Love that photo, thats what i understand Bokeh to be. Blurry blobby distracting backgrounds are just sloppy, whether they are smooth or hexagonal. Bokeh plays a part in the overall shot rather than highlighting the focal point. It allows you to create an out of focus element which compliments, or as this does adds to a pose. It aint new, just yet another 'word of the month' to sell magazines and make critics sound knowlegeable.

My two local clubs use 500mmX400mm mounts. cutouts can be any size that fits within these. One new idea was to create place for collages and tryptics (you know what i mean) these were to be limited to OA board size. Don't think ENprints (non manipulated)can be bigger than A4 and must be unmounted. Obviously PDI's are a way of allowing larger showings...
Thats just the UK for you, thought Americans loved everything BIGGER....ha ha

Hi HLB,
welcome to the forum. With the internet you have a huge knowledge bank at your disposal. Probably the best and worst of advice and millions of critics and fans. Digital Photography far exceeds anything ever achieved by film (not necessarily better, just more of it and greater capabilities for more people). Use caution....books were peer reviewed and faults corrected before print....that doesn't happen on most sites.

advise: read lots, practice lots and have fun first,last and always...Heck. you don't need a new career.

hope to see some pictures

You say you want tighter better shots of landscape and hobby photo's of the grandkids. Your camera will do this, you just need to understand what you want to shoot first and set up for it. OR how to post process your pictures to get the best out of them. Throwing lots of money at cameras isn't a shortcut to learning how to take a pleasing photograph. If you've only had the camera for a year, I suggest IMHO you haven't yet appreciated the full range of its capabilities or your own skill levels. Landscapes and portraits are two entirely different fields. You need to work them in different ways. You cannot put a better light onto a landscape in the same way that you can in a studio. There are few tools that will do that. Spend your money on the grandkids and they may pose better for you or put make-up on or wear props to give you some better ideas. Explore more landscape pictures and see how they are achieved beyond the camera and lens used. Try new techniques to open up possibilities that will train your eye/mind to seeing rather than looking. Its more exciting to push your camera and your mind, than simply blame the tools and throw good money after bad. Probably, you will need to buy something, the difference will be that you will know exactly what you need and what is out there. If you've ever listened to a photographer describe how he took a particular shot, he usually tells an exciting tale about the difficulties he experienced. The lousy weather, biting insects angry crowds etc....He will never say "Oh just paid $7000 turned around and 'Click' Best money I ever spent"

Hi DJLEN,
welcome to the forum.
Kit Lenses - at least you didn't ask "what settings to use".
Everyone here has a favorite lens, some even have different lenses for different shots ! some pay peanuts and some pay thousands. point is, does the glass do the work or do you..
will shooting with a lens costing thousands really make that much of a difference to what and how you take pictures? Or do you just delude yourself to justify paying that much. Its a bit like thinking,"if I follow the instructions to the letter, National Geographic will publish it?" well that depends on fair winds etc.
You will have happy people encouraging you because you bought Nikon, others saying you should go full frame. Think about the box brownie...it was a revolutionary camera. every one since has been a major improvement on it and would have been the best of its time : if only the experts could agree.
I worked 30 years as a chef..used blunt knives and sharp knives, tinsey weeny ones and cleavers (axes)-didn't really effect the taste of the final dish!!! Still had thousands more happy customers than complaining ones. Go have fun...

Look at SRBgriturn.co.uk These do all sorts of lense rings, converters and fittings. Dealt with them several times and always been pleased. Alternative to Nikonian - mount lense front to front and get supermicro shots. Hope this helps..

Hi Greymule,
most books I've read and photoshop tips suggest sharpening as the last action before save. I'd go with the majority till you know the occasions not to. (if there are any). To add to Roberts list - you can make a new copy layer convert to black and white then play with opacity to get a sharper looking image without adding artifact.

The best camera WILL be one that: records whats in your mind before your fingers mess it up and sends it to print before you changed your mind.

It won't be made by Microsoft - they keep asking "Are you sure?"

Hi Nancy,
good camera - one that does everything you want it to/will want to. NB it isn't made yet. You can't afford it and , importantly the camera isn't the be all and end all.
Good Photo - One that you enjoy so much that it hangs where you can see it every day.
Sony Alpha 230 Bought to learn with - at a price I could afford
Canon EOS 450d Bought because 'more things work'.- ditto.
Fujifilm F80EXR Bought because it fits in my pocket every day and takes great family snaps in restaurants without filling the table...(and it doesn't ring and interupt me)
Favourite setting - Aperture priority (or P get out of jail free)
Favourite shot - the ones at the top of this list et al ( and so forth) I'm still shooting them for me but you might not like them.

Bruce, you've got in one. English as a language is defined by the country it is spoken in. spelling and coloqualisms vary across the pond and over the equator. When people write, it is easily recognised where they are from. grrrr US spell checker.Can that be seen in photographs as easily as in art?

Thanks to all who have been posting, I think its fairly obvious that location creates certain over-riding differences - I've shot in Switzerland and Egypt and got colour castes, shades and tones unlike anywhere in the UK. Fashion is cultural, whether photographed or worn, It can also be quite a small market - 'the cut' transfer's often easier than the colours. We do get clear sky and I know some places where with ingenuity I could replicate an almost desert like landscape (probably starting in macro !)For those who regularly put their pictures up for review whether at a club or for sale or competition you KNOW what is expected. peer review has local rules and trends. What is IN and what is OUT is in a small pond - and I think that is one of my points..The Internet allows you to fish in a bigger pond. Will selling to a bigger audience clear out some of those unwanted shots that have been sitting on a shelf, and, which other similar types of stock shot would be appropriate to push there as well.can that be defined and is it useful
Viva la difference...v...my way of course..but we cook 'french'cuban'baju'italian and burgers...what defines this in food is quantifiable. In Photography how do we capture the essence of that style without repeating others and putting our tripod in the same three holes. we copy 'the masters' how do we progress that in our own time/way. Thats another question. As has been said we can now digitally image in the same way that sound can be digitally mixed .Disney is very good at creating symbolism in music to put characters in place or time. does this transfer successfully in to photographs - yes we can all stand under the Eiffel tower by cutting and pasting But quintessentially 'France' in a London shot....? Its a thought...Finally What is your 'cultural identity' and how do you define this in your style. hope this topic gives you thought and was enjoyable. Cheers George...

Look at your exposure and then turn AE off. dont forget to put it back on again......or in post processing look at the first exposure value (number) and set 2,3 etc to the same value. you should notice a slight difference between 1 and 3 but the stitch lines should be less noticeable .

good shot all the same

Hi Jerry.

So you think clearly cultural (or commercial). Interesting.

Hi Judy.

I don't think its 'wrong' per sec more like the old Kodack/Agfa preference. When most of the Photo's we saw were semi proffessional and pre-judged for acceptability, photographers would use the film and processing to get 'the look' for a particular outlet. Now most photo's available to us are non-judged and freely posted. Is a cultural difference becoming apparent? I think that is what I was asking.

Having looked at the photo gallery for quite a while, I find that a lot of pictures have quite saturated colours. I appreciate some are HDR. My questions are (as a Brit) is this what hot sunshine looks like or is your it clearer air reflecting light better ( both of which is often missing here) or is it cultural differences. Is British reserve reflected in the way we "see life" as opposed to how Americans and Australians view things. As there seems to be a world wide membership, what are your views. As the web has created a worldwide audience for photographs do we need to modify some prints to suit particular audiences. Are we 'missing a trick'.