So do I. Sharp eye especially, not over exposed either. Nice work!

They work fine. I got one as a gift so I used it. I was suspicious of it to. I just don't see the point. I like the standard form factor. I'm used to it.

Flickr has never been very well managed, and it had some consequences.

I use it as a photographer only posting my best photos to share and get feedback on. I enjoy seeing another photographers work and interacting with them. I love being able to see the camera bodies and lenses used and the settings for the shots as well as something about the location of the shot.

I Fav and comment often and have nice interactions with other photographers. This is always what it was meant to be. Unfortunately, when you don't manage the mission well, set expectations and limits, things go sideways. Instead of for photographers and by photographers the generous 1TB of space led Flickr to be a dumping ground of awful snapshots of cats, toasters, camping trips and family photos. It became a lot of trash to wade through. If you are selective of who you follow some of the best photographers in the world have put their work on Flickr and many of the images are jaw drop stunning. The photos display very well also.

I have maybe 650 images on there, like I said, I only put up images I deem worthy. All my images are stored on my pc anyway, so I don't need it for that. The free account has one limit; 1000 images. No problem. If I ever get more than that I am deleting old ones. The shots I took when I started Flickr are a bit embarrassing after I've learned a thing or two by now. Even that limitation allows for full resolution uploads. It's a bargain and I can't find an audience of that size and quality anywhere else. Anyone throwing thousands of images on there is just dumping. No one has thousands of stellar photos. I work on client pc's all the time. Their pictures are seldom well organized, and their delete key doesn't exactly get a work out. No one want to see your sixteen copies of the same great rock or waterfall.

I think this is a great move and might restore Flickr back to be a quality platform for serious photographers. I also pay a lot for my Smugmug account and I was a little irked that they wouldn't throw in for my Pro Flickr account but they won't and the free one will be fine for me.

Thank-You, Zactly what I was thinking. Not trying to be a poser. Just want it to be clear to people why I'm there.

Thank-You Everyone for your tips and comments. I am going to look at Walmart for something simple and practical. I'll have a big dslr and monopod and I'll have a press pass so folks will get it. I am definitely going to buy one of those black "Event Photographer" T-Shirts too. Love that idea. Good for my family events too :-) This forum is THE BEST!!

I ask this with some trepidation anticipating some ridicule...

I will be photographing some high school sports soon. Would it be good to wear a vest to hang my press pass on and carry around some crap? Kind of look the part and differentiate myself from the parents on the sidelines with cell phones and what not. Most of these vests are hilarious. What am I going to do with 21 pockets and zipper handles dangling everywhere? I was hoping to find something kind of simple. Do any of you guys wear them in this setting like sports or events?

Good to know. I want to get behind the goal post, under the basket and right next to the net in high school sports. I want be on the floor, on the field and up close and personal so I want that access. These day s people are real touchy around issues with kids and I don't blame them. I can't imagine getting that kind of access without working with the coaches and staff to set it up ahead of time and get some credentials.

No, in these times, that is a reasonable sensitivity and anyone in a service to others role needs to be aware of that and respect these situations. The term doesn't need to be changed, it is just wholly inappropriate in this context.

Certainly, that would be best and I'll not make that mistake again. Thanks,

I want to shoot like a reporter but I was thinking that inevitably a kid or a parent is going to ask for shots or ask me if I will have the shots available. I have a smugmug website and have the ability to create galleries to point them to and if they want any of the images they see they can download them after paying a small charge.

To gain more experience and have some fun, I am interested in shooting High School sports. I have a good buddy who is the principal of a high school in an affluent neighborhood nearby. I am having lunch with him tomorrow to see about doing it. I'm talking about football games, basketball, volleyball, track and field and such. I am wondering about coach and parent interactions, the "pedophile sensitivities" risks, model releases, and so on. I imagine he can fill me it. At first, I will not be charging, trade for the experience. To any school sports shooters out there, any words of advice would be greatly appreciated!

Now that is a beautiful shot that expresses the laid back vibe of Southern California. The rest of the country gives us a hard time but they sure like coming here to visit and migrating here to live.
This is California Dreamin' right here. Excellent work!

That's just crazy talk right there. If you are worried about sabotaging yourself over settings, put your camera in the green auto mode. Any picture it takes that way will be usable. Your camera's sensor is much larger than your cell phone. The camera wins every time!

Thanks Mark!

You also have a distracting pole in the lower left part of the shot that should have been cropped out and another object close by that should have been cloned out.