I am a hobbyist photographer trying using a Sony a7rIIIa, a phenomenal full frame mirrorless camera with exceptional professional capabilities, and occasionally my old aps-C Sony a6000. I also use a Celestron 6" Newtonian Reflector telescope, as well as with an antique Bausch and Lomb compound microscope. Some photos were through a 4" SCT telescope I no longer own. When it is all I have, I will take photos with my Motorola Razor 2023, which is surprisingly OK for a smart phone camera. Some of my favorite photos here were from smart phones.

I use a variety of lenses. I have several antique lenses which I adore for their character. But my favorite lens is a modern one, my Tamron 70-300mm. That thing is amazing. My favorite antique is a VIvitar 75-205 Macro Zoom. That oddity has a LOT of range from very close macro out to 205. But I have a lot of great lenses, both modern and antique.

Some other notable lenses I love are my Yongnuo 85mm f1.8, Nikon 50mm f1.4, and Komz Jupiter-11 135mm F4.

I take a lot of photographs at my job work vua an iPhone 8. I am a highway safety patroller and document car crashes for a living.

I also use a Mavic Mini for aerial photos. There is a gorgeous autumn shot directly from above a bright red tree with white branches.

I am transitioning to a higher quality phase of my photography. I wouldn't mind being professional some day, and I work hard on my technique almost daily. I learned the basics of digital photography on the Sony a6000 and am now going into more advanced editing and using higher-grade lenses with my Sony a7rIIIa. The hard work is paying off. Having the right tools was 80% of the fight. A Sony a7rm3 and the Tamron 70-300 is a solid combination. But that last 20% involves a lot of instinct and knowing the theory.

I started photography on a Canon AE1 Program 35mm camera in 1994, a supreme example of classic Canon tech. I still use Canon FD lenses on my Sony via adapters as the old Canon glass was supreme.

I do a lot of testing and post processing these days. Some of my shots posted here are just proof-of-concept or otherwise demonstrations of lens quality. I primarily use Linux and Rawtherapee, a splendid post processing app that is free. I use Photoshop or Lightroom on my phone and a couple other editors for quick fixes.

I don't believe in spending thousands on equipment but I did bite the bullet and bought a Sony a7rMIIIa, which isn't too expensive, but definitely made me uncomfortable. When it comes to lenses I stay away from the Sony stuff due to overpricing. Third party lenses are very good these days at fraction the cost of a Sony product. My most expensive lens runs $500 or so, though I got it refurbished for $380. A lot of my lenses are antiques costing $20 to $75. My favorite antique lens only cost me $18.

But typically a great antique lens should cost about $100 if you find it in excellent condition. That is still an order of magnitude cheaper than the median price of modern tech, but of course they are autofocus. I have no problem with manual focus and in fact, there are advantages to manual focus in some contexts which is why modern autofocus lenses often have a manual focus switch built-in. I am grateful that I learned my core technique based on manual focus, which makes autofocus just a bonus speedy tool.

I have learned quite a bit from the people I follow on Flickr. Reviewing the artistry of out-of-the-box thinkers, as well as those with exquisite skill in traditional styles all help me form my own style. This, the people I follow here are quite varied in technique, style, and subjects.