Last Update: July 2009

 

I'm not sure how Flickr allows feedback, maybe try the Testimonials on the right?

Edit: Send FlickrMail to me (you must be signed in).

 

What was you first film camera?

This is hard to remember, I'll get back to this when I figure it out. ~:o)

 

When did you get a digital camera?

As a Christmas present to myself, I bought my first digital camera in December 2002. It had 4.0 Megapixels and 3x optical zoom and came with a 32 MB CF card (wow have things changed!).

 

What got you interested in photography?

I always liked to take pictures, but I think what really jump started it was when I took a photography course in high school. I was exposed to the process of making my own prints in the dark room (it was just awesome seeing a picture slowly develop before your eyes), shooting in black and white, and going around town to find that "shot" for our various assignments. It was challenging and fun.

 

As of 2009, I've been shooting all digital and their isn't that suprise anymore -- I can instantly see if a picture I took is good -- though I don't think this is bad thing. I've found I learn better by seeing the results right away. Things like aperture, exposure, focal length -- I'm still learning about how to use properly.

 

What cameras do you use?

Point-and-Shoot: Panasonic DMC-TZ5

This little camera is awesome! It has 9.1 Megapixels, 10x optical zoom, records HD Video @ 1280x720 30fps, 15fps, a 3.0 inch LCD and fits in your pocket! I'm thinking of upgrading to the latest iteration DMC-TZ7, probably will wait though. Panasonic makes this series better every year.

 

DSLR: Canon EOS Rebel XSi

I just bought this recently and amazed about the quality of photos I can take. I didn't know what I was missing! This also has a 3.0 inch LCD and 12.2-megapixel image sensor.

 

What lenses do you use?

Well, I am just starting out. For my standard lens I bought the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. Then I wanted to get a wide angle lens and I bought the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM -- holy crap! I didn't think a camera could take photo of an entire room. I was amazed how much this lens could capture. Finally, I wanted to try the other extreme for my trips to Alaska, so I bought a telephoto lens: Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM APO. I think that is all the lenses I need for now. I'll try to invest in prime lenses in the future, this hobby is very expensive!!

 

Why did I choose Canon as my DSLR?

I'm a petite person and have small hands. A DSLR camera was a big step up for me from point-and-shoots and I was worried about these cameras being too big and/or heavy. So, in the summer of 2008 I decided to take the plunge and began my research for a new camera. I think what most people do is look at features and things that the camera does -- for me it didn't really matter because I wouldn't know how to use them all at this point -- this DSLR world would be a whole new learning experience for me. So guess what? It was all about how the camera felt in my small hands that would be the deciding factor. I went to my local Best Buy and any other electoronic stores like Fry's. I held all the camera bodies that had a lens attached and practiced gripping with one hand and adjusting the zoom in the other. In the end the Canon XSi felt the best in my hands and I could grip it better than the other camera models from Nikon, Sony, Olympus, etc. -- believe me I tried them all. So there you have it! I chose Canon because their camera felt good in my hands.

 

What are you doing now?

I graduated from college several years ago with a degree in Computer Science. I have a web developer job I like. So that has kept me busy.

 

Why did you join Flickr?

Well, after I got my DSLR, I was like "hey, your pictures are not half bad, you should put them online!" and Flickr seemed to have a nice user interface AND a nice community to boot! I feel like I can learn from other users here. Also, it's always nice to show the world your work and get feedback.

 

Copyright

© 2009 madeofsmiles, Some Rights Reserved.

I took intellectual property classes in college (very helpful), where I learned a lot about copyrights, patents, trademarks, etc. Anyway, I'm no pro photographer so I've decided that the majority of my photos will probably go under the CC-BY-NC-SA license. You basically can doing anything with the photo as long as you attribute me. You can't use my photos for commercial purposes though and should contact me about that. Needless to say, one should properly embed this info on their image. I used to embed info using photoshop, now I think using ExifTool is a much better way to go. Hope that helps!

 

Creative Commons Links

http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Marking_Works_Technical#XMP

http://wiki.creativecommons.org/XMP#Specifying_License_Information

http://wiki.creativecommons.org/XMP_help_for_Adobe_applications

How to attribute a Creative Commons licensed work

All Creative Commons Licenses Explained