First, some quotes. Just because.

 

"The harder [a person's] life is, the more he needs art, because he is in search of strong emotions that parallel those in his life." - Ulyana Lopatkina, principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet Company (formerly the Kirov Ballet)

 

"If you happen to be one of the fretful who can do creative work, never force an idea; you’ll abort it if you do. Be patient and you’ll give birth to it when the time is ripe. Learn to wait. " - 'Lazarus Long' (as written by Robert A. Heinlein)

 

"Genius doesn't work on an assembly line basis. You can't simply say, 'Today I will be brilliant.'" - 'Capt. James T. Kirk' in 'The Ultimate Computer' (as performed by William Shatner, written by D.C. Fontana), from the original Star Trek television series.

 

"I get claustrophobia in the world." - Charlie Brown (as written by Charles M. Schulz)

 

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I've actually been here on Flickr since February 2005. This is my second account, started November 2009.

 

My photographic interests continue to evolve. Who knows where they might lead in the future? I disagree with the dogma that aesthetics are entirely a matter of style or convention. There are elements of beauty and aesthetics which are NOT socially constructed.

 

Current Equipment (along with inevitable commentary):

 

* Nikon D7000 [recommended, but it took a long time to "get settled" with this camera]

* Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [surpassed my expectations by quite a bit--highly recommended, I'd guess this is the best DX-format non-fixed-aperture zoom lens that Nikon makes]

* Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G AF-S [a bit overrated, but still very good]

* Nikkor 300mm f/4D AF-S [highest recommendation, an absolutely fabulous lens, the quality blows me away at times]

* Nikkor 1.4x AF-S teleconverter [highly recommended, a great match for the 300mm f/4]

* Induro AT313 tripod [acceptable and adequately constructed, moderately recommended if you're willing to put up with some compromises over a top-of-the-line model and save yourself about 2/3 of the cost]

* Kirk replacement lens collar for the 300mm f/4 [holds the lens steadier than the Nikon collar--it's also compatible with Arca-Swiss quick release clamps, which is very handy since the Induro ball head has this sort of clamp, as will the RRS head that I plan on getting]

* Nikon corded remote control [needed if you ever want to use "bulb" mode on a D7000 without holding your finger on the button]

* Manfrotto monopod w/ cheapo Manfrotto monopod head [the monopod is alright, the head is better than nothing--this is mostly useful for long telephoto shots from my car]

* I am currently without a head for the tripod. The Induro head (listed below) was a mistake.

 

Semi-retired equipment (I may still use this stuff in a pinch):

 

* Nikon D40 [an underrated camera--has its weaknesses but on the whole has been an excellent performer]

* Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S [D40 kit lens--super-cheap, extra flimsy construction, but quite good optically on a 6 megapixel camera]

* Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR [original version, not recommended for use with a D7000--acceptable for a 6-megapixel camera, though, if you're not picky]

  

REALLY retired equipment:

 

* Two Konica Autoreflex TC 35mm film SLRs and several different lenses, including a 24mm, 40mm, 50mm, 80-200mm macro-focusing zoom, and a 2x teleconverter which I sometimes used with the zoom.

* A Konica 35mm film rangefinder with a very nice little fixed 35mm lens.

* Induro BHD3 ball head [didn't even last me a year before it started having problems--as of now, it is totally unusable, having lost the ability to firmly lock the ball in place--absolutely NOT recommended]

 

On the older shots, I find I am no longer able to remember for sure which shots were taken with one of the SLRs and which were taken with the rangefinder. All I can say for sure is that the entire Australia series of shots were taken with the second SLR, because the other two cameras had both developed leaks by that time. After the Australia trip, I only shot one more roll of film, a roll of black-and-white prints which I never got around to scanning and posting.

 

I was born in 1968. Do the math.

 

[updated November 2, 2012]