oakers

Why not!? It'd be cool to see what other people find interesting to photograph and how creative they are, and what they see in things that we might have missed. And, if it raises peoples' awareness of the site / ASD then all the better!

Too many rules really... I never studied photography, nor read that much about it I will be honest. I did know about the rule of thirds and tried to work within that but that was about the only thing I followed... well that and not over exposing whites and blacks. As mentioned previously I was really pretty useless with the technical side of things... I'm just glad it worked in my favour that I could intuitively shoot.

I guess you are right Robert, in that digital is less expensive in one sense... as you can take your photos and it doesn't cost, except in time for editing and replacing / repairing equipment, which you'd still have with film anyway. The point you make about composition is a good one... because, whilst it may be possible to take a technically good photo it may be that it is visually uninteresting because the composition is off, at least I think so anyway.

Hi Nims and Helen (sorry!) Welcome to you both. Hope you enjoy it around here. There's loads of cool people and lots of interesting and helpful information to be found, as well as nice little topics to join in on.

Me? Sure, it's just a basic cookie dough though I think... it's for using in a cookie press so might be a bit too wet if you're not using one. I had never used one of these things but my nephew got it me ages ago and wanted me to make him all different shapes. I'll dig it out

Isn't it probably more a case of some people not wanting to talk about politics in a situation whereby they may be criticised for their opinions, or worse yet, the possibility of arguments and conflict arising? I know people who have very strong opinions on what is right or wrong with politics today but they may not necessarily discuss these opinions with everyone they interact with. I think, with politics, you've got to pick your discussions carefully. I guess it goes with that old saying of, 'never discuss politics and religion'. People seem to have stuck to that, unless they're up for the possibility of conflict arising. Saying that, if people don't readily discuss their opinions things are less likely to change as people are not united in their distaste or agreement with what is happening at any particular time. I don't know... I've learnt the hard way that it's not a good idea to talk about either politics, nor religion, as you are ultimately going to upset someone.

I made cookies for my nephew the other day but they weren't that exciting, just cinnamon and vanilla based. I'm going to be cheating a bit later and use ready roll pastry to make custard / cream horns, at the request of the family and my bro's colleagues. Ah well, some therapy a bit later on for me

Oooh, now that sounds rather nice I might have to try those out one day.

F1.2? ahhhh how nice would that be!! haha... gigs would be a dream working with those capabilities Well, this is it entirely... why would you do that when you are supposedly trying to show how good you are, but in reality you're fooling everyone, including yourself, when you walk away with literally hundreds / thousands of shots that are absolutely useless. I get that when you're learning you take more, but once you've been doing whichever photography you choose, you would think that the number of keepers would be on the rise, rather than stay static. I think with the digital era people are a bit more blase about how they use their cameras, and some seem to forget that every shutter click is one click closer to your camera's demise. Either that, or people just don't care and are willing to spend silly amounts of money because they are somewhat reckless with the way they shoot. Just an opinion of course!! Me, I couldn't afford to keep replacing bodies, so I learnt pretty quick how to make the number of keepers rise, for the most part. Of course, when conditions are against you it's still pretty difficult.

That is really quite interesting how they build to suit the environment isn't it? A lot could be learnt from them. I know that a new build not far from us, a retirement village, has a lot of wood in the structure, more so than most, for that exact reason. It is also to cut down on heating / cooling costs, makes sense. Do tell me about it!! I have experienced Finland and Norway in the summer and it was much hotter than a hot day here... reminded me of the start of summer back home. I found it pretty unbearable at times actually, esp as most of the time I was photographing a festival all day. I keep saying about winter tyres and how I think they should become compulsory here if the winters continue to be so cold / snowy. It'd save a lot of trauma with the snow. It's strange but I love the sound of the tyres, maybe it just means winter to me I too love the fact that everything is so clean and almost pure. It makes so much more sense the way they do the gritting and then recycle it all again doesn't it!? Maybe the powers that be could learn a heck of a lot from our Scandinavian friends! Ahhh now Iceland would be amazing to travel to and explore. It's definitely on my list of 'to go to' places.

I don't think I could stomach working in sewers... although as a kid me and my brother would ride around with my dad when he was emptying out drains and sewage. How our minds change how we think of what's cool and not so cool to do!! Wow... so cheap!? That's really cool... I'd love to live out in the middle of nowhere. Peace and tranquility... but the ability to go into civilisation should the need arise. Sounds like an idyllic life, this that you describe of your father in Sweden. I have never been to Sweden but hear that it is immeasurably beautiful. I am quite taken with Finland, and recall the first time I'd ever been, going to Helsinki and the feeling I got from even stepping off the plane and onto the bus toward my hotel was one of feeling at home. Considering I'd grown up in Perth, and not the one in Scotland, that might seem odd given Helsinki is quite the opposite in many ways, mostly the heat factor, but it was hard to describe. I felt at one there. There was some kind of peace, even in the heart of the city. I also like Norway a lot. It is very strange though, as a child, I never dreamed of being able to visit such places and I always wanted to live in such a way in either Alaska, Finland or Norway. Now to visit Alaska!!

Ooh... how exciting!! I'd love to do that, but alas, not really a consideration for me right now. Oreo cupcakes sound a little exciting!?! Banana muffins and loaves are one of my favourites to eat, as long as they have plenty of coconut in them as well!

If I was to start over with the photography I'd still make sure I had a 50mm but I guess, like you I'd go for the 1.4 the next time. A friend of mine excitedly told me they'd got the 50mm after my advice but then went on to tell me they got the 1.4 version... the glare he got, well let's just say he quickly said 'but I don't notice much difference!' He was just starting out with the photography lark as he was more used to being photographed, being in a band. I love using depth of field... I think it makes for far more interesting photos than everything all being the same focus wise. I think it can be taken too far, but then again, so can everything can't it!? Ahh see, now there's the intuition again perhaps? I could never understand why, when mostly only being given 3 songs to shoot in, people would want to be messing around with different settings. I used to alter focal point but otherwise I'd move to get my shot and wait for the light. That served me well over the years, I must say I know someone who has the expensive kit, and all the talk, but her shots?! meh... she gets some good stuff but I found out she can shoot upwards of 700+ shots in 3 songs... I was astonished. She literally just holds her finger on the trigger and goes for it. No feeling, no heart... but then when she posts her good shots people fall over themselves complimenting her... and she's like, oh yes, I want to portray the feeling and the emotion and that's what compels me to do this. Feeling and emotion my butt!!

Thank you once again Sa for your comments re my photos... coming from a photographer it really does mean a lot and I am genuine when I say that. I don't look for praise re my work but used to be very self critical, and would get upset with myself if photos didn't turn out how I'd 'seen' them whilst taking them. I was told by a couple of people though that they were envious of my 'eye' though as they tended to miss more than a fair share of opportunities as they didn't see them, however, I seemed to manage to capture shots they indeed hadn't seen. I guess it goes back to the intuitive shooting but I also found that whilst focusing on a shot I could also see a lot of what was going on around that shot, probably more so than some of the others in the pit at the time, and would then have the time to weigh up my next shot. I also used to wait for light, as not being technical I couldn't always make the camera work the way others could, but I could do my best to optimise my results. Anyway, enough about that!! I agree, that a lot of people seem to be good at art, or music. Listening to / watching the video link that you posted earlier I realised that what TG had to say is so true - in the way in which we all think. I am not really sure where I'd classify myself to be honest as I think I could quite easily fall into all three she mentioned. I've often been told I have a mind full of useless information, but that people would want me on their quiz team if I went to the pub and such likes. I seem to remember things most others wouldn't and I can remember small details about things that no one else would probably even think about. At work we have a system whereby we need at least one letter from a person's first and last name to be able to search for them, but many a time people can't remember one or the other name. I am the one they come to ask because no doubt, I'll remember the name, no matter how long ago I'd heard it. I don't ever recall being good at art when I was at school and it certainly wasn't a subject I took when I got older. I did however excel at music and could read it and play by ear. I ended up being better at playing by ear and I guess sometimes it was a case of 'pretending' to read the music as I did the latter. I played multiple recorders and electric organ throughout primary school and could have probably gone on to do bigger and better things but was put off by a family member insisting we practiced for x number of hours per day. That's interesting what you say about remembering patterns... I can do this to, and often I don't even have to think about it, but for me, distractions don't seem to be so much of a problem. My boss is convinced I am reallllly good at stats and such likes because of this, but I try to tell her I'm not! I don't want to be good at stats, I want to be good at something else HAHA What you say about childhood and adulthood makes a lot of sense. That feeling of being unappreciated or undervalued for the skills you have is one of the hardest things to bear, esp for me. I watch as others seem to progress through life with little to no skill and there's me, trying to be the best I can be and it still never feeling good enough. I guess that most of 'us' feel that way from time to time, or maybe even more than that? It really is interesting what you say about the young being diagnosed... I know not of what this is like either with only being diagnosed last year but it'd be interesting to see what would have happened had I been given a diagnosis earlier on. Would we be the same people we are today? Would we be more confident in our abilities, or would we be dumbed down as you say? I was just reading a recently resurrected thread about driving and wondered if I ever truly fit into any kind of box people try to put me in. I was determined to get my licence as early as I could because, living in Australia, having my licence meant freedom. Back in the day we had to pass our theory exam first, but we could start learning to drive at 16 and 9 months. I only had a couple of lessons, but I remember on my first my instructor thought someone else had been teaching me and let me drive to the beach (some distance away). My poor friend was allowed around her street. I went and sat my exam the day after I turned 17 and passed with one error and that was because I went left when they asked me to go right, or vice versa. I don't know how I did it to this day as I remember thinking, how will I ever remember where the gears are and co-ordinate my brain, arms, and feet at the same time. But, I guess that was something that I managed to do quite easily and have been driving ever since. The only time I've ever felt really nervous was when I wanted to start driving here on motorways, so I took a lesson and then bam, onto the motorways I went. Driving still means freedom and I don't regret getting my licence so early, I think it was a very positive thing for me. /end ramble

That made me laugh!! Not the bit about having had a family and then not, but the bit about the dog and the 'fun'. I, too, hate that part of it, but as a responsible dog owner I do my thing... besides which the joy, love and companionship she brings me far outweighs that chore! I do wish she'd stop insisting on going upwards of three times per walk though... there are not that many bins where I am :/ HAHA A long time ago I decided that my ideal 'retirement' or whatever would be living in a log cabin, with two huskies... now it could be Lottie and a husky... but two dogs nonetheless. A friend once asked what about people? I said, ok, well they can live nearby, but that'd be close enough! The dogs win!

I guess that's the best way isn't it, distraction? I think this feeling for me is a bit ironic, as I never really remember feeling it until just recently, and even now it's not a constant, just fleeting and not very often. I've always been good at being in my own company, and find that if I can't have my own space I really suffer... but I wondered if it was something to do with me getting older and contemplating life as an oldie when my family have gone their own ways

Oooh... lots of different stuff, but none of this Nu metal business! I like a bit of My Dying Bride and Opeth too... Favourites would be Nightwish, Edguy, Avantasia, Sabaton, Sonata Arctica, Children of Bodom... oh the list goes on

Oh dear!!! I'd love to do some more bread type stuff, but I am not so great at kneading. I have made my own pizza dough and cinnamon buns before though

I guess so... it's funny as I'd get people asking me how I got a shot and I'd know, to a point, but not always how to explain it. I'd also stand there wondering why they weren't able to this if they so desired with all their so called technical know-how, experience and classes they'd been to! I was a huge fan of shooting on aperture priority, but I guess that came down to starting out in dingy little clubs with little to no light and not understanding how to push the camera to its limits. I learned to love my 50mm 1.8 and would move in ways I didn't know were possible for me to get shots, where others would be stood rooted to the spot. As I learned a little more I still stuck to the way I knew best, and did so until the day I put the camera down. The only real time I changed the way I shot was when I was working on off stage promo type stuff with my brother but then I cheated and had him work on the settings with me, and me just set the shots / focus up.

Going to add to this and say... Pic of my girl the week she came home Things costing less than you thought they were going to Steel Panther... If you get past the lyrics they are actually really good at what they do and so, so funny on stage. I loved photographing their shows... although being able to take this shot, whilst not the most spectular in technical terms, I'll never forgot the fear that ran through me whilst up on stage... Snow also makes me smile, but more so when I'm in Finland or Norway, not when I'm here and the country grinds to a halt :/ (Ps do excuse the size of the pics, I tried to resize them but couldn't)

Ok, so here goes the 'baking' thread after a suggestion by Matzoball! Who here likes baking and what are your favourite things to make? I'm quite into baking and try to do some most weekends. I make stuff mostly for my family but other willing victims are often found at mine, my brother's or his gf's workplaces. I have a bit of a thing for making sweet things as you can try and decorate them nicely and the one time I made quiches (on request) I was obsessed with making symmetrical patterns with their fillings. I quite like making lamingtons as they are one of my favourite things to eat myself, but cupcakes are fun because you can have fun decorating them. I have started toying with making cookies and decorating those now though so have bought a book and plan to immerse myself in this over the next few weekends. Mostly, I bake because I enjoy it and find it therapeutic but not so if I don't like how the things have turned out!!

When you guys started with your technical camera talk I got lost... very lost! Although I did photography for many years I had no real technical knowledge and really only ever used digital... shameful I know!! I pretty much shot my stuff intuitively. I also felt that if I walked away with at least 10 good shots per band per show / festival I'd be happy. If I got more I'd be very happy sometimes my good was probably someone else's great, but there's no harm in trying to be the best you can be is there!!

You'd need to upload it to somewhere first. I guess the simplest way would be if you had a facebook account or something and linked them from there, as I guess you don't have a domain?

She's the kind of person we need in our corner, not someone who'll apologise for who / how we are. Afterall, why should we be embarrassed or ashamed of having AS / ASD? I saw your point about positivity and would have to agree, that if this was met with more positivity people would see that having AS / ASD doesn't need to be a disadvantage at all in many cases (granted there are some cases whereby people need more help and support than others). If children were encouraged to develop their talents and skills there's no telling what would become of them, rather than being moulded into a more 'normal' child. Socialising might not be the be all and end all of life, but sometimes, just sometimes I wish I was better at it on a 'friend' level as every so often I feel a little lonely. I don't crave human company as such though.

Tough is good!! I think both have their own appeal to whichever type of photography you're doing, or even down to each person doing that particular type of photography to some degree. I guess part of it is just what you get used to using as well. I know at the time I got my first bits of kit I believed that Canon handled low light situations better than Nikon, although, I'm reliably told that Nikon now surpasses Canon in this area. I hated the kit lens that came with my first purchase, so got a 50mm 1.8 after another gig photographer had suggested it. I used that exclusively for years for indoor gigs. Outdoors I used a Sigma as there was no way I could afford the Canon alternative. In the last couple of years I managed to get hold of a Canon 24-70 1.8 and that was a nice lens. Now, I have nothing as I sold it all so I couldn't be tempted back into the gig photography game!