Nate Update

Photo by Nathaniel Gundrum

So you probably remember the "Your Advice Needed" and "Cameras for Nate" posts early in April, in which TOP readers gave their camera-buying advice to my son's college-age friend Nate, who wanted to buy a used DSLR without having to spend too much money.

As it turned out, he didn't have to spend any money. No fewer than six TOP readers offered to give him a camera. He ended up accepting a Pentax K-5 from one anonymous (and generous) reader—but not, of course, before making sure she really didn't want or need to be paid.

It didn't make the discussion any less interesting, of course. See the "Cameras for Nate" post for a summary of our advice to anyone looking for a good used DSLR.

Above is the first picture Nate sent me taken with his sporty new-to-him Pentax DSLR.

Thanks to anonymous, and good luck to Nate!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

David Dyer-Bennet: "I like that photo. And it's not actually technically trivial, either. TOP readers rock (except no doubt a small minority who roll). Kudos to the anonymous donor, and to Nate for showing signs of making good use of the generous gift!"

Ruby: "Reading this just made me feel happy. And it's a wonderful shot."

Comments

[John Krumm]

That's awesome. I'm always impressed with how generous folks can be in the right situation. Neat photo too. Love the shadow, and the tongue sticking out makes me cringe a little thinking about the possibility of him biting it.

[Matthew Messner]

Wow, that is actually a really great photo. I love the shadow of the on-looker and the car parked in the background. The framing and action would suggest that the image is not "composed", yet it is greater than sum of the parts.

[Ben Rosengart]

This is a nice community.

[Rob Atkins]

Oh, that shadow is perfect...makes the shot.

[William Barnett-Lewis]

Delightful. A good catch of the subject

If it would stop snowing for awhile up here in the northwoods (a snow day for the schools here - in MAY!?!) I'll get out with that Mentor 5x7 and be able to show off some more of this community's radical generosity. It's been a long winter; I'm ready to shoot some landscapes.

[Jim Simmons]

I chuckled when I saw the "sprocket holes" at the bottom of the frame. "they're already teaching him the discipline of shooting full frame and even having him use a filed out negative carr- wait a minute! He's using a K5. O silly me."

[I did the same thing. Sigh.

It's like when I hear a sound in a recorded song that sounds like a ringing telephone used to...so I turn the music down to listen to see if it is the phone...takes me a minute to remember that that's not what a phone sounds like any more. --Mike]

[Kevin Bourque]

Everyone knows that all skateboarding pictures MUST be taken with a fish-eye lens from a position just underneath the subject as they "catch air". This is one of the unbreakable rules.

[Nathan DeGargoyle]

Nate's definitely got an eye for a great image.
I love the shadow which looks like Mom keeping an eye on her little skateboarder.
And B&W! good choice!
I'd have been proud to have taken that and my hats off to TOP and your anonymous reader for making it possible.

[JackS]

This must be a set up shot. How else can you explain the contrail coming out of the skateboarder's bum. Nice!

[Patrick Perez]

I like the tie-in to the recent post about unintended backgrounds/things protruding from headds, etc. It looks like a jet propelled (contrail out the butt) skateboarder.

I do like the photo.

Patrick

[Chuck Holst]

I like the photo -- I really do! For the shadow, among other things. But it's also a good example of the unintended juxtaposition, for that contrail in the sky unfortunately makes the skateboarder look -- uh -- jet-propelled, and provides an element of humor I'm sure the photographer did not intend.

[Sarge]

Great shot!

I'm sure that Nate's generous benefactor is happy her gift is being put to good use.

I'm equally sure this won't be the last time we'll be hearing of gifted Nate in TOP.

[Ben Wilkes]

I went to click "like" under the photo in the fraction of a moment before I remembered what site I was on.

[Taran]

I too wish to salute the anonymous donor. The kid has talent, you nurtured it. Winning. I am a beneficiary of this kids work, so I must thank you personally... the photo is a good one.

[David]

Wonderful story and a very cool shot of a person with a contrail coming out their butt.

Seriously, the interknot has it's power..so cool.