Stephen, some lovely images there. Is that third one from behind the falls?

John, have you taken your camera along to any of the bookshops? Always such interesting characters who own them!

AJ, sorry for the distraction on your thread!

I may take you up on the offer someday! I've only been to Oxford and the Midlands, and would love to get to Wales. Hay on Wey's bookshops will be on the list, after hiking in your parks! (Have you ever done some photos at HonW?)

BTW, I took a quick look at the Alan Forest website out of curiosity, and they could benefit from some of your photos!!

Peace to you, AJ,

Hey AJ,

In color, the greens (and the browns of the rocks) are great, but when flipped into mono, the subtle differences between them don't translate, as 2 or 3 different greens may end up being more or less the same shade of grey.

I wonder if mono might work better in those shots a) at a time of day when the light was less bright/harsh, or b) with a dramatic sky?

I'll tell you one thing, though, the pictures you take around your place make me want to visit and do some hiking!

Cheers!

Exactly what I was going to say, Gwyn and AJ. While the range of colors is lovely, they are all in the same tonal range, and lacking in a certain drama (too flat) which works best in mono. (I'm so novice - I hope that's coming across how I mean it! '' )

Clarky, these are great, particularly the second one! '' The DoF you've chosen for it is ideal - sharp at the centre, and gradually blurring at the edges. I actually think that keeping the border of dark bokeh highlights the whiter shades in the petals, whereas a tighter crop would bring out the yellows more (by focusing on the stamen).

What do you think it would be like in mono?

As Hefty says, keep 'em coming!

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Hyram, from what I've read, the K100 IS lighter than the K10, but steady hands I don't have ... in fact I'll usually have a great number of rejects because, with the shallow DoF, even a little bit of shake or a little bit of wind can make me miss my intended area of greatest sharpness.

I like the pine buds and needles, too! ''

Hi folks,

I've been poking around the yard this week, alert to signs of spring (which is obviously not as advanced as in many of your backyards!), and have selected these photos to ask for your comments and suggestions.

I love the act of paying attention to detail that macro photography allows, but am keen to learn more! Your suggestions on composition and depth of field especially welcome. For example, in the first of the maple bud pictures, is the out of focus branch pleasing to you, or would you prefer a slightly greater DoF (with some change in bokeh)?

All of these were shot handheld with the K100D Super and M 100 4 Macro.

Cheers!

Yep, this newbie seconds your sentiments, Father Ted!

So nice to have found a community, to go along with this great craft of photography. Thanks for being generous and gracious, as well as fine photogs, folks!

Thanks, Dr. Mhuni, for the thorough feedback, and for the third place. I'm honored, given the many strong entries!

Cheers!

Oxford in the rain.





Taken about 6 years ago, with MZ-5n, FA 28-70, handheld, on slide film. This is a scan of a subsequent print.