Aussie living in Switzerland

[aslsw]

Hi everyone,

I stumbled across this site when just browsing the web, and what attracted me were (1) the tutorials, which have great explanations and images and (2) the friendly, helpful tone in the forums. So I figure this is my kind of place!

A bit of background. I first started taking photographs about 35 years ago in high school, where we learnt to develop our own black and white photos. Then marriage and kids came along so I really just did 'snapshots' ie. for memories. I bought my first digital camera when I overcharged a bad client(!) but as the quality improved I finally ended up getting my first DSLR about 4 years ago.

However, it's really been only in the last year that I have developed a real sense of my 'art' in photography. When I moved to Geneva, I joined in a few free photowalks run by a professional photographer - it was a great way to see the city, to see other people's work and to have your own work critiqued by a professional. So I still do the snapshots for memories of people and places, but now actively look for people and places where I can develop my own style.

What do I have? I originally had a Canon EOS550D but I upgraded 6 weeks ago to a Canon EOS70D. Why Canon? My brother is a keen photographer and has invested in a range of lenses, so it made sense to buy a Canon body so that I could borrow some of his lenses.

My only lens is a Tamron 17-270VC which I bought because I spend a lot of my life travelling for both work and pleasure - I just can't stand the thought of lugging a lot of gear around the world! I read all of the reviews when I bought it, I understood the compromises involved but I just love the total flexibility it brings when out and about.

Right now, the critical questions I have (which I'll be posting about in the forums) are:

• a new lens. I have a sense that the Tamron has drawbacks, so I've been thinking about buying a new lens to improve the quality of my photos. But I love the Tamron so much that I can't decide about which focal lengths, apertures and brands to choose from!
• upgrading to Lightroom. I've always used Picasa to organise and make slight adjustments to my photos. Recently I've been thinking about upgrading to Lightroom to bring more capabilities - but of course that means more to learn (and playing with Photoshop about 5 years ago made by brain hurt).

OK, that's enough. Here are some samples:

• all of my photos on Flickr
• photos from the photowalks in Geneva
• my black-and-white photos. I've only recently re-discovered the beauty of black-and-white photography and have been trying to practice a lot more.

[IzzieK]

A nice warm welcome, Anura from Geneva. You came to the right place to learn and impart your knowledge to us in the most friendly way you can.

If you have any questions at all, the general norm is to take your question in a separate post where some knowledgeable folks around here will try to answer the best they can...We are a very informal friendly group, I am sure you will enjoy the interaction of folks around here. Our admin is a Kiwi and quite a few Aussies are also members of this group. I am an Aussie to though I may say I was a transplanted Aussie. I was born somewhere else but Melbourne is still a place for me to live from time to time...at least twice a year...

Looking forward to your sharing your photos with us...

[dje]

Anura welcome from another Aussie, hope you enjoy the place.

Dave