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Thanks Roland! You know I think they are a regional group for the Photographic Society of America. I know they have monthly contests and speakers too. I guess it would be a group you'd want to join if you wanted your photos critiqued and reviewed so as to learn to improve. Not sure that's what I want to do, but I think I'll check it out and see what they're all about.

Just thought I'd share a bit of interesting (photographic) news with the group, as well as ask a question. I received an email last night notifying me that my entry into the Photographic Society of Northwest had won the 'Travel' category of the 8th Annual Fall Fair Contest. While I'm not big on contests, photographic or otherwise (this is my first time to even enter a photography contest), nevertheless I am pleased. I'm also thinking about joining this organization in January. Is anyone on this board a current member of the PSNWA? It seems like a neat organization and was just curious if others could tell me more about it. Thanks in advance. Below is my entry. It, along with the winners from the 13 other categories will be displayed at the Benton County Fair in a couple of weeks.

I got it back in 2001 (bought myself a divorce gift to get my mind off the entire ordeal...haha) from a company called Blarckbear Pontoons. They are still in business but they no longer make boats. They specialize in rods and accessories I think. It's been a great boat (18" tubes so only your ankles are in the water and not your entire leg). There's another company you might check out. They make whitewater pontoon boats but they do have a fly fishing model. They are pricey just to give you a heads up. Here's the link.... Jack's Plastic Weilding Inc. And Terry, my imaging software is Photoshop CS3...

Yes, this in the "No bait Zone" of Beaver tailwater, as zhoyt rightly observed. Very tough day due to the intense sunlight.

A friend of mine shot these while I attempted (in vain) to catch a trout...

Oh yeah...the real trick is to do it in the right order.

Just about 100 yards down from the boat ramp just below the dam on Beaver tailwater.

Not too much. It was a high contrast situation (dark under the rock, bright on the outer portions). So I lightened up the darker areas and then warmed the entire photo up a bit. And yes, the first 2 shots are on the Butterfield trail at Devil's Den. In particular, it's at Vista Point. Very cool place.

Summer hiking is tough with all the heat, but the scenery sure is interesting!

Drifted down Beaver Wednesday with my buddy Mark from Cabot,AR. In a word, it was slow fishing, even around the 7 AM in the morning. The fish were hunkered down pretty good. We were primarily nymph fishing about 3 ft. under the surface using midges, mostly the Cadion midge (blue). With the heat and direct sunlight, the fish were not all that active but this fly seemed to produce the best results for us. I also used my 5 wt. rod to throw a wooley bugger which also produced a few fish as well. On a scale of 1 - 10, I'd give the day about a 6, maybe a 6.5. I expect about the same for this weekend.

Wow, neat! Wonderful landscape.

Check this one out: Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof Digital Camera - 10 Megapixel, 4x Optical Zoom, Dustproof, Coldproof, 2.5" LCD, Silver

Okay boys and girls, if you love photography as much as me and are in the market to get yourself a new toy, check out the Pentax K-7. It's in pre-order right now. Not sure when it will be in stores. Here are some links so you can read up and see if this might be the system for you. As far as price, I'm guessing around $1500 maybe. A really cool thing is that it's compatible with every lens EVER produced by Pentax. I got a lens that goes back to 1974 and it rocks! Chasing Light Pentax Site RiceHigh's Blog

That's true, there's not a whole lot of users in the US, but if you look at the world wide market it's a more popular brand. They have started to make some moves in the DSLR market in the last few years (K10, K20, and this starting tomorrow, the K7, which is rumored to be akin to the D300, if not better). Moreover, Pentax makes, hands down, some of the best prime lenses out there. I've heard this from both Cannon and Nikon users. My 50mm, 1.4 prime (which my dad purchased in 1974) might be the sharpest lens in my bag. Give them a serious look if you're new to dslrs.

Good eye Geoff! Indeed, they are HDR shots. It's different but fun to do. Puts the world in a different light, no pun intended...haha. Yes, the church was shot with a fisheye, 10mm. As far as my camera, just read my signature line and it will tell you everything! Glad you liked them.

hahaha.....

The lake is already at 1127....last summer all over again?? Boy I hope not!

Eden Falls (on the Lost Valley Trail off Hwy. 43 between Boxley and Ponca) is in Newton Co. Sweden Falls is between Kingston and Boxley off hwy. 21 right on the Madison/Newton Co. line (actually just inside the Madison Co line). It's a son of a gun to hike into right now because of the ice storm. Trees down everywhere. Be very careful, it's a haven for snakes this time of year.

This is why I always carry my camera....

Terry, they were all shot on a tripod in blub mode with a wireless remote for about a third to maybe half a second. Due to the high contrast between the sky above the falls and the dark shadows below, getting a proper exposure was just plain tough. I'm really not altogether happy with these but they're still cool enough to share with the group.

In south western newton county arkansas.

Very cool waterfall, but a pain to get to due to the ice storm this year.

What a Cold Front looks like...