Biography
My name is Don Thompson. The photograph of the seal pup in the Galapagos Islands above reminds me of how I feel in the summer, fat, well fed and lying in the sun (scratch my belly?). Here in Montana we do have a few great months of sun and a few great months of cold and everything in between is great . I believe my wife and I found Paradise. I love photography. I have been photographing since I was 8 years old. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Photography from the University of New Mexico in 1975. I traveled a bit after graduation and then returned to the U.S. to recover from some unusual diseases that I acquired in Asia. At the time, this journey sounded like a “Good Trip”, but like root canal surgery or Army basic training, I don’t need to go down that path again. The lesson I learned is don’t drink the water, because out there in the World there are some strange critter things waiting to invade your body (you know, bugs for your belly). My world travel ended for a while and I turned my focus toward my biology.
My Biology career of 27 plus years was in cancer research, woman’s health research, prenatal genetics, molecular genetics and finally reproductive medicine specializing in male infertility. This resulted in many publications and 2 U.S. patents and several international patents in molecular genetics. All along photography continued in my life, resulting in a cover photograph on Microscopy and Analysis.
The art of Photography changed from film to digital technology and I like many photographers chose the Digital path with great enthusiasm and I embraced it by giving away all my film equipment (big mistake). With my eyes wide open I realized that the Digital world is not as dynamic in tonality and light response as the Film world. Even Digital has made great advances and now is a functional format in the larger CMOS sensors that now provide great dynamic range and light sensitivities.
My mentor lived with Ansel Adams for a while and beat into me the importance of the Zone System along with medium and large format film. Oh No! The Zone System does not work with digital photography. Now digital photography has many large sensors with great dynamic range almost equalizing the human eye. For now it seems that both worlds digital and film are the best. I reserve the right to change my mind (if I can find it) at any time without telling anyone. If you figure out where I am at (in my mind), be sure to tell me. My web site shows my photographic vision that is blinded from all the things that interfere in seeing with my soul. See the Blinded Eye photo on the home page.
Thanks Reading..... Don Thompson
My name is Don Thompson. The photograph of the seal pup in the Galapagos Islands above reminds me of how I feel in the summer, fat, well fed and lying in the sun (scratch my belly?). Here in Montana we do have a few great months of sun and a few great months of cold and everything in between is great . I believe my wife and I found Paradise. I love photography. I have been photographing since I was 8 years old. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Photography from the University of New Mexico in 1975. I traveled a bit after graduation and then returned to the U.S. to recover from some unusual diseases that I acquired in Asia. At the time, this journey sounded like a “Good Trip”, but like root canal surgery or Army basic training, I don’t need to go down that path again. The lesson I learned is don’t drink the water, because out there in the World there are some strange critter things waiting to invade your body (you know, bugs for your belly). My world travel ended for a while and I turned my focus toward my biology.
My Biology career of 27 plus years was in cancer research, woman’s health research, prenatal genetics, molecular genetics and finally reproductive medicine specializing in male infertility. This resulted in many publications and 2 U.S. patents and several international patents in molecular genetics. All along photography continued in my life, resulting in a cover photograph on Microscopy and Analysis.
The art of Photography changed from film to digital technology and I like many photographers chose the Digital path with great enthusiasm and I embraced it by giving away all my film equipment (big mistake). With my eyes wide open I realized that the Digital world is not as dynamic in tonality and light response as the Film world. Even Digital has made great advances and now is a functional format in the larger CMOS sensors that now provide great dynamic range and light sensitivities.
My mentor lived with Ansel Adams for a while and beat into me the importance of the Zone System along with medium and large format film. Oh No! The Zone System does not work with digital photography. Now digital photography has many large sensors with great dynamic range almost equalizing the human eye. For now it seems that both worlds digital and film are the best. I reserve the right to change my mind (if I can find it) at any time without telling anyone. If you figure out where I am at (in my mind), be sure to tell me. My web site shows my photographic vision that is blinded from all the things that interfere in seeing with my soul. See the Blinded Eye photo on the home page.
Thanks Reading..... Don Thompson