Like most amateurs, I hit some limits very quickly. Basically, the novice is stuck with the film that comes out of the camera and prints processed by automated photo labs. Occasionally, I would get a picture that I liked. But many times, I would find that one side needed to be cropped (cut-off), that the camera had been slightly tilted, or that some small distraction in the distant background ruined my picture. As such, I gradually lost interest over the course of time.

Several years ago, I lost the use of my right hand. By chance one day, I picked up an old Canon AE-1 and decided to try using it again. There were numerous obstacles. I had to use a neck strap at all times to avoid dropping a camera. Then there were problems with how to use a 35 mm camera left-handed. That meant practicing with side grips, collapsible monopods, and shutter cable releases jammed between my fingers. Finally, I settled on a conventional tripod as most practical for still shots.

Having modest success with a variety of adaptations, I went way out on a limb and purchased a Canon 10D digital camera with an auto-focus zoom lens. The camera worked quite well and did not need any film but the big surprise was the digital software that came in the box with it.

Suddenly, I could crop and re-size pictures any way that I wanted. Tilted shots were easily rotated with a simple computer function. Light levels, contrast, and color balances were now new things to play with. In any case for many amateurs including myself, the advent of digital cameras in the consumer market has created an entirely new set of endeavors in photography.

This is a very simple website. Most of the examples shown are are outdoor subjects found in southeast Iowa. Please feel free to study the images and try some of the techniques shown.