I've always been a fan of photography. I've never really understood all of the nuances and technical aspects of taking a good picture, but over the last couple of years, I've been learning. Luckily from me, I know a couple of professional photographers, so I've been able to bounce ideas off them!
Back in 2009, after a couple of months of research, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a D-SLR. The first obstacle that I came across was the manufacturer. Specifically, Canon or Nikon? I spoke to folks who were fans of each, and there was no discernable reason why one should be chosen over the other. As a matter of fact, I noticed that Nikon cameras were the ones being used on shows like CSI (I guess they had a better contract!), and I didn't see many Canon D-SLRs on TV. On the other side, I had a Canon point and shoot that I was very happy with.
What it came down to was this - which was the better camera from each brand with respect to my budget. In this case it turned out to be a Canon Rebel XSi (or 450D for my overseas readers). Best Buy had a great deal with a price drop that made it competitive with Amazon and a few other online retailers, as well as offering 12 months interest free credit. So I bought the camera kit, and have been taking pictures ever since!
The only additions have been a new lens, and jumping up to Photoshop CS4 (and now 5). I was initially using Photoshop Elements, and then Adobe sent me a great deal which I was unable to turn down.
Something that I have recently been interested in is digital art, where you use applications like Photoshop or create art, either from a photograph, or just by using the tools that Photoshop has to offer. While this does require a creative streak, I do believe that even klutzes such as myself can create something that is beautiful. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
So I've included some of my current online albums below, and I will be adding to them in the future. Please let me know what you think!