What made you feel good today

[Beaux Reflets]

All a bit of a shock but yesterday, 3 weeks early my first grand-daughter arrived! Having been pulled in for an emergency scan after the midwife detected that the baby had not grown in the 3 weeks since last visit my daughter`s waters broke, she started contractions and 24 hours later  our 6lb 5 oz  precious one arrived. No name yet unless you count TBC (to be confirmed in the words of my son in law). So exciting but I have both daughters in hospital just now with the other one having had surgery this week. It never rains... Seems I`m not allowed to go on facebook or post pictures on the net yet but the collection will grow after my first visit today. 

Congratulations    Grandpa Paul 

[Oldboy]

That's good news Jinky. 

[jinky]

She`s absolutely gorgeous (no bias here) and will no doubt be the new subject of many of my photos. Not sure how many I`ll be allowed to put online though.

[Reinardina]

Congratulations Paul. Glad all went well. Must have been a bit of a panic to start with.

Hope your other daughter is doing well too.

[jinky]

Congratulations Paul. Glad all went well. Must have been a bit of a panic to start with.

Hope your other daughter is doing well too.

Yes she`s picking up thanks R. Not well enough to get out and see the new baby yet though 

[jinky]

I`m allowed to share just one pic of little Jessica for now which I`ve sent to friends. We`re sparing her facebook. 3 days old , asleep whenever I`ve seen her and I already have around 100 pictures 

[kerbside]

Packing my suitcase for 5 weeks in the sun away from this Grey, Damp and Cold UK. Yay hay.

[Paul Montgomery]

Nice one Jinky

[jinky]

Did my first proper shoot for ages with my trusty D700. felt so heavy after using my xt 100 for a while but for my granddaughter i wanted  decent lighting so had to use my Nikon gear rather than bank on the high iso perfomance of the fuji or using on camera flash. Wasn`t given a lot of time so had to suffice with one off camera flash to supplement daylight  but reasonably happy with what I got. of course my daughter will hate every one she is in as she never likes to see herself on pictures and is obviously tired in these first days of motherhood and breastfeeding through the night. My personal favourites are what I`ll tell her are the Lion King Simba shots with the newborn Jessica held above my son in laws head.

[Oldboy]

Great shots posted Jinky. Shame your granddaughter isn't going to enjoy them until she is a mother herself, as they are revealed to all and sundry through the years as she grows up. 

[jinky]

Thanks Oldboy. At least we kept them clothed. I did say it would be a relaxing shoot with no hassle from me and then said "Ok everyone tops off" but got no encouragement for the arty nude set!

[Hinfrance]

I particularly like the 'baby as Christmas cracker' shot  

[jinky]

I particularly like the 'baby as Christmas cracker' shot  

Got a series of those - one with her holding 2 fingers up to the photographer which is my favourite shot. My  moniker will be "Poppa Paul" until she comes up with her own version of whatever she will call me. Me and Sue are besotted with regular excuses to pop over and see them taking food, camera etc. We`ve even held off booking holidays!

[StephenBatey]

I've just received and Exakta Varex IIA, given by a member on another forum. It looks to be in almost immaculate condition (although the ground glass needs a dust) and the shutter seems to work. At least, it opens and closes and uncovers the whole frame, so that's a good start.

My first SLR was an EXA IIB, traded in for an Exakta Varex IIB in 1967. I still have it, but the shutter doesn't work and the pentaprism has a rattle which wasn't a built in feature. So I have a camera that is an improvement, and it came with what was the then top standard lens, the 50mm f/2 Pancolar, which I can test on a Sony a7rii.

I have a very soft spot for Exaktas; although NOT a collector, I now have 4, three of which appear to work. The other two are a Kine-Exakta (second model c1938) and a Varex IIA second version c 1957). Fun cameras.

[krennon]

Well Hello CCers wow so much has been going on.....Firstly wmmfgt was uploading a couple of pics into the gallery for the first time in what feels like forever, they are JPEGS straight out of the camera pretty much as my current version of elements doesn't recognise ORF..need to upgrade it but need to wait for the funds....What else....moving house only moving about 4 miles but to a bigger house and moving in with the in-laws as they want to back up here, so they've sold their place, we've sold ours and so in about 4 weeks time we're off....finally for those that know the situation, they are finally ours after what seemed like forever, in Dec we went to court and the order was granted 

So now trying to ease back into the photography slowly, still got the Sony A350 but am enjoying getting to grips with the Olympus Om D em10 mk1, it is so much more compact and lighter than the Sony so a lot easier on the neck and shoulders...So hello again to all the oldtimers I've had a bit of a lurk here and there but not been commenting at all on any threads, to those that don't know me well hopefully you will get to know me from now on.