Hi From Rod

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	Forums > User Introductions > Hi From Rod
Rod Burkey Posts: 554 Joined: 2nd Sep 2008 Location: UK	quotePosted at 10:53 on 30th December 2008 Hi, I'm Rod Burkey and have lived all my life in Liverpool. I took up photography for two reasons, one being my lack of ability with charcoal and paint plus any skill, unlike my father, to carve stone. All left me feeling slightly frustrated and in need of an outlet for my exiguous artistic tendencies. The other was, by the age of twenty-two I found myself in a new and pretty demanding job which came with a twenty-four hour on call basis. So, I went to work, joined my colleagues for a pint on the way home and went to bed hoping the phone wouldn't ring. This was a pretty dire way of living despite the "buzz" the job gave me, so I spent some cash on a Pentax SP500 which came with a 55mm standard lens which gave stunning results and I was soon hooked and spent my spare time capturing the ever changing city on my doorstep. This lead me to turn a spare room into a darkroom and soon I was producing black & white images which was great fun. New lenses were added and a new Pentax ES body which was "the bees knees" at the time. I dabbled with studio lighting and transparency processing and even had a tortured attempt to produce Ciba Chrome prints which was hard work and involved the air turning blue in the pitch black of the darkroom. Pentax went through a stage of changing their lens mounts and finally I bought two Nikon bodies, an FM and an FE. More cash on lenses but they were capable of producing good images, probably way beyond my abilities. These can still be used with my existing D70 & D300 bodies in manual mode. Digital photography has been something of a revelation to me and gone now are the trays of chemicals which used to be an annoyance to my parents and later my wife. The enlarger ended up on the tip which hurt a bit as it fell into a skip full of rubbish. Seemed nobody wanted it. My darkroom now is a study, bright & clean with a computer and Nikon film scanner. I use Photoshop CS3 and it is a huge piece of kit to get to grips with, but very rewarding. I shoot in Raw which opens up another world of flexibility. I still love taking urban pictures as well as portraits and anything else that my lens finds itself drawn to. Being retired now allows me to go out as and when I like which is some compensation for the old guy that looks at me in the shaving mirror! Holidays are great for capturing images and recent trips to Berlin and Krakow have been rich in opportunities to shoot wonderful cities which contrast each other, one being ancient, the other re-built. Most forms of photography interest me but still life & close up work have yet to be tackled as my Pentax bellows went in part exchange for some Nikon gear years ago. Thank you for staying awake! Rod. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Andy Edwards Posts: 1900 Joined: 14th Mar 2008 Location: UK	quotePosted at 11:35 on 30th December 2008 Hi Rod, very interesting!! I'm still awake lol. I hope you have a great time here on POE, I'm sure we'll see plenty of pictures from the old man in the mirror. Welcome from me and my alter-ego, Denzil. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Peter Evans Posts: 3863 Joined: 20th Aug 2006 Location: UK	quotePosted at 11:59 on 30th December 2008 Hello and welcome to POE Rod. Dont forget to come and chat with us in the forums. By the way, I still have my darkroom in the loft. I will have to get rid of it soon, if I can ever get up there again.LOL My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Rod Burkey Posts: 554 Joined: 2nd Sep 2008 Location: UK	quotePosted at 12:29 on 30th December 2008 Thanks for the welcome gentlemen and to those also who have posted comments on my pictures. Much appreciated. I still remember that awful day at the tip. Trays plus all sorts of darkroom stuff went in the skip with the enlarger and it was like losing old chums. My wife however was truly delighted and so I did earn some (probably much needed) Brownie Points. I've still got my Nikon FE & FM plus a few lenses (including a rather nice if battered Nikon 80mm F2 lens) and having been offered £100 for the lot walked out of the shop thinking I'd rather keep them anyway. At least they are in a camera bag and cause no marital friction. Mind you I'm very lucky to have had a model and travel companion for the last twenty-nine years so I can excuse her reasonable desire to maintain a home which is now free of chemical pongs and after all I have ny bolt hole to be in and play with my images. Thank goodness I have no intentions of ever growing up. I'm really enjoying POE. Must get an avator posted. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Cathy E. Posts: 8474 Joined: 15th Aug 2008 Location: USA	quotePosted at 12:53 on 30th December 2008 I Rod! Welcome to POE from me. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Ron Brind Posts: 19041 Joined: 26th Oct 2003 Location: England	quotePosted at 12:57 on 30th December 2008 Interesting stuff Rod! Thanks for joining in with the forum posts where I feel sure you will greatly appreciate the welcome, and the family friendly comments throughout this brilliant website. Just so much to look at. I also appreciate your comment re my shot of the Red Kite (coming from such an able photographer that is) so thanks again and don't forget to enjoy the rest of POE! My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Sue H Posts: 8172 Joined: 29th Jun 2007 Location: USA	quotePosted at 14:18 on 30th December 2008 Welcome from me to Rod. It's great to hear about your photography background, it will make your pictures all the more interesting. Looking forward to getting to know you. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Diana Sinclair Posts: 10119 Joined: 3rd Apr 2008 Location: USA	quotePosted at 15:44 on 30th December 2008 Hello Rod, and welcome to POE! I know nothing about photography or it equipment, but fortunately, there are many here who do. I am sure you will have some interesting conversations with them. Enjoy the site! My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Rod Burkey Posts: 554 Joined: 2nd Sep 2008 Location: UK	quotePosted at 16:31 on 30th December 2008 Thanks again to Catherine, Ron, Sue H. & Diana. Diana, you must know something about photography as you view this site and, from what I've see POE is a god place to see other's work as well as getting to know more about England. Must try to do some bird photography Ron. I did take some pictures in October of Sugar Birds whilst on holiday in St Martin, a great place to see pelicans egrets and a even humming birds. Nearby to where we stayed is a butterfly farm and that was good fodder for the Nikon too. Love your picture of the bird Sue, and to Catherine, I really must have a look at your pictures. Careful Ron, you may just end up with a darkroom in your loft. My avator once I work out how to do it might well show the old guy in the mirror Andy. My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions
Stephanie Jackson Posts: 3911 Joined: 13th Apr 2008 Location: UK	quotePosted at 17:15 on 30th December 2008 Hi Rod, welcome to the forum. Loved the Blue Crosby beach photo! My favourite: Pictures \| Towns \| Attractions