Nice Photos.

Course there's point 'n' shoots & point 'n' shoots right?

I also strongly believe that the person behind the camera (and PP) has a fair amount to do with the image produced...It certainly seems to me that some people have more of an 'eye' than others but I think also the more pictures I take, the hit rate of gooduns goes up, so lots of experience helps. And over the last 18-24 months, through which my interest has increased after waning a little in the early digital years, I think my comfort zone is now much wider.

And practice with any particular equipment helps. Some things I find an instant hit like my Tokina 11-16 lens or the Nikon FE2. However, only now am I getting decent pics from the X100 and the Canon 70-200 f4, both pieces of kit much lauded but which left me underwhelmed initially.

I think if you gave a novice (with little practical experience of composing pictures) either of your Leicas, a 40/7D or an X100, then even on auto mode while decent pictures are bound to come up, the hit rate would be quite low.

So credit the photographer.

Local church & manor house  -

Sunrise over my neighbour's place - 

Thanks Jamie - I agree about pics looking much better on Flickr than they do on this thread, which is why I always supply a link...

I agree Tony - the little Leica P&S I used for the photo above was a rebadged Panasonic but with its own firmware - the menu is pretty simple. When I got the M9, I was blown away by how minimal the menu was, compared to cameras like the 5D Mk II, the D700/0 et al - none of which  could get on with, as they were a massive faff to use. Compared to those cameras, the M9 is a joy to use: all the main settings - focus, aperture, shutter speed ISO etc you set manually without even having to look at the menu.

Nice photo Tony. 

Another Scotney pic - click on the image to view in better quality

I've been patiently trying to photograph a lovely Green Woodpecker who's been industrially mining our lawn for ants. I just couldn't get close enough, so this was the best I could do -

Our gears home from Old Sarum, it was a little misty this AM.

Some lovely photos - 

http://www.theatlantic.com/inf...contest-2011/100187/

Tony, many (most) are utterly astonishing. Thanks for the share, you've made my day!

Yes, incredible. In these days of endless crappy youtube videos, quality photographs still rule. I'd love to see an exhibition, rather than just browse on the computer, though.

I used to go to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum each year when I lived in the UK. Recommended.

I call it 'Soft & Fluffy'

Dead Snowman

Astonishingly brilliant

Makes you want to travel!

Heavens above

Whatever happened to the brave new world..?

Not bad from a 100% crop...

Spring seemed to be in the air today...A cold spring mind

Click on the pic to see a larger version:

Metal Millipede -

Who was on the receiving end of the contents?

Nice sunset tonight