Those of you who have seen my blog in the past may have noticed that I’ve changed the title from “I, Blog” to “I, Photog” and deleted all my old posts.

I’ve decided to change courses and write about the process of re-learning photography after years away from SLR cameras and using simple point and shoots and phone cameras to take snapshots rather than what people might call real photographs.

My first SLR was a Minolta XG-S (called the XG-9 in the US, and seen halfway down this page) when I was a boy in Japan. It was purchased for me by my dad, and it had a 50 mm 1.4 lens. I eventually acquired a 135 mm lens as well, aperture information of which is lost in the fog of history now. It was a great learning camera, and while I probably didn’t take full advantage of it or learn nearly as much as I should, it made an impression on me. I loved that camera, although I really coveted the Minolta XD.

I’m starting on the “phase II, decades later” part of my photography journey with another low end SLR, this time a DSLR by Nikon, the D5000. Since I’m not a rich man, I currently have the two kit lenses that came with it, the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR Nikkor AF-S Lenses. Also, since I’m not a rich man, I purchased a Nikon that doesn’t have an in-body AF motor, so any future lens purchases will likely be AF-S lenses as well.  I would like to get some lenses with some larger apertures at some point, but that’s in the future. For now, this modest equipment is what I’ll be using.

This blog will never purport to be an authority on anything photographic, but rather to chronicle points along the way of a journey of learning. I have eyes, I’ve seen the work of truly skilled photographers, and I won’t be giving in to the temptation to ever accuse myself of any acceptable level of skill. However, please do check the flickr photostreams of one of the most interesting people I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling friend, John Grace, and that of my father-in-law. Watching them progress and posting interesting shots solidified in my tiny brain that photography is something I want to take up again, and overcome the concern that my certain mediocrity need limit my enjoyment of it.

Once I start posting pictures, after I get to know my new camera a bit, I’ll welcome any and all constructive criticism. I emphasize constructive, because comments that are sarcastic in nature or anything along the lines of “FFS, seen this a million times” (as seen in a comment in the Delete Me Uncensored Flickr group) will be ignored. I don’t care what you’ve seen a million times, no one’s forcing you to read this blog, but I do care about improving from rank novice to something less mediocre in time.

In time, I will post some images, but as I practice behind the scenes, I will probably start off here by highlighting some gear, blogs, podcasts, books, software, and other photography related resources that I am finding as I reacquaint myself with the art and science of photography.

Let’s have fun!