PERSONAL: My wife, CJ, and I have a love of photography.  It started for both us many years ago before we knew each other.  Now we often plan our vacations around our photography.  It is great to have someone to share one of your passions with.

BACKGROUND: I have been interested in photography since I was in high school.  A friend showed me how to develop and print black and white pictures.  Seeing a photograph appear in the developing fluid is magic.  I was hooked.  I still remember the excitement of developing a picture.  A light shines on a piece of paper in the dark.  The paper is placed in developer liquid.  Shake the tray gently and the picture appears. It is a special moment.

EQUIPMENT: Now I use digital cameras.  The magic is in the chips.  What you see in the camera is what you get on the computer screen.  The magic happens quicker.  It does not feel as special.  But the photography is still exciting.  I use a Canon camera - currently a 40D. It is a significant upgrade to the Canon D30 I used several years ago.  The lenses I use range from a 10-20 zoom to a 100-400 zoom.  I often use a tripod to keep things steady.

Last year, 2010, I started using a four-thirds camera by Panasonic called the Lumix G2. It is similar to a digital SLR but uses a digital viewfinder and has a rear LCD screen that pivots. The four-thirds refers to the size of the senor compared to a traditional 35mm. I like the camera because of its lighter weight (compare to the Canon) and very good performance.

This year, 2011, I have started using an iPhone 4 to take pictures. It is fun because you don’t worry about the equipment but just shoot. And there are lots of apps that let you experiment with your photos without using your computer. Transferring my iPhone photos to my iPad allows me to use a bigger screen to experiment with them.