Thanks for all the help everyone, I shall have a go soon.

Can anyone give me a general explanation to the benefits of HDR and what software do I need? I have Silkypix on trial for the moment and I like it. Can I use it for HDR?
I have found some software online called HDRsoft, is this any good?

Thanks,
Rob

NASA already know it was there!
Since I've had it (actually it's the second one I've had, see "New lens arrives" in Pentax lenses), it's hardly been off my camera. BUT the autofocus on my camera hates it! It will nearly always front focus and I only use manual focus now with this lens. Even then I have to be very careful, which is hard to reckon on such a short focal length. Having said that, I LOVE this lens. It does great portraits too:



Very flattering I'm sure you agree.
Seriously though it does focus quite sharply at close distances.
That is not be my the way, I'm far uglier!
Rob

I think cropping the foreground is a good idea, but I want to keep the big sky, especially that cloud at the top. It looks a bit like a flying saucer

Sigma 10-20mm @ 20mm

If you put some snow on glass you can try backlighting them.

Yes f8 and we have had some brilliant weather. Do you find that blue skies in winter are so much deeper and richer than in summer?

Thanks,
The Tamron is very sharp indeed, but the out of focus parts of the pic can produce "donuts". Look in the background of this and you will see what I mean! That's my friend trying to find out why his flash keeps popping up on the sunniest day of the year when he is pointing the camera at the sun!
Well, look what it is, a 4/3 Olympus. Try and get them printed at the local shop without cropping or lots of white space at each side.

This little fellow was singing away all afternoon. I didn't have time to shift the tripod to avoid the reflection from the aerial!
Tamron 500mm mirror

Who ate who?