Posted by Wendy Thurman on January 14, 2008 at 3:58 AM
I recently found this site and just had to register. The images I have seen here are breathtaking- thanks to all the contributors!
Some years ago I lived and worked in the Caribbean (Cayman Islands) shooting film underwater; I used Nikon F4's in Aquatica housings and shot literally thousands of images with an emphasis on macro work. When I left the Caribbean I shot a lot of medium- and large-format film but life got in the way and somewhere along the line I stopped shooting. I've recently purchased a Canon 5D with some nice glass- a 24-105 f4L IS and a 70-200 f2.8L IS. This is my first foray into digital imaging and I am looking forward to jumping in with both feet.
I am currently working in Afghanistan (the new gear has been shipped to a US address and I will pick it up next week while out on a break). I am in Kabul but can get out and about a bit; the Hindu Kush range is just magnificent and I want to sneak off to Badakhshan into the Pamirs as soon as the snows clear. Snow leopard, anyone? :) Afghanistan is very photogenic- the people, the cities, and the countryside. India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other remote areas are easily reached from here as well.
There is some risk here, I know- I spent two years in Iraq (not at all photogenic, just kind of a dusty tan color- at least the parts I was in) so I am aware of what life in these sorts of places is like.
Anyway, thank you all again for the beautiful images and inspiration. Hopefully I will one day be able to contribute.
Wendy
edit- I still do some diving but it's confined to the sinks and caves of Central Florida. I have yet to take a camera into an underwater cave system; it's a pretty intensive experience without worrying over photography but I'll eventually get there...
Posted by Jim Erhardt on January 14, 2008 at 7:04 AM
Wendy, thanks for posting! It sounds like you have some incredible photo ops and we look forward to seeing some of your work here on NPN. And by all means, be careful out there!
Posted by Bill Chambers on January 14, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Welcome Wendy - hope you'll be posting soon!
Posted by Steve Foss on January 14, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Wendy, what a blessing to be exploring the way you are. Danger is, well, dangerous, but it DOES allow one to get the fullest sense of being alive on the planet.
Welcome. You will find this is a friendly place. And we all look forward to your photography.
Posted by Bret Edge on January 14, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Welcome to NPN, Wendy. I look forward to your participation!
Posted by Lon Overacker on January 14, 2008 at 6:31 PM
Welcome to the NPN community Wendy. We look forward to seeing your work posted here.
I can only imagine what it must be like in these war-torn countries.
Lon
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 14, 2008 at 8:17 PM
Welcome to NPN, Wendy! Be careful out there!
Posted by Wendy Thurman on January 14, 2008 at 8:26 PM
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I am hoping the learning curve on digital work isn't too steep and I can turn out some acceptable images in the not-too-distant future.
Wendy
Posted by Mary Dennis on January 15, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Hi Wendy! My goodness we are so lucky to have photographers from so many different places in the world gathering here at NPN. I look forward to seeing your images from Afghanistan and other places in the region that you get to explore. Don't be shy about posting. I'm guessing anything you can show us from where you are will be interesting, to say the least! Welcome to NPN!
Welcome Wendy, I look forward to viewing images from places I will likely never see. Capturing images and sharing them is the passion every photographer has in common. If it were not for people like us there would not be any visual history to share for generations. It would almost be like it never existed or happened. Keep "burning film" as my husband says.
Mary Blackwell-Nikonian
League City, Texas
Discussion
9 repliesSome years ago I lived and worked in the Caribbean (Cayman Islands) shooting film underwater; I used Nikon F4's in Aquatica housings and shot literally thousands of images with an emphasis on macro work. When I left the Caribbean I shot a lot of medium- and large-format film but life got in the way and somewhere along the line I stopped shooting. I've recently purchased a Canon 5D with some nice glass- a 24-105 f4L IS and a 70-200 f2.8L IS. This is my first foray into digital imaging and I am looking forward to jumping in with both feet.
I am currently working in Afghanistan (the new gear has been shipped to a US address and I will pick it up next week while out on a break). I am in Kabul but can get out and about a bit; the Hindu Kush range is just magnificent and I want to sneak off to Badakhshan into the Pamirs as soon as the snows clear. Snow leopard, anyone? :) Afghanistan is very photogenic- the people, the cities, and the countryside. India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other remote areas are easily reached from here as well.
There is some risk here, I know- I spent two years in Iraq (not at all photogenic, just kind of a dusty tan color- at least the parts I was in) so I am aware of what life in these sorts of places is like.
Anyway, thank you all again for the beautiful images and inspiration. Hopefully I will one day be able to contribute.
Wendy
edit- I still do some diving but it's confined to the sinks and caves of Central Florida. I have yet to take a camera into an underwater cave system; it's a pretty intensive experience without worrying over photography but I'll eventually get there...
Welcome. You will find this is a friendly place. And we all look forward to your photography.
I can only imagine what it must be like in these war-torn countries.
Lon
Wendy
Mary Blackwell-Nikonian
League City, Texas