Hello from the Desert (Phoenix, AZ)

[HUM469]

Hello all, and may I say I am glad to be here. I have looked through some posts in the past and lurked, but it felt like time to hop on in. I have been running an A700 kit since February, and I hope I am developing some experience and knowledge that will be useful to all. I have been into digital photography for some 5 years now, and learned to shoot in a series of photography classes a little more than 11 years ago. Mostly I shoot landscape, travel and event photography, though I have had an interest in portraiture and glamour work which I may start exploring soon. I am a member of several local clubs, critique on Photosig, have been known to sell art prints, and done some freelance/feature photo work for local media, but I am by no means a professional in my understanding of the term. I look forward to talking with all, and anyone in or coming to AZ, feel free to contact me any time as I know this state inside and out and love to help show it off. Happy shooting all till we talk soon!

[Cogito]

Hello all, and may I say I am glad to be here.

And hello to you too! Welcome to the forum!

I have looked through some posts in the past and lurked, but it felt like time to hop on in. I have been running an A700 kit since February, and I hope I am developing some experience and knowledge that will be useful to all. I have been into digital photography for some 5 years now, and learned to shoot in a series of photography classes a little more than 11 years ago.

I've been using Minolta gear since about 1980 and I'm STILL a newbie..... And so far, I've progressed to a KM 7D

Mostly I shoot landscape, travel and event photography, though I have had an interest in portraiture and glamour work which I may start exploring soon. I am a member of several local clubs, critique on Photosig, have been known to sell art prints, and done some freelance/feature photo work for local media, but I am by no means a professional in my understanding of the term.

Such interests could need a variety of lenses! Were you into Minolta/Sony before the A700 or did you start out fresh?

I look forward to talking with all, and anyone in or coming to AZ, feel free to contact me any time as I know this state inside and out and love to help show it off. Happy shooting all till we talk soon!

My wife and I moved to England from California in 2004 - I'm English, she's American - but I can't remember making it to AZ in the 12 years I lived there.... And with the price and inconvenience of plane travel nowadays......

[David Kilpatrick]

We once ended up in a very basic motel in Tempe, with a night stay before flying back to Scotland. It smelt sort of 'used'. We went for a walk round the block, but the block turned out to be a trailer park, with caerefully chosen dangerous dogs chained up at intervals and people exchanging something for money in the dark patches between the street lights. We were glad to get back, turned on the TV, and found there had just been a gun murder on the block we had walked round...

In the morning, we found a camera shop in Tempe. The owner was giving a woman with scarred arms $20 for a Mercury camera (the 'brick'). After she went, I said - 'how much?' and he sold it me for $40. I still have it. Then we went to Phoenix Zoo for the rest of the day until it was time to check in for the night flight. Great zoo, but pre-digital era for us. I even shot loads of b/w including b/w in the painted desert and fossil wood place and the big crater. B/w? I must have been crazy. We were testing new b/w film from FOMA, Poland. It was rubbish.

David

[HUM469]

I've been using Minolta gear since about 1980 and I'm STILL a newbie..... And so far, I've progressed to a KM 7D

Yep, I definitely consider myself a newbie too. In fact a week from today I will be participating with a couple other photogs in a shoot with a very pretty swim suit model. I know I am a little intimidated because it will be my first glamour attempt and I am no where near convinced I can do her justice. Just the same, I re-read a lot of the texts I own on lighting and perspective and what not. Nothing like pushing the shutter to really know what you are made of though!

Such interests could need a variety of lenses! Were you into Minolta/Sony before the A700 or did you start out fresh?

That is true, though my collection isn't terribly extensive at this time, they cover the event work and travel nicely, though I need something wider than my 24mm prime on APS-C, just haven't decided what yet. Other than that, I have F2.8 up to 70, F4 to 210, and I only use the 300mm zoom in good light so it works for the time being. For that glamour shoot, I will be borrowing an older 85/1.8 and the 70-200 from a friend who would like to sell them to me. I would like to buy them too, but I am not in a position right now to offer her what they are worth, and I would never lowball a friend.

My wife and I moved to England from California in 2004 - I'm English, she's American - but I can't remember making it to AZ in the 12 years I lived there.... And with the price and inconvenience of plane travel nowadays......

It is too bad you didn't make it when you could, and I know what you mean.. air travel just isn't what it used to be. One of these days I need to make it across to your side of the Atlantic too. California I know well though, haveing sailed extensively on the Pacific coast from Alaska down to Cabo.

We once ended up in a very basic motel in Tempe, with a night stay before flying back to Scotland. It smelt sort of 'used'. We went for a walk round the block, but the block turned out to be a trailer park, with caerefully chosen dangerous dogs chained up at intervals and people exchanging something for money in the dark patches between the street lights. We were glad to get back, turned on the TV, and found there had just been a gun murder on the block we had walked round...

That is terrible. There are some suspect areas anywhere, and there are so many great places to stay around Tempe and Phoenix. I bet I even know exactly which block it is, but cannot name it in my profession. That would be "stigmatizing" from someone of my position.

In the morning, we found a camera shop in Tempe. The owner was giving a woman with scarred arms $20 for a Mercury camera (the 'brick'). After she went, I said - 'how much?' and he sold it me for $40. I still have it. Then we went to Phoenix Zoo for the rest of the day until it was time to check in for the night flight. Great zoo, but pre-digital era for us. I even shot loads of b/w including b/w in the painted desert and fossil wood place and the big crater. B/w? I must have been crazy. We were testing new b/w film from FOMA, Poland. It was rubbish.

The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest are interesting enough. Meteor Crater was more interesting to me when I was young and wanted to be an astronaut. These days around here I am much more interested in some of the small nooks in the Grand Canyon, all the many spectacular ruins no one knows about in places like the Sierra Anchas, or all the Sky Islands as they are called. I've also heard great things about the old growth forests on the eastern boarder of the state, though I haven't had time to check them out yet. It's great to me to be able to find litterally every single type of terrain within 5 hours drive of my house. There is simply one of everything except for a glacier, but all the rest is here.