Worth getting up for! I think the last one is my favourite (a pretty good lesson in the rule of thirds) but I also love the light in the second. I'd perhaps be tempted to play around with cropping for that one - either losing a bit of bottom, or placing the horizon dead centre, or even looking at a square image instead!

Jon

Hi John - you have a pm

As it says on the tin really... walking through Dulwich Village this morning and saw a few poppies that are just starting to flower outside the church hall. Here's one of them:




Cheers,

Jon

Agree - not sure a longer macro is the right tool for product photography. The SMC50/4 M macro is a lovely little 1:2 lens though, and barely larger than your 50/1.7 until you focus close. I'd also second the suggestion of the Vivitar 55/2.8 - a superb 1:1 macro lens manufactured I think by Komine, and reasonably priced when you can find them.

Great set especially given you don't normally shoot architecture! I think the first image works best for me - and I prefer the colour version to the mono. The interplay of the angular building and the fluffy clouds makes it more interesting to me - but I'd prefer to lose the sharpening halos.

Cheers,

Jon

Hi Joe - I am thinking of printing this one, with a white mount and frame. Need to work out where to put it though! As for PP, it started life in SilverEfex and then had a few tweaks in OnOne Perfect Effects. I really like the OnOne software (especially FocalPoint, which allows those of us with cheaper zooms to fiddle around with selective focus very easily), and the freebie edition of Perfect Effects is worth a go if, like me, you're generally somebody who wants to fiddle with a few sliders and presets rather than spend hours obsessing over every pixel

Cheers,

Jon

I suspect it may divide opinion as it has certainly been processed more than many would like to see, but would be interested in view on this image, taken in our local park on one of last weekend's dog-walks....




For those interested, K-5 plus 135/3.5 SMC M (although with this amount of processing, it hardly matters).

Cheers,

Jon

Hi - I've just bought the 560 mk ii and, not having used it in anger yet, am currently sat at being rather impressed by the build quality - especially for the price.

My understanding is that you can't buy Yongnuo flashes that do the TTL thing with Pentax, so it's manual only (which is not that much of a hardship with digital unless you have to work quickly and need to just trust the camera and flash to work out the settings for you). My understanding is that you are correct about the mk iii model too, but hopefully somebody who actually owns one will add more to this thread....

Cheers,

Jon

Have sent you a pm....

Jon

What kind of condition are the light-traps in? Still good or turning to sticky mush (not at all unusual and an easy fix)? Also any comments on the shutter mechanism? The camera looks great....