You confirm to me my 'feeling' it is not something I could ever be capable of.

Reading Darin's recent post I am fairly convinced of this. I live to shoot and enjoy my prints. I like matting and framing them. Most of all I love being out there somewhere ... perched on a cliff with my 4 x 5 as the sun comes up or goes down ... working out the problems of how to capture the moment. Every day I watch the atmospherics. Logging on to the weather sites to try and predict the conditions. Thinking about which of my known locations might be the best to head out for. Several times a year I go out scouting locations. Driving the back roads and trying to see see see. Many time the old farmers find me perched on top of my truck with my 'contraption' and stop to talk. I'm becoming an object of curiosity around these parts.

I'm so glad I have something like photography which I can do myself without too much interference or outside distractions. The kind of complications that can turn art into drudgery. I used to design and build custom homes. It became such a hassle due to labor problems and red tape that I gave it up. Photography is just the opposite. Just about pure joy other than the occaisonal hassel with the lab. The worst that happens is a bad print which is just a few tens of dollars down the drain and then I get to go out and reshoot which is what it's all about for me anyway.

I'm sure you B&W guys love your darkroom work as much as I love what I'm doing. I sort of envy you but then again, not. I guess I'm lazy. The learning curve for what you do, to me, would seem to make mastering Photoshop easy. Another task I have no desire to accomplish.

Anyway ... I salute you. Keep up the good work. I wish I had your pain threshold.