I found out about LiHD from a fellow LiHD family. I subscribe to Scott Herman Fitness's YouTube channel where he posts fitness related videos that he's taken with the help of some Panasonic products. When he mentioned the LivingInHD site on a video I decided to check it out and I've been involved with it ever since.

Photography has been an interest of mine from a very young age. My father taught me about it since he was a photographer himself and I fell in love with it instantly. My passion for traveling has provided me opportunities to take photos of some amazing places that I share with family and friends whenever I'm home. I'm motivated by how a single photo can make a person say "Wow" from the beauty it captures in a single moment.

My favorite photo that I've uploaded to the site is one taken of a sea turtle on a recent trip to Hawaii. I was snorkeling off the coast of O'ahu when a turtle sitting about 20 feet below me started to swim up towards the surface only an arms length away from me. I had my camera ready and snapped a shot of it as it breached the surface. The picture came out with striking detail and a background of clear blue water around it. It was a great moment that I was able to capture for a lifetime.

A few things I've picked up along the way is not to be afraid to get close to your subject. You may be amazed to find how the feel of a photograph changes as you fill the frame with just your subject. It can help take away ambiguity about what you actually were trying to capture.

It's important to know what your camera is capable of so play around with settings and remember that you have this site as a resource so ask questions if you aren't sure. It's good to know things like how powerful your flash is. There may come a day when you are in a stadium trying to capture that game changing moment and you'll know how to get the shot without getting the blur from the action or darkness from an inadequate flash.

That brings me to my next point, get creative. Photography is about finding your voice through capturing a moment in time using your own artistic eye. So get crazy, and try different angles, or shots that remind you that photography should be fun and represent how you see the world.

Lastly, don't forget to say CHEESE!

I've been able to meet a great group of like-minded people from all over who share my interest in photography and gadgets. I've learned a lot of tips using the forums and hopefully been able to help out others too by answering their questions related to photography. LiHD has some fun contests that I take part in and I love getting comments on my photos. I'm looking forward to being able to take advantage of Blurb.com and creating my own photo book. This site is a great resource to me and I look forward to meeting more people as I continue using the site.