Jmax Jpeg's photostream  

Background:
I have been an avid amateur photographer for over fifty years. I was quite ardent in my early years, shooting so much film on weekends I had to get my own 35mm bulk film loader to keep expenses down. (My love of photography has always been a battle between a desire for the latest gadgets and economic prudence.) In those days I even had my own portable darkroom, a small inexpensive enlarger kit I ordered from Spiratone. My only critical success came when I had a couple of pictures published in the old U.S. Camera magazine—and they actually paid me for them. I never did cash their checks. I preferred to keep them so I could whip them out whenever my fellow photographers became too snooty.

Film Equipment:
I began my photographic training with an Argus C3 35mm rangefinder. While serving in the Air Force in Japan during the early '60s, I bought a Miranda F 35mm SLR and then a Mamiya C22 120mm twin-lens reflex. That Mamiya was a marvel of photographic engineering, being a twin-lens reflex with inter-changeable lenses. It was heavy though.

Education:
For a while I entertained the notion of going to the Brooks Institute of Photography in California. But again, prudence prevailed and I took advantage of the low-cost tuition of my own in-state institution—the University of South Carolina. Majoring in art and journalism, I did some shooting for the student newspaper, The Gamecock, as well as some publicity stills for the theater department. I also worked part-time for a local non-profit. My darkroom was in the corner of their storeroom. With an inexpensive 3-piece lighting kit also from Spiratone, I took portraits of anyone who would pose for me, as well as a couple of weddings for family and friends. At the time, I considered myself quite avant-garde. Then came graduation, marriage to my wonderful wife Lyn, and the birth of my son Jonathan. My photography moved into the background and my equipment disappeared into the long-lost void of storage boxes. My guess they are now resting somewhere in Warehouse 13. It wasn't until around 2003 my photographic fires were re-kindled with all the new digital stuff.

Digital Equipment:
I began my digital photography with a Fujifilm FinePix 3800, a 3.2 megapixel camera that was cutting-edge at the time. I still have some pictures made with that camera in my Flowers and Macros Set here on Flickr. My first serious digital camera was my Canon Rebel XT, which I still use. Later I got a compact Sony DSC W-130, which I carry with me all the time. And I recently bought a Canon G11. I really like its small size, lite weight, and full manual controls. At my age, size is no longer an issue.

Photo Editing:
My editing software includes Paint Shop Pro, Serif Photo Plus, and Topaz Adjust. In the old days, very few people had their own darkrooms. Today, everyone has a darkroom inside their home computers. I feel almost all photographs can benefit from some touch-up work—if nothing more than tighter cropping or slight improvements in contrast or color. This is specially true for those photographic purists who think their work is so good all they have to do is point, shoot, and post. If Ansel Adams had to touch-up his work, then so do the rest of us.

HDR:
When HDR first came out, I was amazed at its ability to reduce high-contrast scenes. Then people began playing around with tone-mapping. At first, I was put off by its comic book style. In the old days, we were taught to strive for realism. But as time went by, I began to appreciate its artistic qualities. Some of these qualities suit certain subjects quite nicely—notably architecture, flora, high-gloss subjects and landscapes. In my own work, it even works with animal subjects. Right now, HDR is mostly a fad. But in the future, I think it will become a standard accessory.

Flickr
If you've read this far, then you must be retired or unemployed. I love Flickr! To me, it is the greatest online camera club in the world. But then, I do love photography...the taking of pictures, positioning the elements of the composition, balancing and contrasting color schemes. Sometimes I even think about the subject matter. But all of that would be for nought were it not for Flickr and the opportunity to share my photographs with others. It would be like examining my own naval, finding some great lint, and having no one to share it with.

Flickr is big, busy, and bursting with activity. And you have to work to find a handful of fellow photographers you can relate to. You also have to develop a thick skin for those times when the comments on your pictures are less than complimentary. But it's worth it—if you love photography and photographers. Some folks are put off by Flickr's top-secret system for selecting pictures for its front page. It doesn't bother me, because I haven't visited the front page in years. My bookmark for Flickr takes me directly to my personal Home Page. And the first thing I usually do is head straight for my Contacts List. Afterall, it's their pictures I want to see. Next, I drop in on my favorite Groups. Right now, my favorite groups are Topaz Adjust, Canon G11, and Riverbanks Zoo.

Contacts
My list of Contacts is constantly changing. If someone has not posted a picture or a comment in over six months, I will usually drop them. I use my List of Contacts as a checklist for visiting each and every person, at least weekly (and sometimes more often), to comment on their pictures. For this reason, I limit my number of Contacts to around 50 to 60 people.

Comments:
Some people are put off by brief comments, such as “Great picture!”, “Beautiful.”, or “Nice colors.” Personally, brief comments are fine with me. Some people just don't like to express themselves verbally or in written form. I can understand that. Sometimes the only thing you can think of is “Nice colors.” That's okay too. Of course, more lengthly comments are always treasured. To me, any comment, whether short or long, simply means you cared enough to look at my pictures—and you wanted me to know it. And that's good enough for me.

Groups:
As for my favorite Groups, they also change along with my current interests. Right now I am photographing zoo animals and flowers, trying to learn Topaz Adjust software, and still practicing with my new Canon G11. So these are also my favorite Groups. No doubt these will change as I discover new subjects.

If you read all of this, you are a true stalwart. I make it a point always to read my Contacts' profiles. It helps me to understand where they are coming from. Of course, some people don't post a profile. They prefer to let their pictures speak for themselves. To each their own. I want to thank you for taking time to read mine. Bless you.