Careful - they may weigh again at the gate!

Always a challenge what to take.

I would contact Qantas and explain you have a lot of expensive photographic equipment you need to take. Explain it will fit in a bag which meets carry-on sizes but will exceed the weight limit. Ask if they will allow it. If they say no ask if they will accept liability for it being lost, stolen or damaged in the hold.
Usually they will then decide to allow it. Do it a least two days before you fly though.

If not then I'm afraid you will have to make some compromises with regard to what you take with you.

I get them to smile that awful fake photo smile, take the picture and then take another two or three as they relax and think whew that's the photos over with.

Another thing I do is just use a longer lens and get candids of people.

We only have a shower. The smaller one gets the occasional shower, especially after she's found some nice smelly dead fish or poop to roll in, but the other one....

I tried once. He is a big dog - about the size of a Golden retriever, but heavier build. He went into the bathroom just fine, but when he realised I meant to get him on the shower he turned into Scooby Doo. He stuck a leg out at each side and refused to enter the shower. All four legs were desperately hanging on to the cubicle so he didn't have to go in.
It really was like a cartoon dog.

I gave up in the end - fighting a 35+kg hell-hound was just too much.
And that is a dog who will jump in any passing pond, puddle or mud pool he can find.

I shall take the dog shampoo with me next time it rains on a walk.

I hope all you Canuks get to enjoy your national day today, and have good weather for it too.

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum.

Plenty of other Cloggies, and adopted Cloggies here

Ask away, your questions will be answered.

Well it's too hot here to think about photography, and going to get even hotter tomorrow.

We had a shower on Tuesday, conveniently timed for me walking the dogs. It lasted from when I started walking until just after I was back in the car, so 45 minutes or so, but that was the only rain I can remember for ages. It is very dry here.

I used an umbrella for the first time in several centuries on that walk. I hate umbrellas. I even managed to break the one I took with me

Saturday is my DIL's birthday, and in typical Dutch style we are all invited to go and sit around and drink coffee and eat cake - Saturday is due to be 30C and thundery, so that will be truly delightful. Not.

Andrew, that you are happy with them and like them is the most important thing.

Should pay for his camera upgrade though .

I expect it as the light. Not good at this time of year for most of the day.

They do look interesting hunks of rock, and I quite understand why you wanted to photograph them. Certainly a challenge to get them right.

I would have had a go too, and would have probably made a right pig's ear of them, but as I said it weren't me at Heaven's Gate, sadly.

I wonder if they come from the same factory in China/Vietnam/Taiwan as the real thing?

You see plenty of cheap lenses for sale of unknown makes. I guess it would be fairly easy to stick Pentax labels on those though.

Only been to La Palma and never yet met a camera salesman there