hi there, the first two look great...particularly the first...must be the symmetrical framing. was told to leave one of the colleges in cambridge while taking the picture of the arches i posted earlier.

where exactly is "The abbey" azy? I was once stopped by an undercover police officer in a subway station in montreal. the guy threatened to give me a 200+ dollar fine, and told me to present some id or he'd take me to the station. I told him in kind ways to "f" off, and tore out my roll of film, and gave it to him, asked if that would be enough... he looked at me really funny, and I told him "FILM IS USELESS ONCE IT HITS LIGHT (murmur.. jackass)" and he said alright. later on I was told by a nicer cop that it was because of terrorist threats and the like. Well they ain't doing their job then cuz I've shot many a roll of film in the subways many a time...

The first two are beautiful....love the lighting on those. I also like the 3rd one the green is so rich looking, and that would be due to the overcast sky. So technically I don't think your sky is over-exposed. If you had exposed for the sky the grass would have been under-exposed. I'm not sure what type of filter, if any would help with this sort of situation, I'd be interested if anyone else can come up with something for this. Since I like to shoot on overcast or rainy days I often have the same problem.

Haughmond, Nr. Shrewsbury my home town The origins of Haughmond Abbey are unknown. The earliest surviving records date from the early 12th century, when it is known to have been established as a house of Augustinian canons. The site has good examples of a 12th century chapter house and a 14th century abbot's hall. Some of the chapter house arches are richly decorated with the figures of the Saints Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Beckett, Catherine, John the Evangelist, John the Baptist, Margaret of Antioch, Winefred and Michael.

did Margaret own the renowned "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch"....I lived in Antioch for 17 years.....Antioch Tennessee that is.... oh yeah, the first two shots are killer, the third ticks me off because I can't shoot worth a darn in those conditions either...

Great pictures. I was told that I could not have my camera in the local mall. If I did not leave, the camera would be taken. What gives with that???? --Randy R

Nice shots Azy, the only thing I can suggest for the third is a graduated filter - can't speak from experience though, coz I've never used them yet, but been reading a bit lately. As for access, well, it depends on how bad you want those photos, what you're gonna do with them and the circumstances of your 'being asked to leave' - if this was just because you had professional looking gear, a lot of places over here are getting touchy now about people making money from pictures coz they don't find out about it and don't make a cut. Buy a cheap 2nd hand slr that's old and basic, and stick to a standard lens, without a tripod if possible. That usually sends the signal your an amateur, especially if you seem like you're just snapping away at anything and everything. As you know they can't do sweet Fanny Adams if you're on publically accessible land, so tought titty there, but you do lose out on any shots inside the grounds. Finally, depending on your morals and how easy it is to get in, these early mornings are great for getting out for some fresh air.......real early. A few months back I had a similar dilemma with a castle. I wanted dawn shots of it, but you were supposed to pay a fee to go in the grounds. I jumped the gate, merely because there was no-one around to take the money, which of course I had available. Generally in that situation if anyone does catch you and you can't worm your way out of it, the police will just advise you that what you're doing isn't quite right and let you go on your way - the only time they bother is if you're causing damage. (That's if they can be bothered to attend at that time in the morning!) If your morals cause you to lose sleep at night over being "naughty", why not use your library to find the owners of the land (not just their little guard servant) and ask their permission, maybe offering a few pictures? Most people are proud of what they own, and are pleased to know someone is so interested in it. (",)

Nice shots, I love that second one.

Great shoots in I and II, as for #3, Ive had a large # of similar images. Last week, I had one of those DUH moments after shooting overexposed skies for several years. ND graduated filter. Now to find one, NDs (neutral density) + gradation, isnt something stocked by my usual pro shop. I suppose Ill special order it from them and give it a go. I like this shop, something about the Hello Mr. Salie, how are you? when I walk in the door impresses me, and this is Washington DC we are talking about. As for the other, two weeks ago I was asked not to use the Minolta D7 at a concert, this after having used it two weeks prior, at the same venue, same seat, and same type of concert without problem. So I said ok. Got one or two usable images out of 7 rolls of film with the backup point and click. They state that cameras Ok, but no Pro models. D7 pro? Ok whatever. Next week I get the Canon G2, at least it looks point and shoot.