Hello from California!

[EasternSierra]

Hi, everyone. Newbie here, from CA. A little about myself...

Like lots of people, I got lucky enough to have a B&W photography course available in highschool back in 1988-89. I gained lots of darkroom experience and really enjoyed it tremendously.

Unfortunately, I was unable to continue shooting much after high school. But about 10 years ago, I found an old Olympus OM-10 available for a cheap price. Well...that's what I shot in high school, so I picked it up cheap, bought a bunch of film, and started shooting.

I missed developing my own B&W negatives and prints, and found myself shooting WAY too much film to be "fiscally responsible", so I bought a digital point and shoot. I loved it. Loved the ability to shoot a bazillion pics, and just delete what I didn't like. It was really cool.

But I missed "playing" with an SLR. I missed creating a photograph, instead of just snapping a picture.

So I took the plunge and bought myself an Olympus E-520, and a couple lenses. I'm really excited to get back into photography, and even though I just ordered my camera, and haven't even gotten it yet...I've been buying every magazine I can get my hands on, trying to "bone up" on what I learned some 20 years in high school.

So...being a bit of an internet junky...the next logical step is to join a forum, learn some "stuff", and share in this new world I expect to opening up to me.

I can't wait to talk shop and learn as much as I can from you folks!

But more than that...I can't wait to get my new camera and go out and take some pictures!!

[TPF Sponsor]

[Antarctican]

Hello, and welcome to TPF!

(Scary avatar...friend of yours?)

[EasternSierra]

Hello, and welcome to TPF!

(Scary avatar...friend of yours?)

That's a photo my girlfriend took of a Panamint Rattlesnake I found last fall. It had been hit by a car, and I had to get it out of the road so some other snake or hawk or something didn't get killed trying to eat it out of the road. So I paused to show my 4 year old daughter the fang, and my girlfriend got the picture. It was still alive at the moment, but very much on it's deathbed.

One of my passions in life is snakes, especially wild rattlesnakes. They fascinate me...

[Big Mike]

Welcome aboard.

[LarryD]

Welcome to the Forum....

Great opportunities for photos in your neck of the woods.......

[Mitica100]

Glad to have you with us! Welcome.

[Bigpopa]

Hey welcome Eastern im originally from So-cal and spent alot of time up at Mammoth Mtn and down in Bishop at shatz bakery god I miss that place have a good time and lets see some pix....

[Shellbelle4]

Hey Eastern - from the San Joaquin Valley - have friends in Bishop and vacation there yearly. We are either camping or staying at Cardinal Village. We were in your neck of the woods in early Oct. Were the colors crazy, or what? And the 700 photographers...