I see someone else has problem coming out the closet!!! lol :D

I was at a thrift store yesterday and some dude was looking at the same figures and vehicles I was, so I said, "What do you collect?". He said, "Nothing! These are for my kids." I wanted to ask if his kids were 34 year old men, but I figured he wasn't ready to confront his problem :D Regarding this thread, Rich, I think there needs to be more positive/constructive criticism regarding the technical points of a shot. I could always rely on memberslike Craig and Flatline and Cyko to give useful critiques as well as praise if the shot deserved it. I think we should tell someone if a great shot has been ruined by bad lighting or their visible carpet and ferns :p People can't fix what they don't know is wrong and hopefully that challenges us to keep going beyond what we've already done and improve. I have to go now...too much Muligatawny :eek:

I only started doing this a year ago. So many ideas and so much to collect or buy or make to produce a vision or story. Some ideas are on hold until I have the set or fig to do it. Drives me crazy. I got photoshop for Christmas and loaded it, but now I just stare at it and wonder where am I going to find the time.

I try to imagine myself as either a photo journalist or another member of the team when I shoot. That's why you'll see alot of my shots from low or eye level.

Luckily I have a 4x8 dio table to create on.

I can take constructive critisism, so feel free to tell me something sucked as well or how it could be better or something you might do a little different or if an idea comes to mind with a different perspective that could add to the dio or shot.

It's all in good fun as well as an art form.

I suppose I can't get much nerdier huh?

I challenge myself to pick up the camera every day. Even if I can’t find a lick of inspiration I push myself to make something happen w/ it. It’s become my “me” time, it’s how I blow off steam. Sometimes it’s a scene I’ve had in my head for days that I’m dying to shoot and other times I just make it up as a go and everything in between. I rarely get it on the first take. Not so much because something goes wrong but more so because a new idea comes to mind and I move something (fig, prop, light, etc.) or change the angle. I might shoot twenty pictures, especially if I'm outside, and only like two and of those two I’ll only post one as they’re too similar, at least in my head. That said I’m my own worst critic.

Lately my overall self-challenge is changing it up. Firstly by making new (and more interesting) sets particularly because I tend to routinely use a lot of the same things. Now to the casual observer that may not seem like a big deal or be as obvious but I know I’m more creative than that plus it’s always a blast being able to show off a new set or prop you’ve worked hard on. Also I do a lot of interior shots; hangars, bases, hallways, etc. etc. And when I’m doing that I’m outside shooting a woodland or a field. Once in a blue moon I’ll do an urban set but those few and far between. I want to spread my wings a bit and do more snow- and desert-themed shots as well as more vehicle shots too.

Lastly I'm trying to flesh-out some of my other Flickr sets. No I don't just shoot Joes, although a good 40% of my pictures are Joe-related. There's a handful of more neglected themes that I'm looking to add to; Thundercats, DC, and Indiana Jones to name a few.

My biggest challenge is to try and create scenes without the aid of Photo Shop or other computer photo editors. I admire the members who do such fantastic work with PS and the cool effects they add to their photos. My computer is so old it can't handle PS or other programs. So I try to pull off the special effects with old fashioned camera tricks and and angles. It's one of the fun parts of the hobby for me.