New blog, new camera, new fun...

Today is day #1 of my new blog.  While I have made technical blog posts in the past, this is the first attempt at anything artistic.  I'm looking forward to see what happens.

Quite honestly, I have no idea why I am doing this or what I plan to get out of it.  I originally got the idea from three sources:

1. My good friend, Tom Fakler's photo blog (http://tomfakler.blogspot.com).  I've spent many hours taking and editing photos with Tom, usually while imbibing many bottles of fine Belgian beer and giving into our bizarre American junk food fetishes (imported Cheetos), when I lived in Brussels.  He now lives in Cambodia, where he writes amusing stories and posts some really interesting shots.  Check it out when you get a chance.  (P.S.  Thanks, Tom!)
2. The "Art of Photography" podcast, episode #29.  (http://www.flickr.com/groups/artofphotography/)  Especially for anyone starting out, this is a great resource.
3. Our neighbor and maybe distant relative, Stephen Daly, put together a fantastic show a few months ago.  Very talented and quite an inspiration...

As for my background:  I've been a photography hack ever since I can remember.  My first camera was an ancient box camera that I got from my great-grandfather.  I could easily open it, take it apart, and examine the pieces.  While the idea of making pictures was exciting, I was fascinated by the mechanics of the shutter and the top view-finder.  It made me feel like one of those guys from the 1800s that would hold a tray of powder, which would ignite in a burst of light and energy to take a photo.  Great stuff!

Several 110s, 120s, 35mm SLRs, some borrowed DSLRs, and a few decades later, I now have a Nikon D5000 which I am absolutely in love with.  It has some advanced features and the same CMOS sensor that can be found in the semi-pro models.  Most importantly it fits my amateur needs very well.

In this blog, I am very interested in your unrestrained comments; it helps me to improve.  For the photography pros and hobbyists, feel free to give detailed analysis of composition, exposure, etc.  For *everyone*, please let me know what you think and feel.  Comments of "that picture is pretty" is perfectly fine, and just as valued.

No matter what comments you leave, thanks for stopping by...