Talking to myself

I don't really expect many folks are reading this.  Outside of a few friends I send links to and a top secret government data mining project, I expect this to go largely unread.  Irregardless, I will type anyway.  BTW, did you know irregardless is not a word?

Since my other blog with all my photo ramblings got eaten by a giant internet worm, it won't do much good to refer to my old posts on this blog.  I'll give a brief description of my photography and see how it goes.

I took a photography class in class in high school.  I think it was my junior year, probably 1983-84.  I enjoyed the class a lot and learned to develop film and make silver prints in the dark room.  I learned a little about photography but didn't really pursue it outside of class assignments and working on the yearbook and school newspaper.  An opportunity wasted.

After a few years of college I took a job as a graphic artist, mostly creating newspaper advertisements.  And while over the years I worked closely with photos, it was some time before I decided to try my hand a expanding my photographic skills beyond taking family snapshots.  It wasn't until after my second daughter asked for an upgrade from the family's digital point-n-shoot to a digital SLR that my interest was rekindled.  We got her a Canon Digital Rebel and she proved to be quite talented with it.  I was jealous of her camera almost immediately, but I fought the bug for a while.  I eventually broke down and bought a Canon 40D a few lenses and a flash.  Then a tripod.  Then my first (and only, so far) L series lens.  Then I bought an Alien Bee monolight.  By this time I was actively reading photo books and blogs.  Then I picked up a cheap EOS 650 on eBay.  I started shooting film again.  Then I was given an enlarger and some other darkroom equipment and picked some more on Craigslist.  All the while I'm trying to learn as much as I can about both the science and art of photography.

Since then, I've expanded my film interest into both medium format and 35mm.   I've scored a Yashica Mat LM, a Bronica ETRS, several 35mm SLRs, and rangefinders. I've love to pick up a 4x5 or *gasp* dare I dream, an 8x10 large format camera.  I've mostly been shooting 35mm on a Minolta XG-7, but I have my eye on a Nikon FM2n.

I do photography because I enjoy it.  I do it for myself, and as tempting as it can be, I resist the urge to try and make money doing it.  Maybe one day, under the right circumstances I will, but for know I will leave shooting for money to the real pros.  I don't want to be another guy with a Facebook photography business that doesn't know an f-stop from a hole in the ground.  In my defense, I know what an f-stop is.  More or less.