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Hi I'm Bob "Notes" Norton. I make my living doing music and nothing but music, but photography is a hobby of mine.

 

I just submitted some images to AdobeStock and about 75% of them got approved for inclusion in their catalog. I thought I'd share them here.

 

I'm also interested in your posts and images.

 

Here we go:

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Rainbow%20Lorikeet%20in%20Australia.jpg

Rainbow Lorikeet - Northeast Australia

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/osprey.jpg

Osprey on Nest, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Northern%20Giant%20Golden%20Orb%20Web%20Spider%20-%20Australia.jpg

Northern Giant Golden Orb Web Spider, Kingfisher Park, Australia

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/outback_road.JPG

A road somewhere in the Outback of Australia (we rented a camper van and got delightfully lost at times)

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/key_west_sunset.jpg

Sunset, Mallory Square, Key West, Florida USA

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/spiral_staircase.jpg

Spiral Staircase,, I don't remember the name of the church in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

 

I've created a web page here http://www.nortonmusic.com/stock_images.html for self-promotion.

 

I don't know how well I'll do selling these on Adobe, or if they sell at all. Hopefully they will sell enough for me to buy some new gear (GAS isn't only for guitars).

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Three out of three this time.

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Green%20Iguana%20in%20South%20Florida.jpg

Green Iguana, South Florida

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Young%20Gator%20in%20Viera%20Wetlands,%20Florida.jpg

Young gator in the Viera Wetlands, Florida

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Charred%20Forest%20Near%20Uluru,%20Australia.jpg

Charred forest near Uluru (aka Ayers Rock) in the Australian Outback

 

I still haven't sold any (I'm not holding my breath), but having some fun.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Thanks. We got delightfully lost quite a few times. Since we were in a camper van, it didn't matter too much and there were so few roads in the outback, they always seemed to lead to somewhere on the map.

 

We spent 5 weeks there, and it was one of the better vacations we've taken. I really liked the Australian people too, they were friendly, helpful and cheerful. I didn't meet one grouch in all 5 weeks.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Getting delightfully lost is one of the true pleasures in life.

 

Unless you're at work.....

 

I've always had great experiences when meeting Australian people.

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Mrs Notes and I make it a habit to explore and get lost. We like to go to the mandatory tourist places, but we also like getting away from the tourist zones and get into the real country. One person we met told us we weren't tourists, but travelers.

 

A couple of examples of Australians.

 

I was driving a camper van. If I needed to change lanes, I put on my blinker, and the car in the lane I wanted to change into slowed down - EVERY TIME

 

Nobody speeds or uses their cell phones behind the wheel, and they are extremely courteous.

 

In the outback if you are on the side of the road and someone passes, they will slow down to see if you are OK

 

Everyone greets you with a smile.

 

On numerous occasions an Australian would strike up a conversation, and before you knew it there were a few of us yakking away and over a half hour passed.

 

I went to the symphony in my traveling clothes in Sydney (in the famous opera house) and there were people in tuxes down to people in blue jeans and nobody looked down their noses at the under-dressed. The audience was extremely respectful with no talking, program ruffling or paper crinkling during the performance.

 

They are definitely more civilized than the people in my own country, we could learn a few things from them.

 

I could move there, but I'm either too old or not wealthy enough for them to let me in :D

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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More :D

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Silver_Gull.jpg

Silver Gull in Urban Australia (I think Melbourne)

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Everglades_Sunset_001.jpg

Everglades Sunset (Just west of Fort Lauderdale)

 

I'm surprised the Everglades picture was accepted, as it was my first successful attempt at scanning a slide (Kodachrome). I had to make it slightly smaller as the ragged edges of the cardboard were impossible for me to fix. I didn't want to unmount and remount either.

 

I hope some day to sell at least one, so I can be a professional :D If not, I'm having fun anyway, and having fun IMO is being successful at life.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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That's cool that you can scan things and they are still acceptable for this.

 

And absolutely, having fun is being successful at life.

 

From my experience, if you do something you absolutely love, good things seem to happen. You are excited and enthusiastic and really delve into what you are doing, you get better, you tend to share whatever it is you are doing a lot or connect with other people....and good things happen.

 

Those good things aren't always monetary.

 

You make friends, you learn a lot of things that help other endeavors, and you often make other people feel inspired or happy.

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Agreed, good thins aren't always monetary.

 

I make a living as a gigging musician. I did have electronics training in school and did a stint as a field engineer for a manufacturer of Cable TV system hardware. I would have made a lot more money if I had done that for a career, but I'm living a very happy life doing what I love to do.

 

I wake up in the morning, go to bed at night, in between I do what I want to do and love to do, and I do it on my own terms. To me that's success.

 

I had to work on the scan to get it acceptable. I scanned it at 7200dpi, had to use Photoshop Elements to get red of some spots that wouldn't come out, and did some other editing as well. I'm at the beginning of the learning curve for the software, and I like to learn new things.

 

I'd go for Photoshop, but as I understand it, it is a subscription, and I don't know if I want to pay by the month for something that is just a diversion for me.

 

Anyway, I'm happy to get my pictures included in the Adobe catalog. I'll keep doing it as long as it is fun.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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OK, now we're getting on topic for a music forum.

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Tenor_Sax_002.jpg

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Tenor_Sax_001.jpg

 

They are my own custom MacSax saxophone. MacSax doesn't make them anymore, but they went into a bigger profit end for sax players, mouthpieces.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I'm using a Panasonic Lumix, but I need to upgrade it. I bought it for travel portability, and it takes decent pictures but not as nice as my old EOS/Film or K1000/Film cameras. It's quite a few years old, and I'm sure the technology has improved since then.

 

I am going to investigate a higher quality travel camera myself.

 

Since before COVID-19 I travelled once per year, and I do not check in luggage but use a carry-on, so I didn't want a digital SLR with multiple lenses as there is no room in the case for a lot.

 

Notes

 

New shots - Australian Outback

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Australian%20Outback%20Near%20Uluru.jpg

 

Bermuda Window 1

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Green%20Window%20on%20Gray%20Wall%20in%20Bermuda%201.jpg

 

Bermuda Window 2

http://www.nortonmusic.com/stockphoto/Green%20Window%20on%20Gray%20Wall%20in%20Bermuda%202.jpg

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Any recommendations for a new cam? I looking forward for an dslr kamera canon. Which cam do you use?

 

I use two DSLRs, a Nikon D750 and a Pentax K-1. The latter has the better image quality of the two as well as superior weather sealing, but the Nikon is still a great camera as well.

 

Do you want to purchase a used camera or a new one? What are you going to photograph primarily? Do you prefer wide angle or zoom or ???? What is most important to you in a camera and lens?

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Thanks, Ken.

 

I'd prefer a new camera. I photograph 2 things the most, (1) wildlife/nature (2) landscape/architecture

 

I don't do people that much, except for personal memories.

 

The wildlife is predominantly in Florida but anywhere else I travel is a resource. Same for landscape and interesting buildings. I also shoot a lot of tourist photos when I'm on vacation, it would be a shame not to snap the inside of an ancient church or a Mayan ruin if I'm there.

 

Since I shoot a lot of wildlife, the zoom is important, which is one of the reasons I chose the Lumix. It has a small 'point and shoot' body size for when I travel and a telescoping zoom for the wildlife that I can't get close to without spooking them.

 

Other than the saxophones, these images are pretty typical of the kind I shoot. https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210337243/Bob

 

I probably won't buy a new camera soon. My main occupation is as a professional musician, and my market since 1985 has been the over 50-year-old senior. Since COVID-19 hit, I haven't had a gig. Just about the time the seniors got vaccinated, they started leaving South Florida to spend the summer 'up north'. I'm now getting gigs for the 2021/2022 winter season, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

I'm living off my part-time sideline, selling aftermarket styles for Band-in-a-Box, but big expenses that require hitting my savings are out of the question.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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Notes, we sort of look for different things in cameras. Well, some of the time.

 

I think you would want to have a camera that has really fast, accurate auto-focus for wildlife, and possibly strong performance at high ISO (the latter is what I want as well), depending on the light. I mention the latter in case it helps. I think that there might be some instances in which you need to crank the ISO to get a really fast shutter speed for things like faraway birds and that kind of thing to keep down the blur, especially if the light is slightly low.

 

I don't know what cameras might fit that bill. I'd look into the Canon R5 or the Sonys for that. Some of the Nikon Z series might do the trick as well.

 

I do not know very much about Lumix other than that they make good cameras.

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Thanks again, Ken.

 

The Lumix is a nice camera, it's just that technology has improved leaps and bounds in the last 10 years.

 

Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get dust that is stuck on old slides off the slides without damaging them. I'm working on a lot of slides that aren't keepers, and the advice for alcohol doesn't work. Rubbing with a microfiber gets the loose stuff off, but to get the dust that's stuck on them means I have to rub too hard on the printed side.

 

The slides were shot with my old K1000 and EOS cameras. I still have the EOS film camera somewhere, I guess it's worthless now.

 

I choose not to live with air conditioning, and so storage in a high humidity area is probably the problem. Ah the sacrifices I make to save the environment. :D

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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I suppose the film camera is worth something to someone who wants to shoot film and have a certain look.

 

Regardless, I applaud you for your ecological stance. You are truly an environmental warrior!

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Thanks

 

I like the film look. It's not better, just slightly different. Both digital and analog have their pros and cons.

 

And yes, I'm an environmental warrior, though I never used that term before. I don't use AC, I only mow about 6 feet around my house, under the clothes line (we don't use the dryer for anything that can hang outdoors), and the road right-of-way. I planted about 30 trees on my half acre, and planted a lot of native vegetation instead of a lawn. I painted my roof bright white. I drive my car with slow acceleration and coasting to anticipate braking to get 100 miles per tankful more than the EPA mileage predicts. Our total garbage is about 1 cubic foot per week.

 

Then we blow it all to go on vacations every year because we want to see the world. I've been to: 49 out of 50 US states, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix & St John (USVI), more than half the Canadian provinces, 7 Mexican states, Bahama Islands, Bermuda Islands, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, England, Scotland, Wales, Gibraltar, The Netherlands, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Czech Republic, Austria, Australia, Russia, Japan and China (From the Great Wall down to Hong Kong).

 

I now have 20 images up on AdobeStock and a few on Shutterstock.

 

I want to get all my slides digitized but it's a big job when the dust sticks to them. Some small defects I can remove with software, sometimes with good results. I have scoured the 'net for cleaning instructions, some clean, most don't, so the keepers I just save because I don't want to lose the memory.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Thanks.

 

I like some better than others, and some of the rejections for technical reasons I liked a lot. But sometimes when shooting wildlife that is moving, it's hard to get a pefect shot. Others were shot with an old digital camera and just don't have enough resolution for modern tastes.

 

Some of the shots are there not for great art, but in the hopes that somebody would want to use them in an ad or something else.

 

I haven't sold anything, but I'm having fun with it anyway.

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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  • 2 months later...

Here's one I thought would never make it. It's a slide I scanned, then cleaned the image with the eraser tool (some of the dust glued itself to the slide), worked around the Woodstork a bit, and figured they would reject it. Surprise, they didn't. I used a noise removal tool to get rid of the film grain.

 

Filming flying birds I have about a 10% chance of getting a good shot, which means I get to push the button a lot!!! Thankfully, digital means I can shoot more without wasting film.

 

500_F_449608646_uWTOPSiyG6AFphmtDPlZNrs4coz3pe7D.jpg

 

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton

Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com

Style and Fake disks for Band-in-a-Box

The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<

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