Charles Johnson's photostream

I was born in Wisconsin and I currently live in Iowa. I work at a private college in the I.T. department.

I enjoy photography but didn't own a camera until about 1996 or so...I don't recall exactly, it was within a year or two... I don't think that I ever took a picture until then. My fist camera was an Olympus Stylus 35-70mm point and shoot film camera. About 8 years ago, I bought a Nikon Coolpix 995 (I previously borrowed a Coolpix 990 from my workplace when I went on a vacation with my father to the Badlands, Black Hills and vicinity). I really liked that camera, it was a split body camera and allowed me to take some close-up photos, which I really enjoy.. Nikon discontinued that camera format after next model, the 4000 if I recall correctly. I got a lot of pictures out of the old 995... it still works, but it somehow wound up with a broken latch on the media door... I also accidentally dropped it in a river on a trip to Colorado... (thankfully, it worked perfectly after it dried out).

I always wanted an SLR and in the summer of 2006, I bit the bullet (and probably over-bought) and got a Nikon D200 with the AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. I bought the setup because I was going up to Alaska to see my sister who moved there the previous year. I had hoped to have an opportunity to take some nice photos, but the weather didn't cooperate so much. Since then, I have been up to Alaska again (on a cruise of the inside passage) and this year my sister is getting married, so there is another trip scheduled... hopefully this time the weather will be kind. I have taken quite a few pictures with it but still have A LOT to learn about it and photography.

My other hobbies include wood carving, hot air ballooning, growing plants (I also have joined the Bonsai club), traveling, walking/hiking, baking and of course computers and AV. Unfortunately, most of my time is spent at work though...