Primary Known Issues with the Beta:

◾Lightroom 5 beta is not complete but please provide feedback on the available enhancements.
◾Lightroom 5 beta will not upgrade Lightroom 1.x, Lightroom 2.x, Lightroom 3.x, or Lightroom 4.x catalogs. The beta is intended to be used for testing and feedback purposes. Lightroom 1.x, 2.x, 3.x , 4.x and 5 beta libraries will be able to be migrated to the finished version of Lightroom 5.
◾While data loss is not expected, this is an early ‘beta’ quality build and you should always work on duplicates of files that are securely backed up.
◾Lightroom 5 beta will not overwrite or interfere with a machine that currently has Lightroom 1, Lightroom 2, Lightroom 3, or Lightroom 4 installed.
◾Develop settings applied in Lightroom 5 beta are not guaranteed to transfer correctly to the final version of Lightroom 5
◾The Lightroom 5 beta will expire after Lightroom 5.0 is available

Riverlass - you probably know that your Benro is rated to handle up to 26.4 lbs. so that should not be a problem with your Sigma lens and camera. Have fun!!

I have a Benro A1691T (slightly smaller specs than your A2691T) and I have been very happy with it. It just fits perfectly lengthwise in my 24" suitcase, that's why I bought it. It will also fit diagonally in my 22" carry-on if necessary. You may find that with the added length dimension of the 2691T (17.7" vs. 17.1" ), yours may be a tight fit lengthwise in a 24" suitcase and you may have to go diagonally. I doubt that it will fit in a 22" carry-on unless you remove the ball head. Weight-wise yours is 4.6 lbs vs. 3.7 on the 1691T. In any event, I think you will be happy with the Benro.

I will take a look at your flickr site. thanks for the link. And thanks for the observation on the text color. It shows up white on black when I view on my PC, laptop, and iPad. Don't know why you are seeing it in gray. I'll try to experiment with different colors to see what happens.

We spent about 5 hours in Dresden last fall while passing through the city on a 12 day trip through Central Europe. As you said, it's a fabulous city and I wish we could have spent more time there. I managed to get a few photos however which you can see on my website at http://nmwood.zenfolio.com. Scroll to the Featured Galleries and Collections section to view them.

Fun photos! Thanks for sharing.

Nat - Adobe has some excellent free tutorials on LR. Try this for some good information: http://blogs.adobe.com/jkost/lightroom-training-videos. Good luck on your learning journey.

Great blue for sure.....

Thank you all for your comments...

And how about UR?? Hah!!

Good eye, David. I didn't notice her when I composed this otherwise I probably would have altered the composition or f-stop a little to keep her out of the picture.

Just a few shots taken at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Nothing particularly spectacular. Just wanted to share,

Welcome! I'm sure you will find the advice you need on UHH as you explore the site more and more. Enjoy the trip!!

I have been using Zenfolio for over 2 years and am very happy with it. A pro photographer friend is a fan of Smugmug. Either one would be a good choice I think for what you want to do. You can free trial Zenfolio for 2 weeks before deciding what level of support you need. It currently costs between US $30 - $250 depending on your needs. I suspect Smugmug also has a free trial. Good luck.

Like many, I rarely use the video function on my Canon 7D. I will shoot short vids from time to time, but I prefer to keep my CF cards open for photos rather than filling them up with video. I know, cards are cheap.