Started with Poser, never got any good with it - not as much as I wanted, anyway. Photography has been my dream since I was a kid. Not enough time for renders, too. :-)

I like that! :-D

Something from the woods, please.

Thank you all, guys. All images are fantastic. It was fun! :-D

Wow! Zollster, what a great idea! Excellent!

Very interesting! I forgot to mention this is a photo of my son. Your work seems to be suggesting he may have a dark side to him... hmmm... :-D

1st - 10
2nd - 38
3rd - 39

Tough choice! :-D

Something's apparently not working well with the ebots. For the last week or so I haven't been notified of all my favorite artists' works and it seems I'm getting less and less of them as days go by...

LMAO!

I think the system here is set so that you get a notification of a first unread post. Therefore yes, just by reading a thread you probably prompt it because each new post will the be "unread" for you.

I don't think you need to uncheck every separate thread, though. If the link in the email doesn't work, try this:

That's a tough one...

I like it. Simple layout and attractive photos. I don't find white background particularly enticing but this is just me. :-D

Uhm... I live in Poland. I just went and checked online. The E-500 is only available in one online shop and the price difference between that and E-510 may be adequate to $20 so I doubt I could buy anything that useful for it. LOL!

Incindetally, it's interesting how different opportunites we are having here. I would have thought the prices were more universal... OTOH the price of only E-510 here varies as much as over $300 depending on a shop offering the exact same kit (already checked: the same lenses). The $20 is the difference between the only available E-500 and an average E-510. Whatever I decide, I'm not going for the cheapest offer anyway, in fear of bogus.

I agree with simple. I like my Gallery on a friend's website. It's a ready-made software he's using with customizable options, I think. I can ask around if you're interested. He's bovi at Renderosity and the gallery is here.

Again, thanks for all the help. Gradient, my problem is, I'm interested in detail but it does not necessarily mean macro exclusively. Sometimes it's a tree, sometimes a cloud in the sky... Macro will probably be my main goal for some time but i'm not married to it. :-D

I don't think I took your post the wrong way. I'm not getting rid of my Premier, either. I'm still having a lot of fun with it and it may be useful for many shots in the future. I just get frustrated I cannot get it to focus on a spider on the web, for example. And, since money is not the issue (up to a certain amount, obviously), I thought I'd rather go for DSLR than a better digital because it's more flexible. And thanks for the wishes.

LOL! girsempa!  I just got back from a shop where I was to actually take a closer look at E-410 and left disappointed. You know what? That dinx that's used to fasten the strap is mounted exactly where I need to put my middle finger while holding the camera. And it's prety sharp, too. Very uncomfortable. :-( On our way back home my dad suggested I take a look at E-510. I sit at the computer, this thread is obviously the first place I check and... LOL! Your post is sitting there. Sure, I'll try it on Wednesday. It's only slightly more expensive than 410 and that thingy is mounted on top so it's not an issue. I also realize the kit lenses are good. They will sure be enough for me for some time so I'm still thinking Olympus.

You guys are terrific. I'll let you know!**
**

Thanks for the link, Mark. Yup, I've seen it - actually, it's where I initially started my research. However, I value personal opinions of people whose work I know (and admire) far more than any anonymous website. :-)

And, Gradient, that's a very helpful post, too. Are you telling me that you're taking those wonderful insect macros with a non-SLR?! Anyway, I guess I'm ready to explore photography a little beyond auto-focus, auto-shutter and auto-everything. :-) I also have a pretty new computer and the huge files are not going to cause problems. But it was very thoughtful of you to mention it.

Yeah, I realize it's just the first investment. I plan on building the equipment over time. LOL! I think I'll go with Tom's recommendation and, provided the camera suits me, I'll pick the Olympus. The PSP version I'm using has the option of opening raw files so I'm assuming it's capable of dealing with them.

Thank you very much for all the help. It's still going to be about a month before I can actually put my hands on the new toy but I'll let you know! :-D

marka