Originally posted by A.Yzerr Hello forum,
I originally got into photography because I have an abnormally bad memory. Not just the "ha-ha, I can't remember anything!" kind, but I actually can't remember things that matter to me. I realized recently that I actually should work on trying to catch those moments and times earlier rather than later...
It was a few months after I realized that it's not a point just to document things and take a picture - that didn't really help with remembering. No, instead it was more about taking THAT picture. The one that told me the story again and conjured up something for me. It was after this I got a little more serious about trying to learn how to properly capture images mechanically, and the touch of composition. When I really started paying attention to how I should try to take a picture, it occured to me that, Hey, this is why photography is an art...
...I chose Pentax primarily because I got to hold a few models in a local store, and it felt so much better, I liked the menus more, and everything just felt right. The other big reason was because I tend to do a lot of outdoors traveling around, and I really like the weather-sealing approach that so many of their bodies incorporate.
So, I went ahead and picked up a K-3, 18-135WR, 50 f1.8, and a 100mm WR macro (because I'm an entomologist, and I like bugs). I also grabbed an AF-360FGZ II...
I've read this forum pretty extensively, but I just signed up. Looking forward to asking some questions and learning from the community here!
Welcome! I'm new here too.
I find what you have conveyed is powerful. I have no memory issues myself, but I resonate with your story at many levels, even with respect to memory. A picture can add dimension to memory--if you have the technical ability to figure out the puzzles involved. And the puzzles are often fun ones.
I'm also a biologist (though not an entomologist. I'm a theoretical evolutionary biologist with a passion for tropical rain forest), and I just last week moved from Canon to a K3 18-135, AF-360FGZ Flash and am going to pick up the 100 Marco WR next. Just like you, Weather sealing was a/the decisive factor, though now having shot the K3, I'm discovering the many other charms of the Pentax worldview, and the K3 in particular. Even the 18-135 WR is a surprisingly charming little lens, if you recognise its limits.
My intro was here:
Why I left Canon for a K3
with the meat of my story at post #14. But more interesting than what I wrote were the excellent replies I got from seasoned Pentaxians. Probably worth a look.
I also found this other interesting site through the Pentax forums:
Extreme Macro
That one has me thinking about reversing old enlarger lenses and things. Didn't know that the parts existed to make that so easy, nor that it would be a good thing to do. But now I do.
What is your specialty in entomology?