How About Some Introductions?

Hi Folks. You are all cordially invited to introduce yourselves to the group.

Let us know who you are and where you live, how you got into photography, what your photographic specialties are, where your favorite places to shoot are ... any other information you want to share. If you would like to include a photo (self portrait or not) that would be great.

If you are not already listed on the Members page, be sure to send me your name, town you live in (near), email address and web site.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Oh yea, Joel.. You're way ugly..

Hello Everyone.. I'm pushing the new 30 and Live in Northern Lower Michigan.. I'm, on an average, 15 miles from anywhere... On the Upper Manistee River.. I got into photography when it went digital to consumers.. I was working at a photo shop developing my eye printing a few hundred prints a day.. We worked with the customers to get the best print possible, adjusting color and density.. Been shooting and developing my abilities for the past 7-8 years.. Mostly self taught..

I take shots around my home and in the summer on Bois Blanc Island in the Straits of Mackinac.. There, I sell prints of local interest and develop project ideas for future use.. This past summer we went in search of every wild flower we could find.. I donate prints to the museum and other worthy projects and do portrait work on occassion..

I'll take a shot of just about anything that grabs my eye.. I enjoy the intimacy of close up work and lean that way but I try to experiment with all avenues to practice and learn as much as I can.. I have been working in b/w quite a bit lately.. I make pictures with my trusty Olympus Evolt E-300.. It's not much but it's all mine.. With a couple of kit lens and my macro lens I have found a way to meditate and focus.. Photography brings me a great deal of enjoyment and has led me to many areas of new study and wonder in so many different ways.. Where I go, so does my camera, and my dog.. Sometimes the cat too! :)

I'm here to network with professionals; to grow as a photographer in skills and with business...

Greetings from Northeast Ohio! I've returned here after many years away and now live 15 minutes from the house I grew up in and 15 minutes from the house in which my father spent his entire childhood. Odd how life brings you full circle sometimes.

I've been "taking pictures" for as long as I can remember, starting with a Kodak Instamatic. I moved up to a Nikon EM-1 in the early 80s. It wasn't until I was in my 40s that I began to take photography more seriously. My friends and family pooled their resources and bought me a D70 for my 45th birthday and I've been enjoying the learning process ever since. NPN has been one of the greatest sources of my education and I'm excited to be able to give back to the organization as we work together to update the MWNP site.

I make a living as graphic designer and have made the transition from mostly print work to more website design. (Old dog, new tricks.) I use Photoshop as one of my primary tools of the trade.

I consider myself a landscape photographer and have focused on the "big picture" in most of my work. Over the next few years I would like to develop my eye and skills as a macro photographer.

I'm fortunate to have the Cuyahoga Valley National Park just minutes from my door. I'm still learning all of her back trails and understanding the rhythm of her seasons. My other favorite place to shoot is the Southwestern US. In my former life I was a geologist, so I enjoy having the earth's history laid out before me. The sweeping lines and colors of the desert never cease to amaze me.

I share my life with my wife, Maia, and a couple of pound-rescue cats. Our wooded property hosts a wide variety of animals and birds and we are working to make it as ecologically friendly as we can.

The image is from a few years ago at Point Lobos, California. My good friend and photography mentor, Jim Scheihing, captured me for posterity.

Greetings from Oregon, yes that's Oregon, not Oregon Ohio ( though close to there is a great place to shoot birds.). As an expatriate the Midwest its good to see the new blood flowing this forum "up to snuff". I grew up in Norther New jersey ( Soprano's country) then went to school at Indiana University ( I actually have a degree in music--go figure). My wife & I recently moved back to the west coast ( we lived in No Cal for 10 years),after stints in No Illinois and NE Ohio. ( full bio is on my web site, -when you hit your mid 50's there just too much to wrote here and not be boring).

I spend about 70% in the photographic world and 30% in the Consumer Electronics world. I worked for about 27 years in "corporate America" and now have moved into a part time position in CE, working with start up companies, building brands etc. It can be exciting at times, but not like getting that great light, when it happens!.

I conduct my own workshops throughout the west ( with the exception of Ohio in the fall) and will begin to do some for the great American Photography Weekend folk this year, In addition I also do the regular stuff ( submissions etc.) that is necessary to pay the bills ( I always told Chuck that i have worked myself up from nothingness..... to a state of extreme poverty!)

Though Oregon is a photographer's paradise, I truly miss the Midwest and all the folks I have been fortunate to have met over the years. NPN as been a real great area to share, learn and meet great people.

My wife and I, along with our 2 spoiled dogs Duke ( Yellow Lab) and Roscoe--Chuck can cooroborate that!, ( not case golden retriever) are presently living SW of Portland and will hopefully be moving to a permanent home ( when we find one!) a but further west with a bit more property than where we are now. We are about 1 hr from the coast, 1 hr from Mt. Hood and fee really lucky to be here!
.
If any of you ever get out this way let me know............................. Martin Q.?????

This image was shot by a good friend from Buffalo "The amazing" Randy Zack last April as I was hanging over the rock cliff shooting at Horseshoe Bend outside Page AZ.

Regards,
Jack

It is great to put a face to you all, as soon as I can get one of myself (a picture that is) I will write something up and post it.

I’ve always enjoyed taking picture even as a kid. My dad let me use his old Brownie camera to take pictures. Much to his chagrin I used most of the film to shoot mud puddles, turtles and frogs. I spent most of my childhood at the local creek hunting turtles, frogs and fishing.

During the 60’s I did a lot of mountain climbing and always had a camera with me. In the 70’s I traveled through South Amercia Africa, Asia and Europe again with my camera. In the 80’ I took a number of photography courses and promptly lost interest in photography. In the 90’s I started doing a lot of hiking and the camera came back out.

As I got a little older and couldn’t go 20 miles a day anymore I spent more time taking pictures than hiking. My wife used to complain that I hiked too fast, not she complains I spend too much time taking pictures. Several years ago, when I retired after 38 years as librarian at UW-Stout, I started to shift from “taking pictures” to photography. I made the switch to a digital camera. I also started participating in the MWNP site about a year ago after spending several years reading the RMNP site. NPN has been a great help in developing my photography skills and providing ideas for subjects.

As those of you who have looked at my website know, I still prefer to take close-ups of nature although I will take almost anything that strikes my interest. I hope to try some macro photography this next summer.

I was a little concerned when I joined MWNP that it wasn’t very active and I’m happy to see more people getting involved.

Sorry about the photo. I took a picture of a family out near Crested Butte, Colorado and they insisted on taking one of me.

Phil Schwarz
E2311 530th Ave
Menomonie, WI 54751
e-mail: schwarzp@uwstout.edu
web: http://philipschwarz.zenfolio.com/

No picture for me - very few of them exist of me as an adult.

I was interested in photography as a teenager and had one of those old 110 cameras. My story is that all of the bad shots were from the film format and a lack of manual control. At least that is my story.

While I was in grad school, for subjects completely unrelated to photography, I had a 35 mm PS that I tried to photograph the Tour Dupont/Tour de Trump as it worked it way through the Virginia/North Carolina area. Sharper pictures with better color but still clearly operated by someone without a clue.

Eventually, the real world arrived and after working in it for a couple of years, I found this website. More by accident than anything else, since it had been up for about 2 weeks and I still didn't own a "real" camera, much less thinking about owning one.

A couple of months later, I finally broke down and bought an Elan 7 with the 28-138 IS zoom. I was able to produce a much higher level of crap than ever before.

Things got frustrating because I wanted to post some images here but was shooting print film (trust me, flatbeds were bad 7 years ago), so I switched to slide film and picked up a slide scanner and a printer and another lens and ... and ... and ...

Then I met a couple of people like Danny Burk and Jack Graham at various Midwest meetings.

Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time

I now shoot 35 mm based digital and am waiting for the sucessor of the 5D to come out before upgrading my current 20D. I also have been shooting 4x5 for the last couple of years (the image of the chair and apple from the best of the year thread was with 4x5), doing the art festival and gallery thing and shooting some stock as well.

This is just about all I've got in the way of pictures...and this one only exists because I was told that I ought to put a picture of myself on my Web site. This was taken at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico in late September of this year. I set the shot up to be taken without a figure (which I did) and then I climbed up the ladder and asked my wife to trip the cable release when I gave her the high sign. It went something like this:

I climbed to the point on the ladder that you see here and then said: "Okay, when I say..."

CLICK

"No, no, wait a second. Wait until I tell you to..."

CLICK

"Wait! Don't..."

CLICK

"W--"

CLICK

It was a bit frustrating, but we ultimately worked it out and I deleted a lot of shots right off the card.

I've been interested in photography for a long time but began to really take it seriously less than 10 years ago. I had an assortment of Kodak Instamatics and a Polaroid camera as a kid, and received my first SLR (Olympus OM-10) when I was in high school. I diddled with the Olympus for a long time--nearly 20 years--on and off, but never really had a full understanding of what I was doing or took the time to really figure it out--college, grad school and work, among other things, kind of got in the way. In September of 1998 I took a trip to Utah and came back with a bunch of rolls of exposed print film, which I took to a local camera shop to be developed. The guy who did the developing for me, a professional photographer himself, told me "you know, a lot of these shots are a lot better than standard holiday snaps." That got me thinking...maybe I ought to get a bit better at this. That started me on a journey of really trying to understand photography, both from a technical and an aesthetic point of view. I did a lot of reading over the next couple of years, attended a few seminars, moved to slide film and purchased a Nikon N80 and assorted lenses. I found NPN in the spring of 2002 and that more or less completed things for me. Danny Burk was good enough to spend some time answering a few lingering technical questions I had and the site itself--particularly the IC forums--were a big, big help to me...not so much because I had my own images critiqued; I found that I learned the most by critiquing the images of others.

In the fall of 2003 I purchased my first digital SLR (a used D100). I had been looking into medium format film cameras at the time, but had decided that the quality of digital cameras was increasing so quickly that I'd likely be able to obtain MF quality without having to change platforms in a relatively short period of time, without having to put up with some of the endemic limitations of MF. For me, this choice worked out very well. I really enjoy shooting with a digital camera; I've become far more willing to experiment than I ever did with film.

In the spring of 2006, I moved up to a D200 and that's what I use now. I've decided not to move to the D300, despite the good reviews. For the kind of photography I like to pursue (95% landscape, 4.9% closeup, 0.1% everything else), I don't think it's worth the cost. The D3 is a bit out of my price range, so I'll wait to see what Nikon announces this year and continue to shoot with the D200, which I'm very happy with, in the meantime. If/When Nikon releases the functional equivalent of Canon's 5D, I'll likely be all over it.

I finally started selling prints and entering print exhibits/competitions this year and have been quite pleased with the results. And, after many years of talking about it, I finally launched my Web site this past summer. It was a lot of work to get it up and running, and there's been a fair amount of labor involved in updating it, but it's been worth it, I think.

On the non-photographic side of things, I split my time almost equally between the Chicago area and the Indianapolis area, going back and forth every two weeks. I've been doing this for a bit more than four years. My wife, a pharmaceutical chemist, took a job in Indianapolis in November of 2003 because she was concerned that her Chicago area employer was going to go belly up. I still have extended familial and occupational responsibilities in Chicago (I'm a statistician/research methodologist by training, and have worked in the public opinion and marketing research fields since grad school), so the Midwest shuttle will continue for the foreseeable future.

Nice to "see" and read about everyone!

OK, I'll bite. I'm a retired environmental engineer who now dabbles in woodworking, painting (oils), photography, and fly fishing. I'm interested in photo locations within 350 miles from Ann Arbor, MI. I've been posting mostly on www.naturephotographers.net rather than the Midwest Forum. You can find my posts and portfolio there.

It's real nice to be meeting fellow mid-westerners... And enjoying the images you all make.. Glad to meet you all!

I don't have any recent images of me, so we'll forgo that for the moment.

My interest in photography started when I was given a small camera at the age of 12, taking simple pictures of family and friends. I worked my way through numerous different types of consumer grade cameras, until I got my first 35mm in 1981. My interest in photography got more serious in the mid 1990's and hasn't stopped since. Being invited to join NPN by Jim shortly after he started the site made me want to learn more and thus improve my photographic skills, especially when it came to nature photography. I left the site due to problems in my personal life, but kept on shooting nevertheless, and returned to NPN in January 2005.

These days, my subjects run the gamut from nature to graphical images and everything in between, and from B&W and IR, to color. Living in West Michigan gives me a wide variety of subjects to choose from, not the least of which is lighthouses, still one of my favorite subjects. Lately I've gotten hooked on flora of all kinds, but Dahlias are my favorite the last few years.

My gear at the present time consists of the Pentax K10D, a Pentax *ist-DS2 as my backup, and a Canon EOS 630 which I use strictly for IR film, with my lenses being the Sigma brand.

I guess I'll go ahead and join the fray.

I live in Noblesville, Indiana which is a northern suburb of Indianapolis. I took up photography about five years ago. I purchased a D100 to take pictures of my son playing football and then soon after that I started doing a little landscape work. I love digital and, in fact, I probably never would have gotten so involved in photography without it. Other than a point and shoot I've never used film.

The last 3 or 4 years I've been working mostly with landscapes. I've made a few trips out west but mostly stick to Indiana with a trip or two per year to the Smokies or West Virginia.

2007 was a disappointing year for me photographically. I just didn't make time for it. I'm planning to change that in 2008.

Best regards,
Mike Leakey

Glad to have you join in Mike.. And that 2008 sounds promising.. Taking more pictures sounds like a great New Year resolution!

Hi My name is Wallace Billingham and I live outside of Erie, PA in the heart of the Lake Erie Snowbelt. I consider Erie to be more Midwestern than Mid-Atlantic

I have been into photography since the early 1980s when I took it in highschool. I really like B&W and working with B&W film but I also shoot with a Canon 30D DSLR.

I am not sure how to post a picture in this thread but you can see me here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eye_of_wally/2077059838/

and you can see my work here
www.theplasticlandscape.com

or here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eye_of_wally/

Greetings, Wally. The boundaries of our regional forums are somewhat fluid. If you feel more aligned with us Midwesterners than the rest of PA, then we're happy to have you with us. Since I live on the western end of the Lake Erie snowbelt, I share your pain (or joy as it may be).

To post an image, log in and look for the green bar near the top of the forum page. In the center it says "Post a Topic." Click there and fill in with your info. At the bottom you will see a button that says "Choose File." Clicking this will allow you to browse your files and upload the image you want to share. (Or you can put in a link to an image already on the web -- I've never done this, so don't know all of the details.) Be sure to read the posting guidelines before posting an image.

Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Happy New Year, to all!!
My name is Dave Flaig, and I live in the "Frozen Tundra". (Green Bay, for those who didn't know where that is... :-)

I'm an International Field Engineer for a large Wisconsin based company and travel the world for my real job. I've always taken photos on my trips, but didn't get serious about it until I got my D70 and started learning what I could do with it... The first thing I learned was that I could get lost in that process and find myself in a different state of mind. (which was a good thing for me...) It gave me a way to relax and completeley forget about the pressures of my real job. So it's an escape route in a way... but more than that, I thoroughly enjoy seeing things in a whole new perspective, and then trying to express what I see in my photography.
This is where NPN and some of the other informational websites come into the picture... I've taken my skills to a different level because of all the information and insight shared so freely on this site and others. It's just starting to show, but I'm enjoying the journey from "A" to Be
a better photohrapher.
About all I can say is "Thanks" !!!

I didn't have any photos of myself either, but then I remembered I own a couple good cameras, so I simply took one! Duh??? :-)

If you see this Mug crawling around in the landscape somewhere, Say, Hey!! I'll gladly move out of your shot.

Dave

Sorry,
I'll try to upload the photo again.... See what I mean about 'still learning' ?? :-/

Dave www.flaigphoto.com

Welcome one and all!

Welcome Dave and Wally!

Wally, if you would like to post an image, you will need to "link" it. Follow this link for instructions. http://www.naturephotographers.net/postguide.html

Hi Folks,

I'm super new here (don't have an image to post yet). I've had an SLR since 1985, but didn't "get it" for many years. In the past two years since I went digital (December 2005), the light is starting to go on (no pun intended). Using Photoshop for post processing taught me how to crop... then one day it dawned on me I can do this in a viewfinder! I got serious last month and switched from Minolta gear to a Canon 5D. So now the fun of real learning begins. I look forward to mingling with those who have real talent, so I can learn!

To God be the Glory.

Paul in SW Ohio

Welcome Paul... Digital turned the bulb on for me too.. The immediate look see to make sure it worked is a great learning tool! Looking forward to you shots..

Hi All...I haven't been very good about participating in this forum but I hope to be better this year. I'm in central Illinois near Springfield, Abe Lincoln country. It's totally flat here but I have managed to find one of the few hills and I live on it!

I have been seriously photographing for 7 years now. I've always enjoyed taking pictures and started in college with a Nikon. I have been with Nikon ever since. I'm currently using a D80 and really like it alot. I still haven't used it to its fullest yet but I'm working on that. I've taken at least one photo workshop every year now for 7 years and it has been quite rewarding. I enjoy meeting other photographers (none of my friends really understand it but they support me!) and I always come away from the workshops with new information. When I discovered NPN several years ago, I was floored by the quality of work. I was so scared to post a photo. I still get nervous! NPN has taught me so much.

I belong to an artist co-op gallery in Springfield. I do art fairs in the summer months. And I just recently finished a one month solo exhibit of 58 pieces in a gallery in Decatur. That was an amazing experience. I do not profess to be a spectacular photographer but I have found my "niche" for central Illinois. I hardly make an income from the sales but it is a very humbling and rewarding feeling when a stranger wishes to purchase an image of mine.

I am retired from my own retail store and I currently do taxes for H&R Block and I love it!!! (I know ...I'm nuts.) The nice thing about my job is when April 15th comes, my job is done and I'm free for the rest of the year until the 2nd of Janury next year!!!

So I hope to participate more in this forum and I look forward to meeting some of you perhaps this year!

Happy New Year and congrats to Toni and Susie. I know you'll both do a great job.

Hi Beth...it's nice to "see" you!

Paul..welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum!

Welcome Beth! That looks like the Pacific coast off the Olympic Pennisula.. Glad to 'see' ya! This has been a great topic for me.. Getting to know all of you..

Tried to do this all last week while at home, but my cable internet service was uncooperative.

I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan and graduated from HS there in 1975. In 1976, I moved to Vermont, where I lived for 5 years. While attending college there, I was inspired by a math professor to start making photographs. I dug out and dusted off my dad's Okinawa purchased Asahiflex (all manual--stop down, no pentaprism and no in camera meter) 35mm camera, bought some Kodachrome, and began making mistakes (and learning). I "graduated" through a series of Canon and Nikon bodies, shooting for my college yearbook and newspaper (and learning the beauty of the darkroom--albeit B&W) in the process. My last film body was an N90s and I yearned, from my college days to then, for my own color darkroom. Studies, then money (or lack thereof), time, etc. always seemed to get in the way.

When the D100 became available, I bought one and suddenly had the color darkroom I always wanted! Today I shoot with a Nikon D200.

I moved back to Michigan in 1980 to complete my education. I attended law school in Washington, D.C. (where I met my wife). For career reasons, I again moved back to Michigan in 1984 and live in what I describe as the flattest, brownest, most power-line laden county in the U.S. -- Saginaw. Fortunately, it doesn't take much of a drive in any direction to find something to photograph. I am fortunate to have work that gives me some flexibility to schedule vacations and the ability to travel, and my favorite places to photograph are Vermont, Michigan's "U.P.", Virginia and North Carolina. In 1997, I spent a week in New Mexico and hope to go back their soon.

I am currently working on my own website and hope to have it up this month. Maybe I'll find a photo of me by then

Nice to meet you, Andy.. I'm not far from Traverse City.. Living in the flatlands like you do Is challenging! Bet you miss it up here..

I do miss it. But I get up there fairly regularly, as my parents and two of my sisters still live in the area. I know right where Fife Lake is. I used to drive into town on Supply Road all the time.

I again moved back to Michigan in 1984 and live in what I describe as the flattest, brownest, most power-line laden county in the U.S. -- Saginaw.

Andy, you evidently haven't visited DuPage County, Illinois.

O.K., I'll concede there might be some other similar places. Maybe we could have a contest

Andy, or central Illinois

Hay Beth---good to see Haystack rock in your image! Not to far from me!
JG

I think central IL can give the Saginaw area a good run for the money...I've driven through there enough times!

Wow, this forum is really moving! Thanks to all who have gotten the ball rollin'. I have been silent on NPN for the past year due to a very heavy work schedule. But I hope to be more active in 08.

I grew up surrounded by corn fields in NE Indiana. I attended the Ohio Institute of Photography (it's now called Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology) and graduated with an associates degree in commercial photography. I am currently working as a commercial photographer at a studio in Columbus, OH, specializing in food, jewelry and glassware. Back when I first started my career, we were using 8x10 and 4x5 view cameras. I'm sure glad it wasn't ME paying for all those 8x10 sheets of film and polaroid! Anyways, we have since dismantled our E6 processor and said goodbye to the large format film cameras. We are now using Hasselblad bodies with Imacon digital backs and Canon 1Dsmk2's.

It took me years to pick up the camera for me again. I went to an art show and was very inspired by the photography of Pat Gerlach. I soon signed up for one of his workshops photographing the wild horses of North Dakota and I have been hooked ever since. I find myself going out to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Montana every year. The horses and the land have touched my heart in way that is indescribable. I sell my wild horse photography as fine art prints at art shows and horse shows.

Side note: I had an amazing art teacher in high school. He had a true passion for teaching. When he realized that I had a very strong interest in photography, he converted the supply closet into a BW darkroom. He gave me assignments in photography when his other students were given assignments in areas they were interested in. It made it more difficult on him to keep up with us all. But, wow, what an amazing teacher. Thank you Mr. Van Horn!

Glad to have you back, Deb.. It's great getting to know everyone.. I hope we hear from everyone eventually..

Hi Deb! So good to hear from you and yes, I do hope you can participate more this year. Happy New Year!

I wasn't going to introduce myself at all because I am more of a watcher of the forum than a participant, but since my good friend Deb Little jumped in, I will too. I have been interested in nature photography for about 8 years. I am a generalist, but I am leaning more and more toward wildlife lately. My interest lies in being published more than selling fine art prints. I recently sold my first full page photo to Birds and Blooms. I also had a photo in the Wonderful West Virginia magazine this year. Unlike many of you, I never really expect to make any serious income from my photographs. I love sharing them through slide presentations to various groups, but I have never tried very hard to market my photos. I may give it a shot once in a while, but right now I consider myself to be more of a dabbler than a serious business person.

In my real life I am a high school English teacher and that has been my calling. I do admit to making all 130 students that I have this year watch my slide presentations on black bears and various national parks. Talk about a captive audience. They do give me great feedback. One student, while watching my show on black bears, said "No offense, Mrs. S, but you're nuts!" That seems to be the feeling of everyone who finds out that I take photography related vacations and that I spend every spare moment doing something photography related.

I am currently shooting a Canon 40D. I like it a lot better than the 20D I was using before. I am glad I learned photography before digital was the rage, because I doubt if I would have ever understood exposure shooting just digitally.

It is good to see this forum become more active. Like I said, I am more of an observer, but I will try to jump in more often than I have in the past.

That's great, Debbie! We are enjoying the surge of returning members here and hope it continues.. Looking forward to seeing images from all of you.. It just keeps getting better and better!

Wow, lots of people that I haven't seen post here before. Nice to read about all of you, and feel free to jump in at any time!

Hi Debbie...nice of you to chime in! This forum as being more active now and hopefully we can keep it that way.

OK, I have seen this thread for 3 months now so it's about time I introduce myself. I am a 37 year old Buckeye that was born and raised in the Dayton, OH area where I have lived my entire life except for a few years I spent in Washington State after graduating college. I am married with a 9 month old son that I can't wait to get outdoors. I have been learning the art of nature photography for about 12 years. I split my photography time between landscape and avian with some portrait work of my son thrown in for good measure.

It is nice to see MWNP more active and I hope to see it continue to grow. I will try to find time to do my part by becoming a more active participant with postings and comments. Here is a picture a friend took while we were backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park about in the fall of 2006.

It's always a pleasure to "meet" our members, Kirk. Looking forward to seeing more of your images and input.

Hello all, don't think I got to post here yet. I've been absent for quite a while due to work and school but haven't forgotten about my camera. As school is winding down here I'll have more time to get out and do some more photography.

I'm 33 and live in SE wisconsin on some conservation land. Quite exciting as a controlled burn of part of the prairie section happened last week at night. I didn't have time for a still camera but did get the video camera out for it.

This photo is from a solo backpacking trip I did last October along the shores of Superior within Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. The place is nearly empty in the fall and the leaves along the shoreline change quite a bit later than the inland areas. I typically strap my tripod on my pack and have a camera body, a 28-135, a 17-40 and a few filters with me.

Last month I was in Hawaii and California and this fall I will be taking another trip out west. I've been so busy with school and work that I haven't edited one photo! In between and during the summer months, I hope to get some photography of Wisconsin in as it's so overlooked in favor of favorite destinations

Welcome, Jon! We're looking forward to seeing some of your work. Glad to have you with us.

Hithere!
Nice to see all of you!!!
I'm a 39 year old armature photographer from Northeastern Ohio.
I've been interested in photography for a long time but began to really take it seriously less than year ago.
I primarily do this part- time because like many of you are married and have 3 children. Besides working full time in “Corporate America”, I also take collage classes part-time. I’ve interested in photography for a long time and just recently took the plunge and bought a Nikon D80 with an SB-800 along with a Nikon 70-300 vr lens. By the way, I'm left almost broke!!!!
My subject matter is focused primarily around the local parks here in Northeast Ohio. I also photograph other places like all of the wildlife surrounding Lake Erie. I am hoping that NPN forum will be a help in developing my photography skills.

Welcome, Brian. Looking forward to seeing your work. This forum and the forums on NPN are great places to hone your skills. Hopefully, we'll cross paths in the park one of these days.

Cheers,
Chuck

Hi Brian and Jon...nice to "meet" you two!

I apologize for not being able to give you a proper welcome sooner, but it's been a busy last week, and am in Kentucky this week, so not much PC time on this end.

Hope you both enjoy the site and I'm looking forward to any images you might post!

Hi Folks,

I just joined NPN Monday, even though I registered last August. I get too much from this site to not support it, and I enjoy the fact that the members understand the importance of being good stewards of this earth. And there's so much beauty to capture! I caught these two geese wandering around last month after our last snowfall (this is a low-res image, hope it displays OK).

My favorite type of photography is landscape, to capture the beauty of God's Creation, being that "The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ~Psalm 24:1". I actually like shooting many types of subject matter, skylines, trails, woods, etc, anything in natural light. I don't own a flash, nor a camera that even has a popup flash. That hasn't been an issue yet since I prefer to shoot vistas of some sort. People shots aren't a strength of mine (maybe if I had a flash it wouldn't be!).

My equipment is REAL simple: Canon 5D body, 2 lenses (17-40mm and 70-200mm 2.8 non-IS), some Singh-Ray GND filters, a B+W CPL and a tripod. I'm still on Photoshop CS2 for my darkroom.

Even though I got my first digital SLR in December 2005, I've recently started "training" with some great composition books by Brenda Tharpe, Alain Briot, and admiring the works of several of the great photographers on this site. So now the fun of real learning begins. I'll never be the best, but I enjoy it all so much.

Glad to see you became a member, Paul...welcome to NPN and the MWNP forum!

Nice shot of the Canada Geese. I like the composition with one on either side of the frame and their tracks in the background.

Thanks Toni. I think I like the goose image, still struggling over the comp.

Anyway, glad to be on board as a real member now! I just found an intro I posted above, 6 months ago... forgot all about that. See?? Hit your 40's and the memory starts glitching...

Paul,

Memory...what's that? I just welcomed you twice to MWNP!

LOL! I'm not alone... whew!!

well here i am doing what i like.. also like photography.

Just started with a canon xt, i used to have a little kodak point and shoot , think it was a 743.

I love this canon, recently bought the xsi , also a great camera..I have a few smaller lenses

but the one i use alot is a tamron 200-500, works great for wildlife and my dogs.

my wife and i have 4 dogs ,2 beagles 1 yellow lab and a golden retriever.

I am 51 yrs old my wife is 45, no she doesnt know i just told everybody. I have been a truck

driver for 30 years. In the last year i have taken a lot of photos while out driving around the

country. I am just beginning to learn about photography and this website has been a

goldmine of knowledge for me thanks to all of you

Nice to meet you "face to face", Wally!

scary isnt it

Greetings from Minnesota! I posted an introduction of sorts on the general discussion board yesterday, before I knew of this forum for people from my region. It's a bit long-winded, but I had a lot on my mind. Perhaps a separate post for each thought would've made more sense. Anyway, here's a link: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=31217&CGISESSID=c05d2715b6bb2fec95cb4eff0fa704a5&u=22446

Welcome aboard, Tim...glad to see you found your way here! We're looking forward to your participation in the MWNP forum.

Thought I would get in here with my intro. This photo is from last night we were out shooting photos of the flood in Gulfport, IL area and they shot me. Not real flattering but pretty realistic. I have mesed with 35mm since 1980 but got the DSLR in Feb and have been thrilled with it since. I work on a farm here in the Carman area and am involved in blacksmithing as well. Grew up on the Mississippi River, family were fishermen. I have hunted and fished all my life and enjoy nature and the outdoors. The area is a pain when it floods but is usually worth it. I found NPN and was looking at the site for a while and it is why I got the DSLR. I have enjoyed looking and have got a lot of good out of the time I have been involved.

Nice reading about all the new faces. Welcome!

Hi everyone, new to forums and I have to say this is a very neat place. Lots of amazing photos on this site, and lots of great learning material. I live in Forest Junction WI, and spend lots of time shooting around the state.

I've been playing around with photography since I was a boy, just clicking around here and there. When I was 19 I took my first trip out to Colorado and got to borrow a friends Canon SLR, talk about double whammy. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, and have a great camera to use, I was hooked. This has always been just a hobby to me, but I pursue it pretty passionately. I started with 35mm, went to 645, then to 4x5, and finally I dived into digital. I still shoot my 4x5 sometimes, but digital dominates my portfolio now. I have my own dark room at home for bw 4x5 work, but I work in it less and less these days thanks to my scanner and shooting on 4x5 e6 film.

I look forward to learning and contributing to the forum...

Ciao Kevin

link to photo of me...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2658335159_254d68e739_o.jpg



<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevintrinkner/2658335159/" title="Me by trink408, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2658335159_254d68e739_o.jpg" width="600" height="749" alt="Me" /></a>

Hey all:

Good to see you. Mostly I participate on other NPN boards because there just aren't many folks in here from my neck of the woods (and I mean woods), though I've corresponded with Joel now and then.

But this looks like a friendly and fun crew, as you'd expect of a branch of NPN.

I got into photography as a teen, picking it up now and then casually through jobs and travels in the Midwest and West, working as a taxi driver, Colorado gold miner, environmental activist, pizza store manager, cattle drover, etc.

I got into newspapers 15 years ago and worked my way into newsroom management at mid-size daily newspapers within the former Knight-Ridder chain until deciding that was too brutal a job for any human being, and found a job as editor of a small weekly up here in Ely, doing a lot of photography, page design (for which I'm formally trained), writing and editing.

And building a portfolio of nature photography as well as a list of clients (weddings, portraits, etc) before cutting all ties with newspapers and going full-time as a photographer last year. At 45 when I made the move last summer, I figured I'd better take the dive before I got too old for a big change.

I've been working as a nature photographer five years now, and while I make some money from publication and print sales, the bulk of my income is from weddings and from guiding and teaching other photographers on excursions into the trails of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, with 30 excursion clients last year and on pace to exceed that this year. My graphic designer mate and I also are book producers. I do the editing (and sometimes the photography) and she the designing, with nearly 20 books produced so far for publishers and private clients. My mate also professionally restores antique and damage photos. She is the true Photoshop assassin, and when I have a question she just gives me that "you dummy" look and shows me what to do.

While I love so much of what I see photographed from a lot of folks in the eastern and western mountains (and wished I'd been into photography when I lived at 10,000 feet in Colorado), I can't think of a better place for a nature photographer than the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. I have always been a forest boy, so this is perfect. When I moved to Ely over 5 years ago, it was photography I had in mind.

I also am a nature photography generalist. It all flows into a single river of art. My latest obsession is to try to photograph all 43 species of wild orchid occurring in Minnesota before I kick the bucket. It's going to take some time, as I've only got 8 so far.

I'm firmly a DSLR fella, shooting Canon gear, and am a member of Canon Professional Services and Professional Photographs of America.

NPN is a great community to be part of, and I'll look in here at MWNP more often and become part of this community, too.

Hi Steve...good to see you chime in here at the MWNP forum!

I think you'll like it here as we do try to keep the ball rolling when possible. Members are from a wide range of places anywhere from the eastern most part of Ohio to the western most part of Iowa, down to Kentucky and as you know, on up to Minnesota.

Looking forward to your participation here!

I don't have many pictures of myself so this one should do for now. I located it after an extensive search in my hard drive.

I work for a Healthcare Company as a Supply Chain Specialist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I hang around mostly in the Flora and Macro Forums.

My area of interest is Close-up Photography with Flowers and Bugs as the main subjects.

Glad to be here in NPN - this is an awesome community with very friendly and knowledgeable folks.

Thanks for everything, guys

Thanks for dropping in and saying hello Ramamohan. I've been enjoying your work in the flora forum. Regards.

I was hoping you would drop by, Ram! I've been a big fan of your images in Flora for some time now.

Hi

I'm unsure if this is OK but here goes I'm sure someone will put me right. I spend almost six months of the year in Kansas one of the USA best kept secrets. With 460 species of bird I'm in my element. Photography being a hobby. I'm English so sometimes have difficulty understanding the locals.

I participate on the NPNUK section but thought it would be great to seek Mid West critique and advice if that's OK I'm very much on a learning curve both with the camera lenses and the PP is a mine field for me so every bit of advice is most welcome.

If I'm out of order I do apologise just thought I'd ask.

Thanks

Barry

Milford Kansas

Hi Barry...glad you stopped by!

You're more than welcome to participate here in the Midwest forum, but Kansas is actually part of the CSNP...the Central States forum. I would suggest you check that out also as those members would be more able to help you with locales and identifying certain species.

Hi! My name is Vonnie Murfin. I love to take pictures.

About Me:

I started taking pictures in 2004 when I got my first digital camera. In 2006, I upgraded to a Nikon D80 digital camera and multiple lens. I am now presently taking pictures of nature and sporting events.

I have been taking pictures of my husband's auto racing and a few pro events as well.

I have had photos on Indiana's Newscenter news and in our local newspapers.

My photo "White and Pink Flowers" will be published in the Digital Photographer magazine in September.

You can also see more of my photos at http://vmurfin.redbubble.com/.

Thanks for introducing yourself, Vonnie, and nice to "meet" you!

Hey ya'll! I'm Amy Lindsey and i mostly join in the Rocky Mtn. Nature Photogs forum. I'm in love with Colorado and the mountains so most of my work originates from there. I'm into landscape grand scenics and macro flowers. I'm just starting to get into portraiture.

You can check out my website at amylindsey.smugmug.com

Hello , I'm from Oconomowoc WI and the last several years my involvment in photography has taken off. Years ago I played a little with film SLR's and took some courses but the cost of film and developing scratched the itch pretty well. The a few years ago a friend sold me a Canon 10D body quite cheap. I jumped at it because I was so tired of dealing with the shutter lag common with Digital P&S's. I train and field trial pointing dogs but getting good pics was next to impossible without a DSLR.

Well the 10D did the trick and the courses I took all those years ago had somehow stuck with me. Soon I was photographing dogs in motion which led to wildlife photography.

I bought my first decent lens, a Canon EF 100-400 L IS USM. In less than a year I had pushed that lens and 10D body to its limits and soon was looking to upgrade. Long story short. my equipment list soon added a 40D, an EF 70-200 F/2.8 L IS USM, an EF 400 F/2.8 L IS USM, 1.4X and 2X TC's, assorted extention rings, Bogan Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods, a Wimberly II Gimbal head, 13 x 19 format printer, bags ,backpacks and other gear

I've been selling framed prints and prints and have been commissioned to do photos of other field trialers dogs which has helped pay for my gear addiction. I have been blessed in many ways to now be allowed to persue the photo bug. Alas I'm rambling on here and I'd rather let my photo's tell my story. So I hope you all will enjoy my contributions here and I hope I can help others become better photographers as well as others help me do so also.

Oh Yeah .....Here's me
[img]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u221/uplandgunner/JUZA/Me005copy.jpg[/img]

Hello All!
I have been following this group and checking out all the beautiful pictures. Today I decided to figure this out. We upgraded our computer so there is now a bit more speed in the uploading process for most webpages, YAY!
I have been taking pictures probably since my late teens. My first camera was a 110 that I got free when I sent in 2 UPC's from Oreo cookies. For years I took pics with this type of camera. I had tried several 35mm, but for some reason the rewind mechanism always messed up, and after the third camera and loss of more pics, I stayed with the 110 type cameras. Next came the disposables.
Then in late 2003 or 2004 I decided to give digital photography a try and bought my first Cannon at Target as they were on sale. I took some nice shots with that, and 2 years later I bought my 2nd Canon - a Powershot S2IS. I donated the other Canon to a church who was in need of an updated digi cam. I like to shoot pics of dogs - my fave subject by the way - so in 2005 it was off to the Wisconsin dog show in Waukesha. I took some nice pics and even made some new friends (who by the way have let me hang out with their mals and shoot all the pics I can). I have lots of nice shots and it is hard to pick my faves. My goal is perfection - and at times that even irks me, but when you find a subject and you want to capture it forever, best to get it right the first time, or the 33rd.
I have also shot lots of nature shots, birds, squirrels, a few sunsets, sunrises, flowers and another fave subject of mine - butterflies. I recently found out my sister likes them too, so when I am picking/printing pictures, I make double prints. This way she has something to brighten up her home. I have also taken pics of family and friends. By far and away, nature is my favorite and I have been known to shoot pics of anything that catches my eye, including fall leaves laying a certain way (or staged) to putting out bird seed and watch squirrels devour it, some becoming quite defensive about me taking their picture.
This year we made it to Yellowstone National Park. WOW What a sight! I am still just excited by that place. Just the thought of seeing animals in their natural habitat, no fences, no bars was soooooo amazing. I took lots of pics and have some very nice ones out of that trip. Again it is hard to pick faves, there are so many.
On the way to Yellowstone, our first stop was to check out Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For some reason, no way I was getting out of town without taking pics here. In spite of all the devastation, Cedar Rapids is still a thriving community - with all the businesses that were hit by this flood - are planning on rebuilding.
Next, was Dodgeville, WI. I love Wisconsin - it is a beautiful state, lots of corn fields and rolling hills. Even went horseback riding - something we had not done in a long time. Then it was on to Waukesha for the weekend for the Annual Mal Specialty/dog shows. These go by way too fast, I always have fun at the shows.
Made a few more stops on the way, Superior/Duluth, Bemidji, Rugby, ND, Devils Lake, ND, Lake Sakakawea/Crow Flies High, ND, Roosevelt Natl. Park, Terry Badlands, MT, Hardin, MT, Red Lodge, MT, Beartooth Pass, WY & MT, Cooke City, MT (where we stayed). There are millions upon millions of pine trees. Went through the Teton Natl. Park, Wind River Reservation, Ft. Laramie, Casper, Scottsbluff, NE. After that nothing really exciting - so I mostly slept. Being on the road for 26 days can wear a person out. Not complaining mind you - just needed my rest.
Animals we saw in Yellowstone: Wolves, Uinta squirrels, Bison, moose, mule deer, coyotes, pronghorn antelopes, black and brown bears, red tail hawks, bald eagles, ravens, bull elk, robins, a form of blue bird,(moved so fast could not really tell what it was), song birds, a swallow making a mud nest, and as we were hiking up Washburn Pass, millions of butterflies. Flowers were in bloom so there were LOTS of butterflies.
About a month ago, bought my next Canon a Rebel XSI. I admit this is heavier than I am used to, but I can get some shots with this one that I would not be able to get with the other.
I have no formal Photography training, yet, I enrolled in a class coming up next month. I have taken numerous Art and Jewelry classes and do some beadwork when the mood strikes. I have also done pencil sketches, some painting, ceramics and woodworking.
I am currently unemployed, still contemplating what I want to do with what is left of my life. So for now will stick to taking pictures of the "local" wildlife, that being the squirrels, house sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, and with winter coming, woodpeckers, and chickadees.
Looking forward to Great Conversations and Journeys!
Elizabeth Chvilicek
www.photobucket.com/huskamal www.myspace.com/samson91963

Welcome and nice to "meet" you, Elizabeth...hope you'll enjoy our Midwest group! You might want to check the Photobucket link you gave...it does not take us to your specific images.

Hello all! I am totally new to the photography scene and just recently bought a Nikon D60. I purchased the camera because I spend a lot of time outside in both the summer and winter and I wanted to take better pictures than what I could with my little point and shoot camera.

I live in Wisconsin near Milwaukee, my family has a cabin in north eastern Wisconsin, north of Green Bay near the Chequamagon-Nicolet forest. I am planning on spending some time up there this winter snowshoeing and will definitely have the camera along!

I joined this forum to post pictures and get feedback so I can learn to take better pictures. As we all know, we can't improve without constructive criticism. Plus, I don't know if my pictures are all that good or not, they are pleasing to my eye, but I am not yet the established photographer.

So, please feel free to critic my photo's and provide all the feedback you'd like. As I said, I am just new to the art and am eager to learn all I can.

Thanks!

Aaron

Welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum, Aaron! Looking forward to seeing your posts.. we'll do our best to help you out and give you the necessary feedback.

Greetings! I'm a KY state wildllife biologist. I got started in photography when I took a photojournalism course in college. I'm an avid birder, botanist and hunter/fisherman. I enjoy everything outdoors.

Currently I'm shooting a Nikon D300.

I lurk more than post on NPN, but plan to be more active...

Joe Lacefield Versailles, KY

Hi Joe..welcome to the Midwest forum...looking forward to your participation here!

Had a quick peek at your portfolio...very nice work!

Thanks Toni! That was a quick reply!

I forgot to include a picture....

Just happened to be checking the forum at that time, Joe! Nice to "meet" you and nice catch!!

Hello everyone, I'm an aspiring nature and wildlife photographer from central MN. I started taking pictures 3 years ago when i was 10 and my hobbies are photography,scuba dving,dog sledding,hiking,and sports. I have had two exhibitions displaying and selling my work at the st.cloud hospital. I hope to learn alot from you all, Joe Sulik

Welcome Joe. If I remember right, I think I met you this past summer at a Loft reception. Folks will really enjoy your wildlife photographs, so jump on in at any point!

Welcome to the Midwest forum, Joe! Looking forward to seeing your images and your participation in the forum!

Thanks, ive posted one pic so far, tell me what you think of it

I was born, raised and still reside in Minnesota. I spend the majority of time exploring my home state, for it's beauty never withers. I have been shooting for a little over four years and I am completely self-taught. I am however, attending school for a degree in photography in hope of working for a commercial studio while pursuing my dream of becoming a full-time wildlife and nature photographer.

As an avid outdoorsmen, I find it rewarding to have the ability to combine my love for the natural world with my love for photography. I spend roughly a month to a month and a half a year living out of my tent; exploring my surroundings and trying to capture essence of nature with my cameras.

At the age of 22, I feel privileged to have witnessed as many of the World's natural wonders that have arisen throughout my journey in life. My goal as a photographer is to share the World's natural beauty and to raise awareness of our ever-changing world through my imagery.

What better way to share a love of nature than through photography! A warm welcome to the Midwest forum, Ben. I've been admiring the images you posted in the Flora gallery and am looking forward to your participation in this forum.

Hi! I've lived in northern Minnesota almost all of my life, with the last 32 years residing on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. My interest in photography started when I was 6, and won a box camera at a ring toss at a local fair. Briefly looked at photojournalism before settling on teaching. Spent some time in the 80's moonlighting as a wedding photographer but eventually got out of it when my kids were the focus of my attention. I have spent much of the last 30 years guiding in the BWCA and Quetico. Took a 500 mile paddle down the Albany River to Hudson Bay in 2006. Among these travels, interest in photography was rekindled and seriously got back into it about 5 years ago. Have my own little photography business that has allowed me to purchase some pretty nice gear and hope that when I retire in a year from now from my day job that I can chase around with the camera around my neck even more.

Looking forward to meeting you all!

Welcome, Ken...it's always nice to "see" a new face in the forum, and I'd say this forum is growing by leaps and bounds! Looking forward to your posts and images.

Thanks, Toni. Hope to get some more stuff up soon. I'm convelescing from some neck surgery and have some time, but the doctor says no more than 10 minutes on the computer at a time. Bummer. Hoped to get some stuff done.

In the mean time, I've been reviewing some of the work on this forum and it's fantastic!

Hi, I'm Chris, and although I'm not a midwesterner, my wife is from Michigan, and I spent a year living there, and explored much of the Great Lakes and deep forests of Michigan and Ohio. I have made my home here in Denver, and have a small photo gallery here too. I look forward to getting to know some of you and sharing some images!

Thanks for posting an introduction here, Christopher!

Hello,

My name is Stacy Niedzwiecki from Rockford, Michigan.

I'm exploring the site a bit - I've visited from time-to-time and decided to come in this time and say hello.

I'm a member of NANPA and have been photographing the West Michigan area for the past 5 years, with a few trips to Ohio and other areas.

I just concluded a four-month project photographing the Muskegon County area for the Muskegon / White Lake CVB. My current projects include an exhibit for the Grand Rapids Public Library, and participation in ArtPrize in Grand Rapids - the world's largest art prize event in September.

Website: http://www.stacyn.com
News Blog: http://www.stacyn.com/wordpress
ArtPrize site: http://www.stacyn.com/artprize
Images on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/stacyn

Kindest regards,
Stacy

Welcome to the Midwest forum, Stacy! Looking forward to your participation here.

Hello all,

My name is Joel DeYoung from Holland, Michigan.
I have been a frequent visitor to NPN and finally decided to join about a month ago. I picked up photography about 2 1/2 years ago and have had an incredible time learning as much as I can. Most of my images tend to be in the Macro and close up world, however, I like to photograph most anything that draws my eye. .
I look forward to participating and hope that I can make images that measure up to the great work I see on this site.

web site: www.joeldeyoungphotography.com
flickr site: www.flickr.com screen name squirrel_bark (Named after my dogs favorite pastime)


Cheers

Joel DeYoung

Hi Joel and welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum....it's especially nice to see someone else from SW Michigan in this forum!

Very impressive images at both of your links. I'm looking forward to your participation in this forum.

Greetings,
http://www.myrabo.com/4images/data/media/40/P9140020-720.jpg
My name is Arne Myrabo from central Minnesota - not too far from Lake Woebogone . I've lived here for the last 30+ years, but grew up in South Dakota. My first "real" camera was an Oly OM-1 (1975), which went up (and down) most of California's 14,000' mountains.
I am fond of sunrises & sunsets, scenics, wildlife and macro. Fortunately, many of those in my backyard!

Arne Myrabo
Photo gallery - http://myrabo.com/4images/

Arne...thanks for posting an introduction here in this thread!

It's always a pleasure to welcome newcomers to the MWNP forum, so ...welcome aboard and looking forward to more of your participation!

Hello,
My name is John Tobias of Bloomington, IL. I have only been in NPN for about a month but have been involved in photography for nearly 50 years. I have spent the last 32+ years in the zoo field, the last 17 as the director of the Miller Park Zoo here in Bloomington. I retired from that position in April. My interest is nature and of course grandchildren. Don't worry I won't post in kid photos unless of course it fits the topic! I have only in the last 3-4 years taken up digital instead of film, but still find computer photo processing mysterious! At one time my interest was to become a zoo photographer, a very rare bird. So, I ended up as a zoo director who takes pictures. I take a lot of photos for a close by nature center as a volunteer as a means to help support them. I also still take photos for the zoo. I have learned alot about computer processing since joining NPN and hope to learn more as time go'es by.

sincerely,

John Tobias

Welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum, John! Looking forward to your participation here. If you have any questions...fire away.

Been lurking here for a long time. I live in Florida, but we have a cabin in Mesick, about 35 miles south of Traverse City, along the beautiful Slagle Creek and surrounded by Manistee National Forest. I've been seriously interested in photographing Michigan for a few years now. Every time I head north I peruse your work and it gives me ideas and inspiration. Mostly landscapes, but I like macro too so initmate landscapes are always fun. Shoot Nikon, have an older D200, but might upgrade soon. I'm a biologist, work for the finest biological field station in the world (IMHO) and love being outdoors, whether photographing, fishing, birding, or working. Glad to meet every one of you.

Reed...btw the pic is from New Zealand... a nearly impossible decision of whether to fish, bird, or photograph ...but what a decision!

Welcome to the Midwest forum, Reed! Looking forward to your participation here!

Hi, I'm Yoli Jolliff from Central Illinois. Interested in photography since I was a teenager....that was a long, long time ago. Will be 63 in a few days. I've taken several workshops here in Illinois and in St. Louis. Right now I'm playing around with infra-red. I found out that my point and shoot camera will take infra-red. What fun but having a problem with a hotspot. Also playing with a fisheye lens. I bought a lomograph fisheye camera....35mm. what fun. Nothing to publish at this time. Enjoy going to Grafton, Illinois to photograph the eagles during the winter. I enjoy bicycle riding and kayaking.

Hi Yoli! Welcome to the Midwest forum and thank you for introducing yourself. We have a good group here, so if you have any questions, ask away...we'll all be glad to help you out!

Greetings everyone¡K. My name is Joe Paratore I was born and raised
in S.W Michigan but also had the blessing of living in Colorado for 17 years.
I spent much of those 17years perfecting or trying anyway the art of fly fishing.
Spent countless hours of enjoyment high up in the back country on the streams, rivers, and lakes in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Returned to Michigan in 1989 after the economy simple tanked in Colorado.
I new Michigan had some Blue ribbon trout steams so I could continue my love of Fly-fishing. I found a man who would make exact replica wall mounts of trophy fish without killing it from a snap shot. All that was needed was a Camera. Bought my first camera a Nikon 6006 in 1991. Wanting to learn how to use the camera I went to a lecture and slide show on nature at one of the local metro parks. I was blown away how this man could capture the beauty and essence of nature. I was hooked!!!!

Joined a camera club shortly after and devoured every book I could on photography.
Upgraded to the Nikon 8008¡¦s and purchase a 500mm F/4 manual telephoto
lens (how did we ever learn to shoot with themļ) along with assortment of other lens. Five Years later switched over to Canon. Got the EOS 3,
600mm F/4.Finally turned to digital just a couple of years ago, a little late in doing so, didn¡¦t want to give up film, so glad I did. Now use the Canon 50D and Markll and to many lens to count

I love photographing all aspects of nature. My main focus now is on bird photography especially warblers in the spring. I was fortunate to have spent 7 years documenting and photographing the behavior of loons. What a treat to be able to be in the presence of such a beautiful creature.
I believe it to be a privilege and a joy to try and capture the essence of God¡¦s Creation.
I am awed by his handy work.
Bye the way never have picked up a fly rod since!!!

Looking forward to being part of the NPN community, and meeting all of you on the MWNP forum. I anticipate learning and sharing our passion of photography. I will also be peeking in on the RMNP forum my heart still resides in Colorado.

Visit my website, still in development at www.creationssplendor.com. If you have any ideas on how to improve it I would like hearing from you.
If not, stop in and say Hi anyway.

Welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum, Joe and thank you for the intro..it's nice to"meet" you!
Had a quick peek at your web site..wonderful images!

Howdy

I'm a landscape photographer specializing in the ever diverse southern Illinois region. I've been into photography for 7 or 8 years. My passion is seeking out areas that are not well known and have never (or at least rarely) been photographed before - of which there seem to be quite a few down here! Also, that "dynamic landscape" that Galen Rowell was so keen on; those magical sunsets that come after a thunderstorm, morning mists, or the way the forest comes alive with waterfalls after a big spring rain.

2009 was a very busy year for me with graduation, finding a "real" job, and many other time consuming commitments. With much more time to spend in nature, I'm hoping that 2010 will be a big year for me photography-wise.

I've signed up for a member trial but haven't received my member number yet, so if you'd like to visit my gallery it's here:

http://tkr2099.smugmug.com

Hi Taylor and welcome to NPN!
Thanks for introducing yourself. Looking forward to your participation in the Midwest forum!

Hello everyone.

I reside in central Illinois and have had a passion for the outdoors and nature since I was a young boy hunting and fishing with my father and grandfather. I've always had an interest in photography, but I decided to start seriously pursuing that interest last fall. Anyone who has traveled through central IL knows the only sprawling vistas we have are mainly cornfields! Therefore, I tend to find myself shooting more intimate and macro photos, but I also enjoy seeking out new areas of woodland and prairie to shoot.

I must admit, I've been lurking around here since last fall, and I've been continuously impressed by the amount of knowledge the members of this community posses, and even more so by their willingness to share that knowledge and help other members. I decided to join this community to tap into this knowledge base, and push myself to become a better photographer.

I do software development as my occupation, and share my life with a wife who supports my hobbies and a wonderful 16 month old son who I hope to someday pass on the respect and adoration of nature that was instilled in me.

I look forward to participating in this community!!

Best Regards,
Derek Yow

Welcome Derek. Hope to see some images soon. If you get up this way let me know.

Welcome to NPN and the Midwest forum, Derek!
Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

I am actually an "old" member who has been on the forums continously as a paying member and just a member at large. With the new setup, I finally decided to re-up my membership and did so under a different member name to coordinate with the name of my Website, Blog and other "presences" on the web as a photographer (formerly est8planner, newly,"LightCentric"). I am from Saginaw, Michigan and look forward to continuing participation here.

Thanks for chiming in, Andy! It's good to see you back here and participating in the MWNP forum again!

Hi everyone,
My name is Jim Lou. Currently, I am living in Glendale Hts IL. which is located in west suburb Chicago. Although, my profession(DSP software engineer) is very close related to digital photography, I started photography in 2008 when I purchased my first real camera(Nikon D80). Since then, photography has been become my passion. I enjoy all types of photography, however, I consider myself a natural/available light and photo journalistic shooter. I like to experiment with different shutter speeds, DOFs and POVs.

I recently joined NPN, but have learned tremendously by studying other’s work and receiving critiques. I am looking forward to view all of your images and share my images.

Hey Jim: Welcome. This is a truly great place and our regional forum is one of the most active from what I can see. Lots of great photogs here and much to learn -- and give! Will look forward to seeing your stuff on our new regional IC forum.

Welcome to the MWNP, Jim! I took a peek at your smugmug gallery and very much like what I saw. The closeup of the Seagull with the skyline in the background made me chuckle.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! As Andy said, we are looking forward to seeing you post your images in our new IC gallery!

Hey I'm Nate. I live in Duluth MN, less than a mile from the shore of Lake Superior. I think I've been shooting since around '03 but I'm not really sure. I love being outside hiking, camping, etc so after a little soul searching it was obvious that landscape photography was my choice. It doesn't hurt that I'm surrounded by such awesome scenery all year round, although, winter is by far my favorite time of the year to shoot. What's better than 8AM sunrises and terrain that changes almost daily?

I literally have nothing in my gallery yet, but most of my current work is either on my site or Facebook page.

Welcome Nate. Yes it looks like you like Winter, some great shots. like the stump shot.

HI Nate,

Welcome to the Midwest forum...it's always nice to see a new face join the group! Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful images and participation in the discussion forum. If you have any questions, fire away..and hopefully you will also post images in our MWNP gallery. The link to that is located just above the Search box on the right side.

Hello everyone, I figured I should formally make some sort of introduction. I've been an NPN member since the year NPN began and a Member of the Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers Group since it was originally known as the Colorado Nature Photographers Group. Anyway I am moving to Louisville Louah Vull as everyone I know says it. Anyway, I have been studying up on the areas closer to where I will be and look forward to meeting all of you out in the field. If you're ever headed to Colorado they group I leave behind are all great and welcoming and I can also give some pointers where to go and when.

For now if youre in the Louisville area and watch the News, you may be watching some of my work as I am a working Photojournalist at WHAS 11 ABC For now, I'll just invite you to my website www.naturephotographynaturally.com

Thanks for sharing information about yourself, James....beautiful images on your web site! By the way, I too, was with NPN at the beginning, left for a few years, and came back.

Hi folks, I'm brand new here just joined last week. As I'm always on the other side of the lens no picture of me to post. I started taking pictures in my pre-teens, in high school used a 4X5 sheet film to do some shots for the highschool year book. Was totally out of photography unil I purchased my first SLR in a PX in Viet Nam, it didn't survive the war. Again was out of photography until about 10 years age. Now will shoot a most anything. I do landscapes more than other types.

I grew up in extreme Southern Illinois I tell my co-workes I'm a hillbilly living in Palatine, IL subrub of Chicago.

Nice to "meet" you, James! Sorry I took so long to reply, but I'm kind of in limbo right now and have only limited acess to internet. If you have any questions, fire away!!

Hi,

I am an entomologist, scientific illustrator, and nature photographer from Fenton, Michigan. I recently rejoined NPN as I have learned quite a bit of useful information from other members and I enjoy looking at the photos that are displayed in the different forums. I photograph mainly insects, plants, and any bird that flies within range of my 300mm f4. Nice to meet all of you.

As Always,

Jim Zablotny
Fenton, Michigan

Hi Jim,
Nice to meet you and welcome back to NPN! Looking forward to your participation in the Midwest forum!