raboof wrote:
Kevin, since you mentioned that it was your dad's dream...it was my dad's dream too. He fought under the South Vietnamese Army and you know the rest of the story. 13 years in concentration camp took a lot of dreams from him.
He never get to know me because I was 14 months old and he was gone for the next 13 years.
I picked up woodworking probably in the back of my mind, because I wanted to connect with him. I know his dreams. I wanted him to live through me (like most parents always say)...although he never mentioned it.
I hope your dad finds peace. I hope mine too. Such a painful history.... exactly 45 years ago.
Unfortunately the military and PTSD from a few different things that happened to us as a family sucked all those dreams from him. October of 2017 he was diagnosed with extremely aggressive leukemia and died 4 months later.
Like you, I do woodwork because of him. I also do stained glass because of him. Hell, I work on cars, do handyman work, and have a lot of emergency training because of him. He didn’t show me how to do it all, but he instilled the desire in me. Only thing I do that he didn’t is photography. My grandmother was the photographer...sort of. She was poor, so she couldn’t afford film, let alone processing fees. So she would look through the camera and trip the shutter and take “mental pictures.” Whenever she did get the chance to shoot on film and have it developed, she had a pleasing documentary style with a very “you are there too” feel to them.
I have always been fascinated by how much our ancestors can influence us. I look forward to seeing more of your woodcraft.
The most amazing scene in childhood was a trip I did in India and suddenly these terraced rice paddies shining under the sun suddenly showed up upon crossing into a valley.
Very interesting discussion on carpentry and rice starting with Chuong's post. Learned about the history of rice in South Carolina on a trip to Charleston and bought a basket made out of sweetgrass at the historic market in the town.
leighton w wrote:
From what you have shared, it looks like you're off to a great start! When I started, I knew nothing. This was before the internet, so I watched hours of the New Yankee Workshop and read a lot. But the biggest help was just making something. I made a lot of mistakes, (still do) but eventually got fairly good at it. I will say it helps to have the right tools. In fact, when we moved here, the idea was for me to make furniture and sell it. But the County wouldn't let me because of zoning and it wasn't worth the fight.
I'm glad to hear you're you growing some yourself, more folks ought to, especially now. I love watching Youtube videos of farmers from around the world to see how they do things. The terraced rice paddies in some parts of the world amaze me. ...Show more →
Very interesting Kevin and Chuong. My dad had a film camera that I was never even interested in touching. I have photos and negatives from the camera, but try as I might, I can't even remember what brand it was, I was that oblivious to photography at that time.
Somehow it took me until much later to develop interest in cameras at all, starting with a little Canon S40 digital sometime in the late 90's and then moving to the Nikon D50 around 2007, when I thought I was going to connect a camera to my Celestron telescope and take pictures of planets and galaxies.
I lived near the Mekong Delta so there aren’t anything sophisticated. Just endless sea of rice fields. Sunset on these fields is something that I miss dearly. The winds make the waves and their shadows move under the last rays of light...my goodness. If I had a Nikon
saph wrote:
The most amazing scene in childhood was a trip I did in India and suddenly these terraced rice paddies shining under the sun suddenly showed up upon crossing into a valley.
Very interesting discussion on carpentry and rice starting with Chuong's post. Learned about the history of rice in South Carolina on a trip to Charleston and bought a basket made out of sweetgrass at the historic market in the town.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Dang, we only got two planes down here! We was robbed!
Only two planes? One less and it would just be a regular training flight.
The sentiment is still there though in two jets, for medical personnel who are working thru this time in exposed conditions. If I remember correctly, that includes you, so thanks!
saph wrote:
Very interesting Kevin and Chuong. My dad had a film camera that I was never even interested in touching. I have photos and negatives from the camera, but try as I might, I can't even remember what brand it was, I was that oblivious to photography at that time.
Check the exif !
saph wrote:
Somehow it took me until much later to develop interest in cameras at all, starting with a little Canon S40 digital sometime in the late 90's and then moving to the Nikon D50 around 2007, when I thought I was going to connect a camera to my Celestron telescope and take pictures of planets and galaxies.
My dad had a Pentax slr that he used to take slides all round the world when he was in the Merchant Navy before he married my mum, had kids and got job at the Ford plant.
Mum still has boxes and boxes of them.
All the time I knew it it was in pieces in a cut glass fruit bowl in the dining room.
The light pollution here is not conducive for astrophotography, so the 4 inch Celestron is catching dust somewhere. Probably have to go hundreds of miles before one can spot the Milky Way.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Dang, we only got two planes down here! We was robbed!
Very funny Laura!!!! Stay safe at your work!
I do miss air shows. First the budget woes (!!!) meant the local air show at Andrews was cancelled several years running. Then the last couple years it did start up but it was storms or some such thing that I didn't make it there. Wouldn't carry the 500 F4 P handheld there George Probably the 400 5.6 though.
I'm loving the conversation about families, fathers, remembering early experiences that contribute to choices we make later in life. And delight in the fact we have friends here from other parts of the world who bring their experience to the conversation. Chuong, the woman who cut my hair for almost thirty years is Vietnamese. I've seen photos of her in a school uniform riding a bicycle to the Catholic school she attended in Saigon. Her father worked for the U.S. military so when things came apart there was a dash to get her family out of the country. Unfortunately, she was on a trip and the family left without her. She lived alone in the family home for a couple of years, surviving by selling things from inside the house so she could buy food. Eventually she was able to join family in the U.S. but she lived through those difficult years after the war ended. What a dark time that was in the history of both countries with a great many lives wasted.
There was a camera in our home when I grew up and my mother created an album with old photos she gave me sometime along the way. I'm glad to have them, but I wouldn't say that experience contributed to my interest in photography. I bought my first camera in preparation for a trip to Greece after I'd graduated from college... a Nikkormat with a couple of lenses I can't now remember... though I did buy a long zoom from Soligor. The Nikkor was simply too expense. I shot Ektachrome slide film and took hundreds of photos... but alas I think I only have two or three slides remaining. At some point along the way the camera and lenses disappeared but I'd lost my interest in photography and it didn't matter.
It took me many years and involvement in an online photography website to rekindle my interest in photography... TrekEarth. A few years later I arrived at FM and stumbled on some manual focus lenses that changed everything. Now I hang out with folks from around the world talking about whatever arises in our ongoing conversation. I think that is pretty fine. Thanks everyone.
So George's quite beautiful 35-200 f/3.5-4.5 arrived this afternoon. WELL BOXED George. I wasn't sure I was going to get that shrink wrap off... Thanks again. That was pretty fast delivery all across the United States. Now I'll have to take some photos and make my report. I'm excited!
Good conversation about family and what started the photography interests.
Never really had an interest in photography until high school, but I remember the Yashica Twin Lens Reflex camera that my dad used to capture childhood memories. All this conversation had me going to *bay to look up Yashica TLR's. The Buy it Now pricing was enough to make me hesitate for something that would just sit on a shelf, that and I can't remember the exact model anyway. Thanks (I think) for stirring an almost impulsive purchase; definitely thankful for the stirring up of good memories.
"The flyby of the two F-16s was part of Operation American Resolve to honor those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to lift Ohioans’ spirits.
The 180th Fighter Wing flyby included Troy Hospital, Springfield Regional Medical Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Grandview Medical Center, Dayton VA Medical Center, Riverview Health Institute, Miami Valley Hospital, Southview Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital South, Greene Memorial Hospital and Springfield Air National Guard Base."
And yes, both of my jobs are considered "essential worker", healthcare and postal. Can't wait for the conversion of the postal job to an actual career position.
pbraymond wrote:
Only two planes? One less and it would just be a regular training flight.
The sentiment is still there though in two jets, for medical personnel who are working thru this time in exposed conditions. If I remember correctly, that includes you, so thanks!
Yeah, I did say that rather tongue in cheek... I did make it to last year's air show one day last year, thanks to a friend. It was drizzly at the beginning but definitely got better before the day's end. Prior years, I think I shot a plane or two with the 300 f/2.8 AI-s
My dad's 50-300 non AI is what got me hooked on photography, and my first shot with it was the Goodyear blimp when he first got the camera. Blimp was flying over the backyard. I've never seen the shot, so don't know how well I did or didn't do
saph wrote: Very funny Laura!!!! Stay safe at your work!
I do miss air shows. First the budget woes (!!!) meant the local air show at Andrews was cancelled several years running. Then the last couple years it did start up but it was storms or some such thing that I didn't make it there. Wouldn't carry the 500 F4 P handheld there George Probably the 400 5.6 though.
I enjoyed the Blimp part of the story. We too have had the blimp over the backyard in recent years. I think they were taking a group out sightseeing and a short ride as they were moving/hovering about 250 feet above the trees. Really an up-close and personal view here in Stow, OH.
Thanks for dropping in David... you've been a member of FM for quite some time but perhaps like many of us you use the site for buying and selling gear rather than joining the conversation. But you must have been reading the thread to encounter Laura's Goodyear blimp comment. We seem to be waxing nostalgic at the moment... that happens from time to time, perhaps instilled by the topic of old lenses which hold a place in our hearts. Welcome.
I'm curious how folks set up their 35-200 f/3.5-4.5 AI-s in the Non-CPU register. I'm under the impression that the choice made can have a difference in terms of metering. I expect that is especially so with a lens like this that doesn't have a constant wide aperture. I welcome guidance from folks who've used this or other Nikkor lense with variable aperture. This is an adventure for me.
Thanks again. That was pretty fast delivery all across the United States. Now I'll have to take some photos and make my report. I'm excited!