I even have Aperture on the Mac, and can tell you that it's a great way to view what you've worked on, but Lightroom beats the editing, plus it is cross platform to the PC.

This topic area is where I will spend the most time. We are alot alike with repect to music and photography. I and working between a couple of point and shoots, the Canon XTI and the Nikon 50d with a variety of lenses and filters. I think the next investment is for Photoshop. i just havent broken down and gotten it yet. Look forward to exchanging thoughts. Longwood is around the corner from our house and we are there quite often. Maybe you have inspired me to post on my own blog....we shall see.

M

without passion and to some degree obsession this world would be getting nowhere. And someone has to take photographs. Those fractions of seconds are all that remains. No one is watching film material. It's the pictures that will endure. And would you like your loved ones to be remembered by a terrible point&shoot image for the next maybe hundred years?

I am in average quite a lousy photographer. Only recently I finally managed to understand some basic flash photography rules. But every once in a while I accidentally make a picture that really strikes. And when it comes to people they are very often happy and flattered and grateful for receiving the image as a gift. I am always the one who gathers everone for a group picture. And that's what fuels me to carry the photo bag and, yes, to also put in the 85mm lens and spend another evening "processing". Because if it wasn't for me, there wouldn't be any of those pictures.

And of course my wife frowns at the time and money that is "lost" with my photo stuff. But guess who urges me to load her iPhoto with the latest pictures from the kids?

There is another world on the other side of the rangefinder. And just because it is so beatiful, I feel it is worth the effort to preserve those precious fractions of seconds every once in a while.

Stephan