Here's my next list.  These are the cameras I've owned.  I'm sure I've forgotten some of the more forgettable.  I've tired to put them in the order I acquired them.

1.  Kodak Instamatic 100. Very first camera that was all mine.  It was used, but when I was 10 years old, I thought it was great. Status - still have it.

2.  Kodak Instamatic 500.  This was a neat, high quality camera that used Kodak's Instamatic cartridges (which was about 35mm film size).  It had a good Schneider lens and manual exposure control.  Status - don't know.

3.  Canon A1, my first 35mm film camera and my first brand new camera.  Used it for 21 years and then sold it on eBay.  I gave up on Canon because they stopped making FD lenses.  That's too bad because some of those FDs were superb.

4.  Nikon F3hp with motor drive, this is a solid metal professional camera.  The one I bought was probably over 20 years old and I've never had it serviced, but it still works like it should.  I switched over to Nikon when I sold off my Canon gear.  Status - I still use it; it was the only camera I took to the British Virgin Islands last year.  This is a great camera from the infancy of automatic exposure control.

5.  Nikon F3 (stripped down model), I bought this as a beater to have a spare camera body.  Status - still have it but I haven't used it, the battery compartment cover is missing and I haven't looked for a replacement.

6.  Holga, this bizarre camera is made entirely of plastic (including the lens).  There is no quality control in the factory and you usually have to tape it closed after loading the film to keep light from leaking in.  Speaking of film, it uses medium format film and has no exposure control, you change film speeds to change the exposure.  I left it out on the back porch once and the dog carried it off.  Later, I found it in the yard and washed it off.  Then I loaded some film, taped it up and took some pictures.  Those were probably the crappiest photos I've ever seen.  Still, it's only about $20 and is an interesting camera to experiment with...as long as you have some black electrical tape with you.

7.  Stereo Realist.  This strange camera took pictures that gave a primitive illusion of 3D by using two lenses that would take two pictures of the same subject from a slightly different angle.  The Realist used 35mm film and you would have to have it processed in a special lab that would mount the two images side by side in a single slide frame.  Then you would have to load the slides in a special projector and the family would sit around wearing goofy-looking 3D glasses and be amazed at the photographer's ability to take "real" 3D images.  What a gimmick!  A long dead relation left a Stereo Realist camera, projector, and several boxes of his amateur photography in the attic and I ended up with it.  He must have been a cheapskate because it wasn't even the good Stereo Realist camera, it was the stripped down Realist 45.  I sold it off on eBay as fast as I could.  I have always wondered why this deceased relation purchased a crappy camera like this instead of something collectible like a Nikon S3.

8.  Kodak Folding Pocket Number 1.  Interesting antique that you can't get film for anymore.  It sat on my entertainment center for awhile because it looked cool but now it resides in the basement.

9.  Mamiya 645 medium format, manual exposure control, takes some really good photos, but I always had a hard time figuring out how to hold it.  Status - still have it but it doesn't get much use, my scanner doesn't like the medium format film.

10.  Nikon F5, what an awesome camera.  This was Nikon's last professional class film camera.  It's truly rugged,  mine took a dive across a parking lot one afternoon and didn't sustain a single scratch...although I did have to buy a new lens hood.  This is a great camera to use with studio lights because of it's advanced exposure control.  This one will give you a workout when you carry it, it weighs something like 50 ounces (1.5 kg) without a lens...put on a 80-200mm lens and that will add another 2 lbs (1 kg).  Status - still have it.

11.  Generic Nikon Coolpix L-something.  My first experience with digital.  This one spent a year and a half with me in Iraq but finally quit after I got back.  Didn't really take very good photos.

12.  Nikon D3, my second digital camera.  Uses the same lenses as my Nikon film cameras.  This one is solid metal, sophisticated, fast, full frame sensor...and damned heavy!  This has been my everyday camera since 2008.  Status - still have it.

13. Zone VI 4x5 large format.  This is one of those walnut cameras with the leather bellows and black cloth that you put over your head.  I always felt kind of self-conscious using it.  Besides, I've never had to time to really figure out how it works.  

14. Nikon D40.  Enjoyable camera to shoot and has some neat features, like 1/500 sec flash synch.  It is plastic and feels that way when shooting it...especially noticeable after shooting pro gear.

15. Argus 35mm SLR film camera from the early 1950's.  This was my dad's camera and I used to experiment with it when I was a young boy.  I remember being fascinated with the way the aperture iris would close down when you twisted the lens.  It doesn't work now but I'd like to get it fixed some day and try it out.

16. Leica M3 35mm rangefinder camera.  This mechanical camera is completely manual, no batteries needed.  Mine was made in 1957 and is a good as new.  No one makes cameras like this anymore.  I've started to use film again for all my serious photography.  Digits just isn't doing it for me anymore.  I want to get back in touch with the art in photography and, for me, that means film (slide film and b&w).  Besides, its several pounds lighter than my D3 and you don't look as dorky as when you carry a "big camera" around.

I think that's about it.  I may have forgotten some unimportant, "forgettable" cameras but these are the ones that had some influence on my memory.  Maybe my next list will be my favorite lenses or maybe the guns I used to own but lost in a divorce.

Here's a list of the cars/trucks/motorcycles I've owned.  

1.  1966 Ford Mustang - my first car!  Status - my mother sold it while I was away at college.  Gotta love family.
2.  1971 Ford Pinto - my worst car!  Status - ran into a tractor with it.  Then I took it apart and never put it back together.
3.  197(something) Norton 850 Commando.  Status - sold it for some ridiculously low amount.  It was my only transportation at the time and it was wintertime...I was really tired of being cold.
4.  1971 Ford Torino - retired police car.  Status - traded it to my brother for number 5 below.
5.  1974 Ford Pinto - had to rebuild the engine three times before 50,000 miles.  Status - sold it for $15 and a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer...got ripped off though because I never got my beer.
6.  1971 Ford Mustang - bucket of bolts, piece of junk.  Status - honestly can't remember, I think it rusted to nothingness.
7.  1971 Plymouth Challenger - it looked great but the engine came apart three weeks later.  Status - engine blew up can't remember what happened after that...what can I say, it was the 70's.
8.  1973 Mercury Capri - with 2.7 liter V6.  It was fast but the heater didn't work and a window fell out while I was driving one morning.  Status - x-wife kept it.
9.  1981 Fiat X1/9 - actually was a pretty good car.  Status - traded it in for number 10 below.
10. 1984 Ford Bronco 4x4 - great truck that took me across the US at least 10 times.  Status - traded it in for number 12 below.
11. 1988 Harley Davidson Sportster - fixed it up to look like an XR750 way before you could buy one like it at the H-D store.  This was my only transportation for quite some time.  Status - lost in divorce.
12. 1992 Ford F250 4x4 - another bucket of bolts.  Status - let my (then) wife trade it in on her new Mustang.
13. 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera - what can I say?  Best car in the world, IMHO.  Status - lost in divorce.
14. 1988 Toyota 4Runner - good truck, expensive to maintain.  Status - donated to the church.
14. 1997 Ford F150 4x4 - now this was a good truck.  Status - Wrecked.
15. 1999 Ford F250 4x4 with 7.3 liter Powerstroke and 6 speed manual transmission.  Wonderful truck.  Status - stolen while I was deployed to Iraq.
17. 2007 Ford F150 4x4 - didn't like it very much so I let my current wife trade it in for her new car.
18. Rental car of the month.  I don't own a car anymore since I'm always on the road.  All I drive are rental cars.

I hope everyone is staying safe out there.  Keep it between the lines.

I left Afghanistan in September, two weeks later I was working in Arizona.  I've done quite a bit of traveling this year.  The following countries: USA, Kuwait, UAE, Afghanistan, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait again, Afghanistan again, Kuwait yet again, Germany, British Virgin Islands, Mexico; and the following states:  Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, California, US Virgin Islands.

I love Arizona.  The work here is hard but it's worth it just to be here. The opportunities for photography are outstanding.  The quiet of the desert is refreshing.  The scenery is breathtaking.  The people here are nice.  I hope to get some weekends off so I can take advantage of the opportunities here.

See you on the road sometime. Stay safe.

This week, I learned of the passing of my dA friend, Kasey Collins.  I never met Kasey, I knew her through the pages of deviant Art.  But I felt as if I had known her for many years.  Kasey had a true and deep love of nature, she was a talented photographer whose images reflected the attachment she had with nature.  She was concerned with what humans were doing to their home planet...she wanted to tell this story through her pictures when she became ill.  Kasey fought the illness but, ultimately, her body could fight no longer and she lost the battle on August 10.

Kasey was one of those rare people whose positive attitude inspires the rest of us.  Even when she was fighting for her life, she did not surrender to hopelessness or bitterness.  She always had time for her dA friends, giving support or advice.  I will miss Kasey terribly.

I am finishing my tour in Afghanistan on Sunday and should be back in the States by the end of August.  I am exhausted and am ready for a vacation.  I'm ready to visit some family.  I'm ready to sleep in a comfortable bed, to eat some decent food...I'm ready to go a moment without wondering if a Taliban rocket "has my name on it.". I'm almost out of here and want to thank everyone out there for your best wishes while I've been deployed.  Most of all, I would like to send my gratitude to Kasey for her unconditional friendship.  Rest easy, my friend.

It has been about three months since the company I work for sent me on my latest overseas assignment.  Since I left the US, in February, I have traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Qatar, Iraq, back to Kuwait, and finally back to Afghanistan.  It has been an interesting time to be living in this part of the world as you can imagine.  Everything is at a premium: privacy, sleep, a comfortable bed, basic sanitation, good food, and phone service.  The only thing not in shortage is hard work.

I was told a few weeks ago that my six-month assignment has been extended to nine months.  I will be losing my internet connection tomorrow, so I will not be able to log on after this.  Take care, everyone.  Hope to check back sometime in October.

Flying out tomorrow, see you guys in about six months.  Looking forward to everyone's work when I get back.

Be safe, everyone!

A couple weeks ago, I was informed by work that I need to pack up my stuff and move on to an assignment in the Middle East.  I should be leaving by the middle of February and I'll be gone for anywhere from six months to a year.  Just letting you know that I'll be off the internet for that time although I'll continue to visit until I actually have to leave.  

I'd like to say thanks for all the great people here on dA who have shared their art and thoughts with all of us.  I would also like to say an extra heartfelt "thank you" to two especially kind, supportive and friendly Deviants...you know who your are!

Vaya con dios, my friends!

I just counted the number of days I spent in hotels this year.  At the end of the year, I will have spent 308 nights in hotel rooms, this year.  In 2008, I was in Iraq for the whole year and lived in a 20 foot sea-land container.  And in 2009, I lived in the container for six months and hotels for the other six months.  Finally, in 2011, I'm being transferred to Pennsylvania and just made hotel reservations for the first six months of the year.  I guess I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm pretty tired of living in hotels.

I hope everyone has a great holiday and has a chance to spend some time with their loved ones.  Keep it between the ditches as you travel

I've posted some photos from my trip to Key West.  It was a much needed break from the pressures of regular life and placed a higher priority on relaxing than on taking pictures.  None of these are artwork but I just wanted to share a little sun and sand with everyone now that we are starting to get cold weather (at least those of us north of the equator ).

I took a brief vacation to northern California last week. Six days with no blackberry, email, or even cell phone. I didn't take a computer, only my luggage and camera. I took over a thousand photos and I'll post a few of my favorites here.

The highlights of the trip were the redwood forest, Pacific Ocean, cool temperatures, great seafood, awesome small towns, friendly people. Traveling was eventful, as it often is these days, I didn't let that impact the trip. I talked myself into taking it in stride and the cancelled flights, late arrivals, rental car problems, etc just became part of the vacation.

You won't see any time exposures of moving water because I did not even take my tripod.  I decided to go back to the basics of photography...no time exposures, no HDR, not even a flash.  Some of the pictures did not turn out but many of them are pretty decent.

To all those who decide to look here, I hope you enjoy!  See you on the road sometime.

It has been more than three months since I updated my journal.  I'm still traveling for work and still living in hotel rooms.

I visited my storage unit a few weeks ago and found my old Mamiya medium format gear.  Managed to shoot a few rolls but I can't post any pictures because my scanner is not doing it's job very well.  I can't get it to capture the individual pictures. I did manage to scan some 35mm slides I shot a while back.  Thanks to all who took a look at my pictures.

Can't really think of much else to say.  Stay safe everyone, hope to see you out there some place, some time.

Nothing new to add.  Still working on the road.  Still staying in hotel rooms.  Seeing more snow than I ever wanted to see.  See you on the road sometime.

I got home from Iraq seven months ago.  I spent one and a half years over there working as a contractor with the US Army.  The time I spent there gave me the opportunity to work with some of the best and bravest men and women I've ever seen.  

I was able to spend five days at home before I had to go back to work.  During the past seven months, I have spent all of it on business travel.  That means I've spent about 200 days in hotel rooms this year plus four and a half months living in a shipping container in Iraq.  I reflect on that and it is easy to see that I am very close to burn-out.

Right now, I'm in Detroit and have been here for the past month or so.  The hotel is nice but you can only stand so much of working all day and then eating at the hotel restaurant every night.  I stopped getting excited about eating out months ago.  Now all I want is a good home cooked dinner.  I am tired, period.

After a short break during the last week and a half of December I will go back on the road.  Right now, I plan on traveling to the San Jose, Calif area and will then probably go back east to either Pennsylvania or back to Detroit.  My company is telling me to expect to return to Iraq or Afghanistan for at least six months.  This trip will probably happen in late winter.

I enjoy getting on DA after work and I've posted some of my photos.  I want to thank everyone who has viewed my gallery and I would also like to thank everyone who makes this a fun site.  Take care all.  If you travel, I will probably see you on the road sometime.

A couple days ago, I got back from a one week vacation to Tucson, Arizona.  It was a beautiful time to visit there.  We almost had the desert to ourselves.  We had a chance to take lots of pictures.  I wasn't very pleased with many of them.  It's been so long since I took many photos that I was really out of practice.  I've posted some of the ones I liked and I hope you enjoy them.

I love the desert.  Although I spend most of my time in the eastern US, there was a time that I was a "desert rat."  I lived in the Mojave desert for several years.  It takes some time to get used to it but once you do, you see a beauty in things that you never noticed before.  Not only the wild colors but also the textures, the way you can see the terrain, the elegant mechanisms that the plants and animals use to survive in the harsh environment.

Thank you for letting me share these pictures with you.  Stay safe.  Hope to see you on the road, somewhere out there.

This is a beautiful month here.  The leaves are starting to turn; the weather is cooling down; the days are not all the same like they are in summer.  I love this time of year and I hope to get out to take some pictures within the next couple weeks.  This is the first time I've ever spent an autumn in a place where the leaves actually had color and I'm looking forward to experiencing it.

That being said, I'm still on the road.  Since coming home from Iraq I've spent exactly one week at home.  The rest of the time has been in hotels.  Of course, hotels are much superior to the housing we had in Iraq so I'm not complaining about that part of it.  Work has kept me very busy so I've barely had any time to even visit my family.  It's great having a job now and my family understands how fortunate we are when so many Americans are out of work.  

I was in that situation on more than one occasion so I know how people feel.  Sometimes you have to take action in your own hands to get yourself out of a situation like that.  I read in the paper about people who were laid off in 2006 and are still looking for work.  All I can say is that for someone willing to get out of the "comfort zone" there is work.  Move if you have to, do something different for a change.  Do what it takes to get your foot in the door.  I have a college degree but I've shoveled hazardous waste into drums and climbed inside chemical tanks to do jobs so I could pay bills.

That little bit of preaching will bring this entry to a close.  As always, I hope to see you out on the road some time.

I hope everyone enjoyed the summer.  To those of you below the equator, I hope you enjoyed your winter.  I didn't have many chances to take pictures because I worked all summer.  Even though I had my camera with me, I only had a chance to go out once in early August.  The pictures I took then were less than inspiring.  I think I've lost focus on the art of photography and I need to regain that.

I posted some photos I took in Rome earlier in the year.  Take a look at them if you can, I love the colors and I tried to come up with some unusual viewpoints.  I noticed I'm getting numerous hits on my fetishy/pin-up pictures and I invite everyone to look at the rest of my work.  The pin-up photos are fun to do but I really enjoy going out into nature and capturing the beauty out there.

I'm still on the road.  June marked two years on the road.  I think I've forgotten what living in a real house is like.  See you around.

I just received word that my tour in Iraq will be coming to an end soon.  My company has decided to transfer me out of here after 16 months for an assignment in California.  I'm very happy about leaving this place to go back to my wife.  My team did a great job here and I'm proud to have worked with every one of them.  I've only got about 30 days left here and I still have a lot to accomplish before my replacement arrives, but believe me, I'll be happy to see him.  I hope my next entry will be from "The World"...the USA, it may have it problems, but compared to some places, it's pretty good.

I know it's not really Ground Hog Day.  That was a couple days ago.  But I've been in Iraq for the past 13 months and every day is just like the one before so it's always Ground Hog Day for us...just like the old Bill Murray movie.  Since I've been gone so long I haven't had a chance to put much on my site.  I haven't taken many pictures here although the sunsets the past few days have been spectacular.  

I took a week long trip to Rome last month and was able to get out for some picture taking a couple times.  Rome was a wonderful city, the people, the sights, the food, the wine...all wonderful.  If you've never been there, you need to make it a point to go some time.  Rome is on my list to visit again someday.  To walk down the streets of a city that has been standing for close to 3000 years is inspiring just by itself.

Wish me luck...I have about five more months left here before I go back to the US and I'm looking forward to getting back to a normal life.  I don't know where my company will reassign me yet.  I got married while on a two week vacation in December but I came back to Iraq less than two days afterwards.  My new bride lives in Cincinnati but I'm not sure we'll be able to stay there.