Hello!
My name is Mike and I have been searching for a nice, kind and bit more advanced photography forum for quite some time now. I remembered Bjorn, one of your moderators, telling me about a forum where he was really active a long time ago and decided to search for it. To my pleasant surprise it turned out to be Camera Labs, a website that I have used in the past for reviews on gear. Especially the video reviews have been of great interest to me.
I have been using Canon since the beginning, not because I think this brand is better than the others, but because at the start I was able to buy a 350D relatively cheap. And once you start buying lenses then you don't make the switch as easily. Even though I never had any in my possession I also like Nikon (love the color of the pictures, even though I can also play around with that in Photoshop), Sony (great to have IS in a body, though it has it's downsides) and Olympus too.
My interests mainly lie in nature photography, but I am not really picky. I photograph whatever I find interesting, although I have never been quite fond of photographing people. Somehow I just feel objected to make candid shots, and I have no ambition of becoming a portrait photographer. Studio photography doesn't appeal to me either, since I don't really like artificial light. Where is the challenge if you actually have control over everything that ends up on the picture?
I haven't been as active lately with photography as I would like to. Working full time and having a load of other interests (playing guitar, gaming, and I just got married so the lady wants attention too) kinda made it harder for me to put as much time in as I did years ago, but I got excited again after our honeymoon where I had quite some photographic opportunities. Now we started saving up for a trip to Africa and do a safari there, which is why I am saving up to buy some new gear so I will be able to document the trip perfectly.
To round up I am glad I found this forum and I hope to be able to learn, have fun, and help other users make the most out of their great hobby. Because if nothing else: photography is a fantastic way to spend your time

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Kind regards,
Mike