I'm a writing teacher by profession, but Iafter a near fatal illness in 2010, I decided to take up photography, mostly as a way to make sure I was getting out of the house. It started innocently enough with travel pictures, and birds in my backyard using a Lumix FZ35. As my health improved, however, and my efforts to push past the inherent limitations of the Lumix camera, I eventually inherited a Nikon D80 and the moved up to a D800 working primarily with a Nikkor f/2.8 and the Tamron 600mm lens for birds. That said, I'm still completely self-taught and I welcome suggestions to all flickr users on settings, composition, and perspectives, particularly if you photograph in the Philadelphia area and have suggestions for new locations or local photo trips.