As we're posting examples...

I felt pretty much as you did, John towards my 10-17. Until it was the only lens I took out one day in a determined effort to make it work - must have done something right as one of the images I took on that day made it to Photokina 2012...

Having said all that, I've not used it since!

Firstly - there isn't a "not sure" option in the poll, so I've not voted.

Here's why: I think effects have their place and in the right environment with the right subject matter they can work wonders - but many of the effects I see used are applied far too heavily or are just a "button press" that converts the whole image, not just a portion of it. Personally, I don't use them (very rarely use PS, tend to get all I need from LR) but I can appreciate that others are different.

There are a couple of sites dedicated to "Urbex" types, there was one fairly well documented climb of the Blackpool tower a couple of years back, under the cover of darkness and avoiding detection - also people doing things like climbing up cranes for shots.

Me? I've been over the side of a waterfall with a K5 whilst attached to a truck just to get a shot or two in remotest Mongolia, but you would not catch me doing either of the above...

In theory you should only need the catalogue for LR to function post-catastrophe, so making a backup of that is pretty much a day-1 practice but;

1. I've never put it to the test and
2. I back up everything in the chain, so all I have to restore is the LR shell program then import the catalogue back in to put me where I was. I know that is probably going too far for most people, though.

LR should ask you each week about backing up - mine does. The directory you want to hang onto is the one that you export your post-LR files to - I've kept mine as the default "untitled export". This, the catalog and the RAW files are all contained in a RAID array.

Herself was taking about us going over there for a short break in late summer - if they are that draconian I think I'll suggest somewhere less officious - Beirut, perhaps?

Sound advice.

I wonder how long it will be before a bunch of English lads out there on a bender/stag weekend get told to stop taking pics then get all belligerent and become guests of the Rendőrség?

C/Us of the WWII memorial on Embankment. Not sure what (if anything) I'm trying to achieve, but do feel free to chip in...

These were taken late afternoon on Good Friday last year. I didn't intend to do anything serious with the camera, so they are all freehand...