A friend once described Flickr as the internet's original social media. I appreciate it as a pleasant and constructive respite. It's popularity is not based on dividing us but on a shared fascination with the natural world, people and photography. I lack the patience and attention to detail to ever become a good photographer, but I do learn a lot from looking at the works of the photographers here. I also learn what places in this world or even my community that I want to visit.

I am a retired journalist, dividing time between upstate New York and Tucson, Arizona. Lifetime student of China. I was introduced to photography in high school when my father bought me a Yashica D twin lens reflex.. He was worried about the direction my life was going at the time and wanted to steer me into a wholesome activity. It led me into a career in journalism, but not photo journalism. We had a bat in the basement where we had our darkroom, so I became a reporter. Now, late in life I use the camera to motivate me to get out and enjoy the day. Thanks Dad!

I have been so taken by the difference in landscapes between the very green, too often cloudy, and forested Northeast and the brown expansive blue sky Southwest.

This may seem pretentious because I realize I am not much of a photographer, and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to, but :

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