There's plenty of ways to process it, and everyone will think differently. It doesn't detract from the effective lighting however ..... I would quite like to see a straight version with basic processing, just to see the effect of the lighting more clearly.

Big and bold! Nice close owl portrait.

There's a starkness and boldness to the colours in the lighthouse one, it reminds me very much of Portland Bill, and no doubt has a similar atmosphere when you're there. I'm not sure that I understand exactly what technique is being used here for the detail ..... I though stitching was to make really wide panoramic shots?

You had tough light for the others, exposure control must have been a nightmare. I favour the underexposed look of the 4th image, where the speckled water is really emphasised.

I'll admit, (as someone not at all interested in motorbikes), to being baffled by some of your photos Gary, and the godforsaken places they're often taken in! ..... however you always produce strong framings and crystal clear detailing of the machines, which is impressive.

You've conveyed a peaceful serenity and stillness, with the water and sky complementing each other. Nice sense of space. I like the warm colours of the first one best.

You got right in close to the action there! What sort of focal length did you use? I like the exposure and colours in the third one best, you've got the light angle just right there.

Hey, if you were the newspaper reporter in a Superman movie, then it's all about the stubble!

The strong directional light really enhances the textures, and having the light fairly forwards brings interest onto the 'off side" also (like around the bottom of the chin). It all suits the gritty style.

I like the effect from the 2nd light also ..... Is it pointing only at the background, or does it also touch the subject a bit?

I have no doubt your client there would be very pleased. You do have many choices regarding the processing, there's other ways you could take it if you wanted.

I don't use 2nd Curtain Sync either, its really about the type of shots you take ..... it has no relevance to static subjects. Lots of people seem to think they need it though, but I rarely see anyone posting their fancy flash shots with trailing curtain motion effects! In fact at PF, where most of the Pentax related flash talk takes places, there's seems to be a lot more interest in talk about the gear and compatibility problems than there is about how to actually take any decent flash photos!

More doing it, less talking about it!

HSS gets a lot of attention, and I do understand that and see it as essential for outdoors really ..... it is the easiest and most seamless way to quickly deal with contrast problems in bright light IMO .... that's assuming of course that your gear is all configured and ready to go. The Cactus system does provide that seamless approach, and with the V6II set to 'Normal HSS' mode in the Functions Menu then the camera shutter speed will just go to anything you want, right up to 1/8000th, and the flashes just automatically switch into and out of HSS sync as needed. In practice, anything beyond 1/1500th sec is a real challenge to the output of a single flash, so if you need to reduce ambient light that much then more powerful strobes will be needed. The RQ250 may provide just that ..... link

If you're thinking of an OEM infrared wireless controller like Nikon or Canon, or an in-built radio control system such as you get with Canons Pro DSLRs and their Radio 'Speedlite', then I've said it before, I wonder who the heck would cough up the money for it all ?? Most posts you see over at Pentax Forums from those starting out are looking for the cheapest option they can get! The most popular P-TTL flash now must surely be the ultra budget Yongnuo model ..... Most people won't pay for a Pentax AF540-FGZII, which lets face it, for many people would be their best choice. Its hard to imagine there being a big enough market for that sort of stuff that Nikon and Canon put out.

Regarding the built-in flashes, I think Ricoh probably see the Optical Wireless system as a simple convenience for those who are only dabbling in it, and that the serious flash shooters will be using radio systems ..... that's why they weren't worried about removing the built-in flash from the flagship cameras.