Popular Post cksisson Posted November 30, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted November 30, 2023 Oh my gosh … so many helpful and kind comments … thank you all SO much. I’m wading through them all while also talking to a repairman fixing a squeaky roof turbine that’s freaking my mother out, dealing with a sick kitten, and trying to schedule a dental exam for a tooth that has decided to cause unnecessary pain. I will try to come back and answer questions later this evening when I’ve had the chance to fully read everything. You all have truly made my day, and eased my stress. My mental health hasn’t been so great lately, so the kindness I’ve experienced here is much appreciated. I was in a very dark place, and now I see glimmers of light. I needed that. I’m very isolated in my role as a caregiver, and I was starting to drown. 2 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 47 minutes ago, cksisson said: Oh my gosh … so many helpful and kind comments … thank you all SO much. I’m wading through them all while also talking to a repairman fixing a squeaky roof turbine that’s freaking my mother out, dealing with a sick kitten, and trying to schedule a dental exam for a tooth that has decided to cause unnecessary pain. I will try to come back and answer questions later this evening when I’ve had the chance to fully read everything. You all have truly made my day, and eased my stress. My mental health hasn’t been so great lately, so the kindness I’ve experienced here is much appreciated. I was in a very dark place, and now I see glimmers of light. I needed that. I’m very isolated in my role as a caregiver, and I was starting to drown. I know where you are. I walked in those shoes with husband who had vascular dementia. TIAs over years killed too many brain cells. I think he had Alzheimer’s at the end to go along with it. I dealt with it for years. I understand the dark place you are in…when your thoughts go in circles trying to find solutions when there are none unless you are rich. Considering the stress, I didn’t know who would die first for awhile. It was getting close that the answer would be me. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Woods Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 You could also email Contributor services (contributors@alamy.com) and ask them if they can be any more specific than the dreaded Soft/Lacking Definnition. In my experience the Alamy team are always very helpful and they may be able to give you a valuable insight into what they are seeing. We have all gone through these turbulent waters, don't worry. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 Can't add much useful to what has already been said. Just wishing you the best of luck. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 Good luck sorting out your problems 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin C Posted December 1, 2023 Share Posted December 1, 2023 Best of luck with sorting out your problem - I'm sure it will all work out positively in the end and just keep snapping 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 I suspect this conversation could get rather robust. As it's Carmens thread may I suggest we take any further conversation on the shortcomings of the subjective nature of QC over to Kimba's thread <RANT> QC Failure 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post cksisson Posted December 8, 2023 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) Wow, you guys responded in mass to what was definitely a cry for help, and the kindness alone did wonders for me. It allowed me to do something I’ve not done since the day I uploaded my first images at Alamy — take a break. Breathe. Concentrate on my family and health fully instead of going full-tilt at everything 24/7. I calmed down, set my camera aside for a few days while dealing with life stuff, and I didn’t worry about any of it. Before I knew it, I was getting the email tonight that I am unfrozen and good to go again. I realized in my down time that I needed to back off and get a grip. I have probably been lax lately, trying to do too much too fast. Alamy QC is right in their assessment, and the fault is mine. I entered the newspaper industry in 1987 when I was 14. The local weekly newspaper plucked me from my high school newsroom and began giving assignments to cover school news. That quickly escalated to feature stories, and before I knew it, I was racking up bylines about all kinds of things, from Friday night football to local Chamber of Commerce meetings. When the photographer didn’t show up to shoot one of my stories (the pecan festival), I took my paycheck to Montgomery Ward, bought a Minolta X-700, and before long I was creating our school’s first darkroom. I was already becoming known as a writer, but photography was my true love. It has been that way for my entire career. I have written for Washington Post, TIME, Christian Science Monitor, and lots of other places where my ability to shoot was considered a plus but not my “true” gift. Most editors shrugged and shoved my photos aside — my words were what they wanted. Editors, family, and friends all told me to “forget the cameras and stick to what you’re good at.” The thing is, I was a high-strung, anxious writer who felt incredible pressure to live up to an ideal I could never quite meet. Photography became my freedom, my outlet, my happy place away from the black hole of despair I felt as a writer. When I could no longer write because I could no longer travel, I arrived here, clinging hard to this passion that has kept me alive and reasonably sane. I finally had “permission” to be solely a photographer! And then I inadvertently made photography my new high-stakes, excel-or-perish profession. Oops. The time away made me realize that while you should always do your best, you shouldn’t take anything that seriously, especially in the news industry. I’ve seen so many changes. The early days of paste-up and China pencils, waxers and the gentle clank of steel reels knocking around in a canister in the dark …. today’s newcomers missed the best years. But I was there. And no doubt, I missed even better years. I love this industry as a whole, realizing that what an editor once told me is still true: I can love it all I want, but it will never love me back. I can give it my life, and it will swallow all I can give and demand more. That’s okay. That’s what I signed up for. But I have to remember to look around occasionally and lighten up. What I do is just one blip in the corner of a very big universe. It can and will change, over and over. I will adapt and roll with the flow, as I always have. That means giving my best while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. Today’s catastrophe is tomorrow’s story to laugh over with colleagues. In the overall scheme of the world, none of it means too much. Family, friendship, love, peace, joy, mercy, charity, faith, fellowship, forgiveness — these are what matter. How you get there is an ever-evolving story with an ending TBD. I appreciate every single one of your comments. The best thing about this industry is the people. Always was and always will be. Thank you all for the reminder. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I have an appointment with some Nikon Speedlights and cat food cans. I’m out of the “sin bin” and ready to rock and roll. Happy holidays and warm wishes from the sunny American South. -30- Edited December 8, 2023 by cksisson Clarifying my assertion that QC was right and I was wrong 6 2 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geogphotos Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, cksisson said: I love this industry as a whole, realizing that what an editor once told me is still true: I can love it all I want, but it will never love me back. I can give it my life, and it will swallow all I can give and demand more. That’s okay. That’s what I signed up for. That is the truth of it! Very glad that you are over the hump and smiling😀 Edited December 8, 2023 by geogphotos 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sally Robertson Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 32 minutes ago, cksisson said: Wow, you guys responded in mass to what was definitely a cry for help, and the kindness alone did wonders for me. It allowed me to do something I’ve not done since the day I uploaded my first images at Alamy — take a break. Breathe. Concentrate on my family and health fully instead of going full-tilt at everything 24/7. I calmed down, set my camera aside for a few days while dealing with life stuff, and I didn’t worry about any of it. Before I knew it, I was getting the email tonight that I am unfrozen and good to go again. I realized in my down time that I needed to back off and get a grip. I have probably been lax lately, trying to do too much too fast. Alamy QC is right in their assessment, and the fault is mine. I entered the newspaper industry in 1987 when I was 14. The local weekly newspaper plucked me from my high school newsroom and began giving assignments to cover school news. That quickly escalated to feature stories, and before I knew it, I was racking up bylines about all kinds of things, from Friday night football to local Chamber of Commerce meetings. When the photographer didn’t show up to shoot one of my stories (the pecan festival), I took my paycheck to Montgomery Ward, bought a Minolta X-700, and before long I was creating our school’s first darkroom. I was already becoming known as a writer, but photography was my true love. It has been that way for my entire career. I have written for Washington Post, TIME, Christian Science Monitor, and lots of other places where my ability to shoot was considered a plus but not my “true” gift. Most editors shrugged and shoved my photos aside — my words were what they wanted. Editors, family, and friends all told me to “forget the cameras and stick to what you’re good at.” The thing is, I was a high-strung, anxious writer who felt incredible pressure to live up to an ideal I could never quite meet. Photography became my freedom, my outlet, my happy place away from the black hole of despair I felt as a writer. When I could no longer write because I could no longer travel, I arrived here, clinging hard to this passion that has kept me alive and reasonably sane. I finally had “permission” to be solely a photographer! And then I inadvertently made photography my new high-stakes, excel-or-perish profession. Oops. The time away made me realize that while you should always do your best, you shouldn’t take anything that seriously, especially in the news industry. I’ve seen so many changes. The early days of paste-up and China pencils, waxers and the gentle clank of steel reels knocking around in a canister in the dark …. today’s newcomers missed the best years. But I was there. And no doubt, I missed even better years. I love this industry as a whole, realizing that what an editor once told me is still true: I can love it all I want, but it will never love me back. I can give it my life, and it will swallow all I can give and demand more. That’s okay. That’s what I signed up for. But I have to remember to look around occasionally and lighten up. What I do is just one blip in the corner of a very big universe. It can and will change, over and over. I will adapt and roll with the flow, as I always have. That means giving my best while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. Today’s catastrophe is tomorrow’s story to laugh over with colleagues. In the overall scheme of the world, none of it means too much. Family, friendship, love, peace, joy, mercy, charity, faith, fellowship, forgiveness — these are what matter. How you get there is an ever-evolving story with an ending TBD. I appreciate every single one of your comments. The best thing about this industry is the people. Always was and always will be. Thank you all for the reminder. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I have an appointment with some Nikon Speedlights and cat food cans. I’m out of the “sin bin” and ready to rock and roll. Happy holidays and warm wishes from the sunny American South. -30- Wow, you’ve just demonstrated your great writing skills in this post! I’m so glad you are feeling better and ready to go with photography again. It was really interesting to read about your experiences with journalism. I started doing photography at 14 with a Pentax K1000 and learned to process black and white film in a school lab. I wish I’d done what you’d done and got into writing way back then as I think I would have enjoyed it. I’m about the same age as you and in Australia and, yes, back then you could get jobs a bit more easily in such fields. Today it seems to involve doing a uni degree first. Take care as I know being a carer is challenging, having just come out of several years of it myself. May photography be your therapy and inspiration. All the best! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) Sometimes a Nikon lens and the camera's autofocus don't quite sync up properly which is why you can make an adjustment on some of the cameras to correct for front or rear focus issues (the focus is in front of or behind the spot you focused on). I didn't have that issue with my crop frame D5100 but I did with one of my lenses and my full frame D700. I was able to correct for this in the camera's menu and save the setting for whenever I used that particular lens. I don't recall which lens it was, but I had used the new lens to take photos by the beach at my cousin's house. The landscapes were fine, but some photos I'd taken of my cousin and her son were clearly off - the focus wasn't where it should have been on any of them. There had been a discussion on this forum about front and rear-focus issues, so I put the camera on my tripod and focused on my husband's eye both manually and using autofocus and discovered that the focus was off. I don't recall exactly what the focus adjustment setting was called to fix it, but I'm sure one of the many Nikonians here can advise you. (I sold my Nikons in 2018 so I can't check it for you). The D5100 menu did not have a lens/autofocus adjustment (later software updates might have changed that). I'd considered the D7000 when I bought the D5100 since it was a step up from that camera, so hopefully you can correct for any autofocus/lens sync issues if that's the problem. If your camera lacks that setting, Nikon may be able to adjust it for you. Only had to send off my Nikon once when the shutter on my D700 stopped working a few months after the warranty expired. They did the work for free and rushed it back to me since I had a big shoot coming up - so I was very impressed by their customer service. All my other lenses auto-focused perfectly on the D700 and even the one that was a problem on the D700 was perfect with the D5100, so if all the fails are with a particular lens/camera combo, that could be the issue. I think the D7000 is a dependable camera and while I prefer a full frame to a crop sensor, I still opt for my micro 2/3rds Olympus with its tiny sensor instead of my higher end 42/61MP full frame Sonys sometimes especially if I'm shooting travel or walking around images for stock. Bigger isn't always better - my hard drive fills up seemingly overnight from my huge Sony files. If you like to use a long zoom, there are benefits to a crop sensor There are plenty of reasons to keep the D7000. In fact, I bought the D5100 years after I got the much better full frame D700 because I needed something lighter when my neck & back acted up. I chose the lesser D5100 over the better D7000 to save a few more ounces of weight even though I could afford the better D7000. Full frame DSLRs are heavy, so think about that, since you seem to shoot mostly walking around and that weight makes a difference. Old timers like me can tell you, when you hit late middle age, even if you've always used a shoulder sling, your neck, back and shoulders will still develop issues from lugging all that weight. Personally, before getting a full frame DSLR, I'd look into mirrorless Nikons, but you'll need adapters to use your DSLR lenses. I still have some of my Nikon lenses I use with my Sonys. If you're going to spend money, first look at new lenses over a new camera, since you will keep good glass for years even as you change cameras. I love the uber megapixels of my Sonys but hate them too. Dust spotting a sky on such a huge image is a nightmare and file storage is too. Though it's more love than hate - the detail and low light capabilities are amazing. I went mirrorless before Nikon really perfected theirs or I'd have stuck with Nikon. I'd advise against getting any new DX lenses. I had an awesome and expensive cropped sensor wide angle zoom I'd saved up for and sold it when I upgraded from my first DSLR, the D70, to the D700, never thinking I'd "go backwards" and eventually buy another crop sensor camera. I wish I had only purchased full frame lenses that I could use with either kind of camera - If you buy new glass, I'd opt for full frame lenses you can keep if you move to full frame (which are generally better for landscape, wide angle travel/walking around architecture images & macro work). Also, consider buying used cameras - they don't hold their value the way glass does so you can find bargains - and if you want to stay with DSLRs a used full frame D800 or D850 would probably be a great camera and there are probably other models forum members can recommend. I haven't bought used cameras but when I started, I bought old analog lenses on ebay. I sold one 12 years later for the same price it cost and still use another because I love the bokeh of this manual focus lens. I was offered $450 for it and I paid $40 initially, but I love the feel of it, and when it worked so well with an adapter on my Sony, opted to keep it. I still buy used equipment mostly from KEH, sometimes ebay. Just some random thoughts/advice if you are considering new camera/lens. Edited December 8, 2023 by Marianne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) 21 minutes ago, Marianne said: Sometimes a Nikon lens and the camera's autofocus don't quite sync up properly which is why you can make an adjustment on some of the cameras to correct for front or rear focus issues (the focus is in front of or behind the spot you focused on). I don't recall exactly what the focus adjustment setting was called to fix it, but I'm sure one of the many Nikonians here can advise you. (I sold my Nikons in 2018 so I can't check it for you). The D5100 menu did not have a lens/autofocus adjustment (later software updates might have changed that). I'd considered the D7000 when I bought the D5100 since it was a step up from that camera, so hopefully you can correct for any autofocus/lens sync issues if that's the problem. If your camera lacks that setting, Nikon may be able to adjust it for you. Only had to send off my Nikon once when the shutter on my D700 stopped working a few months after the warranty expired. They did the work for free and rushed it back to me since I had a big shoot coming up - so I was very impressed by their customer service. All my other lenses auto-focused perfectly on the D700 and even the one that was a problem on the D700 was perfect with the D5100, so if all the fails are with a particular lens/camera combo, that could be the issue. You're talking prehistoric there in terms of the AF system on a D700 - a very fine camera in its day but not renowned for its AF capabilities. The only time I've ever had a problem with a lens and a Nikon AF system was with a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 on a D810 about 7 years ago. It wouldn't autofocus at all and AF fine tuning from the camera didn't work either. I brought it back to WEX, got the equivalent Nikkor for about twice the price and never looked back. I've never had any problem before or since with AF on any Nikon body and lens combo. I've never touched the fine tuning since - I forgot this even existed. The AF systems on the newer professional Nikon bodies (D850, Z8, Z9) are world class. Edited December 8, 2023 by MDM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 So glad you're doing well again - I had a feeling I was writing too late - and it turns out I started writing while you did, got distracted, eventually finished my rambling thoughts, hit send, then saw your reply. If you're considering any new equipment I shared some thoughts about equipment and autofocus/lens syncing issues. But it sounds like you figured it all out. I started off writing for magazines and newspapers too, in addition to marketing & corporate communications, and started taking photos to go along with my articles. Photography was always my first love and eventually I was hired for photo assignments. I used to worry that doing it professionally, even part time, would kill the love & then that shooting stock would kill my creativity, but I think even shooting silly concepts has made me a better photographer. Though I do use a lot more negative space than I used to. 😎 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I'll second Marianne's advocacy of M43 if you are looking for small size and portabilty. I currently use an Olympus EM1 MkII with the 12-40 and 40-150 f2.8 Pro lenses (effective 24-300mm range) and the pairing, though heavy by M43 standards, is still a lot lighter than even APS-C, let alone full frame equivelents. It all fits in a small camera bag, ideal for walking around. Image quality is excellent, easy to pass QC, and more than good enough for magazine front covers, even when fairly heavily cropped. Cropped from this: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 16 minutes ago, MDM said: You're talking prehistoric there in terms of the AF system on a D700 - a very fine camera in its day but not renowned for its AF capabilities. The only time I've ever had a problem with a lens and a Nikon AF system was with a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 on a D810 about 7 years ago. It wouldn't autofocus at all and AF fine tuning from the camera didn't work either. I brought it back to WEX, got the equivalent Nikkor for about twice the price and never looked back. I've never had any problem before or since with AF on any Nikon body and lens combo. I've never touched the fine tuning since - I forgot this even existed. The AF systems on the newer professional Nikon bodies (D850, Z8, Z9) are world class. The D7000 came out in 2011 or before so it's pretty old, though I imagine the software has been updated substantially. I forgot about the syncing issue too but someone's post made me think of it. My D700 always focused beautifully until it didn't with one of the "new" lenses I got in 2011 or 2012 - a Nikon lens. My much newer Sonys both have autofocus fine tuning too, so the syncing issue must still happen on occasion, though I only ever had the problem years ago with the D700. I understand it's a function of the calibration of the lens and the camera both being slightly off in the same direction (rear or front) so that the combo causes the autofocus to be ever so slightly off with the lens in question. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 16 minutes ago, John Richmond said: I'll second Marianne's advocacy of M43 if you are looking for small size and portabilty. I currently use an Olympus EM1 MkII with the 12-40 and 40-150 f2.8 Pro lenses (effective 24-300mm range) and the pairing, though heavy by M43 standards, is still a lot lighter than even APS-C, let alone full frame equivelents. It all fits in a small camera bag, ideal for walking around. Image quality is excellent, easy to pass QC, and more than good enough for magazine front covers, even when fairly heavily cropped. Cropped from this: Gorgeous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I see your location. One of my earliest jobs was photographer for semi-weekly Baldwin Times, Bay Minette. I still have connections there, mostly Byrds, As to getting back on the good side with QC. The advice used to be submit only (5) at a time for awhile & make them all bright sunny day f8 subjects, fast shutter speed, no sharpening. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) 5 hours ago, cksisson said: Wow, you guys responded in mass to what was definitely a cry for help, and the kindness alone did wonders for me. It allowed me to do something I’ve not done since the day I uploaded my first images at Alamy — take a break. Breathe. Concentrate on my family and health fully instead of going full-tilt at everything 24/7. I calmed down, set my camera aside for a few days while dealing with life stuff, and I didn’t worry about any of it. Before I knew it, I was getting the email tonight that I am unfrozen and good to go again. I realized in my down time that I needed to back off and get a grip. I have probably been lax lately, trying to do too much too fast. Alamy QC is right in their assessment, and the fault is mine. I entered the newspaper industry in 1987 when I was 14. The local weekly newspaper plucked me from my high school newsroom and began giving assignments to cover school news. That quickly escalated to feature stories, and before I knew it, I was racking up bylines about all kinds of things, from Friday night football to local Chamber of Commerce meetings. When the photographer didn’t show up to shoot one of my stories (the pecan festival), I took my paycheck to Montgomery Ward, bought a Minolta X-700, and before long I was creating our school’s first darkroom. I was already becoming known as a writer, but photography was my true love. It has been that way for my entire career. I have written for Washington Post, TIME, Christian Science Monitor, and lots of other places where my ability to shoot was considered a plus but not my “true” gift. Most editors shrugged and shoved my photos aside — my words were what they wanted. Editors, family, and friends all told me to “forget the cameras and stick to what you’re good at.” The thing is, I was a high-strung, anxious writer who felt incredible pressure to live up to an ideal I could never quite meet. Photography became my freedom, my outlet, my happy place away from the black hole of despair I felt as a writer. When I could no longer write because I could no longer travel, I arrived here, clinging hard to this passion that has kept me alive and reasonably sane. I finally had “permission” to be solely a photographer! And then I inadvertently made photography my new high-stakes, excel-or-perish profession. Oops. The time away made me realize that while you should always do your best, you shouldn’t take anything that seriously, especially in the news industry. I’ve seen so many changes. The early days of paste-up and China pencils, waxers and the gentle clank of steel reels knocking around in a canister in the dark …. today’s newcomers missed the best years. But I was there. And no doubt, I missed even better years. I love this industry as a whole, realizing that what an editor once told me is still true: I can love it all I want, but it will never love me back. I can give it my life, and it will swallow all I can give and demand more. That’s okay. That’s what I signed up for. But I have to remember to look around occasionally and lighten up. What I do is just one blip in the corner of a very big universe. It can and will change, over and over. I will adapt and roll with the flow, as I always have. That means giving my best while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. Today’s catastrophe is tomorrow’s story to laugh over with colleagues. In the overall scheme of the world, none of it means too much. Family, friendship, love, peace, joy, mercy, charity, faith, fellowship, forgiveness — these are what matter. How you get there is an ever-evolving story with an ending TBD. I appreciate every single one of your comments. The best thing about this industry is the people. Always was and always will be. Thank you all for the reminder. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I have an appointment with some Nikon Speedlights and cat food cans. I’m out of the “sin bin” and ready to rock and roll. Happy holidays and warm wishes from the sunny American South. -30- What lovely post! Too good for just a green arrow!!!! All the best! Edited December 8, 2023 by Mr Standfast 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Ore Posted December 9, 2023 Share Posted December 9, 2023 On 08/12/2023 at 02:55, cksisson said: But I have to remember to look around occasionally and lighten up. What I do is just one blip in the corner of a very big universe. It can and will change, over and over. I will adapt and roll with the flow, as I always have. That means giving my best while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. Today’s catastrophe is tomorrow’s story to laugh over with colleagues. In the overall scheme of the world, none of it means too much. Family, friendship, love, peace, joy, mercy, charity, faith, fellowship, forgiveness — these are what matter. How you get there is an ever-evolving story with an ending TBD. When I started thinking about submitting to Alamy, I wondered if I would be spoiling a wonderful past time for anxiety about the professionalism of it all. It's not been money I could count on and I spent too much on kit. Now I'm down to one camera, one flash, three reflectors, two tripods, and a macro photo attachment,but I've been playing with my electronic net stuff. My iPad ended up not charging and I realized not having the internet in my bedroom meant both the dog and I got a better sleep. I'll put the a6000 on a neck strap so I can maneuver around with it on crutches that give me free hands when I stop and take photos. So far, writing and photography (or learning anything manual like spinning, weaving, knitting) balance each other. I still get tiny checks occasionally from Harper-Collins, so at least one of my last SF novels earned out. I think working to please oneself and letting the audience (including photo and book editors) chips fall where they will serves to keep my joy in the interaction between the process and me, which is kinda what you're saying in your marvelous post. One editor said that historically, there was no correlation either way between best sellers or failures and long term literary value. The trick is keeping the "I did it" ego out of the way while figuring out what is my own individual way of of doing either photography or writing, and improving my own scope. And sometimes, I go out and look at my orchids, which grow here so well. And I always have breakfast at my friend's hotel, full of Nicaraguans speaking Spanish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxzoomy Posted December 9, 2023 Share Posted December 9, 2023 One thing I do at times to reassure myself is to look for walls and the like to provide a free tripod. It can limit the positioning but, aged 71, I am constantly swopping reading and distance glasses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 16 hours ago, zxzoomy said: One thing I do at times to reassure myself is to look for walls and the like to provide a free tripod. It can limit the positioning but, aged 71, I am constantly swopping reading and distance glasses. I'm 72 and have worn glasses for distances since being a school boy. For some time I have been taking my glasses off for close up work, typically reading, computer use and some of the sub contracting I undertake. After next years eye test I think I shall try reading glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 22 hours ago, Rebecca Ore said: <snip> I'll put the a6000 on a neck strap so I can maneuver around with it on crutches that give me free hands when I stop and take photos. So far, writing and photography (or learning anything manual like spinning, weaving, knitting) balance each other. I've only ever used crutches twice, after fracturing my pelvis in the mid 1970's, then after a hip replacement just over 10 years ago. The hip replacement in later years was down the RTA that causes my fractured pelvis. When temporarily on crutches then sticks and finally a single stick I used to just carry a single body and lens. My wife is extensively involved in spinning, weaving and knitting. She used to use a full size spinning wheel, but now a small electric motor driven device powered from a larger power bank with a 5v to 9v inverter attached. It's small and very portable. She has a medium size collapsable loom, and has fairly regular joint shows with other like minded people. At the last one she did well. She has knitted ever since I've known her, she has knitted most of my socks. I really should photograph more of her working. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCat Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 3 hours ago, sb photos said: I'm 72 and have worn glasses for distances since being a school boy. For some time I have been taking my glasses off for close up work, typically reading, computer use and some of the sub contracting I undertake. After next years eye test I think I shall try reading glasses. One of the nice things about drugstore reading glasses is you can just try them out in the store until something makes the text clear to you. If you have astigmatism you may need a prescription but if it is just nearsightedness you just need something that will magnify. Paulette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 2 hours ago, NYCat said: One of the nice things about drugstore reading glasses is you can just try them out in the store until something makes the text clear to you. If you have astigmatism you may need a prescription but if it is just nearsightedness you just need something that will magnify. Paulette So true, Paulette. No more reading glasses that cost upper $$ to $$$ after getting rid of my astigmatism post cataract surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StokeCreative Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, NYCat said: One of the nice things about drugstore reading glasses is you can just try them out in the store until something makes the text clear to you. If you have astigmatism you may need a prescription but if it is just nearsightedness you just need something that will magnify. Paulette This is something I specifically asked the optician as I'd assumed cheap readers were sub par, but he confirmed they are just fine (as long as no other correction needed). Edited December 10, 2023 by StokeCreative Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now