cat

penalty shootout here in case anyone hasn't posted it already!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3410tO6clwE

gone quiet in here - still waiting for the sun I guess!

Cracking game - Brad was on fire!

More on the blog, click the link if you're interested

always interested - very nice!

couple from Fairford today

La Roux - Bulletproof

Went to the Banksy exhibition in Bristol yesterday - absolutely fantastic! Anyone else been yet? Going to have to go back as I missed loads of stuff - place was heaving!!!!!

more here

You'll find cats (previous) won't set you back a lot at all. In fact her photos are even more impressive by the fact she doesn't use the most expensive gear. It's the skill that counts there!

edit.. she's gone and ruined it by buying an olympus!

You can do it on a budget but once you start buying camera gear you can't stop.. it soon becomes an addiction... you stop going on holiday, cut back on the beer, wear last seasons shirt and spend hours on the internet covetting the next must have lens...

I started with a Canon Powershot A60 decided I wanted more control so bought a Canon S2. Learnt to use manual settings on that and bought a Raynox DCR-250 macro lens to stack on top. On my flickr page almost all of my macro stuff was taken with the S2 and the Raynox. When an Olympus e500 appeared on a bargain forum I took the plunge to DSLR, cost me £180 with a kit lens. Been generally happy with it but missed having liveview, a swivel LCD and multiple focal points. Have just purchased an Olympus e620 as it has all of those things but can still be used with all the lenses I purchased for the e500. The e620 body cost £500... you can see where this going right?

It really depends on where you are at at the moment. If you haven't used anything more than auto on a point and shoot I'd think twice about jumping straight to a DSLR. Not sure what Canons latest prosumer model is (my brother has the S3 but remember reading about an S5 a while back) but that's a good place to start, as would be one of the Panasonic cameras ( my brother-in-law uses a Panasonic FZ50). You get as much control as you want, or don't want, with those and don't have the added expense of lenses. Of course if you want to do macro then you'd need to add a Raynox to the bill but they are very cheap.

DSLR wise depends on your budget. Olympus make great quality kit lenses so if you are working to a budget I think they're a good choice. I always liked Canons but then that's what I started with so I got used to the menu system. Nikons I don't know much about but if your shooting in low light they are the best ( allegedly!)

Butterflys - needs to be overcast or 'grow' your own with one of those butterfly kits! Failing that try a butterfly farm.

Damselflys - I catch them as they emerge from my pond, they take ages to recover and stay really still.

Other thing I'd say is wear something low-key! I've never managed to photograph anything wearing red or yellow!

lol or as Bickster says use a zoom - prefer to get in close myself, all part of the fun!

Have been a very naughty girl... went and blew £500 on a new body - Olympus e620

My god I've missed a swivel LCD! Couldn't find a ruddy damselfly anywhere so had to settle for this little fellow... you watch the weather turn crap now I've got the bug again!

In Bruges is quite funny... at least the other half thought it was quite funny... I just drooled over Colin Farrell!

think that's a fab shot - love the movement

One from me - my damselflys have returned!

Wish I had the courage to do deserted places! Love http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/

I WAS brave enough to get on the floor and snap these earlier today though - neighbours thought I was mad! How cool are bees?!!

We seem to be a bit lacking in new pics guys! I'm swamped with Uni work until the end of May but will be back with a vengeance during the long summer holidays!

Thanks! I googled for a 1.8 and couldn't find one... not very clued up on Olympus lenses. Am toying with the idea of buying a new camera but think the other half would go ballistic... worried about spending a lot of money on Olympus lenses when I'm pretty sure at some point I'll want to go back to Canon....

I've had a quick look and can't see anything that is an exact fit in terms of focal length and speed. I looked here:

WHX

Their fast lenses are eye-wateringly expensive but that usually is the case.

thanks for that - but OUCH!

Thanks! I googled for a 1.8 and couldn't find one... not very clued up on Olympus lenses. Am toying with the idea of buying a new camera but think the other half would go ballistic... worried about spending a lot of money on Olympus lenses when I'm pretty sure at some point I'll want to go back to Canon....

My first attempt at a gig, Casino ( aka Spider Simpson ) @ Marrs Bar in Worcester last night..

Could anyone recommend a lens for this type of photography? Feel like treating myself and after last night have seriously got the bug! I'm using an Olympus e500 and for these just took my zuiko 40-150. Ta!

more here http://www.flickr.com/photos/23123614@N00/

Lucky devil! Looks like you had a great trip.

A few from the Le Mans Series at Silverstone yesterday. Anyone else go?

more here http://www.flickr.com/photos/23123614@N00/

Yep that's the one. I would certainly expect the manufacturer's tube to be better made I'm just not convinced that it's £130 better made!

I know you lose the auto focus with the copies but I don't use auto focus on macro work anyway. In fact the Raynox was very good practice

as I've become quite accustomed to just setting my focus and then rocking the camera backwards and forwards to nail it. Only concern is

obviously if they are so poorly made they damage the threads! Have seen a tube made out of a pringles tub so assume advanced technology

isn't needed! Will certainly try a 4/3 group - thank you!

After advice! I want to get closer - what's the cheapest way to do it?

This was taken with a Zuiko 35 mm Macro Lens and I bunged my Raynox DCR-250 on top

( for want of a better option!!! ) Still not close enough and ludicrously shallow DOF!!!

Would an extension tube do the trick? And if so does it need to be the official one

( £150 ) or will a copy do ( £8 ) it's just a tube right?

Just finished "The Devils" By Dostoyevsky, stunning read.

Next I'm moving Death and the Penguin, looks like a novel concept!

I loved Death and the Penguin - recommended it to a 'mate' and lent him my copy.. fecker ran off with it :evil:

I'm currently working my way through a load of 'kid lit'. I'm a librarian so am telling myself it's research!!! My 16 yr old forced me to read Darren Shan's Demonata series ( I'ld bought it for him one christmas knowing nothing other than the fact it was about Demons and popular! ) and am totally hooked!!! Have also been reading Applegate's Remnants series and a couple of books by Louis Lowry; The Giver and Gathering Blue. Children's literature has come a long way from the stuff I read as a kid! Am probably going to try a few graphic novels next, my kids ( 9, 11, & 16 ) are all hooked on the Bone series and nagging me to read them.

Gotta love the holidays that go with working in a school!

Shall keep my eyes open for Monarda - Thankyou!

Villapipers - No I didn't! Was under guarantee with Dell so sent it back and they just switched the drive! Lost everything.

Re Camera am using an Olympus E500 with Zuiko 35 mm macro lens. Not hugely keen on it tbh - felt I got better results with my Canon S2 and £15 Raynox DCR-250!

First digital camera I purchased I lost every photo when my HD crashed... at the time I was more bothered by the fact I'ld lost the two middle chapters of my dissertation - it was due in the next day!!!

You'ld think I'ld have learnt but I still only back-up very sporadically!!!!

A few from the garden - if any plant experts know of any good flowers to attract bugs feel free to share!!! I'm having a lot of luck with Liatris which bees and hover flys seem to adore. Butterflies are the bane of my life as at most I only get one shot off - really need a macro which doesn't require a nose distance to focus!!!

And this is the culprit who's been chewing our ruddy footy goal - had it in the garden one night and the next day the net was in bits!!!

A few from a performance of 'Forbidden' at Goodrich Castle. I know the selective desaturation thing is a tad cliched but I haven't used it before so figure I'm allowed!

I'm sorry but saying the previous versions of no 4 were worse doesn't make the final version good... looks like something my 9 yr old would cobble together in photoshop...

No. 1 for me - simple and classy.

I also voted for Holte Upper... because I can't be arsed holding it and I always sit in lower

I really liked Hummell, was a bit more retro and 'cool'. IMO Nike is up there with Ellesse and Kappa in the Chav stakes..

Having said that I do think the brand name hasn't helped shirt sales.. primarily because nowhere, outside of Brum, seemed to stock them!

Would have gone for Adidas had I been given the choice, strikes the right balance IMO.