New member/photographer!

-I know most people here, myself included unless I am really bored, won't make it word-for-word through this

whole post, so aside from just a "hi, my name is" post, I thought I would turn it into a discussion.

 

-Below, I describe the circumstances and reasoning as to why I want to photograph. It would be interesting to

hear what sparked other people's interest, whether it happened to be a class in college you thought you would

hate but loved, or a moment in your life where you realized what you wanted to do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I haven't yet begun photographing as an art, but it is something I have always desired (more so yearned) to do,

but haven't found the time to really get into it. Also, the technical side of photography has been somewhat

daunting.

 

My reason for finally taking the reins? Ten days ago I found out that my fiance of nearly two years cheated on

me a year and a half ago, with a wedding date planned for this November. There are, like any good novel, a

million twists and turns beyond just that... all of which I have grasped as a way to make me stronger.

 

So, I have decided to finally incorporate my three passions; that is digital graphic editing/creation, nature

(running/hiking/biking/enjoying), and travel. I tend to see the more "poetic" aspects of life, and I have always

wanted to capture that. I now have the time and money to do so. Rather than having to rely on others' photos to

unleash my creativity, it's time I make my own.

 

The only photography I have done is through being digital camera certified (through a very basic class) so that I

can take scene photographs for other officers (I am a police officer here in AZ). It's an awesome experience

because.. lets face it, if the department needs photos of something it is usually going to be interesting. In my

day to day job I experience the extremes of ugliness and beauty in humanity and life.

 

After I spend the next week or so researching equipment and techniques (and as much of everything else that I

can), I will dive in. So, until then I will probably post a lot of questions here on these boards while I am

getting started. Thanks for taking the time, I know these introduction types can be cheesy.

 

-Steve

Steven. Sorry for your reason for getting into photography. Mine was a pending first child. Good luck with your

new endeavor.

Welcome aboard Steve. Ask away. You will find a wealth of information here at PN. and many people willing to

share their knowledge. Also use the search function as you will be able to access multiple threads on most

basic topics.

 

As to your question. What sparked me back in my teens was the disappointment of borrowing a friends 35mm camera

to go on a canoeing trip. Upon arriving home and getting the film developed I discovered that all my photos

pretty much sucked. I had seen a lot of amazing scenery and had been enraptured by the wonders of nature and had

utterly failed to convey any of this on film. This set me off on a quest to find ways to express and convey the

world around me through what I hope is my own unique vision. 35 years later I am still working on it. I'm not

there yet but I have not given up either.

Thanks Paul, this whole experience is still new and painful, I am just glad that I can make it as positive as I

can. I probably wouldn't have been able to say the same 24 hours ago, but that's part of being a cop I

suppose... you have to be able to see the good in bad, or you will make yourself miserable.

 

On another note, I went through your portfolio and your children are adorable... "Soccer Girl" is awesome :)

<p>Gordon - thanks for the advice, it's nice to have a place to go to gain the perspective of so many different

people

and styles.<p>

 

<p>As far as your canoeing trip - imagine that feeling on a day to day basis! I take photos for the department that

I know say so much more about this world than people normally see. It's a shame they just get sent to evidence

and never "appreciated". Besides, there are very particular (for court admissibility) circumstances they must be

taken in.<p>

 

<p>Two things about your portfolio... I'm not sure if I am reading too far into a coincidence, but your B&W section

is titled White and Black... I cannot help but think that is a unique way of the way you see things... white

before the black, like a cup-half-full metaphor. Or, it could have no significance whatsoever. Whatever the

case is, from here on out it's White and Black for me....<p>

 

<p>Also, "Reflective self portrait" is an amazing

picture. Thanks for the inspiration!<p>

<p align=center><img alt="Reflective self portrait" title="Reflective self portrait"

src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6259718-sm.jpg" height=199 width=145 border=0

margin-bottom:5><p><p align=center><strong>"Reflective self portrait"</strong><p>

<p align=center><i>Gordon Bowbrick</i><p>

Kind of the same situation for me. After my breakup I moved from LA to Santa Cruz, Ca. Started photography/college/cycling and began a new life. Now 37years later I have 6 kids and 2 camera's and 1 spouse (the best). My son is trying to become a Police Officer.

Steven;

 

You are the first person to comment on the white & black and yes it is intended to address the glass half full

perspective as well as my generally contrary nature.

 

You would have a truly unique opportunity to photograph aspects of day to day life that we are not usually privy

to. An artistic perspective on the life of a policeman holds a wealth of opportunities.

 

Have you ever heard of Arnold Odermatt ? He was a Swiss policeman who took hundreds of photos while on the job

between 1948 and 1990, many of them B&W images of automobile accidents, which are very good. He has published

some books and his work has become very well known. Google his name if you're curious.

Welcome.. this new challenge will keep you busy and your mind off the other issues. I went down a similar road many many years ago and the ex got all the camera equipment.. Was a good excuse to buy all new stuff.. ha. Good Luck! Ken

My situtaion is much like Gordon's. I have always loved the outdoors, having grown up in interior British Columbia, Canada. I spent most of my younger years hiking, biking, boating, skiing in the mountains. I think I was 10 when I got my first film camera, and proceeded to take as many landscape and outdoor photographs as I could possibly take.. most crap of course, but some good ones, which motivated me to learn a bit about it. I also borrowed my dad's Pentax ME occassionally and attempted to take photographs with that as well.

 

I eventually moved to Calgary for college and photography took a backseat for a while, but I never lost my love for the outdoors, or for good landscape photography. Eventually I finished school, got married, and bought my first Digital camera. A crappy $100 3mp digital camera. But, I actually have some nice images from that camera, and I learnt a lot about the limitations of digital and started to learn photoshop.

 

soon after that I purchased a brand new Rebel XT to replace my aging Elan II and Pentax ME, and jumped into digital.

 

Now, here I am a few years later, $6000 invested in mostly professional gear shooting weddings, doing commercial shoots, family portraits and actor/actress headshots in my spare time.

 

Landscape and outdoor photography is still my passion, and why I got into this in the first place, and I doubt I will ever lose that.

Mine was turning 50, being given a point and shoot as a gift, and it sort of blossomed from there. I didn't become a

photographer/artist intentionally. It just sort of happened. I have tried my hand at several creative endeavors over the

years, but somehow the camera was a fit. It started out as a tool, much as Sontag sees it, to further my own voyeuristic

tendencies. It has matured into something more connected for me. Right now, it's a way for me to connect to the world and

others, to express what lies within me that I have often been reticent to put into words and even to recognize.

Welcome Steven, nice place , good people/photographers, and tools for learning .

 

I'm a graduate of art school. Quite many moons ago I created a series of paintings using a camera in the process, decided I want to learn more about photography and became hooked,. I see the camera as another way, and tool for creating, like working before with oils paints, canvases and papers.

 

I find that the camera allows me a wider view and perspective of human life on our globe.

 

Enjoy the experience.

Hi Steven,

 

I'm fairly new to Photo.net myself. And what an informational journey it's been. I've learned so much since joining, through the forums and just looking at and studying photos taken by some very talented people.

 

I love photography so much. Not only is it an art form that has really enabled me to express myself, but it's also given me the opportunity to climb out of a sometimes introverted shell and interact with people I wouldn't normally feel comfortable (i.e. kids, other than my own).

 

It's a constant, ongoing and sometimes frustrating but yet rewarding journey, Steven. But it's 100% worth the travel!

 

Welcome!

 

Maija

Welcome to photo.net, Steve.<p>Your timing in joining this site possibly couldn't have been better, as many

improvements have recently been implemented, and apparently, more enhancements are in the pipeline.<br>Take your

time exploring the many aspects of this site. A vast collection of images in the PN Gallery will give you plenty

of inspiration and ideas, whilst the Forum side is a huge vault of information/experiences related to everything

photographic.<p>As for how I ended up as a photographer? I always find that hard to pinpoint exactly, so I like

to imagine that I have always had a camera in hand. Maybe not quite from birth, but somewhere close to it...

;-)<p>Enjoy photo.net!<div></div>

Welcome Steve.

 

I'm also pretty new to Photo.net, and Will soon be subscribing, as in short, I've already realised that this is a

great place to be.

 

For me it's been a long time coming and Finely I have only this year started up a photography business,

I began working as YTS (ﾣ60 a week for 58 hours work) in a photo-development store, ((just after obtaining a nvq

in retail & customer services))

Having more customer knowledge than both the manager and owner, I was fairly highly regarded, and was helping

with pretty much everything, over the year, I learnt alot about cameras (something which I'd always had an

interest in since I could remember)

 

Sadly the ﾣ60 a week was getting real tough to live, on , even living with my parents at the time, and I moved

on, created a few websites, and got further experience in retail and customer services, and got myself, married,

devorced, and now married to my beautiful wife, who has just over a year ago become the mother of our beautiful

twin boys.

But through the good and bad, I've spent alot of time learning, home courses, from friends, family,

photographers, and was "spooted" vy a local photographer who has helped me start-up

 

as the digital world evolved, my two favourate pastimes, collided, 1992 I got my 1st Pc, at the age of 12, (ive

always been a bit of a computer nerd)

and free with that Pc was a copy of what was, Corel Photopaint,

Like Paint on the commodore 64 (eons ago) I again loved doing anything related with pictures, and started to

spend an unhealthy ammount of my free time, tweaking pictures of people, places, pets, anything I could get my

hands on.

then with programs like Kais powergoo, and Bryce, I learnt a very wide range of skills, which I still use today,

and while software has evolved, many techniques are very similar, although now I used Adobe Photoshop lightroom

1.4/2.0 beta, and adobe photoshop cs3, & elements, portrait proffessional..

 

Then a few months ago (at the ripe age of 27) I was finally able to make the leap thanks to a small windfall. and

some help, motivation & assistance from a local photographer

 

Within a matter of weeks I was able to get a D300, d80m a nice selection of lens's, (my preference being the

nikon 18-200 which is my "everyday lens"

as well as getting a full studio setup, some advertisement,

((it makes a big differance to the old, fuji dslr I was using for "fun"

Welcome and congrats on moving forward. Here's wishing great satisfaction through photography and travel.

Interesting story. I look forward to watching your journey.

Welcome to the group! This site has alot of great work and people that are willing to help you learn! I look forward to seeing of your work.

Just want you all to know I didn't just fade away so quickly, but I am learning new things about this whole "situation" each and every day that make it very hard. Thank you all for your replies, I will read through them in whole and reply when I can. Just when you think you have figured it out, everything comes crashing back down.

 

Thank you all for your support.

 

-Steve

I just joined the site recently myself. I spent most my life admiring pictures of just about everything nature scenes, sunsets, sunrises, wildlife, people, flowers. I told myself "I could never do that" then one day I was admiring photos on WebShots.com and ask myself "Why cant I do that?" and I realized its because I never tried. So I bought myself what I thought was a semi pro camera, a Kodak DX7590 and started taking pictures. I got some nice ones and got a swelled head and bought a Canon EOS 5D with a 24-105. Well my head shrunk 3 sizes and now I'm truly trying to learn the art of Photography. So here I am. Reading and shooting reading some more and trying agian. Some days I think I should find a Photographer and just give him/her my camera and tell them to make good use of it. Most days I'm my bull headed self, bound and determined to learn this stuff if it kills me. Good luck Steve in all that you do. And dont give up on this Photography each day, each shot, each article that you read teachs you something new. Oh yeah and each outing teachs you something also. For example I learned not long ago to have all the equipment I would need for the shot with me and not on the table at home.

There may seem to be a lot to learn technically, but only you can decide what you are looking for in a photograph. Ansel Adams said "There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." I sometimes feel photography is like fishing. How many "big ones" I catch in a day no longer matters to me. What matters is that I got to spend the day doing what I love.