Nice Site

[Larry Kruzan_old]

Nice web page Rick. Your work is very nice and shows a great sense of balance and proportion. Your selection of colorful subject matter is very effective and gives each photo a real sense of time as well as space. I look forward to seeing more in the future.
Best Wishes,
Larry Kruzan

[Rick Baker]

Thanks, I would like to say that it takes a lot of experience to be able to take good photographs. I was asked whether it is the camera and equipment that makes a good photograph or the person behind it. A good camera can help a lot and you will need to buy more lenses and filters for different applications, but if you don't have the knowledge and experience, you won't be happy with the result. Some people have more "natural" talent than others, but anybody who is willing to work hard at it can learn how to take great photographs. I didn't just pick up a camera and was able right away to take great photographs, it took a lot of experimenting and trials and tribulations. I get better and better everyday and have a "lot" to improve on. Most of the photographs in my gallery on this web site were taken with a 35mm camera, specifically a Canon Elan IIe. 35mm is usually not preferred by professionals, a lot of them use medium format because of the sharper photographs it can produce. A lot of photographers say my 35mm photographs rival their medium format pictures. So again, let me emphasize this, "it's the person behind the camera that makes the photograph, not the camera".... start out with a good 35mm camera and work your way up, for about $550-$600, depending on the options, you can buy a nice Canon Elan II/IIe to get you started. It's a great camera. If $550 is too much, you can look into buying a used one and you can stil take great photographs with lower priced cameras.

[theblindsquirrel_old]

I agree Rick. One of my favorite quotes is from Ansel Adams' autobiography which states "It has taken me a lifetime to recognize when I should NOT feel obligated to make a photograph.... I am certain that another photographer's eye might perceive wonders in the scenes that evaded me."(pg71)