Purpose of this site
Ever since I was a teen I have loved photography. It has been the one hobby that I have frequently returned to over the years. However, in my earlier years I did not have the resources to follow my interest in this field to any lengths. The advent of digital photography and the software to work with digital images changed all that. So this site is designed to be a place for me to put visible expression to my hobby.
My Camera Story
I have to “blame” my dad for my love of photography. He was a photography buff from his early teen years. These are some of his photos to give you an idea of his love for photography – and maybe explains some of my love of cameras and photos.
I am not sure what my dad was doing allowing my mom to pose for that last shot – but she survived it and went on to face many more and greater dangers in her life before Jesus called her home in 2000.
So that gives you an idea of what started me on my photographic journey. I began my camera career by buying a Brownie box camera when I was about 15 years old (back when the earth’s crust was still cooling, my kids would say!). Most of my photos were black and white as I could not afford to buy and develop color film. My second camera, (bought 2nd-hand during college), was a Canon 35mm half-frame. That was ideal for a cash-starved college student. However, that camera’s life was short-lived. During a summer trip back to Borneo between college years, as I was traveling in the interior – somewhere up the Behe river, I was walking across a narrow plank from the river’s bank to a floating raft. The plank teetered a bit and the camera leapt out of my pocket and into the water. I managed to retrieve it but it never worked again. Later on, after I was married and was headed back out to Borneo to live, I purchased a brand new Olympus OM1 with a 1.4 – 50 mm lens. That was my first single lens reflex camera and was my pride and joy for many years. The jungle rains and mold worked havoc on the lens and the camera finally gave out after about 10 years. I replaced it with the Olympus OM2 and was delighted with the fact that I could do fairly accurate timed exposures up to two minutes. Taking low-light shots of village events was now a possibility. Alas, I became too busy with ministry and family and life in general to devote much time to my photography. In the end the OM2 went the way of the OM1. Despite my best efforts with dessicants and sealed containers the lens became badly etched with mildew and the electronics became a bit less than trustworthy. So for several years we had a little pocket camera to record children growing up and that sort of thing. My interest in photography waned for a while – and then I entered the digital age. My work at Northwest Baptist Seminary reqired the purchase of a camera and we opted for a 2.1 megapixel HP digital compact camera. My trek into the world of digital imagery began. I knew almost nothing about it but bought some books and proceded to educate myself in the bits and bytes, the rasters and bitmaps of the digital world. Dazzled by the possibilities of digital wizardry I convinced myself that I needed a camera of my own with more digital power. My pocketbook could only manage a modest camera and so I opted for the 5 megapixel Olympus Camedia C5050 Zoom. I spent many hours learning how to get maximum value out of that camera. Some of the cool close-ups you see on this site were taken with that camera. Of course things never remain static. Olympus began to advertise their “E” line of cameras – but they were still too pricey for me. When last summer I took a trip back to Borneo with my two daughters and had to have a camera that was small and inconspicuous, I opted for the tiny Canon PowerShot SD750. With its amazing 3″ live view screen and great options I took some marvelous photos. But my heart was really set on the new Olympus E-510 with its 10 megapixels and built in image stabilizer. So this past spring the “bank was broken” and I again became the owner of an SLR camera – this time a digital one. So….the story continues.
In the process of all this I have had great fun exploring the ins and outs of digital imaging software. Photoshop CS2 has been my current attempt at conquest. I have also launched into the arena of digital publishing. There is always something more to learn and that makes it very enjoyable.
About the photos
All the photos on this site are my own* and are copyrighted. In the photo galleries there are some photos taken by my dad who was also an avid photographer. He is now home with Jesus.
I have put the photos up here in a low resolution format. If there is a photo you would like to use for some purpose you will need my permission. If you would like a higher resolution version I can usually provide that. Please feel free to contact me via the form below.