I find bridges and stairways are always good, especially metal bands
Know any bridges with a stairway upto it?
Or near trains
Anything industrial
Or forests

Go look at band photos somewhere, google, and get some ideas

Or perhaps SD14 users were calling out for the standard lens

The question is, why would you buy it. It is inevitably going to cost over £250, when the Pentax 50/1.4 costs arund 140-160, and has an extremely high IQ. Yes, the HSM may be good, but the IQ probably wont be better, and if its anything like Sigma's 30/1.4, it will be shocking at the edges.

If you want a 50/1.4 alternative, the zeiss is the way to go at £350. It all depends whether HSM is important to you or not.

Yeah that does look pretty good
But I think ill capture that on another day with true panorama, so that I get the resolution
Those wind turbines look nice against the (welsh? I think, this is from north of liverpool) mountains, dont they.

Yeah, i just realised that
I coulda shot around F/4, the optimum sharpness for that lens really, but i didnt notice the aperture was at 1.4
I was in a rush

Well it seemed to be a nice sunset, so I grabbed my camera and ran ran down to the beach (about 5-10minutes away). Sadly alot of the shots were overexposed in highlights, and also not focused properly, it was slightly worrying really! I should probably get hold of a GND filter for my landscape photography but I seem to manage without

Anyway, here are a few that turned out okay:



(Both soft, maybe slightly off focus)




Only foreground in focus there


A black and white detail focus, for lilly


And my favourite from the few I took.

I figured as much, infact, I didnt notice myself until I was judging them through (I critiqued then judged)

Results at end.
Ive been quite harsh and picky in critique
and alot is personal views
but it was very hard to choose, some excellent entries!

Gasman295: I liked this photo, the long exposure has captured the fireworks well and it wasnt too long or short that they are faded or cut off; technically good. However, I think it lacks interest and variety, I feel a wider shot with a foreground element would suit more?

johnriley: The editing you have done, although at first glance I dismissed it, has actually given what wouldve been a static shot movement, a spiral of confusion as the eye darts from one image to another. I'm not sure if I like the addition of the noise though, its taken away detail from the photo I would have liked to have seen. All the same, excellent use of postprocessing.

Daniel Bridge: A very nice clean showing good perspective, and movement of a (very nice) car. The colours compliment each other nicely, but (nitpicky) it wouldve been nicer if the bonnet was sharper. I like the detail retained in the trees though, alot better than just full on motion blur.

Serendipity: I dont feel that the image, although showing the waves follows the movement topic, it feels quite static as I look at it; I think maybe slight blur on the waves would suit more. Also, the sky's highlights are blown, and it seems you have edited something out of the water? A boat?

spirit_of_will: Technically very well captured, retaining sharpness on the subject and slightly panned, very nice. The three coloured floats compliment it nicely, and provide some more interest to the image, though perhaps if it was portrait, showing the blue more, it wouldve worked better? Again, i'm being very nitpicky, its very well captured.

Prieni: I like the diagonal composition, and the black and white looks nice on the rocks, as the ghostly water sweeps up, but perhaps more contrast in the water wouldve been nice.

Bob and his Pentax: The bubbles coming of the back of the penguin really boost this image, but perhaps the white balance could be improved? Also, I realise you were shooting through glass, but focus and IQ isnt the best.

mxuser: nice cat, and nice perspective, but i feel the panning would be better if he was sharp

Dr. Mhuni: Very nice portrait, and the movement shows the girls emotion well, excited, happy, hyper?

Amilner: Interesting photo, taking a different view on the topic. Its a nice composition and I like the symmetry, both arrows, the grass on the left, the shadow on the right.

Justgetoutandride: I like the point of view of this; you got down low and captured a view that wouldnt normally be seen, the movement is portrayed well, and its a nice composition.

Sophie: The movement of the bird is very well shown, highlighted by the outline of the main body of the bird, nice editing. The composition nice, but I wouldve perhaps lightened the sky for more contrast.

Hyram: I love the composition of this, its surreal seeing the balloon being blown to such an extent, and the colours are magnificent.

Malo1961: An interesting image, not often do you see a pan producing a full motion blurred picture, but its worked. It has given the photo a kinda painterly effect, but I like how although the blur is there, I can still tell its of a forest. Lovely colours.

GaryMoffat: Awesome subject matter, what a wave! The coposition is very nice and the muted colours caused by the overcast day really work together with the dirty water. Its hard to pull off interesting shots on overcast days, but you managed very well.

jps: not too sure I like this one, sure its shows movement, but I would never know what it was off, and its quite a random composition the sharper white/blue lines are very nice though.

Belinda B.:A nice shot of a bridge with an interesting wave, I like the depth in the photo alot, but not sure if the editing contributes, though it does give it a slight watercolour look.

Deecy: An interesting street photography shot, however the subject matter isnt too eye catching, the poster behind gives no reference, so I would say a pan on either the guy rushing with his luggage or the man with the coffe cup reading something would have given a nicer shot.

Nimitz: Quite a comical shot, with nice composition, but no real interest for me. Sweet subject matter all the same

Kal 10 d: I like how you have avoided the typical composition for waterfalls and gone up close, the combination of rushing water and sharp splashes is nice, though I mightve chosen a different crop.

namstoop: I love this panning shot, quite odd and surreal, two slightly larger than average men balancing on a small motorbike, and travelling at speed! The colours of the shot really set it off, especially those bright orange gloves. Couldve been a bit sharper on the bodies.

Unlocker: A nice shot of the swan, I can see slight movements in the wings; perhaps a slightly slower shutter speed would exagerate that movement yet keep the body sharp?

promhandicam: Not sure I like this one, lacks contrast and its very hard to tell that its a fisherman, perhaps panning would be better.

Utopia Poppy: I like the composition with the bridge, and the curve of the road adds a nice touch especially with the blur, but with one element sharp (the red car perhaps) the shot would have had more impact

McBrian: "I believe I can fly" eh? Nice shot and good use of equiptment, but you shouldve cropped the left twenty pixels off, and i think if the legs were both down, it wouldve made for a nicer shot. priceless expression

hefty1: interesting subject and nice crop, though a bit sharper and the image wouldve been top class. I realise he was travelling fast though, so that was probably hard to do.

rparmar: awesome spot for a photo, but I personally wouldve cropped out the blown out line top right, and maybe composed the photo more to the right to allow the please drive slowly sign to be more in towards the centre. Nice original idea though.

1st: GaryMoffat with his big splash
2nd: namstoop with his balancing act
3rd: Daniel Bridge with his speeding car
Highly commended (no order): McBrian for his original idea and great use of lighting, Malo1961 for the wonderful colours and technique, johnriley for his interesting editing.

Well done to all, an excellent round!

Oh god john, ive gone crazy indeed!
I actually thought it was sunday
Well at least ive got half the work done!

Its 00:15, that means judging time;
Ill edit this post and write the results in here!