Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

roughbarked said:

Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

Good pics there Roughbarked.

I have just planted 32 natives in the paddock around the house and wouldn’t mind getting about another 30. Just need the time to go and buy some

Rook

roughbarked said:

Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

Love the photos roughbarked. Some of them are stunning! Wish I could take photos like that (read had the patience to play with settings; compose shots well etc). A decent camera would probably help too I daresay!

Rook said:

roughbarked said:

Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

Good pics there Roughbarked.

I have just planted 32 natives in the paddock around the house and wouldn’t mind getting about another 30. Just need the time to go and buy some

Rook

Natives: many grow easily or not so easily from cuttings and to quote one Cizero(CSIRO) scientist “you can conceivably grow any plant from a cutting as long as you can replicate the conditions required”.
Seed collecting from most natives can be complex and disappointing unless one has a diary of precisely when to be there. ie: Acacia linarifolia.. 7 Dec. cutoff point. A week earlier.. too green. a day later.. all gone.

roughbarked said:

Rook said:

roughbarked said:

Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

Good pics there Roughbarked.

I have just planted 32 natives in the paddock around the house and wouldn’t mind getting about another 30. Just need the time to go and buy some

Rook

Natives: many grow easily or not so easily from cuttings and to quote one Cizero(CSIRO) scientist “you can conceivably grow any plant from a cutting as long as you can replicate the conditions required”.
Seed collecting from most natives can be complex and disappointing unless one has a diary of precisely when to be there. ie: Acacia linarifolia.. 7 Dec. cutoff point. A week earlier.. too green. a day later.. all gone.

I have a question for you about natives.

There are a couple of natives out of the 32 that have not grown at all but also they haven’t died, what causes this and how do i fix it?

Rook

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

Yes I’m a thick skinned induvidual with many decades of gardening dirt under my fingernails. Nursery propagation and management since 1976, working mainly in fruit trees. Native nursery proprietor since 1979. These are some of the reasons I am interested in joining discussions with you all here.
Mainly into natives ..my mission statement “If you can’t eat it and still want to grow it.. it had better be a native and if you can, try to stick to propagating as many local natives as is physically possible.”
My manner may grate on some .. perhaps because they may have differing opinions about such statements as the above.. but no problem., I’m thickskinned remember. ;)

Truthfully my knowledge of non-native plants is more limited to food plants, most of which I have grafted and played with in various ways and means.

I have another mission statement.. “if you cannot do it organically, then why bother?”

commonly I stick with: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

I used to be a member here in the past under the name “ironbarked” ..
this is my second coming. ;)

Here are some of the things I do: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/
and here also: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/

Love the photos roughbarked. Some of them are stunning! Wish I could take photos like that (read had the patience to play with settings; compose shots well etc). A decent camera would probably help too I daresay!

I especially love the ones of the Sturt Desert pea. I have always wanted to grow Flannel Flowers and Sturt Desert Pea. Might have to have another go at the Flannel Flower…although I’ll have to work on the soil more and import some sand before I attempt it I would think.

AnneS said:

Love the photos roughbarked. Some of them are stunning! Wish I could take photos like that (read had the patience to play with settings; compose shots well etc). A decent camera would probably help too I daresay!

Ah.. there are many rough looking shots too but only uploaded for something I was wanting to describe somewhere.

Cameras: well I bought my first SLR in 1971. A Ricoh. Though this camera eventually was damaged by dropping from a tree while photographing mudlark babes being fed in the nest. Climbing the tree.. the strap came undone, the camera hit the ground, the lens mount broke, the lens rolled into the irrigation channel. Yes I retrieved and repaire it all but the lens was never the same since and it took 8 months to get the lens mounting plate.. then it was the wrong one.. so though I eventually got it working again.. i was in need of a better camera.

Since then I have worked mainly with Nikon though have used many brands. Camera repairs was one side job I did to earn money to pay for my hobby.

Most of my better photos were taken in my early years though my equipment was sparse and not professional.

Though I have done some sports photography as a fill in job I am nowhere near a professional quality photographer.. more of an impulse shooter ;)

Did you see this shot? done with a pinhole camera.. (not by me) here is the image alone. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01118/clifton_solargraph_1118714c.jpg .. or the whole page http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3496139/Stunning-photographs-of-landmark-captured-over-six-month-period.html ..slow on dialup but worth it. It proves that all you need is a pinhole in a box to take great photos. ;)

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

Love the photos roughbarked. Some of them are stunning! Wish I could take photos like that (read had the patience to play with settings; compose shots well etc). A decent camera would probably help too I daresay!

Ah.. there are many rough looking shots too but only uploaded for something I was wanting to describe somewhere.

Cameras: well I bought my first SLR in 1971. A Ricoh. Though this camera eventually was damaged by dropping from a tree while photographing mudlark babes being fed in the nest. Climbing the tree.. the strap came undone, the camera hit the ground, the lens mount broke, the lens rolled into the irrigation channel. Yes I retrieved and repaire it all but the lens was never the same since and it took 8 months to get the lens mounting plate.. then it was the wrong one.. so though I eventually got it working again.. i was in need of a better camera.

Since then I have worked mainly with Nikon though have used many brands. Camera repairs was one side job I did to earn money to pay for my hobby.

Most of my better photos were taken in my early years though my equipment was sparse and not professional.

Though I have done some sports photography as a fill in job I am nowhere near a professional quality photographer.. more of an impulse shooter ;)

Did you see this shot? done with a pinhole camera.. (not by me) here is the image alone. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01118/clifton_solargraph_1118714c.jpg .. or the whole page http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3496139/Stunning-photographs-of-landmark-captured-over-six-month-period.html ..slow on dialup but worth it. It proves that all you need is a pinhole in a box to take great photos. ;)

That’s amazing!

I have only had a digital camera for about six months and still don’t really know much about its operation. Unfortunately it has to go back to nikon for a repair already.. has two dark spots probably on the sensor.. they come out in all photos.

AnneS said:

I especially love the ones of the Sturt Desert pea. I have always wanted to grow Flannel Flowers and Sturt Desert Pea. Might have to have another go at the Flannel Flower…although I’ll have to work on the soil more and import some sand before I attempt it I would think.

I plan to have both of these in my front yard (slowly being converted from cottage to native). Won’t attempt it until I have more time and energy to think about what I’m doing though.

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

bon008 said:

AnneS said:

I especially love the ones of the Sturt Desert pea. I have always wanted to grow Flannel Flowers and Sturt Desert Pea. Might have to have another go at the Flannel Flower…although I’ll have to work on the soil more and import some sand before I attempt it I would think.

I plan to have both of these in my front yard (slowly being converted from cottage to native). Won’t attempt it until I have more time and energy to think about what I’m doing though.

I managed to grow a few Sturts pea to 3 m in diameter. They had sed all over them.. Someone came and stole the lot. :(

They had seed all over them.. Someone came and stole the lot. :(

roughbarked said:

They had seed all over them.. Someone came and stole the lot. :(

bastards :(

some people have no respect…

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

The colouration of the one on the tap is abnormal.. usually those colours come as bands across both wings reddish orange an bluish black bands.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

They had seed all over them.. Someone came and stole the lot. :(

bastards :(

some people have no respect…

worst part about that is that the thieves would most likely waste all the seed trying to germinate it. The other worst part which implies the first.. is that they took green seed.

roughbarked said:

I have only had a digital camera for about six months and still don’t really know much about its operation. Unfortunately it has to go back to nikon for a repair already.. has two dark spots probably on the sensor.. they come out in all photos.

bummer. I use a hand-me down from my son…Olympus Camedia C-310 Zoom 3.
Zoom doesn’t work on it anymore though. OH took it on a hike to the beach with Scouts a couple of years ago

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

Cool. I’ll have to remember that! What a great tip

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

AnneS said:

I especially love the ones of the Sturt Desert pea. I have always wanted to grow Flannel Flowers and Sturt Desert Pea. Might have to have another go at the Flannel Flower…although I’ll have to work on the soil more and import some sand before I attempt it I would think.

I plan to have both of these in my front yard (slowly being converted from cottage to native). Won’t attempt it until I have more time and energy to think about what I’m doing though.

I managed to grow a few Sturts pea to 3 m in diameter. They had sed all over them.. Someone came and stole the lot. :(

how rude!

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

Cool. I’ll have to remember that! What a great tip

I think I read somewhere that the “blend up the bugs and spray it back on” method works by creating an environment where diseases of that bug will thrive, and hence live bugs coming to visit will get sick. Something like that. Can’t remember where I read it though.

bon008 said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

Cool. I’ll have to remember that! What a great tip

I think I read somewhere that the “blend up the bugs and spray it back on” method works by creating an environment where diseases of that bug will thrive, and hence live bugs coming to visit will get sick. Something like that. Can’t remember where I read it though.

same applies to the 28 spotted ladybird. this is as bad or worse than the cucumber beetle.

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ladybirds/28-spotted.html

roughbarked said:

bon008 said:

AnneS said:

roughbarked said:

AnneS said:

What is the insect in photo DSC_0444 on the tap? I was trying to photograph one of these the other day, but couldn’t get a clear enough shot. I’m sure that is the bug that’s chewing my zucchini leaves

Cucumber beetle .. yes it will eat all cucurbit leaves flowers and fruit.. gather them up and put them through a blender.. spray them back on.. hair of the dog or homeopathic remedy.. seems they don’t like the smell of dead bodies.

Cool. I’ll have to remember that! What a great tip

I think I read somewhere that the “blend up the bugs and spray it back on” method works by creating an environment where diseases of that bug will thrive, and hence live bugs coming to visit will get sick. Something like that. Can’t remember where I read it though.

same applies to the 28 spotted ladybird. this is as bad or worse than the cucumber beetle.

mmm. they quickly get dispatched around here. Haven’t seen too many this year though thank heavens

well that was a great journey – thanks
- and good man – only Coopers – the healthy choice of organic gardeners. LOL
seriously good camera work – loved the insects.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01118/clifton_solargraph_1118714c.jpg
+++

This is mind-boggling…as to just what can be achieved with minimal camera equipment…this photographer literally thought “outside the box”…

As I tried to point out .. I don’t really see me as a photographer.. just as a person who loves to point cameras at things..

Being a watchmaker I suppose I just like looking through lenses.. I don’t really pay much attention to photographic rules of thumb other than try to get the exposure close the framing as close as it looks best and click. Many of my shots are are impulse.. rarely will you see me plan one. Most are hand held.. which is why the odd one will be blurry.. i throw most of those away but not all.. there is something of an art about certain images.. and I just cannot chuck them out.

did I say the odd one will be blurry.

hmm my eyes aren’t what they used to be.. and digital focusing is not as good as manual.

but then .. digital scanning from grainy slides isn’t recommended either.

do you still do any watchmaking roughbarked?

bluegreen said:

do you still do any watchmaking roughbarked?

yes but not full time.

I do watches an clocks that people really want me to fix.

I can also direct you to masters still practising.. the best in Australia… my teachers. My love of ruining my hands by dint of handling the rough bark of trees I cut to graft.. didn’t help but who is the first to go when a downturn comes? the last apprentice.. at that stage of my life digital watches had basicly sucked the guts out of watch repairs. So I stuck to nursery work.. and opal mining. Yes I have a ful workshop capable of fixing all manner of timepieces.. and as my life slows down on the physical front .. if my eyes last.. clocks and opals will still be there.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

do you still do any watchmaking roughbarked?

yes but not full time.

I do watches an clocks that people really want me to fix.

I can also direct you to masters still practising.. the best in Australia… my teachers. My love of ruining my hands by dint of handling the rough bark of trees I cut to graft.. didn’t help but who is the first to go when a downturn comes? the last apprentice.. at that stage of my life digital watches had basicly sucked the guts out of watch repairs. So I stuck to nursery work.. and opal mining. Yes I have a ful workshop capable of fixing all manner of timepieces.. and as my life slows down on the physical front .. if my eyes last.. clocks and opals will still be there.

Mr BG has recently become interested in it as a hobby.

Do you know of Martin Foster?

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

do you still do any watchmaking roughbarked?

yes but not full time.

I do watches an clocks that people really want me to fix.

I can also direct you to masters still practising.. the best in Australia… my teachers. My love of ruining my hands by dint of handling the rough bark of trees I cut to graft.. didn’t help but who is the first to go when a downturn comes? the last apprentice.. at that stage of my life digital watches had basicly sucked the guts out of watch repairs. So I stuck to nursery work.. and opal mining. Yes I have a ful workshop capable of fixing all manner of timepieces.. and as my life slows down on the physical front .. if my eyes last.. clocks and opals will still be there.

Mr BG has recently become interested in it as a hobby.

Do you know of Martin Foster?

not off the top of my head but remember I have concentrated more on plants than cogs and the people involved for a good while.. however as I said.. i am still in contact and can find out all about him in a blink.

This was one of the first photos I actually took with my first camera.. Sunday morning.. the day after I purchased the Ricoh.

What an interesting life you have had.
Thanks for the intro.

Happy Potter said:

What an interesting life you have had.
Thanks for the intro.

that’s just a fraction .. but .. well I’m just an ordinary bloke .. like everyone else.. we all have our moments.. I have no uni degrees.. but have travelled through life.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Do you know of Martin Foster?

not off the top of my head but remember I have concentrated more on plants than cogs and the people involved for a good while.. however as I said.. i am still in contact and can find out all about him in a blink.

only if you are interested, he is my Uncle and is pretty well known as an horologist. He mostly works reporting these days on all the big international shows and stuff.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Do you know of Martin Foster?

not off the top of my head but remember I have concentrated more on plants than cogs and the people involved for a good while.. however as I said.. i am still in contact and can find out all about him in a blink.

only if you are interested, he is my Uncle and is pretty well known as an horologist. He mostly works reporting these days on all the big international shows and stuff.

In that case he will be as easy to find as I am difficult. ;)

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

What an interesting life you have had.
Thanks for the intro.

that’s just a fraction .. but .. well I’m just an ordinary bloke .. like everyone else.. we all have our moments.. I have no uni degrees.. but have travelled through life.

Que sera sera , me too :)
Cook, butcher, car mechanic, nurse. did it all, and more. Learnt along the way.
Except for nursing, not a degree in sight.
Now I’ve lost me beer. Where ever did I put it…

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Do you know of Martin Foster?

not off the top of my head but remember I have concentrated more on plants than cogs and the people involved for a good while.. however as I said.. i am still in contact and can find out all about him in a blink.

only if you are interested, he is my Uncle and is pretty well known as an horologist. He mostly works reporting these days on all the big international shows and stuff.

thats pretty cool then bg.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

What an interesting life you have had.
Thanks for the intro.

that’s just a fraction .. but .. well I’m just an ordinary bloke .. like everyone else.. we all have our moments.. I have no uni degrees.. but have travelled through life.

Que sera sera , me too :)
Cook, butcher, car mechanic, nurse. did it all, and more. Learnt along the way.
Except for nursing, not a degree in sight.
Now I’ve lost me beer. Where ever did I put it…

found mine.. it was in me fridge.

Hey Roughbarked,

Regards photos…..you can get better shots by paying a little more attention to a rule or two. But the main thing is that photography is in a way similar to painting (presenting a subject) but also dissimilar to painting: painting is adding things of interest to the canvas; photography is taking out unnecessary clutter/detail to focus on the thing(s) of interest.
Another way photography is explained is that you’re trying to get across a particular feeling about a subject etc. So when you take the picture you have to operate it to get that point across, or you miss your chance (by merely pointing and clicking.) A camera doesn’t show what we see. We can scan a scene (with eyes) and focus in on specific details, whilst never being able to focus on a flat plane as a camera does.
The several rules we can learn about photography are not a 100% formulae for perfect pictures by the numbers but, they do help if you can remember to use them sometimes. Artists (including painters, sculptors, and architects) have been aware of these rules for aeons, and use them wisely to make beautiful things.
Anyway, hope this was more of an inspiration rather than a criticism. It does let you take much better photos, especially if you have a nice slr such as yours. it’s yet another area one can be more creative in.

aquarium said:

Hey Roughbarked,

Regards photos…..you can get better shots by paying a little more attention to a rule or two. But the main thing is that photography is in a way similar to painting (presenting a subject) but also dissimilar to painting: painting is adding things of interest to the canvas; photography is taking out unnecessary clutter/detail to focus on the thing(s) of interest.
Another way photography is explained is that you’re trying to get across a particular feeling about a subject etc. So when you take the picture you have to operate it to get that point across, or you miss your chance (by merely pointing and clicking.) A camera doesn’t show what we see. We can scan a scene (with eyes) and focus in on specific details, whilst never being able to focus on a flat plane as a camera does.
The several rules we can learn about photography are not a 100% formulae for perfect pictures by the numbers but, they do help if you can remember to use them sometimes. Artists (including painters, sculptors, and architects) have been aware of these rules for aeons, and use them wisely to make beautiful things.
Anyway, hope this was more of an inspiration rather than a criticism. It does let you take much better photos, especially if you have a nice slr such as yours. it’s yet another area one can be more creative in.

aquarium said:

Hey Roughbarked,

Regards photos…..you can get better shots by paying a little more attention to a rule or two. But the main thing is that photography is in a way similar to painting (presenting a subject) but also dissimilar to painting: painting is adding things of interest to the canvas; photography is taking out unnecessary clutter/detail to focus on the thing(s) of interest.
Another way photography is explained is that you’re trying to get across a particular feeling about a subject etc. So when you take the picture you have to operate it to get that point across, or you miss your chance (by merely pointing and clicking.) A camera doesn’t show what we see. We can scan a scene (with eyes) and focus in on specific details, whilst never being able to focus on a flat plane as a camera does.
The several rules we can learn about photography are not a 100% formulae for perfect pictures by the numbers but, they do help if you can remember to use them sometimes. Artists (including painters, sculptors, and architects) have been aware of these rules for aeons, and use them wisely to make beautiful things.
Anyway, hope this was more of an inspiration rather than a criticism. It does let you take much better photos, especially if you have a nice slr such as yours. it’s yet another area one can be more creative in.

Ooops wrong button.. submitted without a message?

whilst Iam unafraid of criticism .. I always appreciate creative and constructive critique. Most of the photos you have seen have been pretty rough I will admit but then everything about me is.

Personally.. I haven’t yet found theis SLR to be as good as those of old I have used.. it is plastic.. it has a Taiwanes lens that feels as if it is worn out while it is brand new.

Digital technology is not yet a field I can say I comprehend at all well yet. So for now I don’t mind if you see me as rather fishy..

Well I’m no expert but I know what I like, and I like that goldfish photo! Brilliant !!

orchid40 said:

Well I’m no expert but I know what I like, and I like that goldfish photo! Brilliant !!

;)

taken in 1972 with a ricoh slr camera in one hand .. flash on a lead in the other.. 50mm lens coupled with 2x converter and extension tubes.

^ scanned from high speed ektachrome

Sorry Nikon .. Itake it all back about your plastic D80..
I managed to clean the low-pass filter(sensor). Now it shold take nice photo’s again.
Everyone should have the tried and proven Bergeon watchmakers dust blower. Although a relatively cheap enema bulb will do.

Before we go too ar down the photography track.. I didn’t start this introduction with the purpose of making out that I am a photographer or an artist.
I do use photographs to display something I want to talk about. Visual communication often needs no words. However this does not mean that my photographs are excellent or artistic.. some of them may well be but I do not always concentrate on trying to out do other photographers or artists. My art is tree surgery, plant propogation and the reclamation of degraded environments. I have grown more than six million trees. Sure I have taken a lot of photographs but nowhere near that many.

I’m too shaky to take good photo’s with a digital these days.

Digital cameras take far too long to take a photo.. I’m used to the shutter going off when I choose not when the lens focusing thingamybob does..

It’ll take me a while to learn about all the buttons and what they are doing sitting there letting dust and water in. Maybe over winter when I have the time to read a manual backwards.. Haven’t the Japanese sorted the translation thing yet?

Think I’ll stick to growing plants.

lots of mine a blurred as well, only keep the goodies LOL

The Estate said:

lots of mine a blurred as well, only keep the goodies LOL

See .. Digital cameras take the art out of photography.

You wouldn’t press the shutter until you were happy with the shot.. when it cost money to develop film.

In the digital era.. you press the shutter and it dithers about then focuses on something you weren’t.

Put it on manual focus and the viewfinder(on mine) goes into pixellated mode.. WTF?