Will Simpson|a visual journal |
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The FAQ Who are you and are you a professional photographer?
My name is Will Simpson, named after my dad who lives in Kodiak, Alaska with my sister, and I live outside of Moscow, Idaho. Mary and I have a dog, Boykan, and three cats who rule over us. I’m originally from Canada but have lived in various parts of Western United States since 1967. Currently, my day job is in a hospital where I help manage a large database of digital images - radiographs specifically (x-rays). No, I’m not now and neither have I ever been a “pro”. Like many photographers of my generation, my interest in photography has been stirred by the digital revolution. I’ve had a couple of darkrooms in my time and they have always been messy and expensive. I wasn’t very good in the darkroom. Now that I can use a daylight digital darkroom, my creative energies are growing. Also the fact that there is no recurring film cost has really opened up the possibilities. Do I aspire to be able to produce photographs and exhibitions that are “pro” class? Yes indeed! Dreams can come true with a lot of hard work and a little luck. How often do you add images to your photo journal?
My current goal is to add an image a day. So far I have not been able to do that and I’m trying not to get too worked up over it. I’m adding images at a rate of about 4 a week. I hope to increase that. What camera equipment do you use?
I currently have retired my Canon G2 and am now shooting with a Canon 10D. My analog camera is a Canon 10s and I have an assortment of Canon EOS lenses. 35-135mm f4-5.6 and 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 and 24mm f2.8. Macro photography has always been one of my interests and so I resently got a 100mm f2.8 1:1 macro lens. It is wonderful. It is a flat field lens with great edge sharpness. It is the best lens I have. None of them are “L” glass so I’m looking at some new lenses also. I’m noticing that my lenses are old and slow like me. Time to upgrade. Updated on: 11/10/2003 Why do you have this website?
This is a hard question to answer and yet it shouldn’t be. I have over twenty years experience as a photographer and fifteen years experience with computers. My earliest experiences on the internet were with Lynx, a non-graphical gopher browser. Before that there was CompuServe and all the various regional and national BBS. My first modem was a super fast 1200 baud. My first camera was a hand-me-down Argus rangefinder camera. The first one I bought new was a Nikkormat FTn. My interest in the technical nature of both computing and photography are married together with this site. It allows me to express some creativity and delve into the exciting field of web design, coding, database integration and marketing. One day I might get good at this. One day it might be useful. What program do you use to edit your photographs?
I use Photoshop 6 to process my digital images. I usually use Photoshop to crop, resize, adjust levels and curves, and apply an unsharp mask. How much I manipulate a photo depends on the image. I’m currently learning to do blending which will take the place of neutral density filters. Here are the places I go for help.
When is the best time of the year to photograph the Palouse?
The best time to photograph the Palouse is ANYTIME!! No really, there are times when any subject can be photographed at its best. Often images produced during these times are “cliches”. We must guard against this. Here is a list of photogenic sites and what is considered to be the best time of the year to photograph them.
Do you have other websites?
Yes, the woodworking side of me can be explored at Kestrel Creek. Who hosts your website?
Dreamhost is my host and they rock! If you need hosting check them out and let them know that I referred you. How many page views (one visitor one webpage) have you served up since September 26, 2003?
72381
Will you tell us more about yourself?
Yes, as time permits and as questions come up I’ll answer them here. Who influenced your website design?
There has been many individuals who have helped me either with design or code in developing this site. I can’t thank them enough. Below is a list of those whose ideas I have used as a foundation for this site.
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