The best $500 I ever spent

[ConsAreLiars]

was buying my younger son a Panasonic DMZ-FZ5. Nature lover. Knows the names, common and Latin, and herbal uses and Indian lore, for every plant in the greater Northwest and many beyond, and regards them all with affection. No photo workshops or college courses, and no post-processing or editing. Just the most important thing, a connection between the photographer and the subject and the ability to see and share what others might/should see. A few more, not enough, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/50722509@N00/ .


Fairy Slipper


Wild Iris


Playa Eye

(edit because some damn key is always too close to another)

[Callalily]

1. Stunning photos.

I especially like the calochortus macrocarpa in your album. Nothing like that around here. We do have something similar to your fairy slipper, but we call it lady slipper. Suspect they are of the same family.

Kudos to you for buying your son a camera, and kudos to your son for learning plant identification.

[ConsAreLiars]

3. Not my album. His. Both kids are now in their late 20's

and on very divergent, but both progressive, paths, and good friends. This one dropped out of HS and survives by herding stray carts at a Whole Foods store. The other is on a fully paid grad school fellowship (all fees & living expenses, plus just a few days ago a fully paid trip to England to participate in a conference) at UC Berkeley.

"Jonny Hayseed," for whatever reason, became thoroughly dedicated to learning everything about plants and their herbal remedy value and everything else. And absorbed and retained everything. Put together an encyclopedia with all this knowledge as a labor of love (now residing on a dead Dell laptop). Later got a GED so he could add a couple years of college level studies to his knowledge base. I keep pushing him to keep adding to that album, with limited success. His affection for this subject shows in his photos.

[sandnsea]

2. Those are all just gorgeous

I really like the wind flower, but they're all wonderful.

[ConsAreLiars]

4. Agreed. I've tried shooting wildflowers

for many long years, spent far more on gear, taken workshops and all that, for more years than he's been alive, and only a very, very few would deserve to be shown along with his.

[Maestro]

5. Wow. He's talented.

Tell him to keep it up.

[ConsAreLiars]

8. Indeed. I have told him how I admired his talent.

He does it more oit of love of the subject than for the craft. He has a few thousand more on a dead laptop. But isn't as interested I am in seeing them resurrected.

[Eurobabe]

6. Nice compositions

You must be proud. :hi:

[ConsAreLiars]

7. Indeed I am very proud.

He had the same tendency we all start with, to put the subject dead center and ignore the background, but he got it once I pointed it out. Nothing like seeing one's kids surpass one in their talents and compassion to make one (this one at least) happy.