Author Topic: Hello to all  (Read 6539 times)

Bruce

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Hello to all
« on: August 03, 2011, 03:20:09 PM »
My name is Bruce. 

First of all, Hello, Keith.  Haven't seen you since you ran away a few years ago to focus on your photography.  Glad to see it's working for you.  I finally stopped work too and am spending more time working around the house and doing photography.

Someone at work told me about the forum and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join.  I am relatively new at this - got a Canon T2i for Christmas and have been working to develop some reasonable skills ever since.  We have taken several trips, including a cruise that went through the Panama canal.  Would you believe that in one 12 hour day, i took over 800 photos.  My wife said it looked like the camera was permanently attached to my head.  Maybe she was right.  My avatar was taken by a Disney photographer on shore that day.  (I have a picture of him in the same pose as me.)  Here is one of my very favorite shots from that trip.



I am spending a lot of time trying to learn the basics of photography, studying, and practicing a lot.  I have a long way to go, and intend to keep working at it. 


keithsnell

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2011, 08:46:30 PM »
Bruce!  Welcome!

When I saw that Bruce Long from Colorado Springs had signed up on the website I wondered if it was you, but I was so busy at the time that I didn't follow up.  I'd love to have you become an active member on the site.  The weekly assignments are a great way to learn.  Much of my personal satisfaction comes from seeing how much the "regulars" that participate in the assignments have improved over time.  I know there are a lot of "lurkers" out there that are hesitant to submit their images in the assignments, and I wish I could convince them to jump in and start learning.

Yes, I can believe the 800 pictures in one day. :)  That's the best way to improve.  There's a lot to be said for the "10,000 hours" maxim.  Lot's of studies have proven that it's not innate ability that results in virtuosity, but in reality it's the 10,000 hours of dedicated practice.  (I still don't get enough practice!)

That's a great picture of the canal.  I love how the boat dwarfs the canal.  I haven't been through the Panama Canal, but from the few other canals I've been through your image does a great job of conveying the sense of "just barely squeezing through."

If you have any questions, fire away and I (or somebody else on the forum) will do my best to answer.

Good to hear from you!

Keith

RebeccaSnell

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2011, 08:56:39 PM »
Hi Bruce,

Welcome!  I'm Keith's wife.  I didn't get the pleasure of meeting you in Colorado Springs, but hopefully we'll meet on a future workshop or photo shoot somewhere.  Good to see you jumped right in.  Great photo essay you did.  I too still need to prepare mine.  I'm better at taking pictures than actually getting them off the camera to their intended purpose!  Look forward to getting to know you better through your photography in the coming years!

Rebecca Snell

Bruce

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2011, 09:04:55 PM »
Hi, Kieth and Rebecca. 

The panama canal was an awesome experience - I have a lot of the better shots on my account at Photobucket.  It truly was an incredible day.  I marveled at the technology of the locks and the lock gates, and ended up with a lot of shots of them, as well as the canal in general.  BTW - the ship did dwarf the locks.  The locks are 1000 ft by 110 ft.  The ship is 964 ft by 106 ft - the maximum allowed through the canal.  That's 2 feet of water between the ship and the two sides - if the ship stayed centered.  Not a lot of room, to say the least.

I was trying to capture the water flows coming into the lock in front because they move 26 million gallons of water into a lock in just 8 minutes - I did get a couple of shots of the turbulence in the lock as the water flowed into it from the bottom.  What I also got was where the ship's forward mast divided the sunlit side of the lock from the shady side. 

The whole trip was great, with tons of photo opportunities in the other stops (Costa Rica, and Mexico).

I hope to be active in the forum and be able to use it help me develop my capabilities.       

keithsnell

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2011, 09:15:08 PM »
Definitely sounds like a fascinating trip.  We went on a 16 day photo trip to Costa Rica several years back and it was awesome!  Where did you go in Mexico?

Bruce

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2011, 11:03:16 AM »
First stop after the Panama Canal was Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where I got this shot on a rain forest tour
Q


Then we stopped at Puerta Vallerta, Manzanilla, and Cabo San Lucas, where I got this shot of a jumping Manta Ray


keithsnell

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2011, 12:38:39 PM »
Wow, how cool is that!  I didn't even know Manta Rays jumped!

burzilai

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Re: Hello to all
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2011, 08:37:07 PM »
welcome Bruce, I like the part "looked like the camera was permanently attached to my head" , I can truly relate hehe ;D, great pictures, welcome again.
Shee :)