I used to be a purist, but I'm ok now.

I'd 'Photoshop' my Granny for € 0.001 !!!

I used to dodge, burn, crop, tone, and 'spot' my B&W prints back in the 70's, now I use Photoshop for today's prints.

Anyone that takes pictures with todays DSLR's and doesn't use some sort of 'Photoshop' software to develop them, should buy a digital compact.

The DSLR is just a tool to record an image, the lens you choose helps you in this endeavour, a software tool like 'Photoshop' helps you 'develop' what you first intended.

The better your camera technique, and choice of lens, the less time you need to 'develop' the photograph in Photoshop. If my technique was perfect, think of the time and effort I could save, not to mention the money I could put into propping up the Scottish whisky industry.

I never show any photograph without it passing through Photoshop, it may just need a small crop, a lift in contrast, a bit of sharpening or a full-blown 4 hour session to sort out all my mistakes, but no one will see any picture of mine that doesn't show what I originally intended to capture.

This is my own way of working, and I'm glad that we are all different or the world would be a very boring place indeed, you have a terrific picture here, just 'spot' the dust and make it spectacular .

I would send you some of this, if I could afford it Just need the other $6,649.00

I see your evening meal running off in the last picture

I would crop a little bit off the top, and quite a bit off the bottom, maybe up to the elbow on the right, the 'dust' on the pillow is not a good feature.

Then 'clone' out what is left of the 'dust' and you have a very good portrait.


* these macro lenses pick up every flaw, dust being one of the major problems, along with wrinkles, spots, and other blemishes, ( plukes - to our Scottish friends )

* p.s. I'm not an expert, by-the-way

Back to the drawing-board, i suppose.

Well, Prieni, I'm sure I can see a few fish "SCALES" stuck on one of the wheels, ( very hard to spot, I know ), so I may be able to use it in a 'certain' competition

I loved the 'Yellow Taxi's' in NY, they really caught my eye and I included them in a lot of shots.

I thought one was about to pass me while taking the shot below, and waited to get the 'yellow-blur', but I got 'blue-blur' instead !!!!

M&M store New York, ( not taken for the competition, but within the time limits, and fits the theme, I think )






Pentax Optio-550

I've got a couple that would fit in with Wednesday to Wednesday time frame, I'll enter one and leave it to the judge !

The comp looks a little bare, so it will at least make up the numbers

Sorry, I wasn't sure if it ran 14 days from Wednesday to a fortnight Wednesday, or 14 days from the theme being set, ( 27th ), which would make the end date Saturday the 10th Jan ?