4th July 2008

A Moment to Think

Written by: Siegfried Seierlein
Last Updated: 4th July 2008

For almost 2 years I have been working nearly every possible free moment I had on the web site. It was not always purely developing the site, working on the site included writing articles, research, learning new web techniques, trying new things on the site and many more. For example last summer I spend most of my time behind the PC working on the site and when autumn came along the summer flowers were history.

This year I decided not to let it happen again and I am glad to be able to show you many new pictures plus we can soon discuss many new techniques.

In the forum I asked the question, what do you think is the future of this web site. Does it have a space amongst all the other sites on photography and does it bring value to its readers?

Last weekend I met with Herman and his wife and Pius. We all stayed over at a small hotel in the Alps and we had a really wonderful time together. Will it not be great to have more readers getting together on a weekend like that?

We also saw a number of new products being announced and launched during the last few weeks. The Oly supporters saw two great new cameras, the E-420 and the E-520, the Nikon folks saw some really heavyweight announcements and I know there are readers curiously looking at the new D700. Must be a awesome camera...

Canon has been keeping us guessing, will they announce the new 6D, what will happen to the G9, will there be a new G10 this year. A friend of mine bought a 2nd hand 400D this week and he is very happy. For weeks he dreamed about a Canon. To have a little fun I always told him the Oly is the only way to go.....;-)

This is what it look like when photographers are meeting for a weekend. You know small things like there is another guy also walking around with his tripod and IR filter fitted, or to stop and to discuss a scene or a camera setting, that was really great.

One can nearly say, first you meet the camera, then you meet the gadgets and the toys, then the camera bag and then you get to know each better.

When we left we made friends and you walked away with a smile.

I think we all know it plus we quick to give people, new to photography, the advice:- practice, practice and read your manual. Well I experienced it again first hand this summer season. I was reading so much and spending so much time discussing different aspects of photography that I neglected to practice myself.

You really have to make time for photography PLUS to learn editing techniques. Just have a look at the interesting discussions on the forum and all the exciting techniques being discussed there.

My Blog title today is, A Moment to Think. Folks when you out there in nature and you witness how careful those Alps were put together then you cannot help to realize but there is something bigger, something bigger than you and me.... I am grateful for the fact that I could make peace with my Creator and I am happy I did, have you made a moment to think about that?

As you know I had the Olympus E-420 on test and I promised to have the review published by now. Well a few things happened, the 15 days I had the E-420 was just to little for a working guy. I used it everyday plus I have enough good notes to complete a honest review but.... There is more to that little camera than just a short few comments or notes. I wish it was possible to have one of our readers using it for say two months and to give us a running feedback as things happen.

Well to complete the review in the best way possible and to ensure I give a unbiased report plus to check if I did not miss anything plus to support the site in terms of new readers plus to show my wife.............well folks, I bought the E-520 and I was playing soooo much that there has just not been enough time for anything else.

This was the terrace of the hotel from where one had a lovely view over the valley of LauterBrunnen.

I am happy to visit this area frequently and to take the same picture a few times if needed....

The hotel was not expensive and I think its possible for folks from Europe to go to Switzerland for a weekend without taking a 2nd bond on the house. I will be happy to fix a date for next year so that people can get ready, should we do that?

What about our friends from the US and other parts of the world. I can only think that you will have to combine it with a more complete holiday to make it worth the expense or?

Not edited and as is out the camera.

It was taken with the E-410 with the 14 - 54 lens fitted.

You know, a reviewer wrote the new E-420 has soft images and then continued saying its because of.....

Many of these reviews are written for the beginner and for the person not familiar with Photoshop I think...

To get back to the review of the E-420. I will complete it and I will do effort to give a good feedback from a Oly owner on the new E-420. The E-520 I will most probably discuss a lot in the future if there is a need for that. Today I briefly went to the 4/3 web site and it was a pleasure reading their magazine and there overview on the E-420. Its a real feedback and its of tremendous value to other Oly owners wanting to know more about the new product. I hope I can add to that good value...

What will happen to the web site. Folks I do not know because I do not know what will be in the future and it will be arrogant from me to speculate. I like to continue and I will be very happy for the members of this web site to take it further and to continue developing it to a higher value for the reader.

I agree, its not the number of readers. I am very honored to be part of a great group of photographers. The intention was not to earn much from the site, it will be nice to cover some costs plus to have funds ready if one like to have a price for the best picture or if one like to write specific articles. I think one should maybe look at the site like a photographic club, a virtual or a global club.

Lets dream, please continue giving input, please give regular feedback and let the people who actively add to the site, give them feedback, its a great motivator and it helps to get one going again....Thanks...




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