Cheers for the reassurance Criss, I'm glad you mentioned the Tulip shape, that's what I had in mind, but will definitely get the flat now, and go with the 300 mm,
as you mentioned its all about having fun trying and doing, with the hope to become better with time and experience, and of course,
reading the fantastic 'How to' guides provided by yourself and others on this site is a huge foot up the ladder for all learning.
and even better with the banter along the way! I must remember some cloth too, thats sounds a great idea, but also like the sound of the rubber hood,
so I'll see if can get both and give em a go.
Thanks again Criss, and all others that share there images and techniques on the forum.
I'd still say/bet you pro's would produce better images with a cheap disposable, than most newbies with a DSLR.