Introduce Yourself

[Darren Rowse]

The whole point of this forum is to create a space for those who are interested in digital photography to learn from one another about their hobby.

For us to get the most out of it - we need to get to know each other a little better so I thought it'd be a good idea to do some introductions.

Tell us a little about yourself, about your interest in and experience with digital photography and what you'd like to get out of and contribute to these forums.

[Darren Rowse]

Let me get things rolling:

I'm Darren Rowse, the guy behind Digital Photography School (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/blog).

I live in Melbourne Australia with my wife (V) and 5 months old son (X).

I've been interested in photography for 15 or so years now, since I took a photography class in high school. I've never done it professionally although do take on photographic jobs from time to time.

I made the progression from film to digital photography about 4 years ago now and have been fascinated by the evolution in cameras since they first appeared. I have a blog at Digital Photography Blog (http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog) which follows the developments in digital cameras.

My Gear - I use a Canon EOS 20D DSLR and own an assortment of lenses for it. I also have a Fujifilm finepix f30 point and shoot digital camera.

I'm really excited about these forums - while we've previously had a flickr discussion group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/digitalps/) (which we'll keep running for a while) this forum will allow us to go a lot deeper.

Ok - so now it's your turn. Let us know who you are!

[sid1987]

hi.. i am siddharth vanchinathan.. i'm from india and im 19 years old..
I'm studyin engineering in Manipal, and have been interested in photography ever since i was a little boy... i think that DPS is great and a lot of the techniques discussed have helped me improve my skills.. i am also a freelance graphics designer... i use a canon powershot and a sony t1

[ciogi]

My name is cassie, I am currently going to the Art Institute Online studying for my bachelors of science, Graphic Design. I absolutely love photography and everything about it, taking the picture to editing it, to watching the faces of my clients when they see the perfect shot of their occasion. I work at Proex, in Stillwater MN, so I work with photography everyday.

I absolutely love this website and all of my friends know and use DPS all the time, it is such an amazing resource, I have learned so much about digital photography from DPS; from basic point and shoot cameras, to DSLRS and great composition points.

[Darren Rowse]

Thanks for joining sid1987 and ciogi - it's great to have you on board!

Thanks for your encouragement cassie - would love to see some of your work. Do you have a flickr account?

[wtkeller]

Hello to all,
My name is Wayne. I live in Missouri. I entered into digital photography
about 2 years ago. I have 4 point and shoot cameras. My most recent is
a Canon S3 IS. I hope to learn from this site. :)

[Darren Rowse]

thanks for joining up Wayne - nice to have you here. Looking forward to your contributions. We'll be launching these forums on a wider level in the coming week or two once we've got a few bugs ironed out and the other main site up and running with it's new design.

[youloveben]

Hello, from Portland, Oregon, US.
My name is Kenneth Benjamin Reed; I am not a professional photographer, just an avid fan of the processes involved in making good pictures happen. Most of my collaborative work is pro bono.

I've been a proud fan of the DPS.com for almost a year now. Darren has a knack for finding all sorts of tips for making the most out of this new art form.

I use a Canon D10 and a few different lenses, my favorite at present being the Canon 20mm/1.8... it makes for great DOF contrast.

Feel free to stop by my flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/damagecontrolproductions/) or my website (http://www.youloveben.com) for more info and distractions.


Going, going, gone,

Kenneth Benjamin Reed

[Darren Rowse]

welcome Kenneth - nice to have you on board! Will check out your work.

[MRTZ]

My Name Is Mr T. New Here Just Got My Olympus E 500. Am 55 Retired And Live In San Diego

[hitkaiser]

Hello

I'm Hitesh Sawlani, a 20 year old Spaniard currently studying in the UK (Information Management and Business Studies @ Loughborough University ... and working for 1 year in Reading, UK)

Been into photography since i got my first compact digital (did about a term worth in school with a film SLR but i lost the camera and consequently changed from photography to graphic design)

2 compact digitals later i moved (less than a month ago) to a canon 400D which im loving and im finally getting really the real process with (not limiting myself to auto, P nor the scenic modes)

Im not going to be all flowery about DPS, i generally do lots of reading on the internet around topics im interested in and often Ive found more detail on specific topics beforehand, but DPS has a special place in my RSS feeds since it does a good job of summarising concepts and brings in a 3rd point of view which is often missing in other sites (bravo!)

There is nothing fun about learning a new hobby if you can't share it with anyone, i believe this forum can (and will be!) very interesting and will help us help each other :)

Finally, thanks to Daren for all the time and effort in DPS, it really is a good piece of work!

If anyone is interested, my flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hitkaiser/), or my daily photoblog (http://www.hitkaiser.com) (which takes pics from my flickr)

[Darren Rowse]

thanks hitkaiser - the feedback is very encouraging and keeps me keeping on :-) will check out your blog and flickr account and am looking forward to seeing more of your contributions here in forums.

[diyosa]

My name is Diyosa. I'm the typical mom that got a DSLR to shoot her kids and now thinks she's a photographer. :p

I don't claim to be great at taking photos and actually don't do well with the label "photographer". I think I take good pics and sometimes get lucky. I'm soaking in all sorts of information and enjoying learning and when I have those lightbulb photography moments or when I get beautiful images SOOC.

My background goes a bit farther than a mom with a camera. I have my BA in Digital Media - Multimedia and am quite versed in many of the Adobe and Macromedia programs. I've been using Photoshop for about 10 years now since 4.something back in High School. My day job is an admin assistant and web coordinator but am on maternity leave until May

My photos are here: www.flickr.com/photos/diyosa basically just my kids but I try to keep things interesting and not too snapshotty.

Look forward to getting to know many of you and learning and hopefully passing on the bits that I know.

Oh.. and because a mom can't go without mentioning her kids I've got 2 beautiful girls, 1 is nearly 3 and the other is 10 days old.

[Joshua Schroeder]

Hey everyone,

My name is Joshua Schroeder. I am 23 years old, live where in the part of Canada where the Rocky Mountains meet the vast prairies, and have just completed a bachelors degree in Management Information Systems (or will have at noon tomorrow when I submit my final assignment!).

I first got into photography seriously in high school. I purchased a Minolta Maxxum in grade 11 before going on a class trip to England and Scotland. It took great pictures, but I never really learned to take it off of 'P'.

Because much of what I do is web based, I decided I needed to go digital in my third year of university. At that point I bought the then newly released Canon PowerShot A80. I shot with that for a few years, then got the bug to go back to SLR, so this summer I bought the cheapest dSLR I could find: A Pentax *istDL (with 17-55mm). I added a kit 50-200mm zoom lens almost immediately, but found that the kit lenses to be very inadequate for my favourite subject: ice hockey. When shooting at the long end of the lens, I was getting about f/6.7-f/8, which necessetated ISO 3200. I've now discovered how nice the backwards compatibility of Pentax bodies with lenses can make things. I've added a 28mm f/2.8 and a 135mm f/2.8, both used manual focus lenses.

While I'm happy with this system, I'm always itching for more. I don't plan on adding much to this gear now (as much as I REALLY want a 10-17mm fisheye :) ). Sometime down the road I'd like to add a Canon EOS-series as my primary camera.

Over the past three months, my photos have appeared regularly in the University of Lethbridge student newspaper, The Meliorist (sadly, the photos are not published online), and occasionally on the Canada West Universities Athletic Conference web site (http://www.canadawest.org).

I've only been around DPS for a few weeks, but I've been learning plenty around here. I particularly enjoy the opportunity to share photos and see what others come up with for the same assignments.

[Darren Rowse]

I didn't realised you'd had your new little baby - congratulations! Looking forward to seeing lots of pictures of her as well as your other little wonderful daughter.

Oh - and by the way - you sell yourself short. You're a wonderful photographer!

[Darren Rowse]

Joshua - looking forward to seeing your work. You sound similar to me - I went from a minolta dslr (purchased in year 12) to a Canon A70 to a Canon 20D.

[NaturesPixel]

G'day gang :)

My name is Leisa

i am an Aussie living in Ontario...I am a retired firefighter and i have been away from my homeland for nearly 5yrs now (desperately homesick) i started photography with a Kodak Point and Shoot when i landed in the states.. i was running a reptile store ... plenty of perfect Ops...lol then i moved to Canada and hubby got me a Minolta Dimage Z5 a wonderful little camera..12 mths later I got my D50 last July and just love it i have 3 children 2 girls live in Australia.. and my 20mth old boy Sonny i cant drive here in Canada.. (dont think they trust me...lol) so many of my photos are shot in my back yard.... when we go camping during summer...

so thats about me...lmaooo
see yas...

[RainPacket]

I'm Rachel, known to many of my friends as Sparks (a nickname I picked up as a kid, which has stuck). By day, I'm a software engineer working on an instant messaging package; outside of work, I ride horses (English-style, hunter/jumper), I write (science fiction and fantasy), and I take photos.

I've recently moved up to a digital SLR and gotten a bit more serious about the photography. I've also begun taking some local photography courses, and hanging out in the Flickr groups like our own DPS here. ;)

[Nicole]

Hi, I'm Nicole and I'm a photography addict (oh, wait, this is just introductions) ;-)

Ok, I'm 25 years old, and an American living in New Zealand. I've got 2 degrees, neither related to photography or being particularly creative, so photography is currently my creative outlet. I've always had a camera since I was tiny, and it was my mother who always encouraged the hobby since she is a pretty avid photographer as well.

I got my Nikon d50 in Januray of this year, after having a Canon film SLR for a few years. I never used the film one as much as I have my dSLR. Now my camera comes with me whenever I leave the house (of course, I also take a lot of pictures in my house).

My most recent project has been building a light box to take some pictures in. It started with taking pictures of Christmas Crackers for my Christmas cards, but now I'm having quite a bit of fun experimenting with it.

Ok, I think that's me for now :)

My Flickr Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolesphotos/)

[Dave]

Well my name is Dave. I'm located in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. I've been interested in photography for the last 14 to 15 years. I have only recently made the switch to digital from film. I purchased a Nikon D70s about six months ago. I still have my film cameras although they haven't seen much attention in quite a while. I'm mainly interested in landscape photography, but do enjoy seeing everyone's images. I think it's amazing how the same subject can be photographed so many different ways.

[baraynavab]

Hey my name is Saud and I am a Photoholic..and a flickerholic..and to an extent a DPSholic. As in i do visit the site quite often.

In anycase i just got my Rebel XTi and I quite enjoy it.

The Love of photography is what brings me here.

Also I am a new 1st time father so taking pictures of him keeps me busy.

[Jbass357]

call me Jbass357. haha! i have always enjoyed photography, in one way or another. recently i have began to share my photos. really enjoy the tutorials and sharing input on various subjects.

thanks for the invite Darren!

cheers!

[Bail]

Hi, New to the forum and new to DSLR Photography. I learned a lot from the blog which helped my out with my new DSLR as well as Film SLR.

I am a DIY type. I would rather make tripods and photography gadgets rather then going out and buying such items. Having a Sheet metal shop help a lot!

Hope to be a part of this forum as well as the site.

[PnwGuy]

Hi, my name is Ben. I'm quite new to digital photography as a hobby. I purchased a Canon S3 IS a couple of months ago and caught the bug quickly and decided I wanted to do more sooner so I sold it and bought a Rebel XTi and a couple of starter lenses. Now I'm reading as much as I can and trying to learn the basics and go from there.

I'm 45 and a self-employed computer/network tech living in Bellevue WA, outside of Seattle. With the mountains and the ocean and the city life there are so many photo opportunities here it's hard to decide where to start.

Prior to becoming a computer geek I worked for Nintendo for ten years so I've always tried to have fun in my work as well as my play. I think photography will be the ultimate challenge, chocked full of rewards all the way through the learning. Like computers, I'm sure this will keep me challenged with always something new to learn. In closing I'd like to thank Darren for all his hard work in leading us in our passion and to create a fun and friendly place for us to share our challenges and triumphs and to learn. Thanks! - Ben

[andy206uk]

Hey all,

My name is Andy, and I'm from Worcester in the UK. I've been taking photos for a couple of years now, but only recently have I been taking it seriously.

You can check out some of my work at my photoblog at www.stolenfocus.com

[Karen]

I just retired from teaching math. Photography in my family has always been my husband's job. Before retiring I took a course on black and white photography at the community colllege. We had to develop and print the film, something I didn't think I was going to like but I did. I have just finished a course in color photography which at times I found quite frustrating.

For father's day I bought my husband a Fuji Finepix S5200 and when I saw a second one on sale I puchased one for myself. I'm just starting to learn how to use it and plan to continue learning.

In my color class we had to choose a theme and turn in color balanced pictures every couple of weeks and a "professional" portfolio with at least 6 fresh shots at the end of the semester. I plan to continue with my theme using my digital since I will no longer have access to a color darkroom.

I live in southern New Mexico and have two grown, married daughters.

Karen

[michaelsteinbach]

Hi, I'm Mike. I live in Carbondale IL and just finished up my internship to graduate from SIU (Southern Illinois University - home of the Salukis).
I just started a new job in October at Aisin Electronics where they make ECU's for Toyota and Lexus. Previously, I worked at K-Mart for 5 years until they closed. In my spare time, I create my own electronic projects and I moderate a model car forum. I bought my first digital camera sometime around 2001 or 2002 and it was an Olympus C-720 Ultra Zoom. I didn't know all that much about photography at the time and mostly left it on Auto. At some point, I got the wrong addon lenses for it which created a horrible black circle outline (forgot what thats called). What can I say, I was new. lol

My Current Gear:
Samsung Pro850
I don't have too many accessories for it though. Just a hand strap that wraps around my wrist so I cant drop it, 72mm Circular Polarizer, and 2GB/512MB/256MB cards I had lying around.
I take pictures of the model cars I build and have been searching for a macro ring light for a decent price...or the hotshoe circuit info so I can make my own.

~Mike

[NaturesPixel]

Prior to becoming a computer geek I worked for Nintendo for ten years so I've always tried to have fun in my work as well as my play


lmao :D Ben working for Nintendo is still being a geek... ;)

[PnwGuy]

lmao :D Ben working for Nintendo is still being a geek... ;)

LOL NaturePixel...well, maybe you're right, but it's a different sort of geekiness. Then I was a Game Play Counselor (yep, that was an actual title), now I'm just "The Computer Guy".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnwben/ - Some shots during the Nintendo World Championship tour in 1990 I posted on my other Flicker account. Man, where does the time go?

Sorry, don't mean to get too off-topic here. :cool:

[MzChristine]

I'm Christine.. 35, mom and it seems the only one in our family even slightly interested in dragging a camera along to document things. In fact, I probably have more pics of everyone's kids then they do :rolleyes:

Anyway, I don't mind and am really interested in getting the best photos possible to share with family and friends. I am also working very hard to find interesting ways to shoot everyday things in my area. Oh, and trying to understand how to get my camera (Canon A620) to do what I want.. that's a really big challenge!

Have already learned a lot just lurking about in the Flickr group so I'm looking forward to participating here.. and hopefully sharing constructive comments and advice with everyone :)

[jewels inet]

Welcome Christine and others. I finally figured out how to get the avatar to work (little picture that represents you). Have you figured it out? If not, go to User CP, Edit Avatar. :cool:

We will enjoy learning together.

[KingKarn]

Hi everyone,

My name is KingKarn from Bangkok Thailand. I am a member on Flickr and using my real name as a screen name there. You are all welcome to drop by with comment and criticism. I do really like the Digital Photography School group there by Darren which leads me to write you the introducing thing that I am not good at it...hehehe. I am now using Canon 400D though not finish reading the manual yet but I am happy with it so far. Nice to know you all. Any question is open to ask... ttfn...^_^

[ptbelly]

Hallo!

My name is Jess. I'm studying graphic design in Boston, and though I feel like I bring a lot of artistic vision to my schoolwork, my experience with the point & shoot I own has been mostly of the snap-shot variety. My dad and I both recently upgraded to Minolta Maxxum7D digital SLR cameras. He's going digital (has a bunch of old Minolta lenses) and I'm going...well, photog! So I'm looking forward to spending the x-mass holiday with him, experimenting with our new cameras and learning from each other.

DPS has really been a great resource- providing great tips on composition and technique, as well as de-mystifying all the controls and settings that can be so intimidating to a newbie such as myself. Cheers Darren!

[mdwsta4]

Hi, I'm Matt, 26, and I live in Chicago. I've been taking pictures constantly for the past 6 or 7 years although this past year I've gotten away from snapshots and delved into actual photography. I currently have a Canon 350d with an assortment of lenses that will continue to grow.
I enjoy reading the articles on DPS and always like to constantly learn new tricks/tips.

Cheers

[Bail]

Hello, The name is Bail and I live in Western Massachusetts.
I've been into photography ever since I was a kid. My grandfather was into photography to where he had a dark room in his basement where he would process B&W photos and have my grandmother color them in. That always interest me. My first camera was a Canon 35MM AT-1 SLR. Never played around with it untill 4 years ago. Then my grandfather gave me a AE-1 which is almost the same at the AT-1 but with a light meter. I mostly just focus the camera and turn some dials untill the light meter in the view finder was in the center. Never knew the settings and what they mean. Then I was offered a great deal on a Canon 20D so I took it.
I found this site while looking at good-tutorials.com where they list the DPS articles. This site made my photographing experience much better.

[ChristianJames]

Hello there,
My name is Christian James and I'm a photographer starting out trying to make a business out of my photography and graphic & webpage design business. I've only been doing photography on a serious note for the last couple of years, but have totally immersed myself into the Concert Photography scene.

http://ChristianJamesPhoto.com

is my company and I always welcome critiques & suggestions for improvement to my work.

thanks for the wonderful site, I'm always getting inspiration or tips from it!
-Chris

[jmaziarz]

My name is Jeremy Maziarz. I am from Rhode Island, USA and have been sloooowly wrapping my head around the world of photography and venturing away from Auto Mode.

I purchased my first, non-disposable, digital camera a few years ago (Sony CyberShot P5). While it took nice pictures, I think I expected more out of it than it could give. More recently, I purchased a Canon PowerShot G3 on eBay and have been having fun learning how to use it.

If you are at all interested in my shots, they are hosted on my SmugMug account at http://jer.smugmug.com.

Thanks Darren for the great site and the many educational articles!

[henryscat]

Hi all.
I'm Ian and I live in Perth, Scotland.

I use a Nikon D100 and have macro, zoom and wide lenses.
I'm a big fan of infrared and use my Cokin filter whenever possible.

Photography is a self-taught hobby (albeit an expensive one) and I get out whenever I can.

My wife and I just had our first child on the 2/12/06 (that's Dec not Feb).

Looking forward to bouncing ideas around on this forum!

[Kevin Helton]

Hello all! My name, obviously, is Kevin Helton. I'm in wonderful, yet crowded, Southern California. I am 25 years old and work as a Computer Technician at a local High School. My wife just delivered twin girls 3 weeks ago so my time suddenly went from a lot to close to none:)

I bought a D50 in August 2005 and emersed myself into the SLR world. Most of what I do is sports photography (mostly High School and recreational clubs). I am trying to make a little extra cash doing what I love to do by selling photos of high school athletes to parents and such. I always love learning about all types of photography.

I recently purchased an 80-200mm 2.8 Nikkor lens that I am very excited about. My first non-cheap lens. The twins have held me back from using it but soon I hope to go shoot.

I am glad to see this forum here and really enjoy the website. Never hurts to be reminded of some basics, too!

[octover]

Hello, name is Caleb. Currently I am Utah, but will be moving to Sweden in 2007.

I had a Canon point and shoot for a couple of years. Finally took the step into DSLRs when I could get a Rebel XT from Dell.com for 25% off. Recently upgraded to a 30D. Just got a 90mm macro lens that I haven't really spent enough time with, but have enjoyed it so far.

[Quamen]

Hi I'm Gareth. 22 (next week) year old Software Engineering student from Melbourne, Australia.

I've always been interested in photography but didn't get a camera until a few years ago. This year I picked up a Canon 350D and started snapping away more and more often.

See my signature for my blog and my flickr photos.

[gizo]

Hi.
I'm gizo.
I'm a mid-30's new father from Melbourne.
My DSLR is mostly used for photos of my boy at the moment, but I am trying to get more organised and accomplished, albeit slowly.
Hopefully I am still able to learn new things..... ;)

edit: Hey Quamen! I think I've seen you on another brilliant Australian Forum, no?

[vaughnet]

Hello everyone! My name is Eric Vaughn and I live in Las Vegas. I currently own a Canon S2IS, but I asked Santa for a Nikon D80. I've been good... promise...

[Steeejei]

Hi all,
I'm Steven. Have only recently begun my photography journey after purchasing at Sony DSC-W5 in January 06. Since then I stumbled across the 'Digital Photography School Blog' and have learnt heaps!

Recently I began gently nudging my wife to letting me purchase a DSLR, so I'm saving up for it now. Was aiming at the $2500 mark for a camera body, lenses, tripod and bag. Will probably take me a few years as I've changed career (life?) paths and am beginning a ministry traineeship before heading to bible college in Sydney. So I'll be back on a student's wage very soon...but I'm also hoping that by the time I've saved up enough there will have been many leaps and bounds in the DSLR market for my budget!

Here's hoping!

[Montage]

Hi Everyone.

I'm Heath, a former environmental scientist turned high school teacher. I've been interested in photography for many years, previously dabbling with point and shoot cameras, but taking a more serious interest since buying a 350D about a year ago.

Purely a hobby, but I have sold a few prints, and had some cycling photos published here and there, which is a nice bonus.

Check out my photoblog at http://www.heathcarney.com/montage/ where I'm currently showing a series of shots from my recent trip to Malaysia.

[googlit]

I'm 20, married, and live in Worthington, OH.

I've been doing photography since my mom got me a camera when I was 12 or so. I love both film and digital. Film for the quality and the control in processing your own b&w. Digital for its ease and versatility.

Current camera: Nikon D50
I'm a Nikon snob. It's what I was raised on. It's what I know. :)

I'm a Photoshop freak, and love to share what I know.

[nDre]

My name's Andre, from Indonesia. I've been really interested in photography about 1 year ago. The reason is because my job requires me to travel quite extensively.

Right now I'm using Canon 350d and several lenses for serious hunting, I also own Canon Powershot S80 for daily use.

I've been following Darren's blog for some time and also his flickr. I think this forum will be really helpful for noobs like me, so.. thank you for Darren for setting this forum up :D


btw, which part of Melbourne are you living in?
I studied there for 2 years back in 2004 :p

[photonoob]

As my handle suggests, I'm pretty much a noob at digital photography, but I'm having fun learning.

I have two cameras: my main one is a Sony Cybershot DSC-V1, the other one's a Pentax Optio (and I can't remember the exact model number because I don't have it in front of me). One of these days, one of them may grow up into a DSLR...I hope (Santa, are you listening?).

In the meantime, I'm finding that I'm learning a lot by having to work within a point 'n' shoot's limitations.

[dianajane]

Hi I'm Diana, 19, from San Diego.
I'm barely learning how to use my camera since I barely got it this year. I'm really interested in Photography and look forward to all the new things I'll learn from here! :p

[kyanos]

Hi there!

My name is Renato (24 years of age) and i am a portuguese guy living in Wales, i got into photography about 3 or 4 years ago with an old Canon T50 that my parents had around the house and from there i upgraded to digital via a Canon Powershot S1 iS (with some filters), that over the time i finding it to be a bit technically constraining, and i am here to try and learn some great techniques from all you guys, you can see some of my work at: http://kyanos.deviantart.com

Thank you
Renato Pequito

[Quamen]

Hi.
edit: Hey Quamen! I think I've seen you on another brilliant Australian Forum, no?

I think you might be right :D

[orangeacid]

Hello there, my name is Dan Foy and I'm a 16-year-old GCSE-level student living in Derby, which is the center of England.

I love computers, photography, and my girlfriend. My two pet subjects at GCSE are DiDA (a sort of quad ict + multimedia + business) and English Language and Literature. I get good grades in sciences and business, too, but I suck at foreign languages. For A-level I hope to do Applied ICT or some such geekery, and obviously photography.

I currently only have a Samsung Digimax v800 - it's only a Samsung and it's only a point-and-shoot, but it has manual controls, ap/sp, manual focus, bracketing and stuff so it's been a good introduction (along with great sites such as DPS of course :-D) to the world of photography for me.

I put my photos on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangeacid), and I also have a website/blog (http://www.orangeacid.net). I play guitar in a band, but we aren't doing much at the moment. Next gig is in like March or something.

[whitemug]

Good morning to everyone (at least from this side of the world)!:)

This is Mark (or "whitemug") from Manila, Philippines, and I'm glad to be part of this photography community.

I got my first DSLR (Canon EOS 350D) last July of this year, and since that time, absolutely NO REGRETS!:D

Right now, it's all about practice, practice, practice! Looking forward to hearing and learning from everyone here!:)

[DRC]

Rick here from Canada.
Just joined. looking forward to learning from you all. Feel free to drop by my website. Email any comments. They are always welcome.
Rick

[tyson]

Hi Everyone. My name is Tyson and I'm from Australia. I'm 21 years old, finalising a degree in music composition.

Six months ago when my Canon P&S Powershot A60 started to die, I decided to get a new camera, and now would be the right time to grab a DSLR upgrade. I ended up going for the Pentax K100D for its legacy lenses and shock reduction. I'm waiting until Christmas to break it out officially, but I have played around with an old (and fungused) pentax-m f/2 50mm manual lens which is a whole bunch of fun.

I currently share my photos on my website and flickr stream (below) but am pondering whether I should switch to a server side gallery I've built, but that's discussion for another post.

I look forward to participating in the assignments and getting your feedback to make us all better photographers. (Love the new site design too, BTW)

Tyson

[desi]

Hello,
I am Desi. I live with my spouse and 3 daughters in Northern California, United States. I am relatively new to photography.

I purchased a Nikon D50 in April 2006. I bought the new D80 recently and I love it. I confess that I am bit by the photography bug.

I love taking portraits (mostly very informal) - there is so much beauty in the human face. I also enjoy black and white photography very much.

I am working on learning how to use my flash off camera. It is a challenge for me. I find that www.strobist.com helps a lot.

I look forward to talking with all of you!
Desi

[Skazi]

Ryan here, from Belmont, CA.

I got my D50 last weekend with the 18-55 kit lens. And I got a 50mm 1.8D today. New baby forced the purchase !

[Cameron]

Hi everyone. I'm Cameron and I've just recently gotten into photography last May. I'm shooting with a Nikon D80 with the 18-200mm VR lens.

I first came across this blog when I was researching how to take photos of fireworks in preparation for the 4th of July celebration in Washington, DC USA. The advice posted at DPS (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-photograph-fireworks/) proved very helpful and, much to my surprise, I recently won a little online photography contest with a photo I took of the fireworks (http://www.photographyblog.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=44791).

So, many thanks to Darren and everyone else--I look forward to becoming a more active participant in this community.

[TxJim]

I was a kid growing up in the sticks of West Texas now I'm an older kid transplanted in the big city to attend art school.
They didn't really do much to encourage artistic growth where I am from so I am relatively new to the trade. I do a little of everything as long as it's creative, from painting to video editing.
While I'm new to the forum, DPS has always been a good learning resource.

[lisa nolan]

Hello! I'm Lisa. I used to be really obsessed with photography, took a horrid photo class a few years ago that ruined my love of photography, and then stashed my film cameras in the closet. I had a point-and-shoot digital for awhile, but recently bought a used Nikon D70 as a pick-me-up prezzie and have become obsessed with photography again. And DPS. And flickr. (Seriously, I must find some self-control or I'll lose my day job.) I've been really looking forward to these forums and am excited to see so many people from different parts of the world. This is going to be fun!

[pkogrant]

Hi everyone,

I'm Pam from the U.S. Photography has always interested me but I really got into after I had triplets almost 2 years ago. I still only have an old point and shoot camera (Canon Powershot A80) but am looking into getting a DSLR soon. Love the new site!

[leight]

Hey!

Nice work Darren and all the other guys behind the scenes :)

Leighton, thats my name. I'm an Aussie, currently living in Brisbane. If any of you are from flickr you may know my leight_k (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leight_k) name instead. I'm only a nOOb at Photography, but I still love it. I got my first ever camera - Fujifilm FinePix S9500 - mid September of '06, and have loved experimenting with it. In my spare time I love to do anything with: cricket, golf, squash, web/graphic design.

My Gear: I use a Fujifilm FinePix S9500. My first ever camera, and I love it :)

I'm looking forward to getting better and being more creative with taking photos :) I've learnt all I know from Darren's DPS (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog) site and the DPS Flickr Group (http://flickr.com/groups/digitalps/)!
Thanks

- leighton :D

[Richard_Cocks]

Hi, I'm richard, I'm new to photography and just mess around with my compact DMC-FX01. I'm interested in taking better photos and I like the clean interface that DPS has which has attracted me to this website and it's accompanying flickr site.

[littlepea]

Hello everyone!!
i'm michelle, from Singapore!:D

i love photography and photoshopping!
but i've only got a casio p&s camera, and an LCA.

nonetheless..that doesn't stop me from snapping pics where ever i go. :D

looking forward to learn as much as i can from all of you.. :p teach me teach me TEACH ME!!!!!

^_^v peace~

[Jay]

Hola, I'm Jay from Montreal, Qc (Canada) and a few months back I decided that I wanted to get slightly more serious about photography, so I went out and bought a Canon Powershot S3 IS. While it was a big upgrade from my Kodak point & shoot, it's still not quite a "serious" camera, but it's all that my wallet could afford at the time. I'm considering selling it and getting a DSLR. But the S3 is still a great stepping stone because it has tons of manual functions that help me learn what's what... that's also where DPS comes in, I've learned an awful lot in the last few months reading the blog.

I'm loving how there seems to be users here on the forums from all parts of the world, I think that's very cool indeed.

I think we'll all learn a lot from each other here, thanks for putting this together.

[sageone]

Don M. Boston. Professional marcom exec. Semi-pro photographer - sports, family portraits, weddings, events, and corporate photography. Family guy. Two young daughters. Love photography. Love being a dad. Love the Patriots and the Red Sox. Hate the Yankees.

That's my story just about. :)

[thatedeguy]

Hi!

My name is Shane Ede, although my nom de plume is thatedeguy. I write and maintain 3 blogs at thatedeguy.com, money.thatedeguy.com, and ebay.thatedeguy.com.
I've been a very amateur photo bug since I was about 11 or so. My dad introduced me to the wonders of it when we had our own darkroom. I've also taken a few classes, but still need plenty of work on technique and digital finishing now that I've got a new camera.
Speaking of new cameras, my new rig is a Canon S2 IS. It's a pretty nice point and shoot with some lens capabilities, but I don't yet have any lenses.
What I'd really like to learn here is some new techniques for photoshop and digital manipulation and finishing.

Nice to meet you all.

[Merlyn]

Hi, my name is Pete and I am from Virginia, USA. I shot with Canon's AE1 and A1 film cameras for years and my first digital was a Nikon Coolpixs. Currently shooting with a Canon 30D with various lenses. My interest are in sports car racing and nature photography. Take photos of both. I have just started listing on Flickr and located under the user name of Merlyn2 on that site.
I enjoy using PhotoShop CS2 and now the Lightroom program. I really do not care for special effects in photos just the fine tuning of the pic to get the most out of the quality of a good print.

[drivebyshooter]

Because I go by several names (http://drivebyshooter.net/about/), I think I should only mention my username for this forum: drivebyshooter. I'm a semi-pro photographer from the Philippines trying to turn my hobby into a full-time job. I'm also trying to earn a bit on the side through blogging. On my personal blog, drivebyshooter.net (http://drivebyshooter.net/), I write about anything and everything under the sun - photography (http://drivebyshooter.net/category/photography/) included. Yes, this is a plug. :cool:

[hoffmangler]

Hello all

I'm Chris I'm a communications major (graduating next year) in Utah who's been into photography for over 15 years.

Right now I'm shooting with a Olympus C-5000 but I've got my eye on a Rebel xt (as soon as I can afford it)

Looking forward to reading more posts!

- C

[Learner]

Hi my name is Fran. I did some photography with an SLR, Minolta 101, if anyone remembers those. That's when I last did any 'real' taking. Due to the price of it as a hobby, back than, I couldn't cont. I already have a profession as a registered nurse, so one was and is enough for me. Presently semi-retired and discovered computers (this past summer got my laptop) and by Oct. bought my first digicam.-Canon SD800. At the time I was thinking only in terms of baby, child, snapshots. But - once I started and became aware of this whole new world thru posting to Flickr.,and browsing, the flame of my love for photography was re-kindled. I know nothing. Seriously. Most of what you may see is more by chance than true knowledge. Darren's post on DPS have been very helpful and I keep reading over and over to absord. The gray matter gets slower with age...but not stuck. So with each new day I plug away. Well I've written an earful so I'm just gonna say--- happy to be onboard. :) And I need all the help I can get. Thank You for reading this far!!??

[jhawksley]

Hey guys, I'm Joel from Kent, Ohio. I've been shooting pictures all my life, on both film and digital cameras. I love capturing emotion and sense of place in my images. My tools are a Rebel G for my HS black and white photo class, a Sony 5MP point/shoot, and a Rebel XT. I enjoy using Lightroom for library management and PS CS2 for fine-tuning and filters. I want to broaden my horizons and try different types/styles of photography and learn how to use my cameras effectively. I look forward to becoming an active member of this new community.

[beckywithasmile]

I am a student in the Portland, OR area. I took a couple of photography courses in high school and shot for the school newspaper. I have loved photography even before this. I think I got this from my grandfather who is never far from his slr.

I always took way to many pictures for film to be practical. So when I could afford one a few years ago I bought my first digital cameara. I recently upgraded to a Panasonic FZ7, which I love. I would eventually like to (when I can afford it) buy a DSLR (although I think both for my budget - no other lenses to buy and my shoulder this is a nice fix for now).

I discovered this website this summer when working on a report on Ansel Adams for an art class (my fix to an interesting art project :) ) and began reading. I would sit for hours clicking on flickr and your topics. I finally joined just before school started this fall and have been hooked ever since.

Please take a look at my photos:
www.flickr.com/photos/beckywithasmile

[NeuroVision]

Hello,

I am a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience in San Diego, CA. I came to photography when I was a kid (my father was always a vested amateur), but really investigated things in college when I shot for the Daily Pennsylvanian. There, I shot many, many sports assignments (loved wrestling and basketball, hated baseball and american football. I have no idea why we never shot soccer or rugby (which I played). Too fast?!). After following a fellow from the London Times about for 2 days (we were both assigned to shoot Bill Clinton's initial bid for President in Philadelphia), I learned that I didn't really have the stomach to be a photojournalist and instead pursued my love for science. I've since married and had two children (boys! 4yrs and 10 months). My Nikon D50 is fast enough to keep up with them and I find that I still love taking photos. My friends seem to enjoy me taking their photos too and I have a little side venture going taking pics of friends/families/birthdays.

This is all good, but I feel *really* rusty and I would like to learn more. Everything was film when I last was really serious about photography (dating myself here?!).

Thanks for all of your excellent work on pulling together this site!

cheers,
-Leanne

[naomilee]

Yikes, i'm a little daunted by some of you but here goes... I used to be a paralegal but am taking a few years off to raise children (12ys, 8ys and 6 mths). I'm teaching myself photography (mostly so I don't have to pay those exorbitant fees for a photographer to take photo's of my children), however, i've found it so enjoyable that I now drive the family crazy carting my camera everywhere! At the moment I'm using a Pentax Optio point and shoot but i'm trying to con my husband into getting me a DSLR as well. I have to say Darren, i've found this site far more useful than the manual that came with the camera!

[Papuass]

Hi there!

I am Mārtiņš from Latvia, a 23 years old computer science student and senior programmer in small web development company.

My photographic experience is pretty limited as I started with digital photography 2.5 years ago by buying my first camera - Panasonic Lumix FZ-4, a pretty slow camera with nice 12x optical zoom and eye-catching "Leica" printed on lens :)

Now I am about to enter the world of DSLRs by purchasing Canon EOS 400D.

[Lynette 77]

Hi! My name's Lynette and I've always enjoyed photography as a hobby.

I purchased my first digital camera in June 2004 - a Sony Cybershot DSCP43 and haven't touched my old film camera since. I love the freedom that comes with a digital camera. Unfortunately though, as great as the Sony was, it didn't allow me to be as creative with my photography as I wanted to be so I purchased my second digital camera in July 2006 - a Canon Powershot S3 IS. Since I've only had this camera for five months I'm still getting used to all of the different settings and am starting to venture out of Auto mode.

I enjoy visiting this website regularly for the tips and have found them to be very helpful. I always look forward to seeing what new tips there are available. My photography can only get better....

[Raven]

Hi all..
I'm 31 from Jakarta, Indonesia. Have been photographing extensively since college (majoring in Journalism) but I never work as a journalist at all.
Currently I own Nikon D50. Been a regular visitor of DPS for year and I hope with this new forum I can get better knowledge in digital photography.

[pisagor]

Hello everyone,

My name is Fatih. I'm from Istanbul, Turkey.

My intrest to photography started 3 years ago when I bought my first point and shoot digital camera Sony DSC-S75.

As time goes by I started to realize that I should get DSLR for the things I like to do in photography. So, I purchased my first DSLR 350D few months ago. I have 50 f/1.8 and 17-40 f/4L lenses.

I follow-up DPS blog since I bought 350D. Thanks to Darren, it is great place to visit. With its new layout and forum possibilities this blog is now awesome !
Pls keep up the great work !

I upload some of my images to flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatihkocyildir).

Recently I discovered stock photography. These days I try to shoot for stock as well.
You can check the images I uploaded to fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com/p/130931).

:rolleyes:

[wulf]

Wulf, from South East London, UK. By day I am a professional webmaster and the rest of the time I try to squeeze some time into numerous hobbies.

One of those, which I have been taking more interest in since getting a digital camera back in 2001 (Fujifilm Finepix 1400Z) is photography. That interest was further fuelled by getting a Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wulf/) account last year and upgrading it to pro status earlier this year.

I'm excited because early next week I should get a combined Christmas / birthday present from my wife, a new Nikon D40. I'm anticipating that being a solid platform to take much more control of the digital imaging process, particularly in terms of getting good shots to begin with rather than having to rely on my digital darkroom skills.

I've been listening and learning from DPS and expect I will probably chip in a bit on these forums as I seek to move forward to a new level in my photography.

Wulf

[tad2106]

Just a quick stop by to say Hi. Love the look of the new site. New Years resolution is to take more photos so hope to join in some of the assignments. Can't stop as on my way to a 'bit of a Christmas do' but look forward to catching up later over the weekend. TAD

[Lynne]

Hello everyone. My name is Lynne and I am new to the forums but have been a newsletter subscriber for quite some time. I live in Ohio and have 4 kids to keep me busy.

I've been taking pictures for about 10 years now, starting with film and basic 35mm cameras, then moving into several different point & shoot digitals. For the past 3 years I have been using a Sony DSC-P10, which I love, and just recently purchased a Sony DSC-H5 which allows me a lot more freedom in adjusting settings. From reading the newsletters it seems that to expand my photo abilities I needed this option.

Most of my pictures are travel photos because I am addicted to travel and love to document where I have been. Surprisingly, I do not take many photos of my children because they are older and just don't want me pointing a camera at them or else they have those fake "posed" smiles that just don't look good in print.

So, now that I have bored you to death...I am looking forward to learning new things to do with my new camera. Thanks for being here to help.

[Kitt-Katt]

Hi,

Just a quick intro from me. I just recently got majorly into digital photography but have always been interested in pictures. I dabble in watercolour (but not very good) so I guess I enjoy the artistic side of things.

I am currently using my baby - Olympus e-500 evolt. I purchased it because I didn't want to use my husband's point and shoot cannon ( I hate sharing) for a trip we took to Portugal. I have been reading the DPS blog for a few months now but was not part of the flicker group (I have a thing about Yahoo! but that is another story). Look forward in reading more in these forums.

[Seltzer]

It's nice to see the completely random group of people on this site. I think I fit in somewhere in there. My name is John, I live out near Kansas City (yes it's in both Kansas and Missouri), in a few days will be a 26 yr old computer geek, have been doing some minor photography for years, then I lost my 35mm and was without any camera for about 3 years before acquiring a Canon Digital Elph s230 that I carry daily as it's a nice pocket sized cam and the stainless steel body makes me not worry so much about it getting banged around. about 6 months ago I made the upgrade to a Rebel XT and am very happy with that (even though they made some improvements for the XTi...) I'm rather envious about everyone living in scenic areas or at least having time to go out and get more shots of everything. Most of my pictures are taken at the local renaissance festival however I do have a few (albeit not that great) pictures on my website http://johnwright.homeip.net dating back to 2000 and the quality has improved a LOT with the tips coming in from DPS. Thanks a ton for running the site!
As a side note, everyone remember to back up your stuff, I lost all but what is on my site recently with a HD crash.. :( For the most part, however, I just find it a good reason to try to get the shots again with the new tips I have been receiving.

[thedailykimchi]

Hey, I'm Gdog and I'm teaching English in Seoul. I've been taking digital photos ever since I purchased my 2.1mp Kodak DC3400. Next it was the Canon S230, S400, SD400, now my Kiss Digital X (400D/XTi) along with the 50 1.8 and my Tamron 17-50. I read Problogger.net but I found this site through Google. ;)

[Shoegirl]

Hi, my name is Janet, I am new at Photography. I live in beauitful Ontario, Canada, I have always been interested in it since I was a kid but didn't have the money to get into it. So I went to art classes instead, liked it but never loved it.

When I was 21 I received a 35mm (can't remember what make) and found that limiting for what I wanted to do with it. About six christmas's ago my father-in-law placed a chair on top of the camera and crushed it. The following christmas I received a Canon EOS 3000, which I cried when I saw it. :)

I have two beauitul boys, 3 and 1 which I love. I dicided that I would stay home to raise them and take in a few other children till my boys go to school. I started to go a little crazy and needed a outlet, saw a photography contest in the local paper and entered, I found it hard and exciting, at times stressful (mostly towards the end as I was running out of steam)

My loving and supportive husband saw the bug in me and bought a Canon Rebel XT for my birthday 3 months ago, still learning how to use it. Hopefully I haven't bored you guys too much and will be kind if I ever feel confident enough to put my work on display.

Thanks Darren your letters have helped inspire me.

[Floris]

Hello everyone,

My name is Floris van de Geest. I'm dutch, (from holland not from germany)
and the place I live in is called 'Stadskanaal' or 'citychannel' in english.
I'm 16 years old. wich is pretty young, hehe. when im 18,5 years old i hope to gratuade from school (gratuade, is that correct?) then i want to do a photography course, then i hope to do a graphic


Ehm.. There are 2 things that i love most: Photoshop, and photograpghy.
besides that, I play piano too.
I've been doing photoshop for like 4 years now. Mostly i make Interfaces, but since a short while back I do some photomanipulation too. (still find it quite hard though)

ok.. a little about my photograhy: I use a digital camera (as most of you i guess) I use a Canon PowerShot A610.
I know it's not the best camera, but it's very use-friendly, easy to use.
and hey, you dont nessacerily need a good camera to shoot good pictures right?!
I'm making photos for.. ehm.. I think one year now.
I haven't posted them on the forums here yet, tho you can see them on the following forum:

http://forum.digital-industry.net/index.php?showtopic=17161

for anyone who likes to see the one-of-the-new-members-photo's..
cause i guess thats how everybody looks at me right now.
don't you?
or maybe you'll say, "no, I think all new members are special and I dont see them as 'just-an-other-new-member'."
good, and positive view then, keep it.

so.. that's about it. I hope to come here often, share what I know with others, and hopfully you guys will share me your knowledge too!

See you on the forums! :)

@Darren, I think you're doing a wonderfull job with the site.
Continue to do so, I say!

[Griffin2020]

I am Jack, an IT Systems Administrator in Arlington, TX (between Dallas and Fort Worth, soon to be home to the Dallas Cowboys). I am a new forum member, but have been reading the blog for a while now. I am fairly new to the DSLR scene, having recently acquired a Nikon D200. Prior to that, however, I shot a Nikon N90s. I have been shooting as an amateur for around 10 years, and would like to move up and try to make a little extra dosh with my hobby.

I am looking forward to learning from all of you, and potentially passing on some of my experiences as well.

[Anita]

I'm the proud owner of http://www.bostonphotography.com. I moved to Brooklyn many years ago, and recently registered brooklynphotography .com and will hopefully be getting that site up and running within a couple of months. My new direction is shooting babies and toddlers and I'm hoping to build a photography business. This image is from my first baby shoot. It's harder work than I expected. http://fostercreative.net/nita/AdrianWeb.jpg

[RichardsonPhotography]

Hello friends,

Names Tyler Ricahrdson. I reside Oklahoma, USA. Been doing photography for 3 years now. Always had a love for art in highschool, but didn't expand to photography till my freshmen year of college when my girlfriend started modeling. Just recently, within the last 6 months, I've transisted from hobby to profession and hope to have my own studio in the near future.

I currently shoot with a Canon Digital Rebel or 300D with 4 lenses to choose from. Plan on upgrading the camera to a 30D or 5D within the next 6 months to a year, and have already made plans to purchase the Canon 70-200 2.8L IS lens within a month.

Primarily I do portraits cause thats what brings in the money, but you still see a lot of freelance on my flickr cause I like to express my artistic side.

Guess thats all for now. Been looking forward to the makeover for DPS and glad to finally see it has arrived.

[BarbaraZ]

I am Barbara, a 'senior citizen' in Florida. I am working on making photography a source of income. I do some stock (mainly of the tropical color and flora of Florida), but I am also working on fine art photography.

Photography is an ongoing learning process. I have a Canon 300D and several lenses. I just bought a Canon SD 700IS that goes everywhere with me, for those unexpected shots.

Love the newsletters with so much info. The forums are a great idea!
Barbara

[barrie]

Hi everyone! I'm Barrie, another Oregonian from Portland. I'm so excited about this new forum. I've been learning tons reading the blog posts and lurking on the flickr site. It'll be great to join in some of the conversations here.

I am pretty new to photography. I just started getting into it with the dawning of the digital age. Started out with a fuji point and shoot and worked my way up through 4 cameras to a Nikon D50, my current camera. I am still learning how to use the manual settings on it but I'm coming along.

I have also put together a little site about Disney World Photography (http://www.squidoo.com/wdwphotos). Check it out if you want to see my galleries - I have links to them on it. There are also some other resources there that are especially good for people new to digital photography.

I'm looking forward to learning from you all - and maybe I'll even have a few tidbits to add now and then! Barrie

[Fraggleroxer]

hey
im zach, im 20 and a photo-journalism major in cincinnati.
i work as a freelancer right now.
ive been shooting for 5 years, the past 3 have been digital.
canon is nice. i shoot a 20d right now. my fav lenses are 50 f1.8, and my 70-200 f2.8.
i do most of my fine art photography with my holga or canonets.

buy a lensbaby, they rock

[KarrDesigns]

A big Howdy to everyone!! John Karr here, living in the foothills of Alabama. I'm 33 years old. I work as a freelance graphic designer and print broker. I have just recently got into digital photography and have learned most of what I know from this site. Keep up the good work, Darren!

[Fraggleroxer]

A big Howdy to everyone!! John Karr here, living in the foothills of Alabama. I'm 33 years old. I work as a freelance graphic designer and print broker. I have just recently got into digital photography and have learned most of what I know from this site. Keep up the good work, Darren!

welcome to dps. i hope u can learn more.

[Selected Pixels]

Hi, I'm Bob. I'm a "serious" amateur. My dad was a pro so I've been around photography all my life. But I didn't get serious about it until a year or two ago. I have a D200, D70, a few lenses, and an SB800. I'm like a sponge, reading everything I can get my hands on. Only problem is time. It's tough to find time to just get out and shoot.

Anyway, I'm glad to be here......

[Saralonde]

Hi, I joined the flickr group a few weeks ago, after lurking for awhile, but I think this forum will be much better for discussion. Thanks, Darren!
It's interesting to see how diverse this group is. I live in western PA and am the mother of 3. My daughter in college is also interested in photography and I'm surprising her with her own Rebel XT for Christmas. I used to use a Pentax SLR and developed my own pictures years ago, but I've only recently found the time to indulge my hobby again.
My equipment: Rebel XT, Canon 18-55 (kit lens), Canon 50 1.4, Canon 85 1.8, Canon 70-200 4L, Sigma 70-300 4-5.6 APO macro, Canon 100 macro, Canon 430 EX speedlite.
I am an enthusiastic noob to digital and always excited to learn!

[unforcederror]

Hello out there, I'm from Belgium and I'm fairly new at photography, but I love it! Started out with my dad's cam, Bought my own bridge cam (fujifilm S5600), sold that one and bought me a DSLR last week (Nikon D50 with kit lens, 18-55mm) i love it :) I'm still experimenting alot, and still learning. That's why I joined this forum (I've seen it on the flickr site since I was a member of this group on flickr) So I hope I can learn alot here :) Hope to hear from you guys!

[splatt]

Hi everyone...my name is Mick or as most people know me "Splatt".

I'm a gadget freak, blogger, ex-podcaster, ex-advertising guy, new/digital media type person who moved back to Melbourne (Australia) after spending 10 years living in Sydney. Always been into photography since learning to shoot and process 35mm film back in 1984...had a small break from the whole camera thing until 2002 when i bought an Olympus C7070 and realy getting into it lately as i just bought a Canon 400D (after reading a review at the DPS Blog)...very nice :)

You can check out my Flickr site at http://flickr.com/photos/splatt

The forums look great Darren...and will no doubt help me to pick up where i left off with my photography skills as well...well done.

[kunaldaswani]

I'm Kunal Daswani, I run a record label in Chennai, South India.

I've been interested in photography for 1 or so years now, but I have been serious about it for about 2 months and my only teacher has been Darren and the Digital Photography School.

My Gear - I use a Canon Power Shot S3IS

[Fraggleroxer]

welcome! i look foward to seeing some shot from ur side of the world

[Rommel]

Hi, my name is Bob Rommel. I am currently quite new to photography. After spending several weeks reading and researching online, I decided to jump in deep (a tendency of mine...) and purchased a Nikon D80 almost 2 weeks ago. I have been having a fabulous time with it even though there isn't that much to shoot in Michigan, USA during the winter. I first ran into the Digital Photography School when I was researching my camera purchase and photography in general. I then followed it Flickr where I saw that it was moving to here. Well I am excited to learn about photography here and will try not to ask too many questions :)

[eddie_2541]

G'day Darren, hello all,

My name is Eddie and I live in the South Coast of N.S.W, Australia. I have been interested in photography for some years now but have only really started to make my hobby into a proffesion in the last year or so. I am currently doing my Diploma in Proffesional Photography.

Darren, love your websites, Digital Photography School, your site on Flickr and of course this forum. I have learnt a great deal from the knowledge that you and others provide.

Wish you all a very merry christams

Eddie

[Nancy Pohl]

Hi Everyone. My name is Nancy and I live on the shores of beautiful North Carolina. ALthough I have had my Kodak EasyShare DX7639 for two years now, I still only know how to turn it to "auto" and take a shot. I so want to learn what all that other stuff is. I was very excited to find this site. Maybe now I will learn the "ins and outs" of digital photography.

Now I do take exception to the thread shortly above mine where a statement was made that there isn't much to take a picture of in Michigan during the winter. Oh my, I have never seen a more beautiful place than Michigan in the winter. I have so many beautiful winter photos. I lived there for 10 years and never get over the beauty of their winters.

I am looking forward to learning so much here.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/njpohl/Picture796.jpg

[rachel_r]

Hi all...

Thanks for the site Darren, I greatly enjoy your flickr group. You have been helpful in giving me wonderful ideas.

I am just starting out with photography and it seems to be growing into an obsession. I've always enjoyed it but never had any great equipment so when I finally decided to get my Nikon D70s it really bloomed into a wonderful hobby. I have had several people ask me to take portraits for them and it always feels nice to be able give something that people will keep with them forever.

I look forward to getting to know you all and developing my skills with the group.

[Gromguitar4]

Hey Guys and Gals!

This site is sweet and I am so glad I could join. I'm a young one in Florida but I have been doing a lot of sports stuff for my high school and College papers. I love sports photography because of all the expressions you can get. I shoot with a Nikon D70s (just got it so I don't have any good pics yet) and I love it. I really want to start trying some new things because I think artistically I am in a rut. Some of you have really abstract stuff and new angles on ordinary things and I want to teach myself those things with your help. I hope I can offer some secrets as well so we all can learn together!

If you have any questions let me know!

[beckmeister]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Becky. I live in Florida. This is the best site ever. I have learned so much here. I am an avid photographer using a Nikon D70S with a couple of lenses. I like to shoot animals and bugs, but I want to learn it all. Hopefully I will get killer tips from all of you. I'm a Mom of a college kid so we have the empty nest syndrome so we have plenty of time to take pictures.
i look forward to getting to know all of you.

[Gunsotsu]

Greeting y'all. My name is Will Nickelson. I'm from Huntsville, AL originally and currently, but have lived a bit of everywhere. I've been shooting since my best friend's dad introduced me to aviation photography oh so many moons ago. I've shot mostly the bastard children as far as equipment is concerned, Minolta's in my film days and now a Pentax *istDL. I'm still most passionate about aviation photography, and with Von Braun's playground in my backyard, so to speak, anything to do with space as well. I'll shoot dang near anything in the interim, when I can't get to airshows or the like. I am forever learning, and will shoot so long as I can.

[innercitysumo]

hi everyone

I'm a 26 year old doctor who (after underusing and not really understanding how to use a canon film slr for a couple of years) got a nikon d70 about 18months ago and now avidly snapping everything that moves and lots of things that don't. I live in London which always offers up lots of photo oppurtunities.

Ta ra

[rpaladino]

Hello to all,

"If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential, as though I had forgotten to wake up."
Richard Avedon

I'm Raquel Paladino, the photographer behind www.2paladinos.com. I prefer black and white photography and progressed from 35 mm film to digital. Working in black and white gives me a rawer image, a grittiness of real life – and that is what I find exciting.
I’m glad to be a member of such a lively and talented group.

Thanks Darren, and everyone behind the scenes for the new look to the site and the new forum – sleek and professional.
Best to all.

Bye for now,
Raquel Paladino
www.2paladinos.com

[RandomConnections]

Greetings all!

My name is Tom. I'm 46 and live in Upstate South Carolina USA. I'm a musician and school administrator, and photography has been a hobby for many, many years.

As for equipment, I have a couple of very old Nikon SLRS, I have a Nikon N60 35mm, a several point-n-shoot digitals, and a Nikon D50.

[Krimo]

Hi everybody !

My name is Krimo, I am 20, I live in France, and photography has always been a hobby. Though since I am a student, I don't really have the means to sate this addiction ! But hopefully by the end of the year I will get a reflex, and start shooting often. :)

See you around.

[Lastoadri]

Greetings from Cairo. I'm Eman (means "faith" in arabic), only few more days and I'd hit my 22nd birthday :)
Studying in my final year, faculty of engineering electronics and communications department.

Got my camera around 2 or 3 weeks ago, cause my family wished to record my brother's graduation party... and NOW its left for me to enjoy photography..
Thats why i joined the forum and the blog before to learn more about the hobbie, it sounds pretty intresting.

[mclone]

Good morning. I am Patty and currently reside in the mountains of SW Virginia. I have had a digital camera for several years and enjoy photgraphing the local scenery as well as family gatherings. For family and friend gatherings I like to make slide shows that people can view on their DVD players. For my scenery photos I have been making greeting cards for personal use, they have been well received. Some of my favorite pics have been shot from my own yard. I am using the Kodak z740.

[deck]

Good day! my name is Deck, Im from the Philippines and I just got into photography a few months ago, my current gear is a canon sd550 p&s camera. I have been reading up on DPS for a while now and it has helped me a lot in terms of understanding some finer details in photography. Its a learning process and I hope I can improve and maybe give assistance in this forum :)

[Amigone201]

Hey,

My name is Mike, a second-year law student from Buffalo, NY. I've been into photography since, well, pretty far back, but I only started learning how to do it seriously in the last 2 or 3 years. I wish I had some high-tech equipment, but the funding's a little low right now, so I'm sticking with my Kodak c340 and Photoshop Elements 4. Maybe in a couple of years I'll move on to a mid-range camera, but I think I'll need a job first. :)

When I'm not taking pictures, you can usually find me in my office at school, handing out Divine Retribution to undergrads who can't seem to stop getting in trouble.

[yokolok]

Hi all, i'm john and i'm from the philippines.photography was and is (again) a hobby...on and off with film, until finally switched over...though i still have my film camera...i signed up a few days ago but was only able to check out the forums today and congratulations to Darren for setting this up!!! The newsletters were already a big help..but his will definitely help us get better faster!!!

[Old Stone]

Wow! After reading through the introductions to date, I feel as if I have been on a round-the-world tour. I'm Nancy, and live on the Westcoast of British Columbia. I'm another beginner. I've been working with my CoolPix4800 for about 12 months. I'm itching to buy a DSLR, but am determined to learn to use all the features on my sweet point-and-shoot before moving up. However, Santa has been approached. You can visit my photo sets at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancys_pics/

[kruiserx]

Hi, my name is Eugene and I'm a 28 year old male from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I'm still playing around with photography and haven't gotten round to purchase a decent SLR camera. Just fooling around with my point and shoot, but I love photography. Thanks Darren for such a cool site.

[SueB]

Hello All,
I'm Sue from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia (Canada.) I have been taking photographs for many years although off and on when I was using film. I started digitally about 7 years ago with a Toshiba and somehow got used to just taking snapshots, that changed when I bought my D70 and as I'm a semi-retired SAHM (2 finished university and 1 to go) I have plenty of time to pursue my passions.

I hope I can help others learn some new tricks and learn some new ones myself.

[Telman2]

Hi, my name is Chuck, I'm a 63 year old retired telephone man. I'm a novice in the purest sense of the word. I have an older point and shoot Sony MVC-FD95 that has served me well. I just recently aquired a Canon Rebel XT with a 28-135 IS lens, Battery Grip BG-E3 and a 430EX Speedlite. Now all I have to do is learn to use this new equipment.

[Redrabbit]

[QUOTE=I live in Wellandport, Ontario. Canada. I am 63 and just got into this digital camera activity this year. I have a Konica Minolta Dimage X1 that I take pictures with in and around Niagara Falls.

[photblog]

Hi I'm new here, I've been following the blog for a long time now.

I live in the San Francisco Area, and I've been an amateur photographer for 9 years now. For the past 7 years I've been continuously enrolled in photography classes at the College of San Mateo (http://smccd.net/accounts/csmphoto/gallery.html).

And some of my stuff on flickr is here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollish/sets/72157594202312862/).

I'm still shooting on film and plan on getting into some digital soon.

[phoenixbebe]

Hi, my name is Alyssa. I am from NYC and I've always been interested in photography as a hobby since high school, when I first took Photography as a class and learned all the technical aspects (I even learned on a manual SLR shooting black and white film, from which techniques I still remember to this very day :) )

anyway I recently met a few friends who actively pursue photography as a hobby...all of them have graduated to 30D's and so forth...they have helped me greatly in choosing subjects and in being able to *see* what might make a great picture. I enjoy my very many talks with them...

and i def look fwd to learning from each and every one of you on here...this site is great!

[MarcoM]

My name is Marc and I am new to both this group and to photography. Have taken pictures with 35mm point and shots for years and never very happy with the results. Went to digital end of this summer (Kodak P850), still pretty much a point and shoot but at least one the I can have manual control with. I'm wanting to upgrade to a interchangeable lens dSLR as soon as I can afford iit.
I ride motorcycles alot and do alot of traveling, which is where I cought the bug from, and wanted to get better pictures then what I've been able to. Have been getting tips from the blog and decided it was time to hook up and try to really learn something.... some great photos on here!

[alissasanderson]

Hi. My name is Alissa. I live in the western part of Kentucky with my police officer husband and 2 little boys, ages 5 and 3. I've been a shutterbug my entire life, but have really gotten into photography over the past few years. I purchased my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XT, this past September. I am completely self-taught when it comes to photography, and it shows. I have neither the time nor the money for classes at this point in my life. I read books and magazines and internet articles and forums, and I take photos and more photos. Some of them are good. Most of them are just OK. My real interest lies in landscape photography, although I'll photograph anything that wanders past my camera. And, of course, my boys are frequent, if reluctant, subjects. I hope to learn alot here. Feel free to check me out on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaspics/).

[ny156uk]

Hi everybody,

I'm 24, male, from North Yorkshire (England). I'm pretty new to photography - got into it over the summer and enjoy trying to find new ways to improve my skills.

Mostly take photos when out walking and have found that it added a new dimension to walking in the country. It's a nice feeling find something you want to shoot. I've spent far more time than I ever expected to in churchyards (I find them havens for photographs) and chasing butterflies/dragon flies about the place.

I have no camera of my own but use of a panasonic DMC-F7 and a Fujifilm Finepix F110. I am tempted by a DSLR but will wait until next summer to make sure my interest remains. This site has been a god-send for help and the friendliness of people on Flickr make posting my shots online a pleasure

[mattdm]

Hi. I'm Matthew Miller. I live in Boston, MA, and my primary photographic subjects are my kids -- one almost 2 years old, the other just a couple of months. I'm interested in good composition and taking interesting pictures, but primarily, I want photographs which capture moments. As anyone with young children knows, the cliché about blink-and-it's-gone is very true. I hope to capture some of those blinks.

I'm saving to get a dSLR -- I'll probably get a Canon, as I have several photographer friends with Canon equipment. However, I'm tempted by the Pentax K10d. Currently, I primarily use an Olympus C5060 (a 2-year old "bridge camera" with a lot of advanced features), and a Fujifilm F20 for portability and the great low-light performance.

[AZ4Runner]

Hi, my name is Jim Blocker, I'm a photo addict from Leesburg, VA.

I've been shooting in some capacity since I was a boy, albeit I really didn't have more than a "snapshot" mentality until recently. I moved into the digital realm about 10 years ago as an intern at an engineering firm. I purchased my first digital camera about 6 years ago and haven't put it down since. I'm currently shooting with a D200 and a Canon SD450 (assuming the wife lets me borrow it).

I've been following the digital photography school blog for a while now and am excited to see it is moving into the next stages of life (new site, forums, and more interactive than the flikr group).

I look forward to sharing my experiences and learning new skills with the DPS community.

[BusShooter]

Hi, my name is Mel, I'm from NYC and I love to take pictures. I love shooting anything, but I especially love taking pictures of buses. But I'm not really such a good one, primarily I'm more of a "point-and-shoot" person because I have horrible timing and if I just point and shoot, I could get a shot of the subject that I want, which then I could work on setting up a better pose for it later on... hopefully that wasn't so confusing!

I'm still a poor college student, so my gear is just a Canon S1 IS.

I'm really glad I found this forum, hopefully I can learn from you all. :)

[Liquid Cheese]

Hey,
My names Tom Cullum, I'm 16 years old and I'm currently at college in England. I only started during the summer holidays, but I feel like I've come a really long way since then. I started because we have a butterfly bush in our garden which was absolutely covered with butterflies so I grabbed my dad's work camera and tried a few photos. Nothing came out to great, and one of my friends who has been taking photos for a year or so now, told me it was probably because I didn't have macro mode on, which at the time I had never even heard of, hehehe. I went back out and took some much better photos which I was really proud of and I've been pretty much hooked ever since.

I'm only using a Canon Powershot but I'm getting a fuji s5600 for christmas, which I'm really looking forward to. Thanks a lot to DPS, it has helped me no end.

[farmgirl]

I'm Linz, a farm girl from the Midwest. I love photography, but I'm new to a lot of the concepts and mechanics of it. I have a Nikon SLR film camera . . . I mostly shoot candids.

[Photos by Joanna . net]

Hello! My name is Joanna. I have been studying photography since my sophmore year in high school (1998). During my high school years, I worked on the school newspaper as a photographer. I was lucky enough to win the Dean Lesher award for phtojournalism in 2000. During that time I was using a Canon EOS Elan II and loved my camera.

About a year ago I switched to all digital and aquired a Canon Digital Rebel XT. I am in the beginning stages of starting a portrait business... maybe start doing weddings. Time will tell.

Currently I am trying to absorb as much information as I can, develope my own personal style, and stay true to my art.

[BR7146]

Hi,

My name is Beth, I'm a 46 year old wife, mother, and a sales analyst by trade living in Southeastern Massachusetts. I've always loved photography. I purchased my first manual SLR back in the late Seventies.. but the cost of developing was prohibitive of me pursuing photography to any great extent. I got my first digital camera back in 2000 but was very frustrated at the lack of control I had.

I purchased the Nikon D50 in August and I love it! Although I am a bit overwhelmed by the features and relearning the principles of photography... I have been visiting here a lot and find this site very useful. You've done a great job updating the site and forum and I look forward to visiting more often.

Have a great evening!

[skipgoshannon]

Hello all! My name is Shannon, I'm a 32 year old graphic designer/illustrator who's been bitten by a pretty serious photography bug. I've been into photography for about 12 years now, and up until yesterday have shot with mainly film (pentax k1000) and various point and shoot digital cameras. (my first camera was a kodak disc camera in the 80's, remember those?) Yesterday I received my shiny new canon 20d, and I'm trying to relearn the whole SLR thing (it's been a while since I've used that good ol' k1000...). I'm hoping to get some good tips from those of you on the forum!
Oh, I'm also into the whole "through the viewfinder" thing, and I've been using an old argoflex twin lens reflex camera for that. You can see some of my stuff at www.flickr.com/photos/skipgoshannon

[Shoeless]

Hello fellow photography lovers, my name is Linda, and I think I'm going to be an addict! :D

I have been interested in photography as an observer since I was a child, having an Uncle and a Grandfather who were passionate about their hobby and allowed me to assist even in the darkroom. I have been using a point-and-shoot Olympus C300Z for many years that I was quite fond of, but decided I want to go to the next level. Hubby just bought me my first DSLR for Christmas. I was going to stay with Olympus with the Evolt 500, but ultimately decided on the Canon EOS 30D. It is both amazing and intimidating all at the same time; fortunately, I don't scare easily.

Thanks for an interesting and informative site. Many photo forums take on an elitist tone and are not welcoming to non-pros or those new to the hobby. I've been reading a few out there, but have not joined. I didn't find that "attitude" here at all so here I am and I look forward to sharing with you as I try, fail, learn and grow!

P.S. I posted my first subject, one of my cats (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1749&postcount=50) in the pets thread...

[turtlebud]

Hi, I'm Jimmy. I live in the SF Bay Area and work as a Programmer Analyst for a Biotech company in SSF. I'm married with one child and started getting serious about photography last year.

I've been taking lots of pictures since my college years - back then with an olympus stylus that lasted me a good 8 years until I brought it to ohio for a wedding in winter and the lcd cracked. I made the transition to digital cameras a few years ago when I started using one of my dad's "discarded" cameras (he does that when he moves on to a new camera) - a canon s20. I eventually got my own powershot s400 that I used until I got my current camera - a canon 20D. I like taking candid shots at weddings (for friends) as well as nature and landscape shots. I've been amazed at the quality of pictures that you can take with the 20D (as opposed to point and shoot) and love it when people enjoy the pictures I take.

My gear: Canon 20D (with kit lens), 28-135mm, 50mm f/1.8, 70-200 f/4, 85mm f/1.8, 10-22mm, 430ex.

[Raven]

Hi all...
I'm 31 and come from Jakarta Indonesia. Love photography since high school and then took college majoring in Journalism. Never really had time to do my hobby back then since I never work as journalist instead working as an IT engineer. But since the introduction of digital camera I begin to fal in love again.
Hope this forum will become valueable source for me...

Thanks

[nikita]

Hi all! I'm JoAnn from Memphis, Tennessee in the US. I have a Canon 20D and a Canon Powershot A620.

I became interested in photography during a year-long stay in the Philippines. I eventually minored in Photography while in college and worked at a photo lab for a while.

I've become more interested in macro photography lately so I hope to learn from those who have mastered the techniques here! ;)

[grover]

Good afternoon!!

Glad to have found this site, going to spend a bit of time poking around, always looking for new tips and ideas!

I love photography..but am such a amature! But I want to have fun and play around--see what I get, i just enjoy the process so much!

I have a Canon S3, take plenty of pics and put them to use by scrapbooking them. I reside up in the frozen north--so plenty of opputrunity for those frosty photos!

Okay..off to go look around!

[judeastone]

Hey, good evening...

My name's Jude, I'm 21 and currently a student in Sheffield, UK.

I've always had an interest in technology, yet was always swayed away from geek circles due to a bizaree creative streak in me. In the last few years I've started to move towards video based work [live work, filming, production, editing etc] but also photography.

After a number of my friends started purchasing SLRs, and being subscribed to DPS.com I convinced myself I needed one too, so this summer splashed out on a Canon 350D, with the 18-55mm USM kit lens, and have been learning ever since.

This website has been amazing at providing me with inspiration and really handy tips on understanding how to break out of auto mode, and get into some of the more technical and creative side of things.

You can check out some [only a few at the moment] of my pics over at flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/judeastone/) and my ramblings on my blog (http://judeastone.blogspot.com).

My next step is getting a new lens and starting to push some boundaries... best way to learn I think!

Looking forward to getting to know you all you guys better over the coming months...

Jude

[Penny Haywood]

Hi,
Have fairly recently got a fairly basic digital camera and love the instant results and convenience after years of film photography. Am in to reflections.
A few pix are up at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Penny.Pix/SelectedPix?authkey=7hI1HVv5JPg

[piston9]

Hi... I'm Drewe... I work in IT, but am kind of a photography nut too.

Mainly use a Canon EOS 350 with an assortment of lenses - also have a fuji P&S and a Panasonic 3CCD Vidcam which I use also (the EOS for all serious shots though!).

I mainly am into landscape\scenic - long exposure and night shots... I am also a car nut so take lots of car photo's and motorsports...

You can see some of my stuff here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/piston9

:D

[KatherineEmma]

Katherine is a 26 year old Brit currently stationed in Evansville, Indiana after moving to the US four months ago due to a somewhat cavalier decision (as all the best ones are) to marry a Kentucky farm boy and permanently deprive herself of the twin wonders of fish'n'chips and mushy peas - major nutritional food groups that she misses on a daily basis. She used to work in IT but thanks to the peculiar brand of efficiency displayed by the Department of Homeland Security when it comes to mailing work permits, she is currently stuck as a lady of leisure - an occupation that makes the most of her chief talent of drinking an offensive amount of coffee whilst sitting around in her skimpies.

She became interested in photography whilst on a three week road trip a couple of years ago but still has the artistic ability and technical grace of an octopus stapled to a chair. She hopes one day to produce a decent picture that is more the result of good judgment than good luck and enjoys milking the third person for all it's worth when she finds herself inexplicably awake at six in the morning.

[Reellady]

Hey there,
I am Becky from Johns Island,SC (near Charleston) I have always liked taking pictures. Last June I got a Digital camera. At first I was intimidated by it. The more I used it the more I liked it.

Then It happened! I like to fish and went to a Surf Fishing Tournament on Folly Beach, SC. There I snapped a bunch of pictures and looked for somewhere to put them for all to see. I found Flickr and loaded them on there for the fishermen to see. Someone, I didn't know, commented on one of the pictures. I started looking around Flickr and joined some groups. Then started one http://www.flickr.com/groups/southcarolinafishandwater.

Now I am addicted. I have bought three camera batteries( always charged) and an external hard drive to store my photos.

I want more , more , more. I can't stop it!

I have learned alot and contiinue to learn! Probably will save up for one of those DSLR cameras after I learn all mine has to offer.

[ab.bs]

Hi guys, just found this site/forum today and loving everything in it!!! Awesome site Darren.

Real name: Eric
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Camera: Canon Powershot S2 IS (no lense converters yet... hopefully soon:) )
Photography experience/education: None what so ever... I got my camera August of this year and fell in love with photography! So I'm considered as a newbie in photography... and Im gonna need your expert advice to (hopefully) improve my skills.

[anoop.deol]

Hello,
I am Anoop and see that i logged on for too long so thought i should introduce myself. I have been learning from the DPS newsletter for a long time. A posting by itzstormy for help on a pic with a car, and the suggestions that were offered by jewels and naturespixel got me hooked and joined flickr. Eventually would like to try something like that, but for now am happy learning and playing with the pictures.
Thanks to everyone who takes part in this, specially the moderators.

[Bluejacket]

Hello...

I'm Dave, 39 years old from Cocoa, Florida. I've been shooting film (Canon AE-1) for about 15 years, and started shooting digitally when I bought a Canon 300 when I was stationed in the Kingdom of Bahrain for taking pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shipwack/sets/72157594443624965/).

I mostly take pictures of the local waterways and the animals that inhabit them. By a strange series of events, I have also started taking fetish photos for friends. Both subjects have their pros and cons... :)

[MelissaRV]

Hi everybody, I just found this forum and thought I'd introduce myself while having a look around.

I've been playing with digital art for years using stock photos and finally decided it was time to start taking my own shots. Mostly because I'd got so frustrated not being able to find what I wanted. That was back in September of this year and a lovefest was started that has no signs of souring LOL. I purchased a Nikon D50 and have since acquired multiple lenses, filters, and goodies.

I have a tendency to get rather long winded so I'm stopping myself before that happens, lol, looking forward to "meeting" you all.

-----

Hi Bluejacket... interesting screen name.. prior Navy?

[Learner]

Hi Reelady: It's noseum here. Didn't think to use the same tag. Moving along right? Thinking of you and glad you joined here. Still learning to grasp the H5 and this digital photo. 'stuff'. Hope all is well. Welcome.Hope your holidays are going great!

[avlor]

/waves the typical geeky newbie wave...:D

My name is Amy and I live in eastern South Dakota with my hubby and 2 kiddos.

My father started my interest in photography. He's been taking lovely shots for years. I've always wondered how he took such good pictures. (Mine were usually very bad. After the infamous "goat butt" picture - I couldn't go anywhere but up!) After an expensive trip to a professional photographer for Christmas photos, I decided to try my hand at photography. I've been reading like mad and starting to save up for a Canon Rebel XTi . (<- atleast that's the one I think I want at this point.) My hope for this year - is to have the camera and improve my shots enough to take the family photos myself this year. I also hope to share photography as a hobby with my son. He's been going along with me on shoots as an excuse to get out of the house. I love the time with him, and I'm anxious to see what his first few rolls will turn out like. (taking them in this week.)

my camera- hp photosmart c618 (hand-me-down from dad). ("Need" new camera badly...)

Started reading the blog and found the forums here. I'm really excited about the forum.

[Bluejacket]

Hi Bluejacket... interesting screen name.. prior Navy?

Yep... Just retired last month, and am trying to get a second career started... :) Got a few interesting photos from my time in the Navy, but most of them are film and "off-topic" for the forum... I'm working on scanning them and putting them in my flickr account, especially the night missile launches...

[j-rem]

Hi my name is Jarem and I live in the Philippines. Im a Civil Engineer by profession and working in a govt office. Im newbie in photography but beginning to enjoy this as a hobby (barely a month old hobby):)

I have my old P&S camera which i used mostly in Auto mode. Got curious and tried other settings and produce some outstanding results (in my standard:D ). Things gets more interesting when i attended a wedding of my cousin this year and looked at those excellent photos produced by Pros.

Now I have my new semi DSLR Sony DSC-R1 i bought days before christmas, and Im taking pics on landscapes, people and recently macro just to experience the diff setting and conditions my camera can offer.

Im learning more and more and this site perfect for me.

[Reellady]

Hey,there Learner ! Things are well, except my truck got rear ended and I am sore, all else is great! I hope you all had and continue to have Happy Holidays!

[photobyfelix]

Fist of all, thank you Darren for starting this forum.

Hello everyone, I am living in San Diego, California with my wonderful wife. Our two children are grown, educated and married, so no immediate worries and a little more liesure time.

I am an engineer who had a long hiatus from photography. I came back to this hobby 1.5 years ago, and have been using a Sony DSC-H1, a basically point and shoot 6 MP with some bells and whistles. I just took delivery of a Nikon D200 and can't wait to use it. Everything I submit for a while will be from the Sony DSC-H1 while I accumulate lenses and some experience with the D200. I recently joined a local photogrpahy club which is very active, sponsors photo shoots to nearby destinations, has speakers at the monthly meetings, and has an annual photo contest. Good support.

One of the things I I like about this forum is the different ideas that an image produces, and the ideas the comments spark. I am happy to be involved.

[clickdeath]

My name is Jon MacKinnon, i'm 19 years old, and have been shooting more seriously since May 2006, before that i had a Pentax point and shoot. My father has been taking photos for as long as i can remember on holidays and stuff like that, i guess thats why im interested in it. I study graphic design at the University of Wales, Newport but wish i was doing photography!! I own a Nikon D50 (it was my first camera after my point and shoot) i have the 18-55 kit lens, and the 55-200 kit lens, and also a Sigma f/2.8 18-50mm, and got a Sigma EF-500 DG Super flash for christmas. I generally shoot live music shows, people, and extreme sports. I own a website which i have a link to in my sig & profile. I'm here because I waste too much time on MySpace and thought I could come spend some constructive time here!

[rjb_FotoTaker]

oops.. i moved this from a new thread, now that i see this is where it should be.

I was just browsing the web and came accross this site. I was very impressed with some of the topics that I was reading so I knew this was the place for me. What caught my eye the most was the critique(sp) my photo section. Just reading some of the comments I felt give me a better idea of how to approach my own shots and composition.

Anyone going to the Nikon 2 day school in Orlando on 1/20 and 1/21, or is this a waste of money? I'm sure as I continue to search this forum I may answer my own question.

Anyway, don't want this to be a long boring introduction so, happy to be here.

Jason

[veronica]

My name is Veronica. I got into photography trying to take better pictures for my scrapbooks (paper and digital). My favorite subject is my quick moving three year old daughter. My current camera is a Canon S2 IS but I also grab my husband's Fuji FinePix F30 for quick indoor shots (much to his dismay). While I like my S2 IS a lot, I'd really like a dSLR. In the meantime, my goal is to make the best of the camera I do have so that when I do get a dSLR, I'll be ready for it.

[tim]

Tim, 23, web designer, Australian living in Tokyo.
Bought a Canon 400D a couple months ago to capture my time while living here. Shoot mostly with the 50mm f.18, also own extension tubes and that crusty thing called a lens kit. Did a little bit of photography a couple years back and the other half of my reason to buy the dSLR was to pick up where i left off.

i think sharing = learning so that's why i'm here.

[mox601]

i am matteo moci from Rome, Italy. i'm 25.
i study computer science and i am fascinated by photography, mainly thanks to my father that showed me the picture he took at my age and after, working sometimes with models for fashion shots and other just for the pleasure of doing it.
in my shots i used his gear, that consists in a nikkormat reflex with 3 lenses (24-50-200 mm), a yashicamat with 120mm film and other film cameras that don't work by now.
another camera i used is my brother's olympus 310-z, a crappy digital camera that shoots 3 seconds after you push the button... but that's what i have...

(more than) sometimes i enjoy retouching my shots with photoshop to fix and enhance them.

my flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mox601/)
my band (http://www.thepillowfactory.it)

[k.j.]

hi.
my name is kylie... or kj, for short.
i've always had a thing for photography and in the last year or so have realized my love for all things creative. taking photographs makes me feel so alive. i have a lot of friends who enjoy taking picutres and looking at mine... thank God b/c i'm still learning. (a fellow-photographer i work with told me about this site, yay!)
i'm still saving up for a nice camera... i have my eye on the Panasonic DMC-FZ50S. i've been using a fuji film e510 for the last year. i'm ready for more.

i'm eager to learn from you fine folks.

-kylie

[KRIS]

Hi Friends,

I am Gopal and live in Dubai. Am 43 and have two boys 13 and 9.

I am pretty new to Digital, but am a lover of Photography. I see immense possibilities to cut across all man made borders and reach out to friends and like minded people.

My kids have a point and shoot Canon and Sony and they are pretty good too.

I stopped taking pics about 4 years ago due to my work schedule and started again last August after I bumped in to DPS and also my Pentax. I chose Pentax as my earlier print cam was a Z1P and I can use the same lenses.

I see a great opportunity with the Digital cams as they are very easy to handle, manage pics, and to reach your pics to any one with the PC. Great invention indeed.

I love the articles in DPS, and Darren you have done a wonderful job of encouraging people like me participating in this great hobby.

I wish DPS and all members a Great 2007.

Kris

[pr0digal]

Hi everybody,

The name is Ethan, I am 17 years old and I live in MA. I have been interested in photography for a long time. My first digital camera was a dinky old 2.0 megapixel Kodak Easy Share. From there, I went up to the Canon Powershot S2 IS, and I loved it. I got my first DSLR for Christmas, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, or Canon EOS 400D. I have only the stock lens, the 18-55mm, but I am hoping to expand. I love long exposure shots, they are just awesome. I have a few photos on www.betterphoto.com

www.betterphoto.com?pr0digal (www.betterphoto.com?pr0digal)

I found about DPS through Lifehacker, looks like a great site

~Ethan

[jnorth]

Hi I'm Jim and love taking photos. I guess I enjoy most taking photos of my koi. I'm currently using a Nikon d200.