SMOKEYDOGSOCKS

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Age: 57
City: Vacaville, California
Country: United States

Joined: Oct 2007

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I AM PERMANENTLY DISABLED, SINCE 1990, I WAS MEDICALLY RETIRED BECAUSE OF POST POLIO SYNDROME. I CONTRACTED POLIO AT THE AGE OF 5, AFTER TAKING THE SUGAR CUBE. THAT WAS IN 1957. AT THE AGE OF 13, I GREW FROM 5’5” TO 6’ TALL IN TWO AND ONE HALF MONTHS. THAT WAS 7 INCHES OVER SUMMER BREAK. I WENT OUT OF THE 7TH GRADE 7 INCHES SHORTER THAN WHEN I WENT INTO THE 8TH GRADE 7 INCHES TALLER. CLASS MATES THAT I HAD TWO AND ONE HALF MONTHS EARLIER, LOOKED AT ME AND ASKED ME, WHERE DID YOU MOVE HERE FROM? I WOULD HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM THAT I WAS IN THEIR CLASS IN THE 7TH GRADE. THEY COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW TALL I HAD GOTTEN OVER THE SUMMER. THAT IS WHY I HAVE ARTHRITIS FROM MY SKULL TO MY TOES. I AM A SELF TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER, RETIRED MECHANIC, SPORT FISHERMAN, TARGET SHOOTER, SKEET SHOOTER, EX TRUCK DRIVER, EX PHOTO LAB TECHNICIAN, I’VE GONE THROUGH 38 SURGERIES, I HAVE TWO ARTIFICIAL KNEES, I LOVE WOLVES, HENCE THE E-MAIL ADDRESS, RFCEES3WOLVES@COMCAST.NET. MY SCREEN NAME IS DERIVED FROM THE THREE WOLF HYBRIDS THAT I RAISED, SMOKEY, DEOGEE OR DOG AND SOCKS. THEY HAVE ALL PASSED NOW AND I AM A LITTLE SADDER BECAUSE OF THAT. I LOVED MY HYBRIDS. NOW I HAVE TWO OTHER KIDS, SASHA, SHE IS A LAB/SHEPHERD MIX THAT WEIGHS AROUND 47 POUNDS. I WAS EXPECTING HER TO GET AROUND 70 POUNDS, BUT I THINK SHE WAS THE RUNT OF THE LITTER. SHE JUST NEVER GOT BIG. THEN THERE’S CHEWBACCA, HE IS A SIBERIAN HUSKY/TIMBER WOLF MIX AND HE WEIGHS ABOUT 75 POUNDS RIGHT NOW. I FIGURE HE WILL FILL OUT AS HE GETS OLDER. SASHA IS GOING TO BE 4 ON JUNE 27TH, THAT’S JUST ONE DAY BEFORE MY ARCTIC WOLF, DEOGEE, DIED,,JUNE 28, BOTH IN 2005.NOW CHEWBACCA IS JUST OVER 15 MONTHS. I TAKE PHOTOS OF ALL TYPES OF THINGS, I TRY NOT TO STICK TO ONE FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY, I HAVE TRIED JUST ABOUT ALL AREAS OF PHOTOGRAPHY FROM STUDIO PORTRAITS, WEDDINGS, FAMILY REUNIONS, COMERCIAL BUILDINGS, MEAL PLATES FOR RESTARAUNTS, SO THAT THE SERVERS KNEW WHAT THE ORDER WAS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE. I’VE EVEN DONE PETS, KIDS, SPECIAL AFFECTS WITH LIGHT, USED DIFFERENT COLORED FILTERS ON STROBE FLASHES WITH GIANT CRYSTALS FROM AFRICA. IF YOU CAN THINK OF A SUBJECT, I’VE PROBABLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. MOST OF MY PHOTOGRAPHY INVOLVEMENT WAS BACK IN THE DAYS OF FILM, NOW I’M ADDICTED TO DIGITAL, BECAUSE IT’S SO CONVIENIENT AND I CAN BE MY OWN PHOTO PROCESSING LAB, FROM TAKING THE IMAGE TO PRINTING THE FINAL PRINT. SO, NOW I CAN TAKE THE IMAGE AND I CAN THEN, WITH THE AID OF THE COMPUTER, EITHER ENHANCE THE PHOTO, OR DO A TOTAL TURNAROUND AND MAKE SOME TYPE OF DIGITAL ARTWORK OUT OF IT. USUALLY SOMETHING TOTALLY ABSTRACT TO THE POINT OF NOT RECOGNIZING THE END PRODUCT FROM THE ORIGINAL PHOTO. I WISH I HAD ACCESS TO A COMPUTER BACK IN THE 1980’S. I HAVE A TON OF PHOTOS THAT I STILL HAVE TO SCAN INTO MY COMPUTER. I AM DISCOVERING THAT I REALLY LIKE DIGITAL ABSTRACT ART, SO I HAVE BEEN PLAYING IN THE DIGITAL DARKROOM MORE AND MORE. I REALIZE THAT NOT ALL PHOTOS WILL WORK IN THE DARKROOM, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT IMAGE AND YOU GET LUCKY ENOUGH TO USE THE RIGHT FILTERS AND CHANGES, IT IS AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH. FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH ALL UPPER CASE LETTERING. MY HANDS, MY NECK, MY SPINE, MY ELBOWS, MY SHOULDERS, MY WRISTS, MY ANKLES, MY HIPS, ARE ALL ARTHRITIC AND I HAVE POST POLIO SYNDROME ON TOP OF THAT. LIKE I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF MY PROFILE. IT IS HARD ENOUGH FOR ME TO TYPE AND I ALWAYS HAVE ERRORS TO GO BACK AND CORRECT AS I TYPE, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME ON THE CAPITAL LETTERING. I’M DOING THE BEST I CAN WITH WHAT I HAVE. I’M NOT SCREAMING AT ANYBODY, I PROMISE. WHILE YOU’RE HERE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY AND CHECKING OUT MY GALLERY. PLEASE, COME BACK ANY TIME YOU WANT AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY PHOTOART.