Hello! I have just joined after reading posts for a few months. I have been very impressed by the quality of the discussions and look forward to participating and benefiting from the expertise of the other members. It’s been 35+ years since I received my first camera with interchangeable lenses as a gift and I have enjoyed taking pictures on and off ever since. Over the past 20 years, the subject of the majority of my photos has been my son and his activities, many of which have challenged my photographic skills, e.g. dance performances in poorly lit halls, equestrian sports both indoors (a real challenge) and outdoors, soccer, tennis, and fencing which has taken him around the world and continues in college.

I am “retiring” from the start of the new year, so will have some more time on my hands and hopefully can explore other types of photography, especially wildlife.

I have been using a Canon 30D for 11 years which I picked up before going to the World Equestrian Games in Aachen and also a T5 for the last few years which I have used both photos and video. My favorite lens is a 25+ year old EF 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 USM lens. I’ve been thinking about picking up a new camera body, perhaps the Canon 7D MkII, or it’s successor when it comes out, and also a couple good quality lenses, but will probably see how the budget evolves in retirement before pulling the trigger on any big ticket items.

Looking forward to joining up with the community!

I Hello all. After lurking around for some time and then recently making a few posts I guess I should let you know who I am. My name is Kelly, photography is one of a few hobbies of mine, fly fishing, hiking, backpacking, using my local rifle range, and my garden, just to name of few. I picked up my first camera, Minolta SRT201, back in 1978 and haphazardly used it until the mid 90's when it finally quit working. Didn't get back into this until about 6 yrs ago and picked up a 60D. We were backpacking in southern Utah when it took a drink in one of the slot canyons, couldn't fix it so now I own an 80D, and I love it! the last few years I have taken photography more serious and use it to improve my overall creativity. Love being in Utah, taking photos in everything from high mountains to desert plains, large bodies of water to Arches and the Grand Canyon, Sand Dunes, Zion's and Bryce Canyon, all within a few hours drive (I need to check with the state and see if I an get some kind of royalties for the this marketing plug). I mostly take pictures of landscapes and wildlife, that's where I am most of the time. I now take my camera with me every time I leave town, i have missed too many opportunities by not having it with me. Makes my wife a little nervous as when I am driving through the country and also looking around at the same time, she tells people I can spot a squirrel eating a pine nut behind a tree from 200 yrds out while driving 75 mph. She may be exaggerating just a bit :)

So far it's been fun and I have learned a few things from being on here. Thanks for having me and thanks for your knowledge.

Kelly

I am not too sure how many people really know much about Affinity Photo, unless they are or were MAC users. I tried Photoshop Elements and was not happy with that, same with Pixemator and was really looking at going to the Adobe Photoshop setup, until they decided to rent the software month to month. That moved me over to Affinity Photo and I made the purchase thinking I could slip right into it with the on line tutorials, etc. Not a simple fit as tutorials seem to assume you knew more about AP than was being said in the "how to" videos. Myself, and others, kept asking for some type of resource book to help us gain knowledge and proficiency with the program. AP just released a really good hardbound workbook containing many projects that you can work through and really get a grip on what you are doing and what the software can do. Really recommend the workbook if you are new to AP, or are struggling with aspects of the software. AP does not yet have a DAM, so you either have to create your own "library" or use some other application for a DAM. Supposedly, AP is working on a Dam for release, in the future, and based on how the workbook came out, that could be 1+ year(s). At any rate, I am happy with AP, the price is more than fair for what you get and it is updated on a frequent basis. Their support is very good and the online forum is supported by both endusers and AP staff for quick answers and problem resolution. Hope this helps in your decision process.

I am a long time photographer. I was the organizer for the Long Island Photography meetup for 10 years with over 250 members.
I am not new to photography. The one thing that often surprises me, is how rude, nasty and mean some of the people...mostly men...are on this site. I tend to picture an old man, in his underwear, alone, lonely and posting negative comments.

Some people feel they have to criticize, insult, make rude remarks, make fun of, etc, when people post something. They do this even if they aren't even interested in the topic.

This is not always a friendly site. There are people that are very helpful, but the rude ones take away from that.

"Whatever you do, don't look in your manual or visit the Nikon site."
"I've always wondered how the human can be so naïve, such that their brain thinks $174.99 is far less expensive than $175. "
"I think too many sellers on UHH have an inflated opinion of what their old, unwanted equipment is worth."

I would like to request in 2018, that those people hold back on their negative comments.
If you don't have something nice to say, don't post anything.

There are newbies here, to both photography and to the use of the computer. Yes, it is easy to say, *just google it* but there is a way to say it without being mean about it. That might not be the first thing someone thinks about when they are trying to get some information.

We all share a love of photography, lets be kind to one another, be helpful, or don't help at all.

Wishing all a Healthy & Happy Holiday.