Hello again to a lot of familiar names, as well as a new hello to those I've yet to meet online here. I joined the previous incarnation of NikonGear a few years back to learn more about the system that I originally bought into around 1968.
My interest in photography started in High School years with an inexpensive Yashica 635 TLR (An interesting camera that managed both 120/220 roll film and 35mm) and my own B&W developing outfit. When I went off to college I landed a work-study job as the lab assistant for the one photography course on campus (which happened to be in the department of my major -- physics). In keeping with my photography "status" at the time I upgraded to Nikon equipment albeit at the budget end. I acquired a Nikkormat FTn and a pair of lenses which I used actively for years and still have in full working order today.
For years I resisted the move to digital and continued to use film when I had the opportunity to shoot around a hectic work/travel schedule.
Now that I have retired from the workaday world I have more time to enjoy photography as a hobby, in particular in nature. I also finally jumped into the digital era but still with lots to learn.
This has been enhanced by a change in living style. Six years ago I sold off my house and moved into a large recreational vehicle (about the size of a luxury tour bus) to have the freedom to tour the US. This lifestyle offers an ideal opportunity for me in two respects. First, I am free to see the parts of my country that I simply flew over or drove through in the past on my way to work projects. Second, since most RV parks are in country/natural settings I am immediately close to nature subjects (sometimes literally right at the doorstep). This also accounts for the lack of precision in my reference address as I am rarely in the same location more than one or two months.
