My name is Ron Coscorrosa, I’m 28 years old and currently reside near Seattle, Washington. I write software for a living (for a company that may or may not be responsible for the reliable storage of nearly every photo on SmugMug...), and shoot photos as a hobby. I really appreciate the (probably undeserved) opportunity to be featured in SmugMug Corner alongside many photographers whose work I respect.

I have no formal training, my education, using the most liberal definition of the term, has come from assorted books, the works of other photographers, various online forums and communities (often as a lurker) and most importantly, frequent depressions of the shutter (and the frequent mental depressions that result when I don’t get the results I’m looking for, but I come back for more punishment anyway!).

I received a Polaroid camera as a Christmas present while in 4th grade. It was stolen shortly after. Three years ago, after a brief sixteen-year hiatus, I bought my next camera, a Canon 20D dSLR. Two years ago, I started seriously taking photographs, but only in the last year or so have I felt they were good enough to avoid personal embarrassment (fortunately, I still have plenty of additional methods for inflicting embarrassment upon myself, those who know me will attest).

I’ll spare the long story about why I purchased my first dSLR (and the expensive equipment death-spiral that ensued until I find myself in my current situation), but it involves a rare chance encounter with a cougar in the wild, a crappy borrowed point and shoot camera, and three photos that didn’t come out.

Canon 1D MIII body, 16-35 f/2.8, 24-105 f/4, 85 f/1.2, and 100-400 L lenses, along with a Canon 100mm macro and 15mm fish-eye. The only filters I use are polarizers and split-ND filters. I use a Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod and a RRS ball head and L-plate. I alternate between using a camera bag or a vest, and sometimes use both, even though (and perhaps because) I know it makes me look like a dweeb.

I’m lusting for a full frame sensor body, and will probably get one in 2011 when the 5D MII is released or the 1Ds MIII becomes affordable. As for lenses, a 500mm or the 5x “bug” macro would be welcome additions.

I do all my post processing in Bridge/Photoshop, with a little help from Photomatix for HDR shots, and Noise Ninja for noise reduction.

Landscapes (wild and urban), macro, wildlife, and occasionally architecture. I’ve done little to no street, portrait (besides my niece, whom I’m under strict orders to photograph as often as possible), or sports photography, though I definitely appreciate all of them.

I prefer natural light, for two reasons, the one I actually state (it looks better), and the one I actually believe (I’m not smart enough to use a flash).

I feel extremely fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest, while I’ll occasionally drool when I see photos from other parts of the country or world, I know that there’s an essentially limitless amount of opportunities nearby, often close enough to shoot before or after work.

Any of the photographers from the assorted publications of the Sierra Club, National Geographic, and Audubon. Out of several shelves of photography books at the store I purchased three that I thought had the most appealing photographs (paying no attention to the authors) and two of them were by Tim Fitzharris, so that probably says something (and that something is that his photos are fantastic). I’ll throw in a wildcard: Ansel Adams. Many of the photographers I’ve discovered online are also amazing (Marc Adamus, Kevin McNeal, to name a few from the northwest), and too many others to mention, many of them non-professional like myself (that’s the power of the Internets, it gives many of us a means of sharing work that would largely otherwise be invisible).

All of these people remind me that I have a long way to go, but they do inspire me to go out there and keep shooting and getting better.

I’ve been Smugging since September 2006 (I briefly considering writing my own gallery software and then remembered I hate HTML, and Javascript, and Internet Explorer, and CSS). I really like being able to upload an unlimited number of photos (to the point where I abuse this feature and upload things that really should be deleted), and not worry about bandwidth costs. The ability to easily organize and tag photos, customize the look and feel, and the tight integration with a printing service are also huge wins.

The best thing about SmugMug is that it gets out of the way, it let’s me concentrate on taking photos, and not fuss or worry over how to display or share them.

I still feel I’m at the point where I should be taking more advice then I give, but since the question was asked... Take photos. Over and over, and when you’re done, take some more. Try new spots far away and visit old spots nearby (you’ll never fully know a spot, you’ll only become more and more familiar with it, it will change with the seasons, the light, and your experience and preferences). Go out to shoot photos of, say, waterfalls, but come back with better photos of something else (and start to expect this, because what you go out to take and what you come back with are often different, and usually, that works out just fine). Buy a bunch of expensive equipment, and let it sit in your closet for a few months until you feel so guilty that you either sell it at an embarrassing loss or feel obligated to use it. Develop and hone in on that sense of guilt so that any time you see a brilliant sunset, an awesome reflection, or (hypothetically) a cougar in the wild, and aren’t using (or are lacking) your camera, that you get physically sick. And don’t listen to me, I don’t know what I’m talking about.