George Randolph
New member
Greetings to all and as proper 'netiquette' requires, a bit about myself and how I came to be so fascinated with what we all know as photography. I am by no means a professional photographer, but possibly I have a professional's interest in still imagery. My father and I had what I'd call a very poor relationship and for quite a few years he worked as a professional photographer doing mostly large format studio portrait work. So by simple observation I absorbed quite a bit and more than I was aware. Alas, I sadly decided I could not possibly have an interest in the same type of work. I lost a bit of time with the learning part of photography but the interest was always there just waiting.
Moving forward I remember a 20-yeard old fella coming of age when computers filled entire buildings and IBM was diligently trying to leverage something which could now be called 'transistor' nano-scaling technology to mass produce a computer that would actually fit on a desk. Computers fascinated me then and still do today after decades of working on, in, and around them. I couldn't afford a computer then, I don't think any individual could, but I could afford a 35mm Yashica SLR and a few lenses. And I had some idea of the basics of how to use one when I became enthralled with time-lapsed night shots of heavy traffic on city streets in Seoul Korea. Over the years I've moved from micro to macro to astro flavors of photography using every type of technology I could buy, borrow, or beg for time on.
And now that I'm in my 50's, I'm acutely aware of the effort required to setup a few hundred lbs of telescopic imaging gear that looks oh-so-complicated just like the effort required to catch birds in flight with 5 lbs of gear, chuckles. And with spring in FL, I've spent the last month or so again becoming closely aquainted with just how pretty flowers are in picture. Particularly since my wife just loves growing them. Had I been just a bit faster yesterday I would have had that bumblebee live and in color! I guess I'm just one of those all-over-the-map types.
I'll do my best to contribute and make myself useful as time allows. I'm still working (way too much), as my better half will attest strongly But after seeing and reading so much here and aside from the structure, work and professionalism (which is 10 out of 10) evident, everyone here is just really a part of a super bunch of nice folks!
Ya'll make the world a better place...and it sorely needs it!
(It occurs to me that the harder parts of intro's are in knowing where to start and when to stop) So on that note, "Hello!!!"
George Randolph
Moving forward I remember a 20-yeard old fella coming of age when computers filled entire buildings and IBM was diligently trying to leverage something which could now be called 'transistor' nano-scaling technology to mass produce a computer that would actually fit on a desk. Computers fascinated me then and still do today after decades of working on, in, and around them. I couldn't afford a computer then, I don't think any individual could, but I could afford a 35mm Yashica SLR and a few lenses. And I had some idea of the basics of how to use one when I became enthralled with time-lapsed night shots of heavy traffic on city streets in Seoul Korea. Over the years I've moved from micro to macro to astro flavors of photography using every type of technology I could buy, borrow, or beg for time on.
And now that I'm in my 50's, I'm acutely aware of the effort required to setup a few hundred lbs of telescopic imaging gear that looks oh-so-complicated just like the effort required to catch birds in flight with 5 lbs of gear, chuckles. And with spring in FL, I've spent the last month or so again becoming closely aquainted with just how pretty flowers are in picture. Particularly since my wife just loves growing them. Had I been just a bit faster yesterday I would have had that bumblebee live and in color! I guess I'm just one of those all-over-the-map types.
I'll do my best to contribute and make myself useful as time allows. I'm still working (way too much), as my better half will attest strongly But after seeing and reading so much here and aside from the structure, work and professionalism (which is 10 out of 10) evident, everyone here is just really a part of a super bunch of nice folks!
Ya'll make the world a better place...and it sorely needs it!
(It occurs to me that the harder parts of intro's are in knowing where to start and when to stop) So on that note, "Hello!!!"
George Randolph