Since volunteering at the parrot sanctuary, I have been introduced to a new hobby: photography.
I love taking pics of these birds. Who wouldn’t, I suppose, right? I just love getting the details. The unexpected angles. Those eyes and feathers…. all the while watching out for those beaks.
I tried taking a photography class in college, but the first class was making your own camera from a film canister and I did NOT have the bandwidth for that crap. I suppose there was a point, and probably to start people at the very very very basics of understanding how a camera works by building a camera, but that was just not in my ability for attention and detail when I was 20-ish.
So now i’m 39. I’m trying to wade through the extra plump masses of information on choosing a camera, being realistic about the camera I choose, trying not to get bogged down with details and logistics of actually “Where are you every going to actually USE this camera, woman?!” not to mention, “and you’re just going to invest this money to look at pictures stored on your already over-stuffed computer?”
I’ve started a Your Shot account on National Geographic. I could look at those pro photographs all day long. It’s fascinating.
While I fully understand I wont be camped out among penguins on a glacier in Antarctica or hiding under a hidey hole in the tarantula-covered grounds of the Amazon, I work with nearly 300 macaws and African Greys and Amazons every week! (the Amazons are intimidating and crazy, so I have yet to develop a reparte with them as of yet) I live 30 minutes from a beautiful zoo. I live in the Pacific Northwest. Landscape is literally out my back door .. and front door, and side door and doggie door.
I have enough subjects to get me started… now I just need a camera, a useful class, and some inspiration.
(It’s a very limited collection thus far, but for anyone interested and/or knowledgeable here’s the link to my page: http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/1272414/ )
Sarcasmica 