Waren Polidori contacted me about starting a Photography Forum or Thread here on the Randall Picture Gallery.
He suggested there are enough Randall Made Knife collectors that are also photography enthusiast to support a forum/thread for discussing cameras, photography methods and a place to post non-Randall photos.
I consulted Rhett and he said if there was enough interest and participation it could become a "sticky" subject.
So shutterbugs and photo nuts have at it!

Tom,

Thanks for taking the idea to Rhett and for getting this thread started. I snapped several photos of some does feeding in the back yard this afternoon. The pictures would be somewhat sharper but these were taken through a second story window. They actually caught me by surprise, I was looking to see if there were any ducks in the pond. I'm still experimenting with my new Nikon D90 and I'm trying different settings. This camera can be very easy in the auto point and shoot mode or somewhat complicated but it takes practice like anything else.
I sincerely hope that this thread will help us all become better with our camera's. We have several of you guys that really know what you're doing and I think we can learn from you. This is the place to post non knife related photos and discuss the business about how to do it better. If the interest drops off, we tried, but I hope we can keep it going. For now as Tom said it will not be a sticky thread but with come to the top of "Active Topics" with your participation. Let's see em guys!

Best,
Warren

Tom tried to explain to me how to post multiple photos but I can't figure it out so here's another doe feeding on a wild holly bush. I caught her looking through the bush with the ears framed by the tree. Just a lucky shot.

Best,
Warren

Thanks Tom & Warren,

I think this is a fabulous idea and should be a lot of fun.

My Daughter Mary Ann bought my wife the most beautiful arrangement of white and red roses for Christmas. This is close shot from about 18" of a near perfect rose at its peak.

Best,
Warren

I like taking photos, I'm just not good at it.
Here is a tip I lifted from Kim Komando's "Cool Site of the Day".

Quote:

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When it comes to photography, lighting is everything. After all, a camera simply records the light that hits its sensor.

So, you can take better photos simply by taking them at a different time.

For example, don't take photos outside at high noon. The light will wash out your subjects. You'll get deep shadows and blown out highlights.

Rather, take your photos in the morning or early evening. The light won't be as harsh; you'll get beautiful, dreamy photos.

Of course, many photographers love to shoot at night. This is perfect for cityscapes and similar photographs. But here's a secret: Many night photos aren't taken at night.

They're taken during the blue hour, the "hour" between daylight and dark. The term comes from the French l'heure bleu; it's just a better name for twilight.

The blue hour doesn't occur at a set time. It changes depending on the time of year and your location.

So, to take photos during the blue hour, you'll need a little help. That's where today's Cool Site comes in. It will tell you the perfect time for blue hour photography. Happy shooting!

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Kim's Cool Site

Tom,

You, Gary "Raindog" and Dale "Cabinet Man" were my inspiration for suggesting this thread. You guys do a great job of always posting great photos and have given many of us some good suggestions for camera purchases. Thanks and we're looking to the experts for help. More than 30 years ago I was into film based 35MM photography but have been away since. The digital world is so much different. It's like learning to ride a bike all over again. Thanks .

Best,
Warren

Warren,

Thanks for the compliments. I too was very active with 35mm photography from the mid 70's thru the mid 80's although it was almost exclusively color slides. I was heavily involved in the medical imaging industry during the early days of the transition from film based x-rays to digital. We were using digital imaging in medicine many years before digital made to the consumer photography sector.

The best thing about digital photography is you can take lots of pictures for nothing which is my best advice for anyone with an interest in digital photography. Take as many pictures as you can and experiment with bracketing your exposures and try different lighting and backdrops. You can take 100 and delete 100 and the cost is ZERO. What a deal and you never know when you will come up with a neat picture. Although I like to play with some photo-shop processing tools I rarely use these tools for my pictures. All of the knife pictures I have posted have been 100% natural.

I took this picture almost 4 years ago in Las Vegas with a very inexpensive 3 Mega Pixel Kodak Point & Shoot camera with No Photo Shop adjustment, 100% natural and an example of a picture taken during the "Blue Hour"

Sometimes you just get lucky.
Here is one I took of the ceiling of the Bellagio lobby ceiling five years ago with a Kodak Easy Share 5mp. You have to find something to do in Las Vegas if you don't gamble.

Tom,

Now that is a cool photo. Are they glass flowers? The collage of colors is outstanding. Well done.

Best,
Warren