Dogs just wanna have fun!

Dogs are such characters and can teach us a lot about looking on the bright side of life. They never think it's too early to go for walk, or too late. They're always eager to please, they're eternal optimists and no stick is ever too big - they love a challenge!

These are a couple of shots of our dog Tara, taken on a recent trip to the West Coast of Scotland......

Tara's never happier than on a forest walk with lots of mud and with the added bonus of a sandy beach, but it can be hard work keeping her still long enough to be photographed. No wonder they say you should never work with children and animals.

Master Photographer of the Year Awards

Last weekend Janet and I were in our best bib and tucker at the MPA Awards at the Hilton Hotel in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We had a great time meeting up with old friends and I can now officially claim to be a finalist in the awards and an Award of Excellence winner in the Under 5s! Winner of the Under 5s category though (and also the Portrait category), was last year's Master Photographer of the Year Lisa Visser from West Sussex, with two beautiful images from her successful 2009 fellowship panel.

Well done to Lisa and to all of the other category winners. You can view the winning images at http://www.thempa.com/

Hopefully we'll be there again next year....