zoniedude1's photostream  

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

~ Live it!
~ Enjoy it!
~ Have fun!

...and take lots of pictures!



I became a flickr addict in Feb, 2008. ...a big thanks to everyone here who is contributing to my addiction! I have always enjoyed photography, especially capturing the wonders of nature and documenting my travels and outdoor adventures. Images of flora, fauna and stunning natural landscapes are what I strive for most often, but I won't hesitate to venture off into other photographic categories when the opportunity presents itself. Your comments and constructive criticism are welcome. I can think of no better way to become a better photographer and to get more enjoyment out of it, than being part of this awesome and incredibly diverse flickr community!

Some of you may be surprised to learn that all of my posted images were taken with a point and shoot camera. I feel that fancy and expensive camera gear does not make you an artist. Back in the old 35mm film days, I lugged a whole bunch of camera bodies and lenses around and I don't miss it one bit. Things are so much simpler now. I use the very capable and affordable, Canon "A Series" and "G Series" point and shoots. They feature a wide range of exposure settings -auto, program, macro and scene-select modes; plus macro to 6x zoomage, image stabilization and full manual capabilities. These cameras even go underwater with me! Newer models have excellent glass and the sensors and processors are often the same as those found in DSLR cameras costing 5X as much. I consider it a challenge to obtain the highest quality images possible from a point and shoot and I push their capabilities, and mine, to the limit. Oh sure, I'd like to have a nice DSLR, especially one with a long telephoto lens. Someday, when I find a bunch of extra cash lying around, maybe I'll buy one. Then again, maybe not...


"The camera doesn't take good photos, the photographer does."

WHY YOUR CAMERA DOESN'T MATTER...

~> Be enlightened - Read this! ~> www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm





If you add me as a contact, thank you, but please don't be offended if I don't add you back, or do so at a later date. I have to be somewhat selective so I can keep my contact list manageable. I do like to interact with my contacts and if there are too many, that isn't possible. If you're just a contact whore, with thousands of contacts listed simply to see how many you can collect, I seriously doubt we'd do much interaction anyway, so why bother?

As far as groups go, thank you very much for the awards and invitations. I may not be able to immediately post my images to the groups, if I choose to, or have the time to do so at all. I actually do have a life beyond flickr and can't be on here 24/7! Besides, my contacts and their photos will always get my attention first. I belong to a ridiculously large number of groups, although I'm beginning to thin them out a bit. Most are pretty cool, however, some groups are just way too snooty and pretentious for me. I find excessive "thou shalt comment x times, invite this, fave that, behave or be banned, burned and ejected into deep space forever..." rules and regulations to be tedious, silly and juvenile. C'mon, people, lighten up! Depending on my mood, I'll play along sometimes and other times I'll just skip it altogether.

Speaking of groups, here's one that I started:

www.flickr.com/groups/earth-nature-life/

Check it out!




Random thoughts on Flickr:

~ Seeing images from around the world and communicating with other photographers in far away places is one of the greatest things about flickr.
~ Pool flooding should be a crime! Turning a public group into your personal photo album shows just how selfish you are.
~ Leaving an award or comment code from a group with no personal thought or acknowledgement; just to meet the group's comment requirements, is sooo lame! I'll always at least say, "nice shot" or something.
~ Some people with outrageously expensive cameras still take really crappy photos. What a waste...
~ Post processing is a tool that should be sparingly used to more accurately duplicate the image captured in the photographer's mind.
~ What's up with adding a long chain of group invites so you have to scroll half way down the page to get to the next comment? STOP IT! It's extremely annoying! A few is fine, but a whole chain of them is ridiculous.
~ I actually read people's profile page. Shocking, huh?
~ Very often, there is too much fluff and not enough substance here. Don't be afraid to let someone know what's wrong with their photo and how it might be improved. Be open minded. Learning is good.
~ Talk to me! I really enjoy communication with my fellow flickrites. We obviously have at least one thing in common... Contact me anytime.
~ If you post a photo, at the very least tell us what the hell it is and where it's taken!
~ Tags are good. Use them.
~ Horizons are meant to be horizontal.
~ The term 'bokeh' is just plain weird.
~ I spend way too much time here, but it keeps me off the streets...



© All rights reserved. Yes, of course, ALL of my photos are copyright protected.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, blogged, flogged, twisted, mutated, warped, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my permission.
Want to use any of them?
Please ask first!
Thank you.

...Flickr on!




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View All Zoniedude1 Photos from Explore Interestingness via Fluidr.

www.fluidr.com/photos/zoniedude1/interesting

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