked too, by all means darken/saturate the forground leaves but leave the middle alone.

Malo's is a nice interpretation (bit of a bummer for an autumn shot though)

Johns is the winner for me, maybe with the forground adjusted slightly.

if you want decking or concrete

As for the pic, photographic judges will tell you that the bud on the left (in the original) will lead the eye out of the picture so the crop was the right thing to do. I dont mind the green, as long as I dont have to mow it I'm happy.

I think the only thing that spoils this is that out of focus reddish leaf behind the bud, should have pruned that before you snapped this

Well you need to check out Bristol Cameras first. they have it listed at £649