This all hits home to me at the moment. Not long ago I realized I had taken a remark make by a poster and couldn't get past it. I left this forum for a while because it was spiraling upwards. We were just about to start name calling and I have always thought a forum should be about the craft not the personalities.
Most of you know how I feel about things, so we are going to have to agree to disagree. But sometimes if you see things going to hell, it is better to just say do I really care what this person or that person thinks. Do I really need the last word, or is it time to back off and take a look at why I'm really here.
Without going into the specifics I think about half the people here don't really want to learn but want to hear themselves talk. I am most likely part of that, but then again maybe I'm not. But I do know this much I have absolutely no plans to do anything more than share images I have shot. I will answer any question about those images though most of them speak for themselves. As for the rest of it "Let'em eat cake."
I hope this makes me civil if not a good contributor. Just to reiterate being a pro means you were able to make at least some money from the craft. That in and of itself doesn't make you any better than anyone else with a camera. Lest some new person jump me for that statement, I made living with my cameras for 30 years back in the film day, so I can say that.