Hello phantomqueen7777, Quite a story. I hope things turn out well for you. Sounds like someone is looking out for you. Don't be afraid to share you questions and pictures with the list. We are a chatty bunch and can be helpful (at times :) ).
Since you are in the Bay area, you'll have to join us on the next NorCal PDML outing. I'm trying to zero in on a date - likely around the first of March. We take a Saturday and all get together and go out and shoot somewhere (last time was Pt. Reyes) and have a nice lunch or dinner. A good time to get to know each other, share experiences and also possibly see and try some equipment that is new to you. Welcome aboard. -- Best regards, Bruce Thursday, January 6, 2005, 11:11:24 AM, you wrote: pgc> Well, I'm not a bad photographer or so I am told. I may be a novice pgc> at film, but I'm pretty good with my Fuji...LOL pgc> My Dad has a buddy who was a well-regarded pro for years, both in the pgc> Navy and out, and who even now that he's retired still spends most of pgc> his time behind a camera. He lives about 3000 miles away or I'd be pgc> following him around picking his brains....He has seen some of my pgc> stuff and encouraged me to pursue it seriously. He thinks I have an pgc> artist's eye apparently. pgc> I guess. I actually went to school to do illustration and graphics, pgc> but alas, that car accident I was in pretty much killed what ability I pgc> had to draw. I just can't use my r hand that way at all now. pgc> I got my first digital when I was first recovering, and that's pretty pgc> much all I did until I could walk properly again. Take pictures....I pgc> had to do something. Not being able to draw was driving me nuts! I pgc> was surprised actually by some of the stuff I was getting, but I pgc> didn't think I was any better than the average amateur until Joe took pgc> a curious look, went "Oh!" and then promptly went out and bought me a pgc> much better camera. pgc> They guy spent some serious money so I have to think it must have pgc> been worth it in his eyes somehow. He's not wealthy enough to just pgc> indulge someone out of pity that's for sure... pgc> Anyhow, about a year ago I donated that one then replaced that camera pgc> with the Fuji s7000. I figured it was about as close to a pro set up pgc> as I was going to get. I really had to save my pennies to get it, but pgc> I feel it was worth it and then some. I'm slowly teaching myself the pgc> basics of both digital and traditional photography, getting the hang pgc> of f-stops and iso settings, film types, media types, types of lenses, pgc> etc. pgc> So far it's been a real joy. I've never felt more at home than I do pgc> behind a camera. Since I already have a lot of the digital imaging pgc> skills, it's made it easier for me on the non-traditonal end, but the pgc> other end, that I feel I have to get into some formal training on...I pgc> guess I just want to do it right...I can teach myself a lot. I have pgc> that capacity, but I know there are things I am still likely not to pgc> learn elsewhere so... pgc> I just have this feeling sometimes that I'm being given all the tools pgc> I need to do something. I've been in a couple of situations now where pgc> I came thisclose to losing it, and I am also dealing with some chronic pgc> illnesses that make it a living hell, and yet, I'm still here. I keep pgc> wondering why, because for the most part my life doesn't seem to have pgc> any real purpose. pgc> I guess I tend not to take anything for granted and when everytime I pgc> turn around someone is giving me a camera, or another piece of pgc> equipment that I need, it seems a little too coincidental. pgc> I think the angels are helping me out, you know? pgc> I mean just last week I was asking Joe via email what lenses he pgc> thought I'd need to have a good starter set, and he told me, and now I pgc> pretty much have them and I spent $20? I checked Ebay and if I had pgc> tried to go and get cameras and lenses like these, I'd have spent $600 pgc> at least, even now with all the digital mania... pgc> I don't know., but whatever is happening? I am going with it, For once pgc> in my life I am genuinely enjoying what I am doing.
