This group is dedicated to taking beautiful pictures of the natural world or including natural elements. Ever since I received my first camera at age 7, photographing nature was always my primary artistic passion. And ever since I joined the digital revolution a few years ago with the purchase of my first DSLR I have been working to build up a portfolio of images of nature. Now I would like to get together with other photographers with the same passion. I'd also love to share my knowledge and experience if you're new to this type of photography. Join this group if you are interested in going on outings to take pictures of nature or are interested in learning more about nature photography. Note that many events will involve a fair amount of walking or hiking so be aware of that as well. As far as equipment is concerned, I highly recommend you have your own DSLR with a lens that extends to 200mm or more (300+ is ideal). You will need a DSLR to take good action shots of birds and other animals. If you have a point & shoot camera, you'll want it to have a zoom of at least 10X. However, as I work on teaching novice photographers, I will focus on the use of the DSLR. As for events, I will schedule at least one outing per month starting in January 2012. As the group becomes more active, hopefully others will begin to schedule events as well so photographers have several options each month. Most events will focus on shooting wildlife, landscapes, etc. I'm not opposed to the occational event focused on the "urban jungle" and living in Southern California will certainly result in having urban elements in some pictures. However, I do not plan to do things like headshot sessions for local actors. There are plenty of other meetup groups doing that sort of thing and I want to stay true to the groups focus. If this interests you, join us and come to an event. If you have any questions, send me a message.