About Me
I live in Vancouver (Canada, not the lesser US city by the same name) and have been here since 1999. It’s a beautiful city, one of the nicest in the world and could be one of the reasons I was inspired to pick up photography.
I have been in the IT field for 16 years and love the industry. I’m amazed at how quickly things progress, it’s certainly never boring. I can see myself staying in the industry, and specifically in mining, for some time. My blog will often link interesting technology articles or give recommendations on products I find useful.
I have been interested in photography for many years but didn’t take it up as a hobby until 2006 with the purchase of my Nikon D50 (if you are interested in gear, I go into more detail here). Since then I have been trying to learn what I can about photography including the gear, techniques for capturing and processing images, and expanding my photography related contacts. I knew I wanted to take better photos than just pointing a compact camera at a scene and clicking the shutter.
When I picked up the photography hobby, I wanted to purchase an entry-level DSLR camera and after many reviews, I narrowed it down to one Canon and one Nikon model. I went to the store to look at both, and the Nikon just felt better in my hand. I had no preference, no bias, no lenses, and not many friends into photography so the decision came down to how it felt in my hand. I have nothing against Canon, they make fantastic photo gear but I have now shot with Nikon for a few years and I’m unlikely to change. I have since switched to a D800 and added several lenses.
Some credit needs to be given to my parents for my interest in this hobby. My mom is an artist who works in several mediums to produce amazing paintings, sketches, and sculpture. My dad would have trouble drawing a stick man, but he is an avid reader, a thinker, and has a strong technical background (engineering). For me, photography blends these skills into one outlet. I honestly believe you need both to produce successful images. An artist who doesn’t understand ISO, f-stop, and white balance will struggle to convert their vision into reality. A geek who can use every feature on a modern camera but doesn’t know where to point it to capture something interesting will have technically excellent crap.
I still have a LOT to learn, but it’s fun to just get out and shoot. I’m still trying to find my style though I enjoy photography most when I’m outside. Nature, landscapes, and architecture are all things I like to shoot, especially when I’m in a new location. I currently have very little interest in studio work, setting up lights and positioning subjects. I can certainly appreciate the work and knowledge needed to take a good portrait or product shot, but it’s just not for me. I like the challenge of the natural world, you can’t make a bird sit still or have the sun set a little further to the left. You have what nature gives you, it’s up to you to be in the right place at the right time and know how to capture the scene in an interesting way.