Hello world.
I'm Jake. My primary hobby is train chasing: I'm what's known as a railfan. Been interested in trains since I was a little boy back in the 1960s, what with the B&O running coal trains past my bedroom window night and day. My first camera was a Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic II that shot 126 cartridge film (my parents bought it with S&H Green Stamps; I still have it) and, of course, I took lots of pictures of trains with it. Over the ensuing years, my air force career afforded me the means to get better camera equipment as well as opportunities to photograph trains across the country.
I became a Nikon owner quite accidentally. I currently work in a vocational high school on their technology staff. Back in January of 2011, one of the Graphic Arts instructors asked for my opinion on dSLRs, as he was wanting to purchase one for himself. Graphic Arts had two Nikon D5000s and two Canon 7Ds, so I asked to borrow one of each for a few days. Couldn't get into the Canon at all: big, bulky, heavy...it just didn't appeal to me. The Nikon, however, caught my imagination right away. I decided to test it the best way I knew how: by taking pictures of trains. I didn't have long to wait nor far to travel on that account because the Ohio Central Railroad runs - what else - coal trains behind my house. Well, the first time I tripped the shutter, I knew I had to get one for myself. After suffering years of hit-and-miss (mostly miss) photographing trains with point-and-shoots, finally I had a camera that faithfully mimicked my Contax film SLRs. I bought a D5000 with the two kit lenses (a month before Nikon released the D5100, but I didn't care). I added a 35mm DX prime lens that summer, and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy myself.
Seven years have passed since I bought that D5000. I just replaced it and the two kit lenses with a refurbished D7200 and 18-140mm DX zoom lens, and will add a 70-300mm AF-P DX zoom lens in a couple months. I can't wait to put my new gear to work.
(My first photo with a Nikon, with a little post-processing by DxO Optics Pro 9.)
I'm Jake. My primary hobby is train chasing: I'm what's known as a railfan. Been interested in trains since I was a little boy back in the 1960s, what with the B&O running coal trains past my bedroom window night and day. My first camera was a Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic II that shot 126 cartridge film (my parents bought it with S&H Green Stamps; I still have it) and, of course, I took lots of pictures of trains with it. Over the ensuing years, my air force career afforded me the means to get better camera equipment as well as opportunities to photograph trains across the country.
I became a Nikon owner quite accidentally. I currently work in a vocational high school on their technology staff. Back in January of 2011, one of the Graphic Arts instructors asked for my opinion on dSLRs, as he was wanting to purchase one for himself. Graphic Arts had two Nikon D5000s and two Canon 7Ds, so I asked to borrow one of each for a few days. Couldn't get into the Canon at all: big, bulky, heavy...it just didn't appeal to me. The Nikon, however, caught my imagination right away. I decided to test it the best way I knew how: by taking pictures of trains. I didn't have long to wait nor far to travel on that account because the Ohio Central Railroad runs - what else - coal trains behind my house. Well, the first time I tripped the shutter, I knew I had to get one for myself. After suffering years of hit-and-miss (mostly miss) photographing trains with point-and-shoots, finally I had a camera that faithfully mimicked my Contax film SLRs. I bought a D5000 with the two kit lenses (a month before Nikon released the D5100, but I didn't care). I added a 35mm DX prime lens that summer, and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy myself.
Seven years have passed since I bought that D5000. I just replaced it and the two kit lenses with a refurbished D7200 and 18-140mm DX zoom lens, and will add a 70-300mm AF-P DX zoom lens in a couple months. I can't wait to put my new gear to work.
(My first photo with a Nikon, with a little post-processing by DxO Optics Pro 9.)