CGrindahl's photostream

I'm a semi-retired mental health professional who has re-discovered the joys of photography after years away from a camera. No doubt the freedom of shooting digital contributes to the pleasure. I thank the many folks at trekearth.com for inspiring me as I've explored this new world of digital photography. I made friends there from around the world, many who've migrated to Flickr.

I've built my camera kit gradually over the last year and a half, having moved from a lovely Sony DSC85 point and shoot, through the original Canon Digital Rebel, the Canon 20D to the Canon 1D. I still own the last two cameras though the professional camera is awfully seductive leaving the 20D seldom used at the moment. I also recently added the old favorite Canon G3 for those moments when I'd rather not be quite so conspicuous with my camera.

My kit of lenses has slowly evolved as well. I discovered early on that not all lenses are equal when it comes to producing quality images. Fortunately a good friend loaned me a few lenses at the beginning so I could experiment a bit with my shooting style. The first lens I purchased, the Canon EF 28-135 f/35.-5.6 IS was well used but eventually sold. I loved the range but I wanted more sharpness. I bought the Canon EF 17-40 f/4L and the Canon EF 70-200 f/4L a year ago, then added the justly well regarded Tamron SP 28-75 f/2.8 as a walk around lens. I bought the Canon EF 50 f/1.4 to give myself the speed for situations in which the light is poor. Next I added the very well regarded Canon EF 85 f/1.8, an exceptional lens for portraiture. Finally, I added a third professional lense, the Canon EF 135 f/2L, which many consider the finest lens produced by Canon.

For those who could benefit from some guidance about equipment purchases, I've found the best resource to be at Fred Miranda. Here is a link to the Reviews section of that website.

www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/

Welcome to visitors and old friends. I'm gradually expanding my collection of photos on Flickr. To this point I've used it largely to facilitate sharing photos with friends for whom I've been doing projects, like a friend for whom I'm doing graphic design for the cover of his book, or a friend who is traveling in India who has difficulty downloading images.

Your comments are always welcome.