Posted by Greg Smith on February 23, 2010 at 9:38 AM
As a new member please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Greg and I live in a rural community in the state of Nevada. I began my interest in Photography about (9) years ago but really became involved in it (3) years ago. By involved I mean I live and breath Photography without a day going by when I'm not reading or practicing. Despite this I still have so much to learn which is why I became a member here. For the past (3) years I've been a member of another web site but grew increasingly discontent with it due to it being primarily a site for gearheads and gadget freaks. In addition was the continual and increasing arguing and bickering that goes on there. It's very hard to learn much under those circumstances. I was looking for a site where people take their Photography seriously and I hope I found it.
From the beginning I've been interested in shooting Landscapes and have very little to no interest in shooting people or street Photography. Aside from Landscapes I enjoy shooting Sunrises and Sunsets, Spring Flowers and Wildlife. But the one thing piques my interest the most, and that I spend most of my time on, is anything that is old or of historical significance. Given that I'm a firm believer in protecting our environment from the negative impact of man and his outdoor activities, I've recently taken an interest in shooting the results of illegal dumping and the destructive usage of off highway vehicles in wilderness areas. This is not to say that I'm against OHV's as I myself use my quad to get to remote locations, but those OHV's whose use tear-up the hillsides and mountain areas.
I shoot with a 400d and don't believe in having to buy the "latest and greatest," although I am looking to buy a different body in the future. I feel that having quality lenses and my shooting knowledge and ability has the greatest affect on the quality of my Photography, but then perhaps I could be wrong, (I'm continually learning). I shoot primarily in RAW and use ACR and PSE-7 to make adjustments to my images. I would like to someday buy the full Photoshop program but really can't justify the cost as Elements gives me everything I need at the moment. Oh, and did I mention the learning curve and the time it takes away from shooting?
I use a desktop PC that I recently built strictly for Photography. It's very fast and can easily handle the rigors of the memory hogging programs that I use, or should I say may use in the future. I built it so that I can upgrade it as necessary but that won't be for some time.
I look forward to participating on these forums sharing knowledge and experience with like minded individuals, but mainly, (for myself), I'm here to learn. I hope to someday sell my work but at the moment do not feel it's worthy of attempting to sell. I welcome and appreciate constructive criticism and look forward to yours. This is how I learn.
Thank for taking the time to read a little about me.
You're in the right place, Greg. NPN is the most "learner-friendly" place on the web. Raging egos are in the minority, and most of us are inclined to help. Of course, be prepared for the two-way street, because we'll be learning from your experiences, too!
Posted by Steve Kennedy on February 23, 2010 at 12:19 PM
Welcome Greg! I'm looking forward to your posts and comments!
Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 23, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Welcome Greg! In my years I've never found a better website for the art. You'll get something here that doesn't happen on the other photo sites: the truth. When you post something good, you'll be honored. When you post something that isn't up to speed, you'll get critiqued in a friendly but professional manner... and these folks aren't afraid to do that. I wouldn't want it any other way! Now couple that with the fact that the folks on NPN really do care about good stewardship of the Creation around us, it makes this site a really nice place to be. Enjoy your time here, it will be well worth it!
Paul
PS: you're also in the right place regarding camera & version of Photoshop. That's all irrelevant on here. You could shoot with a pinhole box camera and edit the scans in Microsoft Paint running on Windows 3.1 if you prefer, fine with us.
Welcome Greg! I believe I speak for the rest of the NPN staff when I say we are here to help. There are links to e-mail the moderators of the various galleries and forums. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a question or a concern about NPN.
Also, please visit the Regional Group that includes Nevada, which I believe is included in the Rocky Mountain group. Or, feel free to visit the California regional group.
We look forward to seeing your work and hearing your thoughts, and we appreciate your participation at NPN!
--P.
Posted by Buck Ward on February 24, 2010 at 8:27 PM
Hi Greg
Welcome to NPN
Posted by Jack Graham on February 27, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Discussion
6 repliesFrom the beginning I've been interested in shooting Landscapes and have very little to no interest in shooting people or street Photography. Aside from Landscapes I enjoy shooting Sunrises and Sunsets, Spring Flowers and Wildlife. But the one thing piques my interest the most, and that I spend most of my time on, is anything that is old or of historical significance. Given that I'm a firm believer in protecting our environment from the negative impact of man and his outdoor activities, I've recently taken an interest in shooting the results of illegal dumping and the destructive usage of off highway vehicles in wilderness areas. This is not to say that I'm against OHV's as I myself use my quad to get to remote locations, but those OHV's whose use tear-up the hillsides and mountain areas.
I shoot with a 400d and don't believe in having to buy the "latest and greatest," although I am looking to buy a different body in the future. I feel that having quality lenses and my shooting knowledge and ability has the greatest affect on the quality of my Photography, but then perhaps I could be wrong, (I'm continually learning). I shoot primarily in RAW and use ACR and PSE-7 to make adjustments to my images. I would like to someday buy the full Photoshop program but really can't justify the cost as Elements gives me everything I need at the moment. Oh, and did I mention the learning curve and the time it takes away from shooting?
I use a desktop PC that I recently built strictly for Photography. It's very fast and can easily handle the rigors of the memory hogging programs that I use, or should I say may use in the future. I built it so that I can upgrade it as necessary but that won't be for some time.
I look forward to participating on these forums sharing knowledge and experience with like minded individuals, but mainly, (for myself), I'm here to learn. I hope to someday sell my work but at the moment do not feel it's worthy of attempting to sell. I welcome and appreciate constructive criticism and look forward to yours. This is how I learn.
Thank for taking the time to read a little about me.
Greg
Paul
PS: you're also in the right place regarding camera & version of Photoshop. That's all irrelevant on here. You could shoot with a pinhole box camera and edit the scans in Microsoft Paint running on Windows 3.1 if you prefer, fine with us.
Also, please visit the Regional Group that includes Nevada, which I believe is included in the Rocky Mountain group. Or, feel free to visit the California regional group.
We look forward to seeing your work and hearing your thoughts, and we appreciate your participation at NPN!
--P.
Welcome to NPN
Welcome as well.... This IS the place!
I echo what Preston said.
JG