I’ve had a love of photography since I was a kid. I once took a Photography class in summer school just because it was an ” easy” credit. I found that I preferred taking the pictures more than the back end of processing them. I did manage to pass the class to get the needed credit. Even with my lousy darkroom skills, of unloading the film and transferring it onto the processing reels.
My first camera was a Kodak 135 Instamatic that I received as a Christmas gift. Eventually I progressed into owning a couple of Canon 35mm SLRs and an assortment of lenses. The incentive to acquire better equipment was taking images of aircraft at the military bases I lived and air shows I attended, especially Oshkosh just weren’t acceptable using that little Instamatic!
Over the years I’ve shot thousands of images on film, but as the price of processing went up, the usage of my film cameras went down. I recently dug out my old cameras and lenses only to find my best telescopic lens had been damaged. It wasn’t worth the cost to fix it, I had already made the jump to pocket point and shoot digital cameras and it wasn’t suitable for use with DSLRs.
After attending AirVenture 2008, I found myself with a serious case of camera envy, so I stepped up to a better digital camera. Its been a blast snapping away at just about everything. Each and everyday presents itself with another image opportunity and I take advantage of it.
Soon I hope to expand my digital camera equipment to larger higher capacity cameras and lenses to really give me the ability to get those images I cannot obtain now. It is funny how a little bird some distance away is so hard to get a decent image of.
I recently acquired a Canon EOS 1000D Rebal XS and an assortment of lenses, including the workhorse a EF 100-400mm IS USM.
This hobby is quickly becoming my most important. I love capturing the world and it’s inhabitants around me, regardless of size or shape. Hopefully this site will provide an income source to help me continue on and provide the necessary resources I need to bring what I see to you. I still consider myself an amateur photographer, some say otherwise but I just seem to have a good eye…hence my nickname.
Gerald “Hawkeye” Voigt
The images you see on this site were taken with either a Panasonic/Lumix DMC-FZ50 or Canon EOS Rebel XS.
Proud To Be A US Air Force Veteran
A Bluebird sits basking in the setting sun.