I’ve been interested in photography for quite some time, but over the past few years I’ve been thinking about how to take it to the next level; how to share my passion for photography with more people. I’ve had many ideas, but the one I eventually settled on was to create a unique combination of in-person photographic services and online photography resources. After several months in the making, I’m pleased to announce the launch of my photographic website, Peter R. Wood Photography:

Head over to the Journal to read the inaugural post, wherein I give thanks to the many people who have helped me out along the way. I’ve had a lot of fun getting the site set up, playing around with some cool new technology, and discussing the design and content with various folks.

For our long-time readers here at World Wide Wood, don’t worry – nothing is changing on this site! You’ll still be able to find all of the photos of me, Rebecca, and Catherine, as well as photos from all of our adventures with family and friends. But please do check out at Peter R. Wood Photography, where I will discuss photographic subjects in greater depth, as well as show off some of my best photos. This doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job; rather, I’m simply devoting more time towards my favorite hobby.

So, if you’re in the Boston area and in need of some photo shooting and/or training, please keep Peter R. Wood Photography in mind! And be sure to follow the Journal for photo news, tips, and insights.

Today I headed in to Boston to meet up with 20 or so other photographers to take in some Historic Churches of Boston. I had a terrific time, walking around Boston all day, photographing churches (and other things), and talking to other photography-minded people.

There were an overwhelming number of Nikon DSLR shooters there, which was quite surprising. I expected it to be fairly even, but everywhere I looked I saw the telltale black-and-yellow straps! Talk about branding!

I met some terrific people, and got to see how others used their cameras. I also doled out a few helpings of advice, particularly to people with compact cameras. Those little things are pretty powerful once you get beyond ‘Auto’ mode! I’m really looking forward to seeing the photos everyone came away with, particularly where we were all taking photos of the same things. Should be interesting to see some different perspectives.

As a follow-up for those who I talked to at the meetup, here is some of the information I promised:

People I met:

• John Donovan (lots of hockey photos)
• Kris Quiñones (may be showing some of her work soon!)
• Meng Yang (ate the biggest plate of ribs!)
• Dana Pearson (has a home gallery in Somerville)
• Roger Ramirez (ask him about his domain name)
• Drew Bennett (has done a photo a day for the past four years)

Stuff I recommended that people check out:

• Tips From The Top Floor (digital photography podcast with Chris Marquardt)
• Discover The Top Floor workshops (run by the above, one to be held in Portland, ME)
• What The Duck (photography comic strip)
• Ken Rockwell (opinionated, no-holds-barred Nikon photographer. Site has lots of great resources, and he writes his own in-depth user guide for each Nikon DSLR. You’ll either love him or hate him.)

As I mentioned to a few of you, I am working on my own dedicated photography website. Stay tuned to this website for more details on that. Hopefully it will be launching soon!

Last but not least, here is a link to the photos I took during the course of the day!

If you were at the meetup, please leave me a comment and say hello! Also if you’ve got a website, feel free to share it here. I hope to attend another one of these meetups and see some of you folks again!