Hello from Texas

S

Steve Boykin

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I discovered this forum through Chris' photographs on another site. I'm really hoping to learn a lot here. I've seen some really great photography on this forum. My name is Steve. I'm 52 and started photography late in life. I am currently using an X Pro and absolutely love the camera. That said, I'm not much of a photographer. I mostly take pictures of my three rescue dogs Stanley, Hugo, and Ruby. I do have a project in mind but want to improve my skills first. Here are the children. Ruby (the one on the bridge) is a very special story. I managed to get her off Bastrop State Park the day before 95% of the park was destroyed by a Wildfire. She of course has proceeded to run up over $4000 of vet bills in the last year......sigh.... :)

THANKS!!!!!!!
 
Steve,

Welcome to RPF. I like the pictures. The X Pro certainly works well. We are all here to learn and it is a very friendly and informative place to do that.
 
Welcome officially Steve! :)

Looking at the pictures I was struck by the backdrop as much as the subjects - it's not what I had in my head as Texas?

So clearly it's not all dessert, cacti and oil fields!

Really looking forward to learning more about the area through your photos.
 
Welcome Steve!
i have noticed Chris's xpro photos being banded around the Internet like they are something special ... (Of course they are, but sshhh ;))
where did you find us then? :)
 
THANKS so much everyone. I just got back from a 3 hour hike with the dogs. Ruby mercifully is unscathed. Every time that happens I count it in the win column!!

I saw some Chris' photos on DPR. But I actually found the site through the Scoopit link for the Fuji X Pro. After about 10 minutes I was hooked. No arguing about my camera is better than your camera. You are idiot for liking this camera. Ect.

I was also floored by the photos I saw on the various threads. I'm a huge photography fan but I'm a learning photographer. Hands down this forum has the best photography I've seen so you may regret me finding you guys because I'm probably going to ask a lot of questions. That said, I don't think a particular camera will make a person a better photographer. I think it's about composition, lighting, and ideas among other things.

Again, thanks to everyone for the warm welcome. I promise not to bore you with too many dog pictures.

As soon as I can I will update my profile. But suffice to say I am head over heels in love with the X Pro. I need to start shooting RAW files with it though. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the 23mm, 27mm, and 56mm lenses. I want to get the 14 at some point, but I think I need to improve my composition skills before going that wide.
 
Lesley Jones said:
Hello and welcome Steve! I can sympathise with the rescues - we have nearly 40 here. Not dogs, but a mixed assortment of species. They manage to keep us poor :)
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for what you do. Have you seen that photographer Nick Brandt's photos of animals in Africa? They are really amazing.

Ruby has been a hand full this year. She has been bitten twice by rattlesnakes, had 9 stitches, and now she has developed an abscess from something. The vet did want to do surgery at first. The abscess has gone way down and I'm hoping we won't have to go there. It doesn't seem to bother her.

She was a clearly abused dog when I first managed to catch her. She was terrified if anyone tried to pet her. She's much better now. She is still somewhat shy around men. She is just full of energy and jumps in first.....then thinks about it. I have to really watch her when we go hiking. I mostly keep her on a very long leash. But as she has gotten better, I've given her a bit more freedom.

My 11 year black lab mix was the same way. He was constantly in trouble until he was about 3 years old. I guess I still have a ways to go with Ruby.

Hugo is fundamentally a couch potato. He loves children. The only problem I've ever had with him is he wandered off with a group of girl scouts we met on the trail one day.

I also have a 13 year old cat, Josephine. I found her walking to work one day. She didn't even have her eyes open. She ended up living in an incubator for a week and needed two blood transfusions because she had flea anemia.

I'd probably be living on the Riveria right now if wasn't for the animals.......:D
 
It sounds as though Ruby is more than a tad accident prone. Abcesses can take an age to heal. It depends on where they are and if the drainage hole is in the right place to stop them filling up again. Fingers crossed she won't need the surgery.

I used to home check for a rescue centre, which of course meant I kept taking "work" back home. Then I home checked for Cat's Protection. They stopped asking for my help when they realised we had more cats than the local shelter. (I think we were up to 18 at that time). Then I got involved in ferret rescue and we currently have 14 free ranging in a converted room downstairs. We did have a rescued iguana, but she died earlier this year. They don't normally live beyond the age of 10 in captivity, but Eddie got to the grand old age of 15. We have 2 llamas and a pig in the fields and we also rescue ex-battery hens.

I don't mind the poverty as much as the stress of losing them... :(
 
Lesley Jones said:
I don't mind the poverty as much as the stress of losing them... :(
Click to expand...

I'm very afraid of how I'm going to handle Stanley. He is now approximately 11 years old. He was abandoned at a vet's office when he was about 3 months old. He had contracted Parvo and when his original "people (and I use that term loosely..)" found out the cost of curing him they opted to have him euthanized. The vet didn't have the heart to do it. When I adopted him he was about 6 months old. We have been inseparable since then. In all I have boarded him for 4 days in the last 10 years. When my dad was in the hospital after a massive stroke he stayed with me and Mom (who has Alzheimers). He was an enormous comfort for Mom.

Ruby is just a mess. That said, I absolutely adore her. So do Stanley and Hugo. She will grow out of it. She has already gotten better. However it's been an expensive training period. The abscess is on her side. The vet thinks it's a thorn. It's much smaller now. There is one pocket left which probably has whatever caused it.

I live in a really rural area now. The vet is very good but you end up waiting with various farm animals too. It's kind of fun. Last time we went I was in line behind a lady with a bouncing box. The box contained Ralph the rooster who had a bad case of Bumble Foot.

I suppose I'm mostly to blame. I like to let them enjoy being dogs.

Llamas are amazing animals. I had the opportunity when I was younger to travel to Ecuador several times. They are extremely intelligent.
 
We're currently nursing one of our cats through the last stages of a brain tumour. She was given a poor prognosis some 6.5 years ago, but we've battled on with surgery and chemo. She can't walk, but is happy in her bed and she eats well, although she gets very messy. She loves being bathed and blow dried and we put her on the litter tray twice a day. She is running out of pills and I ought to take her in for another blood test, but I hate the thought of the staff judging us for keeping her going. They don't know her like we do. I realise that it's nearly time, but not quite. On Valentine's day her specialist gave her another two weeks, but she continues to purr for England.

I can sympathise with your Mum too as mine had Alzheimer's towards the end. We moved her to a wonderful care home five minutes from where we live and she only lived for another eight weeks. The animals are my only family now. I think photography keeps me sane. Almost... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Isaac J. Allen
Hello from Southern Utah!
Replies
9
Views
192
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor
C
Hello from Texas
Replies
7
Views
368
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Paul Taylor
Hello from Phoenix
Replies
9
Views
334
Beth Carter
Beth Carter
P
Hello from Sunny Florida
Replies
6
Views
384
Gary R. Smith
Gary R. Smith
Laurence Griffiths
Greetings from Brisbane, QLD
Replies
18
Views
449
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Ivar Dahl-Larsen
Back
Top