No Smeggypants, just a totally different market that they worked in. If you had wanted lighting, studio backgrounds, large format cameras, shop sized printers, etc., then you would have heard of them.

Apart from anything else, they aren't Pentax dealers, so why would you hear of them here.

However, the UK operation continues. Ken buys from them in Glasgow, I buy from them in Manchester.

The Tesco comment is just that, in relation to the size of the respective markets, it's a similar devastating loss. A major player in other words.

Calumet are one of the leading professional dealers in photographic equipment and materials. Their loss would be pretty similar to, say, Tesco suddenly closing.

The UK and mainland Europe are still open, so we'll see.

It's a loss to the professional market, but let's not forget it's a catastrophic loss to all the employees who suddenly have no job. Their futures will now look bleak and uncertain, so I certainly feel for their situation.

Alas, I think if it wasn't thought of before, it's certainly been given away now.

Thanks for all the input guys, it's all very interesting.

I especially like the second shot as well. Beautiful.

Steve has obviously picked it up, but I too am finding these a bit too intense and harsh.

The very best lighting for flowers is bright overcast rather than lit by full sunlight.

Lovely subjects though. I could lose hours photographing flowers, it's very relaxing and absorbing.

Bethany has appeared in a few of my camera reviews. Here she is, sporting a Pentax umbrella, on 4th July, 2005. This was shot on the Pentax *istDS.

Be careful, I'm sure having glue fumes right in front of your eye is not a good idea.

Yes Steep, the cursor is a bit heavy to lift to the top of the screen.

I wouldn't fancy lugging a 22" tablet around! The desktop PC with a proper IPS monitor will take some beating for a while yet, for imaging anyway.

I understand they can, but it's quite rare.

I've no idea, it's a hypothetical question. I suppose being somewhere someone hasn't actually been, meeting someone never actually met? Political thriller springs to mind, but it's not really the thrust of the question.