Welcome to the Rod and Cone

This website is about one thing: Providing high-value, agreeably amusing, Truman-Show-esque lessons and insights from my growth as a photographer. I'm trying to share as much info as I can to prevent you from making the same mistakes that I have made and those that I will inevitably make.

Over time, I hope to provide you with some damn good images, but you've got to help me get there. You see, as the tag line above implies, I've got a frying pan waiting for me if I don't improve my skills. You can't just sit there, watching me flounder like you do Homer Simpson. If I or my photos fail to delight you in any way, drop me a note or leave a comment and I'll kick it up a notch.

In return for you allowing me to share my experiences, I promise to pass along what I know and learn. I'm hoping that what I share will benefit both beginning photographers and seasoned pros. As I've found in all my other endeavors, the more I share my knowledge and passion with others, the more ideas and wisdom I receive in return. Sounds sappy, but it's true.

By the way here is some of the pedantic part: Rod and Cone refers to the photoreceptors in our eyes. There are 6-7 million cones which see color and are concentrated around the macula of the retina. Covering the remainder of the retina are 120 million rods. Rods are extremely responsive to light at all levels, but they don't see color. If you are a photographer, you should learn about the visual cortex and our vision equipment. Understanding how humans process light and information is a good step toward understanding the psychology behind a photograph.

(Train and Eye images courtesy Wikipedia Commons.)