I’m an active hobbyist. Birds have been my thing for the past few years and I’m just slowly stepping into the world of landscape. My photography interest goes back to a high school club in the 1970’s. Nature interest has been life-long, probably starting with family camping trips. After numerous detours and other life distractions, I started up again more seriously ~10 years ago.
My interest is just a personal journey, ideally with plenty of growth and learning along the way. I am not striving to turn pro.
I haven’t really been satisfied with the few other seminars and classes I’ve tried to date. Based on a first glance, NPN looks like an ideal place for me. I’m looking forward to getting to know the site and learning first, how I might fit in.
Hi, Dale. Welcome to NPN! I think you’ll find a friendly, helpful community of skilled photographers here. I know they have helped me improve my photography.
Nice first image. Blacks are so difficult to process correctly, but you did a fine job with good details. Looking forward to seeing more of your photography.
Hello Dale, and welcome to NPN. I am sure you’ll get a lot out of this community. I started out in my photographic journey with the high school year book, similar to the club you mention, and about the same time too (1974).
I really like your image here. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was: “Thus Quoth the Raven: Nevermore.”
Photography for me is a personal journey as well, so looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Welcome to NPN, Dale! Love your first post. I’m sure you’ll like this site, everyone is friendly and honest with feedback and critiques. It sounds like you already have a lot of experience, looking forward to more of your work and seeing your feedback as well.
Hello Dale and welcome to NPN. You’re dating yourself here… but that’s great as I have you beat by passing thru HS in the 60’s…
Your raven photo was a neat recall for me as I had a funny exchange of a red rock thrown my way by a raven in DVNP in a trade for a piece of bread years ago…
Hi Dale! Welcome to NPN! I can also relate to the description in your intro. NPN is a great community of nature photographers. Critiques are always friendly and respectful. I really like your raven photo and look forward to more of your work and contributions.
Welcome to NPN, Dale. Hooray, you’re the second hobbyist photographer to join NPN today. This is so great. I hope you’ll feel comfortable in this crowd. I’m also a hobbyist photographer who’s enjoying NPN tremendously.
Thanks Terry. Honestly the black levels on this were a little lucky. The otherwise horrible overhead sun worked just right with this awkward pose. Thanks for the welcome.
Hi and welcome aboard Dale. Ravens are my favorite birds and so thank you for posting such an unusual portrait of one. Most of us here are on the same photographic journey in nature - striving to see it all and to photograph it well and with sensitivity and flair. Hope you will feel right at home.
Welcome aboard! Great to have you here on NPN. Now is a great time to have become a member with a number of new and great things happening. One of them the “Guest Critique” which I’m guessing you know about! It’s ending tomorrow, but there will be another one soon!
This is a great community! What you write here reminds me of something I think needs to be said to everyone - not just you - but thanks for reminding me! And that is the old saying, “You get out, what you put in.” In other words, the more engaged, active and you contribute to others, the more you’ll get out of the site. And this goes out to everyone!
Take your time to settle in. We look forward to your images and participation.
Welcome Dale, I am sure you will like it here. There is a lot of helpful feed-back given and I hope you will find that also giving comments on other members images will be rewarding for your own development. What a great pose the bird in your image have. Like it a lot. I also think that you have managed the black colors very welll.
but that’s great as I have you beat by passing thru HS in the 60’s… 
