Hey folks,

I am happy to have finally joined the club! I recently received my first 4x5 camera. Yay!

I am a graphic designer at a publishing company. At a design conference last year I witnessed someone making wet plates and I was intrigued. I love computers and gadgets, but there is a special place in my heart for old school things. I love getting my hands dirty, so screen printing, letterpress and calligraphy are now hobbies. I decided that this year my goal would be learning photography and at a local camera club I met a guy who shoots a lot of film. He mentioned wet plate and my eyes lit up. He invited me over and I almost hugged him! Using his 4x5's and 8x10's cameras was awesome and I decided that I needed to buy one. I think that learning how to shoot with my 4x5 will strengthen my skills. I've always shied away from photography because I felt like I didn't have the eye for composition and light. I'm excited to try to overcome this mindset and have some fun with photography.

It's great that I have someone local who's willing to help me, and I'm really excited to learn from the experience and expertise of this community as well.