Thank you Smeggy !

Much appreciate those kind words Tim !

Thanks K10D ! Given the choice I think I would take Aus too ! Though I would have missed out on a world & a lifetime of wonderful, unique, experiences here. Tough call thinking about it.

Thank you Snappy !

Thanks David ! Glad you liked these. The colour is something I love about Asia too and I do think it's influenced my photography as I love to include bright, vivid, colours whenever I can. I notice many more UK residents are 'into' B&W then I would have expected. I believe that is not sophistication but environmental influence (and maybe tradition too as many will have been B&W film users earlier in life).

Really lovely David ! You can see the huge progression between the last shot and the others.

ROFL !

Lovely. Low DoF usually just seems to shout out QUALITY to me ! It does here.

I just love going to zoos - just as much for the local wildlife that also make their home there as for the exhibits. The key to zoos is always to exclude anything which may provide a clue that the subjects are captive ... and you've done that beautifully here.

Skippy (looks like he's praying) and the lovely low DoF on Slither are the two that stand out most for me.

Much to my delight I got my hands on a press pass for the X Games in Shanghai and set off, driving there, on the appointed day full of vim and excitement, 15 mins to drive the first 25 kms of my 30 kms trip and I was going to be very early ... 75 mins to cover the last 5 kms due to diabolical traffic jams (on a Sunday for goodness sake !) and I arrived ... late, with the first final already underway !

Actually the public viewing areas give you great access anyway, the press pass just made it a little better.

The events were multi styles of In-line Skates, BMX, Skateboarding and some MotoX demo stunts. Cameras used were the K5 & K7 with the Sigma 50-150/2.8 and DA*300 installed. Actually the perfect lense would have been a 70-200/2.8 ..... but I don't have one yet so the 50-150 was a superb stand-in !

Hope you enjoy this first taster - at the final count I have over 700 shots to process !

#1 - a couple of shots of the crowd to start

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-xqKgnZw/0/XL/imgp4071-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#2 - The Umbrella

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-WFscwPD/0/XL/imgp0413-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#3 - Superman

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-Q5gPdsN/0/XL/imgp4230-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#4 - Japanese Skateboarder

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-xJ2m7cn/0/XL/imgp4282-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#5 - Andy MacDonald

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-JvgKV3b/0/XL/imgp4307-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#6 - Twist & Shout !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-4RkXqWv/0/XL/imgp4014-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#7 - Bob Bernstein

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-kVT6rqn/0/XL/imgp4132-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#8 - Oops !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-ctdVxK8/0/XL/imgp0343-XL.jpg[/IMG]

#9 - Under Construction

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/X-Games-2011/i-wL59DXV/0/XL/imgp0315-XL.jpg[/IMG]

ha ha - thanks Andrew - though I can't imagine for a second the Shanghai govt. tolerating graffiti artists all over the city ! It's nice they gave them this area though.

Thank you Andrew - challenging is probably the best way to describe the conditions (as the link to the crowds above show) !

Thanks Bret - appreciate the comments.

Nice shots of the Brick Crab and the Compound Eyes - I just love those eyes !