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Hello a brief intro about me
Hi guys i'm Stu (short for Stuart) i'm 52 and have been with my lass (Shaz) since our late teens. I've had an old SLR for years but my photos have never really been the end goal. I paint wildlife on occassion ,when I get the chance ,which is rare. My camera has been a primary reference tool,also a tool that I use to convey what I've been up too as well. I have a tiny problem with letters my English language will always be a fight and I'll always struggle with it. If i've communicated something poorly please ask my and I'll try harder.
Shaz doesn't have the best health now,her strength is amazing and she won't be beaten,as we both adore animals and have worked with birds,which is now too heavy (lifting wise (shaz has some form of arthritis and a chronic back injury) We decided to set up a dart frog collection,there is always somewhere warn here now for Shaz and the duties are light but time consuming,so keep here busy animals are animals they heal us bring us joy. My mad scheme seems to have worked. Natually I have an interest in marco as some of our frog are VERY small.
AT the moment we are having a bit of a tough time:up until the summer I have been a care worker. Basically I looked out for a guy who had a hard time in life he has a brain injury and chronic kidney problems. So for something like 9 years 6 days a week my life had been devoted to trying to help him.Before this I worked extensively with rare breeds of poultry and waterfowl at a private collection. Sadly I found my friend passed back in may, a very hard day not only my friend but my livelyhood gone on the same day.I'm a practical guy who has always made things,I'm now working on building sites,as I needed a new job very quick. Not even time to grieve properly,all very sad. But i'd like to dwell just a few seconds on photography and it's power,not everyone will realise what photos can do for someone like Rodders(RIPmate) .
Rod's brain injury meant he couldn't hold on to everything that we saw. Becuase a lot of his life was spent plugged into a machine,I would take him out into the countryside and show him nature. Part of this was me snapping things he saw. Rod's eyes weren't terribly good,but photogrphy gave him chance to see all we had seen in detail and helped him remember,so enhanced his brain capacity. I can't really convey how much nature and photographs helped him and brought him joy,but I think it's worthy of mention here.
I would hope I have a good eye for colour/composition, as I mentioned I've played with painting all wildlife and birds since childhood:this panda is one of a handful of pictures painted in my adult life(I hope this work out ok being so new here this is a photo of a transparancy,the original is in a private collection:
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So my endevors now are geared towards a much more serious form of nature photography,I have always watched nature and want to try and portray more of what I see. I have probabaly good fieldcraft skills honed over years of watching. I use Canon,I got given some money when my grandparents passed,I bought a 300 f/2.8 is(first version),it's sort of lovely as everytime I go out I think of this amazing couple who meant so much to me!! I have recently upgraded my body to a 1Div i'm still very much learning all this. I also have both mark iii extenders I use with the 300 at times. My processing is all in canonsDPP (3 and 4). At this time I am set on trying to get a really good image off the back of the camera,I shoot RAW/maual almost all the time. i'm basically trying to do this in stages,I figure I can always come back once I have got the practical side of getting my exposures correct and images sharp with post as everything I do now is nondistructive.
Finally i'm as mad as a march hare,always looking to make someone smile,please forgive i'll never change. I suppose when one has been to some very hard places trying to help someone else whom is struggling the ability to use humour becomes something of a godsend so I shan't spare you good folks, either I can say there will never be any malice.
Oh one last thing the warmth shown here is lovely even to a new mad guy like me i'd like to say thanks for reading and hope to contribute as best I can. Take care all
Kind regards
Stu
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Super Moderator
Hello Stu...what a story. I'm glad you have found BPN, I'm sure you will find that we have a good thing going on here to help people improve, learn, and grow as nature photographers. We all share the same passion(s) and we are all here to help each other.
Welcome aboard, ah, and that is a really beautiful painting of the panda you have shared with us. Thank you!
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Originally Posted by
Daniel Cadieux
Hello Stu...what a story. I'm glad you have found BPN, I'm sure you will find that we have a good thing going on here to help people improve, learn, and grow as nature photographers. We all share the same passion(s) and we are all here to help each other.
Welcome aboard, ah, and that is a really beautiful painting of the panda you have shared with us. Thank you!
Hiya Daniel,thanks for the kind words . Yes much to learn and after lurking here for a good while I already know what you say above about the kindness and willingness to share wisdom here to be very true
take care and many thanks
Stu
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BPN Member
Welcome Stu. You will learn a lot here
Will
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welcome Stu -- we look forward to your participation!
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BPN Member
Welcome to BPN, Stu, and thank you for sharing your story. I'm sure you'll find much to love here, and looking forward to your participation!
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Originally Posted by
William Dickson
Welcome Stu. You will learn a lot here
Will
Yup that's very evident Will,as with some many here love your work cheers for this oh and apologies to all for slow replies
take care Will short straight and sharp
Stu
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Originally Posted by
Diane Miller
welcome Stu -- we look forward to your participation!
Hey Diane,all credit for all you do to help others,inspiring kiddo!!
speak soon
Stu
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Originally Posted by
Christopher Miller
Welcome to BPN, Stu, and thank you for sharing your story. I'm sure you'll find much to love here, and looking forward to your participation!
Hey Christopher,am I ok to call you Chris? thank you for your warmth and kind welcome bro. You are all such lovely folks and great photographers to boot,it's humbling to have this warmth bestowed on a little guy like me. I've loved what Artie and Peter created for a long time Christopher, If my participation can make some one smile that will be a start,I'd like to give more but that's always hard when one is learning.Be lucky in all you do Christopher and many thanks for taking time to welcome me
take care
Stu
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BPN Member
Originally Posted by
Stuart Philpott
Hey Christopher,am I ok to call you Chris? thank you for your warmth and kind welcome bro. You are all such lovely folks and great photographers to boot,it's humbling to have this warmth bestowed on a little guy like me. I've loved what Artie and Peter created for a long time Christopher, If my participation can make some one smile that will be a start,I'd like to give more but that's always hard when one is learning.Be lucky in all you do Christopher and many thanks for taking time to welcome me
take care
Stu
It's okay to call me Chris, Stu. Hope you have fun here!
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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Hey there, Stu. That is a great pic of a panda. Looking forward to getting to know you and your work here on BPN.
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BPN Member
Hello Stu! Welcome! Will look forward to seeing all the aspects of your work!
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Hi Sandy ,I'm sorry for being slow to reply,things are incredibly busy here. Sandy with time I'm hoping to become more familiar with your work to,mind I must congratualte you on the lovely image the was the etl iotw.I have a bit of a soft spot for waterfowl,just wonderful that picture
take care
Stu
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Originally Posted by
Grace Scalzo
Hey there, Stu. That is a great pic of a panda. Looking forward to getting to know you and your work here on BPN.
Thanks Grace,hmm slow old job that one. Grace the picture was based around pictures taken in China by a lovely couple,whom gave me permission to work this up from images in their book,thanks so much for the kind words.
Grace, I have recently seen the most stunning pair of terns mating made by you. What a deeply enchanting image and by god you took it well !! Just wonderful Grace something for me to aspire too. I'm really just starting out on the more serious side of all this Grace it will be a goodly while before I post pictures like yours,but i'm fairly driven so hopefully with time i'll improve. Thank you again for the warmth and sorry being slow to reply life is a bit mad here at the moment
take care
Stu
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Hello stu, that picture of the panda is wonderful and amazing.
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Originally Posted by
Tony Johnson
Hello stu, that picture of the panda is wonderful and amazing.
Hiya Tony,buddy please forgive,way way too many hours of graft is leaving this old guy slow on all.
Cheers for the above Tony,it's SO kind, maybe one day that and cameras will amalgamate who knows??? At the mo it's complete befuddlement,but huge fun when we get chance
thanks again Tony really kind of you ha managed head down for 5 weeks was lovely,second full bore painting in something like 20 years,the opacity of acrylic and being able to lay white on back plus that translucent wash side was cool to dig at
thank you
Stu