mikemorrellNL

I think you can learn to anticipate 'possible opportunities'. But be patient and prepare to be disappointed! Far from all possible 'photo opportunities' pan out. My 'sport photos' have been mainly in running, dance, and physical exercise for seniors. Unlike @Sandy Vongries, I pretty much always use 'burst mode' to capture movement. I don't shoot blindly but only in the 'moments of opportunity'.

@hjoseph7, I too am really glad that you didn't lose any money! @Niels - NHSN, many thanks for your 'real life example! I'm have absolutely no 'above average' knowledge of scams. I consider myself (nearing 70) still reasonably 'tech savvy'. And yet, I've been scammed twice in the last few years. And avoided a 3rd scam.

For many years, I was a voluntary photographer for a local Boxing Day cross-country run (now discontinued 😞). Almost 10 years ago, I took a 'Boxing Day photo' of Maya Kingma. I was amazed to see her name appear as one of the 4 Dutch tri-athletes in the 2024 Olympic Games. She also finished in the top 10.

I've always been completely satisfied with my 2.5 year-old (Samsung S21+) mobile phone. Which I bought (with a 2-year phone subscription) mainly because it a) offered 5G mobile phone connections and b) because I wanted a good mobile camera and c) I didn't want to splash out more money on the 'Ultra' version with more and better cameras. After 2.5 years, my mobile phone has had some cracks on its screen for some time. My intention was to get the screen repaired and to extend my subscription on a 'SIM-only' basis. But a couple of weeks ago. I discovered that the back of the phone also had a lot of cracks. I then realized that my current phone had become very 'fragile' and that - going forward - I would unfortunately need a new phone. So today, I ordered the current Samsung S24 'Ultra' version. Not only because of the (multiple) better camera lenses and image quality but also because the 'Ultra' version offers interaction via a stylus. Something I found very useful in the previous Samsung Galaxy Note series. I read that the primary Samsung S24 Ultra camera has an optical resolution of 200 Mpx. And an optical zoom of 10x. For most practical purposes, a resolution of 200 Mpx is way over the top. Almost 10 times the resolution of my DSLR! And all social media outlets reduce the size of photos before publishing them. So, given the acceleration of Phone camera technology (including AI photography apps), what's your opinion on the future of classic and digital cameras?

Many thanks for this video clip @PhyloSwe! I've never heard of Colter Wall. But (as an ex-guitarist and lover of 'storytelling' singer/songwriters), I loved this authentic, musical performance. I will certainly look Colter Wall up.

I'm very sorry to hear about everyone's losses! Luckily, I live in NL which has much less severe weather than in the US. I now live in an upstairs apartment in a small village so I'm not so concerned about break-ins. Though it could happen to all of us. Based on this thread, I will check the coverage of my home and photographic insurance. All my digital/digitized photos are currently on a remote Drive, connected to my Laptop. I've been meaning to buy a second remote Drive as a backup for a while. This thread has increased the urgency of this. I once tried an online storage solution for a while but I gave it up because it took so long to backup my photos. But I'll look into online backup solutions again. I'm not sure what the insurance value would be for my 2nd hand Digital camera and my old lenses. But I'm pretty sure that it would be a lot less than they are worth to me. And a lot less that the 'replacement costs'. Thankfully, I've never been burgled. Though long ago (when I was still married) I once discovered an unsuccessful 'burglary attempt' in the house that I then lived in with my ex-wife and two young daughters. Mostly, I was relieved that our 'security precautions' had deterred the would-be burglars. But I was also angry that unknown people had tried to break into my house where I, my wife and my two young daughters were sleeping. I've since spoken to a few victims of break-ins. The thread of their stories is not the 'stuff' that intruders made off with but their sense of 'violation' of the safety if their homes.

Your quote resonates with me, @inoneeye. At a superficial level, we need only look at many TV ads that are deliberately designed to create and sustain a positive emotional association through imagery (video) with voice-overs. At a different level, images (such as the 'bird' photos posted previously) can be powerful illustrations of a feeling. Or even a 'message' expressed in a title, text or voice. At yet another level, photographic portraits also generate emotionally powerful associations, sometimes by design (photoshoots). And sometimes (for us amateurs) through opportunity and skill. In all cases, I agree with your quotation. Some photos bypass our consciousness and provoke an immediate emotional response. We may try to 'rationalize' our initial response after the fact. But in my experience, the initial response still remains. I'm reminded of my first school music lesson (agd 12). The teacher said: there are basically 3 levels to appreciate music: analytically/intellectually (the composition, the performance, etc) emotionally (the music makes you feel happier, sadder, with more or less energy, etc, spiritually: the absolute beauty of the music stills you and touches your soul; it changes you He did add that each of would experience each piece of music differently😉. I kind of feel that the same sort of principle applies to all the arts (including photography). Like in music, deep appreciation for photos (and photographers) is not always immediate. It takes a few playings/viewings before it sings to your soul. But before it does, there is always a personal connection. A desire to become closer: to listen/watch or view more. Mike

What can I say? Your photo's are all great! Techically, you've obvously got your shutter speed just right to 'freeze the frame' (including water splashes😉.I also really like the fact that you've sought out locations in which you could shoot great and 'dramatic' shots of riders and horses riding through water. These are IMHO absolutely the best shots! As an amateur, I've shot a couple of similar events. Probably like you, I looked for locations that might offer good shots (water, jumps). And probably like you I dialled in a high shutter speed and 'burst mode'. So for every 'photo, I took 5-8 'shots' in 'burst mode'. Congratulations! Mike

Hi @Rivcuban, There's no doubt (for me) that this is an interesting photo and well worth taking! @William Michael is IMHO right in suggesting thinking more about 'what makes this photo interesting?' and in adding 'you've done a good job'. The feedback I can give is that - for me - there are two main areas of interest in this photo: - the sky - the sea

Ah, now I see it!

Just a personal post. I recently visited my home village in Wales and I - as usual went on various trips to local beauty spots. I also took photos of family and friends. Beforehand -as usual, I'd packed my DSLR (a Canon 5D mk iv) with just my 'walk about' lens this time, leaving the heavier Canon 70-200mm lens behind. In fact, for 95% of the photos I took, I just used my Android phone even though I had the DSLR in my rucksack. In the whole 10 days, I only took 4-5 photos with my DSLR. My phone photos were good enough and it was so quick and easy to share selected (and sometimes edited) photos with family and friends while I was there. I resolved to leave my DSLR at home next time I visited. I don't want to influence the 'Iphone photographer' discussion one way or the other. There any many photographic situations that would lead a photographer to use a mobile phone or DSLR. I just want to share my personal experience that a mobile phone camera worked better for me travelling (with good light) travelling than a DSLR. Mike

Welcome (back), Dan! I'm sure I was a member back in 2018/2019 too but I don't remember you. Like you - I've also had periods of 2-3 years when I wasn't at all interested in PN. Back then, I also had a thing about the 'No Words' forum. In the sense of posted photos not being searchable. So maybe we just missed each other. But I've always come back to PN and I occasionally post to 'No Words' too! I live in The Netherlands so I'm way ahead (timewise) of members based in the US. I've watched the video on your RICHTER MUSEUM link and browsed through the wonderful galleries and photos on your website. I was amazed at the diversity and quality of photos that you've taken! I also love the love the opportunities that you - at the Richter Museum - provide to art students! I'm really looking forward to your contributions on PN! Best wishes, Mike

My apologies, @pavel_l.. I completely withdraw my previous comment. I was just back from vacation, flicking through e-mails, etc. and I didn't give your photo the time and attention it deserved. On a second viewing, I see many details that I missed the 1st time (when I just "saw" two artworks on a wall). Details that make this photo so interesting. For example, the concrete floor, the worn woodwork and the damage to the 'artworks' in both frames. The one on the right also appears to have a sticker stuck to it. And of course the broken bench. And also the 2 objects (a heart + ?) to the right. Given the concrete floor, the damage and the wear on both the woodwork and the bench, my guess would be that the scene would be outside. Or an inside location that enabled the weathering. Whatever, your photo does contain interesting juxtapositions: 'artworks' vs. the wear and damage both to them and especially to the surroundings. Somewhere there's a 'story' in the photo but the photo invites the viewer to consider what the story might be. In the best traditions, your photo just asks questions. Excellent photo! If the viewer (=me) takes the time to really look at all the elements 🙂

Sorry, @pavel_l., even with an interest in modern art. I just can't make any sense out of this photo.

I really like the photo! The (red) lighting may have been as it was. But personally, I would have toned down the red on her skin in PP. Perhaps on her hair too.