Photography

My interest in photography started when my father made us watch slide shows; ironically, most of my prints today are from slides!!

My next source of photographic inspiration is from Clifton Matthews (Uncle Cliff); this man was far ahead of his time and showed me stuff I'm still learning today.  Even though Uncle Cliff is not physically with us, his spirit lives on through my photography and I strive to reach his level someday.

My next photographic inspiration is from Milt 'Judge' Hinton.  In addition to being an angel and bassist, Judge was an excellent photographer.  Judge told me "Get yourself a good camera and shoot to document your travels because no one will believe where you've been unless you have proof!"  I still use Judge's advice today and shoot to document my experiences.

My next photographic inspiration is from Jim Krantz.  Jim is a world class photographer in Chicago; we met through a mutual friend (BC) and are good friends today.  The equipment and composition advice Jim passes along is invaluable; my pictures continue to improve exponentially since befriending Jim.

Although black & white is my favorite medium (because it looks like time stopped), color is actually best for certain situations.  Film-wise, I use Ilford for black & white and Fuji for color; my tendency is medium speeds for black & white clarity and low speeds for blow-ups in color.  I love Fuji film ... Velvia or Provia (slides) and NPS or NPH (negatives) for most things where color is best suited; Ilford is my choice for black and white ... 400ASA for general purpose B&W and higher speeds for low light B&W.

I finally got a Nikon D50 digital body and already love the convenience; even so, I will use the film camera on this page periodically (a Nikon F5) and not abandon film (at least not permanently) for important events, people, and/or places.  Other gear includes a Nikon 50mm f/1.4D lens, a Nikon AF-S 70-200 f/2.8G VR ED-IF lens, a Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D AF-S lens, a Nikon flash, and a Nikon SU-4 flash slave.

Most of my pictures are family, friends, places, landscapes, and musicians; there are too many to post here, so check back because the lineup will change often.  I just started the early stages of planning a trip this year to a place I've always wanted to go ... stay tuned to find out and rest assured this site will be over-flowing with pictures!
 

Here are a few fun photographic sites:
 

Photo SIG - this site features pictures from all over the world which gives great ideas for composition, lighting, portraiture, equipment, etc.
Calumet Photo - this is an great place to shop for camera equipment with excellent technical support and customer service.
B&H Photo - a great place to shop for all kinds of electronic equipment, including but no limited to cameras.
Nikon USA - this is the US site for Nikon which provides background on the company as well as the latest products.
Shutterbug - an excellent photography magazine with good reviews and editorials.
Use Film - a place where participants refuse to go digital; these folks may never change!
The Washington School of Photography - a good photography school with a great offering of classes.
Smithsonian Photography - a great, FREE (that's right ... FREE) place for photography; ya gotta check this place out.