+1 Jon, works well as a series.

First and last - they're winners! They're a challenge to catch and take back outside (without hurting them), before they jump off!

[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Pentax%20User%20Forum%20Images/chimpbw1.jpg[/IMG]

Tweak herewith - a bit of fill light, additional brightness and a heavy handed play with the tone curve.

I cropped some of the sky away also, to focus more attention on our friend.

The intention was to darken the background, and bring some more light and detail out of the chimp (poor bugger).

My guess is that your camera exposed for the (brighter) sky more so than your (darker) subject. That was good in one sense, because it meant you got to keep the detail in the clouds.

Can you recall which metering mode you used for these shots? The mode can make a fair bit of difference.

The blue flower for me Steve! But you've clearly thrown lots of 'pounds' at it...

One, four and the last are very good - but they're all good! Dr O has got it regarding the second - it would be a ripper without the bamboo trunk half into the left of the shot IMO.

Echo Mat for these - lovely! Is the second bird some sort of passerine? No idea what the first is

Sometimes, I jes' shakes me head...

Belatedly thanks for the C&C.

Gareth - no added in effects - this is how it was, with the low sun through the scrub. Thanks for the suggestion about the dark foreground in Hay Plain too - a different crop may be in order.

Where was that again TT? Bollocks?

"Flash reflected"