Greetings.
My name is Dana Blackmer (and just so there's no confusion, I'm a
guy). I'm a clinical psychologist in Richmond, VA. My passion is
nature photography and I am a novice nature recordist. In fact, I
haven't purchased any gear yet.=20
I came to nature recording in an abrupt and surprising way. About
two months ago I took my nine year old daughter photographing in the
Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia. We arrived there before
dawn and hiked alone a trail to a small stream. As we photographed,
I asked my daughter to stop for a moment and listen. The sounds of
the water falling over the rocks, the breeze blowing through the
leaves, and the song of many birds filled the air. I said, "You
know, Janie, if I could bottle this sound, I'd take it home with me
and listen to it all the time."
Ten minutes later she came to me in tears. She had dropped her
digital camera in the stream and it wouldn't turn on again. When we
got home and dried it out it came on again for only fifteen minutes,
but in that time I downloaded what she had shot that morning, which
to my surprise, include a small video clip of the stream, complete
with sound!
Then it hit me - I CAN bottle this sound and take it home with me!=20
Since that time, I've been reading everything I can get my hands on
about nature recording. Like any novice, I have many more questions
than answers at this time, and look forward to getting some of them
answered here. My hope is that I can use nature recording to
complement my nature photography; that is, to have another medium by
which I can help others know, appreciate, and conserve the beauty of
the natural world around them.
I look forward to participating in this group.
Dana Blackmer
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