Hal,

Everyone has a fascinating life story. Really! Think of what great photo stories they would make!!

Their photos, current and past, intersepersed with newspaper or related images of the time

Dave

Interesting observation. And no doubt correct. Some of us (myself) would do better by just listening....until or unless someone asked for a reply.........., I replied! :)

Dave

My Bell & Howell equipment lasted forever and still performs well after 50 years. I wish I could advise you on repairs, but I just wanted to stand up for a vintage brand. Maybe others are thinking of decades later knock offs.

I do a fair amount of video editing both from recently captured footage and legacy material from years ago. I have Adobe Premier Pro, but seldom use it because it is too "powerful" or complex for simple work.

I use Cyberlink Power Director, which does a great job. I don't think it is complex. I'm certain Adobe Premier Elements is similar. You load your videos, drag them to a timeline in the order you want them in your final video, view it live, and click to produce the final video in the format you want.

My experience over 15 years or more is that production of the final video is dependent on how much you manipulate the video. Do lots of transitions, sharpen, pan, zoom, change lighting, etc, and you can have lunch while a 10 minute video processes. Do a straight combination of clips and it will get done while you have a quick cup of coffee, or sooner. I just tab to the web and do some surfing while I wait.

That said, you can enhance your work in many ways. You can add transitions (use simple fades between clips), improve lighting (backlight, exposure), clarity (focus,contrast, HDR), and get as fancy (and complex) as you like with pans, zooms, text, titles, PIP, as your interest and skill increases.

It is fun and you will be surprised at how good you are!! :) One perhaps obvious hint, less is more.

Dave

A great article, and as far as I can determine, true.

The primary reason to buy a camera will be to be able to photograph something you can't capture, and won't view, on a smart phone.

Thanks for sharing!

Dave

Terrific!!!! You live in a great part of Oregon. Post more images when you get the chance!! You have the skill to make them worth viewing.

Dave

The old Oregon Trail, Sumpter, Granite, the old dredge, Borne, Geiser Grand Hotel, Sumpter Valley Railroad....I knew them well 50 years ago......any still photogenic? :)

You live in a photo rich area!! Thanks for sharing.

Dave

There is something about an old iron/steel truss bridge over a quiet river that demands a skilled photographer. Nice work. All we need now is a barefoot boy with fishing rod. Thanks for the evocative images.

Beautiful images! What a great place for bird and animal photos. Thanks for sharing!

I found this to be a very useful dialog to help excellent photographers become better instructors. They are not the same skills.

I was a teacher, dean, president....in that order over 35 years, and one of the lessons I learned is that a genius in chemistry or history is not necessarily a good instructor. The counsel here on who is responsible is especially pertinent. It is one of the hardest lessons for faculty to learn (and I was one). You can't blame the audience when it doesn't get the point of your speech! :)

Dave

Your question is whether a section or group of members would like to try taking images and sharing them just as they come out of the camera. That might be hard to do today but certain conventions might be followed to, for example, standardize aspects of RAW conversion.

It would be fun to see the "original" image or file of one of the many many beautifully post processed photographs posted here.

Just to play little with the topic, you know we used to do what you suggest, when shooting in Kodak Kodachrome slide film. The film was highly standardized (quality controlled), so the recording media was the same for every user, regardless of camera. The film captured the photons impacting the film plane in a consistent manner. Then if it was processed by Kodak using one of their plants, the processing was automatic (no operator adjustment) and highly standardized. Then the positives were sent to you. You could not change them if you wanted to.

I used a polarizing filter to darken skies......but that was pre processing, before the light hit the film.

It seems to me that the variables were the equipment and the photographer. There was no post exposure image manipulation possible, and the media itself was highly standardized.

What it forced me to do was carefully evaluate the scene. I had to crop, select elements, anticipate exposure effects, etc etc. And the cost of a shot encouraged that. Today I can turn a cloudy scene sunny, get rid of overhead wires and passing cars, add makeup to skin imperfections, change the color of eyes and hair, make fat heads slim, add a sky and the correct lighting effect, etc etc etc.

I probably would not be a part of a "no post processing group," because I remember my many Kodachrome images.......but maybe I will pull out a couple and scan them (yah I know the scan will change the image) and then do some post processing to see how they compare.

Thanks for the inspiration!!!

Dave

Beautiful images! It is great to view the birds and waterfowl in your excellent photographs. It just is not possible to get that kind of detail with binoculars, not to discredit live viewing. Thanks for making those pictures available.

Dave

That technique was common in old postcards where perhaps a giant apple or strawberry would be "photo shopped" on a rail flatbed to promote the virtues of local agriculture.

And thanks for the blast from the past. It is good to be reminded of our roots! :)

Dave

The wisdom, insights, humor, and counsel expressed in all the comments speak for themselves. I am a relative newcomer here , and pleased to be a member of a group of intelligent, respectful, and thoughtful individuals. I wonder if maybe an interest in photography goes hand in hand with intelligence and reasoned discourse.

I think the only reply I will make is that if your thinking and writing is as good as exhibited here, and I acknowledge and appreciate the diversity of opinion, you are hiding at least part of your light under a bushel (old time saying) by not adding your written thoughts to your images.....that is our loss.

Dave

The Old Man

Retired CPO,

Of course I love the compliment. That works for me! :)

I wish I could come close to your bird and animal shots.....but alas I don't. I think I need the words! :)

Dave