​Tell us a little about yourself:

I'm Steve, a native Californian, and currently live in Monrovia (a foothill community near Los Angeles) with my lovely wife of 33 years.  I'm a stereo-typical electrical engineer, so my artistic skills are rather underdeveloped.

I started dabbling in photography in high school and college, and bought a Yashika Electro-X in the early '70s.  Couldn't really afford film and processing, so rolled, developed, & printed my own B/W.  In 2011 I renewed my interest in photography with the purchase of an entry-level DSLR.

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Are you an amateur or a pro photographer?

For me you need a 'rank amateur' category.  I'm not even sure what a photo-enthusiast is...  :-)
 

What do you like to photograph?

​My tastes vary widely, but I especially enjoy capturing things we may miss with our eyes - nature shots, macros, etc.  I am attracted to the unusual.

 

​What is in your photography kit?

Strange stuff.  I like to tinker, and much of my enjoyment comes from making something work for a purpose for which it was not intended.  In addition to the D3100 I have a home-made neutral density filter, a P&S camera modified for time lapse, a P&S camera modified for IR, old manual lenses and strobes, cardboard adapter for a telescope, reversing rings, etc.

 

What's your favorite lens?

I'm not a fan of changing lenses.  I tend to favor the lens that is currently on the camera and won't change it if I think I can get by with it (I'm pretty sure this breaks some rules somewhere...).  I have 35 and 50mm primes, and the usual 18-55 and 55-300 zooms.  Nothing expensive.

 

​Any favorite photographer(s)?

I'm blown away by innumerable photographers in the Flickr community.  I don't follow or have a particular favorite, however.

 

​Which is your own favorite picture?

I like this capture of a hummingbird (see picture at the bottom of this page).  The background colors look a bit like an abstract oil painting, with the bird flying in front of it (your perception / mileage may vary...).

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What is your dream?

​I'd be happy to be able to enjoy photography as a hobby into retirement years, should they ever arrive...
 

​Any advice or great tips to share?

I'm more in the 'seeking advice' phase...