PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Forum

PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Forum http://photocamel.com/forum/ Digital photography forum, contests, photography tutorials, HDR, photo sharing, camera reviews, photo gallery and storage, free software downloads, photoshop actions, photographer directory, blogs, glamour, fine art nudes, and more: PhotoCamel is the most informative, friendly community for professional and enthusiast photographers. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:06:44 GMT vBulletin 60 http://photocamel.com/forum/images/camel-light/misc/rss.jpg PhotoCamel - Your Friendly Photo Forum http://photocamel.com/forum/ I am so pleased... Thankful http://photocamel.com/forum/photography-talk/93690-i-am-so-pleased-thankful.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:57:23 GMT There are several places this thread might fit. I put it here because its not just about flash, just about business, just about people. It includes... There are several places this thread might fit. I put it here because its not just about flash, just about business, just about people. It includes some of all those things.

Several members of the forum have indulged my ramblings about returning to photography by way of a rocky and winding path. I won't be wordy about that but I will re-state that gonig back to photography in a professional capacity was borne out of a need to re-build a shattered life. I needed to get away from it all and taking pictures was therepy as much as income opportunity. Once I discovered that no one on earth is happier than I when I have a camera in my hand, I decided to pursue it. I had nothing to loose, as I had already lost just about everything.

Over the course of the past couple of years I have invested every dime I could rake into this venture. I'm not flush with resources and my dime raking has been hard work and has produced modest results to say the least. I am blessed to say that I've not incurred debt to start a business. I've picked up what was necessary a bit at a time, saving and paying as I go. I previously battled a war with depression and the feeling of being over my head in debt was something I did not want to take on. I'd been enslaved financially before and would not be obligated to a bank or lender. This is a slow way to go but I'm not encumbered and burdened with debt.

I have refused to seek out a conventional job. I want to make my living as a professional photographer. If I were employed in some steady little job, I'd soon adapt to living off the resources it provided and I know the savings toward equipment would be modest and slow. A work-a-day job would also limit my time for pursuit of photography ventures. So what ever this endeavor will provide me is what I live on. By-the-way, hunger is a tremendous motovator.

Some time back I posted a thread asking for positive thoughts. The response was great and I'm so happy to have the well wishes. So, for those of you who have said a prayer, passed along encouragement, or snet positive energy my way, I want to say thank you. Here's a little pictorial review of the progress.

One of the first acquisitions beyond the camera was some studio equipment. The flash units helped me make this kind of picture.

That equipment set includes backgrounds, stools and incidentals. This picture is pretty much a SOOC example. The young lady is a contestant in a pageant. She won "Most Photogenic" from a print derived from this shot. The pageant was specifically for plus sized young ladies and served as a confidence and self-esteem building project. I was proud to be selected the official photographer for the first ever event. I am fortunate to be working with the pageant for next year.
(I need an additional stand and a snoot for a hairlight)

Now I am no expert with bracket mounted flash units. I shoot horse shows and have some experience with one. I recently was able to purchase a set-up. The flash is not new, it ain't pretty but it works. I needed output that would give me long range shooting distances for horses but that I could also use of other projects. I got to practice last night. A young lady I've known since her childhood is moving out of state to attend college. Her family gave a little going away party. As I said I am no expert with this. I was pretty pleased with the lighting on these. The flash was bounced off the celing (I'm guessing 9').

The guest of honor on the Rt. and best friend.

The grandmother preparing to serve the meal.

She and her family were pleased. I put together a little montage. The ship's wheel is a tie-in to the location. Her grandparents live in a boat club community and the little party was held in club hosue.

And finally, this young lady will graduate high school next May. She wants me to make her Senior portraits. This is a shot from the trial-run that started the wheel turning. I gave her an 8X10 print of this. She loved it so much that she's wagged it around and shown it off. I hope its a good picture because I'm getting a ton of advertising from it. I'm lucky that such a cute and bubbly girl let me take her photos. I am eagerly awaiting the "real" session.

I might seem to be bragging about a whole lot of nothing to some. This is my early Thanksgiving statement of what I have to be thankful for. There were so many years in my life when I couldn't think of anything I was thakful for. This has been a blessed year. Thank you to all who have been so supportive and encouraging.

Warmest regards,

Steve ]]> Photography Talk Songman45 http://photocamel.com/forum/photography-talk/93690-i-am-so-pleased-thankful.html In the cellar http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93689-cellar.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:36:58 GMT We were in a lampshop in Nijmegen today.

After we went out the owner said: you haven't seen the most photographic place, come along to the cellar.

And there she was:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93689-cellar.html Lamps al around http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93688-lamps-al-around.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:35:11 GMT with a very soft selenium toning: with a very soft selenium toning:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93688-lamps-al-around.html Hi there http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93687-hi-there.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:34:06 GMT .. tried a kodalith processing on this one: .. tried a kodalith processing on this one:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93687-hi-there.html Inline http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93686-inline.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:33:08 GMT ... well most of them: ... well most of them:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93686-inline.html Lamps http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93685-lamps.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:32:17 GMT .. from a German garden: .. from a German garden:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93685-lamps.html Hook http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93684-hook.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:31:23 GMT on a monument: on a monument:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93684-hook.html Solar Cells http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93683-solar-cells.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:30:33 GMT or something look a like: or something look a like:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93683-solar-cells.html A dome http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93682-dome.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:29:07 GMT .. turned into some SciFi: .. turned into some SciFi:

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]]> Black-and-White Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/black-white/93682-dome.html Should this be my new avatar? http://photocamel.com/forum/all-other-styles-types/93681-should-my-new-avatar.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:27:18 GMT ... if I ever give up my BW passion: ... if I ever give up my BW passion:

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]]> All Other Styles, Types Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/all-other-styles-types/93681-should-my-new-avatar.html Light http://photocamel.com/forum/all-other-styles-types/93680-light.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:25:23 GMT .. glowing in the dark: .. glowing in the dark:

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]]> All Other Styles, Types Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/all-other-styles-types/93680-light.html Mustard or Ketchen http://photocamel.com/forum/street-urban-performance-photojournalism/93679-mustard-ketchen.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:23:57 GMT Taken near a Bratwurst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst) shop: Taken near a Bratwurst shop:

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]]> Street / Urban / Performance / Photojournalism Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/street-urban-performance-photojournalism/93679-mustard-ketchen.html Ho ho http://photocamel.com/forum/street-urban-performance-photojournalism/93678-ho-ho.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:22:10 GMT Santa Claus is a bit sick: Santa Claus is a bit sick:

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]]> Street / Urban / Performance / Photojournalism Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/street-urban-performance-photojournalism/93678-ho-ho.html Symmetry http://photocamel.com/forum/abstract-artistic-expression/93677-symmetry.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:21:08 GMT An amazing circle overlayed on itself and then crossprocessed like an EPP film: An amazing circle overlayed on itself and then crossprocessed like an EPP film:

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]]> Abstract and Artistic Expression Rense http://photocamel.com/forum/abstract-artistic-expression/93677-symmetry.html GTM 385 http://photocamel.com/forum/guess-movie/93676-gtm-385-a.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:35:42 GMT Hopefully will last a little longer than the last time I tried this... Hopefully will last a little longer than the last time I tried this...

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]]> Guess the Movie! swampler http://photocamel.com/forum/guess-movie/93676-gtm-385-a.html