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karlyh

New member
Hi, my name is Karla..... friends all end up calling me Karly... I attached the 'H' because of my last name... Just a little trivial info there! I'm an American that is living in England for a little while longer, with plans on returning to my home in Georgia..... as soon as the weather cools down..lol

Brand new here and brand new to any kind of forum/photo community.....Even though my photos are attached to Smugmug... I've never opened up to a community. So, I think I'm ready....... be gentle with me please..... I'm sensitive..Hahaha:cool:
Seriously, I'm hoping for feedback of any kind....and it would be cool to make a friend too!
I started just needing a camera to take photos because of the places I've been fortunate enough to see... Started with the D40 and it has been a sweet, sweet friend. I know it's a beginners camera and I read in a forum once (surfing around) someone talking as if one should be ashamed of calling themselves a photographer using a D40... It stifled me for a long time like I had a terrible time admitting what I was using... I've since learned better and celebrate the fact that I have it at all..... I hope to upgrade one day, but I refuse until I learn everything about it.
If I'm ever asked tech questions about a particular photo..... I hope I'm able to answer. Still learning so much about my camera... BUT... I've very rarely used AF simply because of the challenge to get better.
I call myself 'landscape paparazzi' because most were made while going 55 down a country road.... which is also a challenge.... to say the least!
Thanks to anyone reading my dribble!
Karlyh
 
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Carolina Photo Guy

Senior Member
Welcome to Nikonites! You will find that this is a very friendly and gregarious group of people with eclectic tastes and skills. Myself, I am dumb as a cinder block, but I make all of these folks look great!
You are gonna love it here.

Pete
 

karlyh

New member
Thank you so much Pete! I love your humor by the way and your photos that I've seen so far are awesome! Thank you for the welcome!
 

Fotojo

Senior Member
Hi Karly
Welcome to Nikonites you will find this to be a great site and very helpful forum. I checked out your Gallery very nice work. I like your eye for close-up shots. As far as your concern about the model of camera you shoot, don't ever let anyone make you feel any less of an artist because of the equiptment you use. A true photographer would pick-up a disposable camera and make a great shot with if that is what he or she had to work with. Do not get wrapped up in the equiptement, a bag of lens and big expensive bodies mean nothing if you do not know how to use them or have developed an eye for the photo. You have a great start stay on track you will know when it is time and you have out grown the capabilities of the D-40 till then shoot away learn and enjoy.

Fotojo
 

karlyh

New member
Thanks Fotojo... encouraging words and I appreciate that very much and I'm finding it very helpful already being here! To be honest, I think I've went as far as I can go on my own.... I've never asked questions before or been critiqued so finding answers to various questions and getting feedback is much needed at this point.
Again, thanks
Karlyh
 

Ruidoso Bill

Senior Member
Hello Karla and welcome to Nikonites, I have never seen anyone talk down to anyone or dish anyones cameras here and thats why I make this my new home. The D40 is a very capable camera and I from the old school that says image quality has a lot more to do with the photographer than the gear. I hope you find this site friendly, kind and helpful!
 

karlyh

New member
Thank you..... I actually have found everything and everyone thus far very friendly and helpful already and it's great!! ... I've been taking the plunge on here uploading and surfing through the forum pages.
The day I came upon the disser of the D40, I think I was looking at what was on the market at the time the D40 came to be. Kind of a Canon verses Nikon debate. I realize now that all you say is true and this camera has allowed me the few challenges that I've applied to it but more than that if there is a mess to be made, it is all mine....not the camera and vice versa... If I got a satisfying image, well..... that was me too!
 
Found on the internet: "Amateurs worry about equipment, pros worry about money, masters worry about light."

Welcome to the forums. I was fortunate enough to jump into some decent gear when I started out - my D300 and a variety of pro lenses that I bought after selling a forum I founded.
The learning curve is still there - and will continue to be there.

Here's a saying I created recently - "The beauty of reality is in the way that we are the masters of its creation".
 

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Welcome Karly! Glad you found us! I think you found a pretty friendly spot to join your first online community.

I visited your gallery and enjoyed your images. Thanks for sharing! I recognized a couple from one of my favorite spots in Bruges. I think you have a great eye for using lines to lead the viewers eye. Well done.

How are you processing your images? I use Lightroom and I noticed a couple where I thought a quick application of the graduated filter feature might even out the sun/sky. Just a *gentle* thought for you to consider.

Let your images talk for themselves and don't worry about comments regarding what you used to capture them. The camera is a tool. All the passion regarding one over another just appears to me someone justifying their own purchase and a bit boring. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Good luck on Georgia cooling off. . . you might be in the U.K. longer than you think! :cool:
 

karlyh

New member
Thank you very much Eduard.....
About my editor, the camera info says Picasa but it is only where I store photos for viewing and it features a button directed straight to my smugmug page which is great.... I actually have a couple of editors on my pc.... Photoscape is one that has a great sharpening tool but have learned sometimes the hard way to be real careful with. It also has a backlight feature that I like, again having to be careful with that too (Completely over edited a batch of photos from Wales) I have Photoshop 7 but I may as well be looking into learning the Greek language to know what I'm doing there! Seriously feel like I need a Photoshop class to actually put that app to use. I've played around with a graduated tint for skies..... sometimes it is successful but other times it looks too 'done'...but that could be what I'm using or how I'm using it. I don't know. I suspect your talking about the photo of the bridge in Brugge..... shame too about that one, the sky was beautiful all day there. I like that photo for the other contrasts of color... the water/buildings.
I would love to learn the layering technique.. (I think thats right) in order to edited parts of a photo separate from other parts.

This is exactly the kind of critiquing I'm looking for here and I appreciate any and all of it.... Sometimes I can get caught up in the memory of the photo.... the visit, the day, the experience and miss important things that could make the photo better.....and having feedback that is constructive is what I'd like to see on a boat load of my pics. Friends and family are of no help.....lol They comment nicely and I'm still left unsure... but I am my own worst critic anyway. But having this feedback from photographers is wonderful for the learning process..... and is so appreciated.

*I think I'd drop over like a dead fly if I went from this weather here to Georgia....I'm not happy in hot weather..lol
A few more weeks though.... and I'll just have to rough it!
 

Red Kite

New member
Hi Karly
I have just looked through your album and you have some beautiful shots in there. I particularly loved the ones of the lighthouse.
 
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