Hi Everyone! Welcome to my Photostream.

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Before you move on to my full profile, please note: do not follow me if you are a racist, bigot, xenophobe hater of any kind. I don't want to interact with any white supremacist-nationalists -- the world's original terrorists. I believe in sister and brotherhood with all people. Just move on, as you will not find any welcome here. Also, if you are one of the "flat-earth" society members who doesn't "believe" in science, who thinks knives kill as many people as rapidly as machine guns, who thinks crude, vulgar, mendacious, corrupt, narcissistic grifters make good leaders, then we have nothing in common and should not be friends here. I am sorry, but I believe in the examples of Lincoln and Roosevelt and want to support a future that lifts all people, not enriches the few at the expense of everyone else and the planet itself.

I also want to say a couple of words about being on social media.

I was raised to think of myself as a human being first and everything else, after that. I have purposely limited selfies and other self-promoting material for a lot of reasons. Paramount among them is: I don't need attention. I have had plenty of it in my life and here, I am far more interested in more important things: art, science, humanity, life, the universe, talents, skills and knowledge. I think a certain amount of this, what I consider to be, undue emphasis on physicality and materiality is a holdover from another era that I am happy to have behind us. I may have grown up in a patrilineal/patriarchal society but the future will be neither of these, so lets not go backward. If you are looking for that, this is not the Photostream to visit.

And, If you are a hunter, please do not follow me or comment on my photographs. What kind of person shoots animals for pleasure? Not my kind. Hunting is a coward's hobby.

Peace.

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Married psychologist, gardener, writer, animal lover, knitter, vegan, environmental champion - New York City native and its biggest fan! Living in California and teaching myself to love it.

I am an evolving hobbyist photographer constantly learning and sincerely seeking beauty, truth and goodness, the Platonic ideals. I am also an artist who works with acrylics and markers on wood and textiles. My knitting is of my own design and incorporates rich colors, textures and patterns. So, as I develop my workflow using the basics and then plug-ins and filters to enhance it, I consider myself a creative artist using photography as another expressive medium.

Since I am an observer of human life, I think of my photographs as part of a thematic set, to be viewed with each other and not just singly, as I roll out each series.

With respect to my ongoing photography education, I now have three Nikons (two full frame) and one Canon, all with different lenses. I also have a Pentax film camera that I got in the 1990s but never use any more. I believe the expertise is in the photographer, not the camera, hence I typically omit specifics as to which camera and lens I use. I want the photographs to be judged on their own, not as a result of the technology.

I only shoot in RAW. I do use Lightroom, Photoshop and Topaz and believe just those three tools and a rather complex workflow will take me a lifetime to understand, much less master.

I warmly welcome contacts as friends and community members. I restrict the people I follow to a small group whom I consider friends and quasi-family here. That is so I can truly appreciate each person's work and comment thoughtfully, not as a mere gesture.

From time to time, I will stop following someone. That is almost always because they are no longer commenting on my photographs and I assume they would prefer not to have to, but would feel compelled to do so if I keep commenting on theirs. I try to take that pressure off people as everyone is busy. I typically wait one week, and if there are no comments but I see you are active elsewhere on Flickr, I will Unfollow you with best wishes.

So if I don't follow you, I may still be viewing and appreciating and commenting on your pictures. I also may be trying to give you the space not to follow me or comment when you don't want to or have the time.

I will not follow anyone who I think may be cruel in any way, to any organism or anyone who thinks the suffering of others is amusing. And, I may block that person. I stand for kindness and consider anything else, backward, unintelligent and needless in the 21st century.

Further to this point, animals are sentient beings with thoughts and feelings. Killing or maiming them for pleasure is depraved and reveals a character that is antithetical to advanced human development. This is not sentimental emotionality. It is science and obvious in current socially evolved cultures. It is also moral decency.

Last point: I have lived a few degrees south of the equator and never needed a gun. I also grew up and went to school in both NYC and Upstate/rural NY. Never needed a gun. I lived and worked in ghettos, never needed a gun. There are many ways to protect oneself without using a gun.

I champion compassion and love in the world to everyone and everything and I am here for the camaraderie and the exchange of ideas and discoveries. And to have fun.

Thank you to each and every valued contact! I appreciate you.