Okay - I arrived at this site thanks to an invite from an old friend at the beginning of June 2007 as pretty much a beginner with digital photography. I used to play about with a secondhand Nikon FE in my teens and shamefully have hardly used it since. So I'm not a complete novice, but I've got a lot of catching up to do, and always welcome constructive criticism. Oh, and I've now got the urge to forget my finances and invest in a DSLR to compliment my compact...

I particularly enjoy photographing details, be it texture, colour or pattern, but plan on having an occasional go at most subjects. I'm pretty weak with landscape work and B&W, but occasionally have a try.

I've not currently got the interest in Photoshop to invest time in learning it - so apart from the occasional light crop and a tweak of contrast or saturation, I don't do a lot of post processing. I'm semi self-critical of my work, so whilst you don't see my worst I tend to upload most of what I take.

I try and give my contacts the attention they deserve, but life sometimes gets busy...

I've recently started helping out (along with imtulips) Omsel group owner of the Cartel Groups with admin, which is quite a task. If you're serious about colour - do check them out:

Cartel Central Villa

This group is home base of the Cartel Colour network.

We currently have 27 groups and urge you to explore them. All Cartel groups suggest you comment on one pic for each one posted.

Color - Generic colour groups, group name being the dominant colour/theme.

Green

Blue

Red

Yellow

Orange

Violet

Things Pink

Teal Aqua Turquoise Emerald

White Cream Pearl

Colour - The "OR " groups. 2 and 3 specific colour combinations allowing only the colours of group name in any combination.... absolutly no other colours allowed.

Double Colour "OR" Groups ( one image to one group only)

Yellow or Green

Orange or Yellow

Orange or Green

Blue or Red

Tri Colour Groups

Red or Yellow or Green

Blue or Yellow or Green

Yellow or Red or Blue Primary

Orange or Blue or Red

Colour Cartel - main group and specialty groups....read rules carefully

Any Colour You Like Colour Cartel Headquarters

Any Lovely Flower ( No Manmade Objects)....pure flower photography with no reference to man in any way.

Photo Natural 50,000 BC Primordial Earth, nature... no reference to man or his creations in any way is allowed.

Weeds and Wildflowers Weeds and naturaly occuring flowers.

ONE Colour Cartel Mono toned images . Many shades but only one definable colour.

Pastel Cafe Soft Colours, Dreamy, Pastel and Fine Art

Photo Graphic Cartel Graphic Photography. The creations of man minus any biologicals. Not even a leaf is allowed in here.

Anything But Flowers Similar to Photo Graphic but trees etc are accepted, flowers are the only exclusion from this group...its a flower free zone

The Omsel Collection ....... A sampler of our best images. Stuff i notice while checking Cartel operations in the various groups. A painting of the paintings. More a collection than an active group, art for art sake. We urge you to sit back and watch the slideshow.

Trashy Colours ( Trashlicious ) ... you removed the lens cap and kinda aimed the cam. You spent hours pumping the saturation button trying to get it just right. After 4 weeks and 2 comments complaining of eye injury...this may be a home for that pic.