I find it useful to sometimes use my Optech camera sling around my neck attached to only one camera body lug (although it is designed for two). I especially do this when I know I will be shooting a lot of verticals (Balloons, Concerts, etc.) using up to medium telephotos. Then I don't have to worry about the other part of the strap interfering with my view finder at all.
My question is, How safe is this?
Was the question addressed as to why the majority of camera club shooters are over 50 years old?
I leave VR ON on a tripod when using newer Nikon telephotos in the range of 300mm to 600mm and especially when using them with a teleconverter. Go back up and check out "Ask Tim Grey's" advice above.
I got burnt one year when photographing fireworks with long shutter times and the VR on. Totally blurry pictures!
In the realm of competition photography, which is hopefully based on the pursuit of excellence, One-upmanship is not a bad thing in the sense that it gives others something to shoot for by over-achieving in their own work.
Without competition it tends to become a social club. Competition makes it a sport and a challenge.
Stay with the camera system whose menu and dials you have mastered. Cameras are like high-tech brushes in the hands of an artist. Manipulating them is often the key to great results.
Whatever creative muse that gets you going, it's always better to step away from your latest masterpiece for a day or two and comeback to maybe tweak it or at least reassess it before calling it finished. Always works for me.
Judging by the long responses it looks like this is a topic that has a lot of depth and history.
I am a member of The Photographic Guild (of Detroit), formed in 1933. To address your original issue, we still have meetings in person but we submit our digital images through Photo Club Services online ahead of time. Then we show up at the meeting and the images are projected in front of the membership and judged and commented on. For our print division we bring in our prints and judge them in person in a PSA approved light box. Constructive competition makes you better, stronger.
Camera clubs are great sources of inspiration, feedback, education, growth, mentoring, camaraderie, and contacts. Unfortunately it seems younger people have too much other stimulation to turn to than these old fashioned values.
I don't get it either. What is his highest ISO?
I've shot without a memory card and didn't realize it for awhile. I don't think you ever outgrow these mistakes. Of course, now I realize you can program the camera to catch this.
Use this as an idea as to what you can do with Photoshop to enhance other shots.
I use photoshop and Bridge exclusively. The fastest way to batch process raw images of them all is to Select all the images you want to batch process in Bridge without opening them. Right click on one and choose "Develop Settings" from the list. You will get a list of all your presets you saved from ACR (don't have any presets? Then develop and save some.) Click the preset development you want and you're done. Nothing faster.
Once again, the potential problem issue with 3rd party inks isn't longevity or color, it's clogging. Caveat emptor.