If it was Oz then I really hope that Pentax come up with a new innovative camera feature for the successor to the K3 - a user-controllable 180deg auto-rotate function for use in the southern hemisphere - I think would be a market winner!

They might also add an extra processing feature - auto-edge-of-face-fill-in

Now a 12mm walkaround for landscapes would be challenging! I would benefit from seeing some results of that, as it would really make you think hard about foreground interest.

I'm a fan of a prime for wide - angle (I use a 14mm) - I think its good to have to move to frame, and I felt when looking to buy that there were IQ compromises in the zooms that were within the same budget.

Jim, it may be something similiar to bands in clear blue skies I get when making the smaller JPEGs for the web - they disappear on files bigger than about 1.5mb. I'm not actually seeing it myself though here. Ralph, well done with this, and it's fantastic to have the detailed description of the setup for those of us who are new to this type of thing. I think the refection on the bottom makes it special.

Yes, great 1st one there! Its the light all right I agree you spent far too long on those birds, I mean why would you want to take pictures of any living thing other than the nearest & dearest! - or even look at another living thing when out with nearest & dearest

You're right Gareth, that is the clear message. Luckily I did also have the telezoom in action that eveneing as well, and there are plenty more shots in the bag to come. The time of day was certainly into the 'golden hour' - most of these were taken at about 7pm. In April here I am starting to lose the light after that.

Rob, Andrew & Andrew, (and all the others earlier as well) thanks again for the thoughtful and helpful advice, which I have taken on board & will absolutely be trying hard to apply in future ...

Now then, this is all coming together .... I think I've got it all now... so I need to start with 2 cowslips in the near foreground, off centre of course, then the main point of interest, say a sign pointing to the nearest public toilets, or maybe a dog walkers pooper bin .... then I'll have the hills in the background (that would be the woods not the trees), then I need to decide on the optimum aperture for the best hyperfocal distance between the cowslips & pooper bin, set the best apertures (most likely f13 before diffraction kicks in), set the correct exposure correction (probably -1.7 stops)to just make sure that no yellow colour noise creeps into the blacks under the woods in the distance, and make sure with all this that I keep using the left side of my brain only - or was it right? - never mind, that should have it nailed .... there ... I'm finally getting to grips with all the artistic side of it!

Andrew, that is fantastic - you have given me some great ides of things to focus on (points of interest) for my next series of images from the north Surrey / South Croydon borders!

That has certainly given it a 'boost' - it has increased the difference between the ground and sky. I'm not sure if this is better, as the field now seems quite brightly sunlit - but there's no obvious source of sunlight poking through the clouds, so it looks a bit artificial IMO. Perhaps a compensatory brightening to the sky is also needed?

Both the Samyang 14mm f2.8 and 85mm f1.8 are highly regarded, and are 'full' image circle. They recently introduced a 24mm tilt/shift for Pentax, which I am sure will tempt quite a few of us - once FF comes

On the contrary, the truth is I'm delighted to hear those remarks about the technical quality - that does mean a lot! Maybe that is saying something about my priorites? I reiterate, I do understand those 3 essential ingredients I identified earlier - maybe my personal weighting of the technical / artistic is different to others?

Myabe its all about the standards we apply as well? I've said before, I wasn't putting the shots in for 'Landscape Photographer of the Year' or anything - I am realistic enough about that. My shots are here for us, to generate interesting comment, and again they appear to be be succeeding in that. But the context of the presentation is significant as well - maybe if I had put them on Facebook I'd be getting a few more 'likes'

Let me ask a question ... I understand that the shots are being judged against high quality standards in landscape photography, that we see on here so much from Pentax shooters. Say for example I had been commissioned by, say, the 'Kenley & Caterham Promotion Council', to photograph the countryside for a local magazine illustrating the pleasures on offer for leisure & dog walkers if they buy in the area. Does that change our assessment of their effectiveness? - you've said they're technically good so I guess they'd print up nicely - does giving them a more limited purpose, a specific role to fullfill, add more weight to them than if they are asked to stand alone against the sort of images that fill up coffee table books of great landscape images?