Number One

[rod1]

Well, Ive looked through the site so far, almost read the 'Newsletter' (right hand side of pdf is cutting off text!), and worked out how to post something. About myself. My name is Rod. I am a 60 year old male, living in Katoomba, Australia. Will post photo soon of the beautiful area where I live. Phone has just rung and I am needed somewhere else so will return here later. Rod

[keithsnell]

Rod,

Welcome to our cozy little community.

I modified the newsletter display so that you should be able to see the full text.  (You may notice that the left navigation pane for the website isn't there any longer once you open the newsletter.  No big deal, just use the top menu buttons to navigate back "home" when you are done reading.)  Thanks for pointing this issue out to me.

And thank you also for being the first brave soul to introduce yourself.  Hopefully some of the other new members will follow your example.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of your photos in the gallery and the forums.  (Please let me know if you have any problems posting an image and I'll try to help you through the process.)

Keith

[rod1]

Second try! I was called in to work just after I commenced writing yesterday. Anyway, I have two sons, one almost 40 and the other 12 years of age and just commenced high school.The younger one 'keeps me busy'! Have been living in the beautiful Blue Mountains, about 60 miles (100kms), west of Sydney for almost 50 years and cannot see myself leaving now. Camera wise, have been using the Nikon D300 since recieving it mid November last year. The attached photos taken last weekend with new 17-35 f2.8, at local memorial gardens. In due course, I will commence an album and post photos of the area where I live. Best Wishes. Rod

[keithsnell]

Rod,

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Australia through your images.

Keith

[RebeccaSnell]

Rod,
I was very fortunate to visit your beautiful land in 2001 with my parents.  Trip of a lifetime.  I have wonderful friends in Sydney who took the time to show us the Blue Mountains.  I would never have known that gem is there had it not been for our friends.  Wow, what a spectacular area to live.  I too am looking forward to seeing more pictures from your garden spot of the world!
Rebecca Snell

[alec]

Hi Rod,

I also had a chance to visit Australia.  My wife and I were there last summer (your winter) for almost a month.  We really enjoyed our time there and interacting with the "gray nomads" at the campsites.  The pace of life (not only of the "nomads" but also in the cities) seemed much more humane than what we experience here, especially in the eastern U.S.A.  We also loved the birds.  My wife is an environmental scientist.  She borrowed an Australian bird book from a colleague and had a terrific time. 

Our trip focused on Kakadu and far north Queensland.  We traveled by caravan in both locations.  I am still in the process of posting photos from our trip  (my day job interfers with my photographic avocation) a few from Atherton and Queenland left to post. You can see what I have posted so far at  http://www.alechimwichphoto.com/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=26.

I have the 17-35 f2.8 lens too.  I loved it on my film camera.  I hate that it was not a wide angle lens on my D2X.  OTOH, I love the "reach" of the 70-200 VR f2.8 on that camera.

I also look forward to seeing some of photos from your area of Australia which we pretty much blew through.

Cheers,
Alec

[rod1]

Hello Alec, I wonder if I will be called a 'Grey Nomad'?   How life has changed. I really enjoyed your images from the Northern Territory, Queensland and Canberra. Looks like you had a great trip. Must have been hard to decide what to see in only a month. Even spending that year in the States a little earlier in my life, I only saw a tiny fraction of your fabulous country. I always hoped to get back again, but something tells me it may never happen, and, if it does, it will never be on a bicycle again. Still, I have no regrets about my life. Its been full and, fun.I would LOVE to have a 70-200 VR f2.8, but have just ordered a 50mm 1.4 for my upcoming trip through western N.S.W. Len's Lust is a difficult disease to overcome, even with the latest Nikkor 'anti-biotic'!!!My thoughts are, that it's viral in nature and something around the 70-300mm f2.8 may well combat the difficult symptoms of this dreaded disease! I have heard that even after treatment of a new lens, this dreaded disease can recur without warning. Owning a lovely D300 is a difficult load to bear!!!!!Best Wishes, Rod.

[alec]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for your comments.  I am a couple years older than you; we both fall in the "grey nomad" demographic.  Alas. 

Our Austalian vacation was just wonderful and becomes even better in retrospect.  (I suffered from chronic hamstring problems which made driving our caravan on the wrong side of road (and especially narrow, winding roads in far north Queensland) unpleasant much of the time.).  The last three summer vacations have been to Canada, Scotland and Australia.  We are rapidly running out of English speaking countries.  My wife really wants to visit New Zealand but the exchange rate will have to get better before we do that.

Lens lust is a disease to which those of us with a Y chromosome are especially susceptible although I recently attended a Nikon School session and saw plenty of women pawing the gear at the demo tables.

You are going to love that 50 mm f1.4 on your D300.  That combination will be dynamite whether you are spelunking or out on the desert at midday.

Cheers,
Alec