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Why I signed up for OPR...

Started by John, June 21, 2006, 03:47:15 PM

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Pat

#105
Larry you have a real heart for the work we do here at OPR.  I love the enthusiasm and spirit you've shown while tackling your first photo – the makings of a great OPR volunteer.  You'll be amazed how fast your skills will grow.  Welcome to the family.  
Pat

"Take a deep breath and think of the three things you are grateful for, right in this moment."  -MJ Ryan Author

corpusdei

Why am I here?  I gotta say, when I started in on that very first test image, I was asking myself that same question, and I've been mulling it over since.  It can be frustrating, tiresome, at times it seems difficult to near downright impossible, and a week's worth of work for one picture can seem like an awful lot of effort for not a lot of return.  So why do it?  I'm doing this ... well, because I can, really.  It seems a simplistic answer, but that's the long and short of it. 

I'd like to say that it's because of the challenge, and always learning something new.  That's the reason I started fiddling with PS in the first place (and GIMP, and PSP, and Paint.NET and who knows how many others), putting in entries for photoshop contests on fark, and though I put out a lot of bleh (http://bit.ly/AEoSU1), I kept at it because I wanted to make things that were somewhat less bleh (http://bit.ly/zLjFNP).  That was the challenge.

This, though?  I'm doing this because I can.  I'm just a glorified amateur, and nowhere close to being in the league of some of the folks here, but I figure I still do a passable job of it (I hope - I'm still waiting on the QC folks to swoop down on me ;) ).  But the point is - I can do it.  And more important, crucial in fact, this is an opportunity for me to take what skill I have and do more than head swaps and image gags - it's a chance to help, it's a chance to reach out, take someones hurt away and return some happiness in its place.  It's a chance to leave the world a little better than I found it, even if I'm only able to do it one picture at a time.
"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical.  We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity."

pic-dr

Quote from: corpusdei on January 26, 2012, 05:47:32 PM
Why am I here?  I gotta say, when I started in on that very first test image, I was asking myself that same question, and I've been mulling it over since.  It can be frustrating, tiresome, at times it seems difficult to near downright impossible, and a week's worth of work for one picture can seem like an awful lot of effort for not a lot of return.  So why do it?  I'm doing this ... well, because I can, really.  It seems a simplistic answer, but that's the long and short of it. 

I'd like to say that it's because of the challenge, and always learning something new.  That's the reason I started fiddling with PS in the first place (and GIMP, and PSP, and Paint.NET and who knows how many others), putting in entries for photoshop contests on fark, and though I put out a lot of bleh (http://bit.ly/AEoSU1), I kept at it because I wanted to make things that were somewhat less bleh (http://bit.ly/zLjFNP).  That was the challenge.

This, though?  I'm doing this because I can.  I'm just a glorified amateur, and nowhere close to being in the league of some of the folks here, but I figure I still do a passable job of it (I hope - I'm still waiting on the QC folks to swoop down on me ;) ).  But the point is - I can do it.  And more important, crucial in fact, this is an opportunity for me to take what skill I have and do more than head swaps and image gags - it's a chance to help, it's a chance to reach out, take someones hurt away and return some happiness in its place.  It's a chance to leave the world a little better than I found it, even if I'm only able to do it one picture at a time.

@Corpusdei

A great post, and a great attitude. What more could you ask for?  :up:

And I did check out both of those pics, awesome! Especially the second one!  :wnw:
The most important room is that which is reserved for improvement.

pic-dr

pic-dr

Quote from: Pat on January 26, 2012, 03:58:23 PM
Larry you have a real heart for the work we do here at OPR.  I love the enthusiasm and spirit you've shown while tackling your first photo – the makings of a great OPR volunteer.  You'll be amazed how fast your skills will grow.  Welcome to the family.  

Thank you so much for the kind words and welcome Pat! I'm convinced with the guidance of the amazing people here I'll be fixin' pics left and right before long!  :up:

It is a humbling pleasure to be a part of this community.
The most important room is that which is reserved for improvement.

pic-dr

paulboyowhite

The reason I signed up is this.My wife and I recently lost our Daughter to stillbirth.Our only memories are a few photos taken after so we have a face to remember.
I feel more than ever that memories are special and if this helps people then its a no brainer.
I get knocked down but I get up again,your never gonna keep me down.

Chumbawamba

Tori803

So sorry to hear about your daughter. You're right about how precious photos are and it's wonderful to be help people this way.
Tori
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." -Calvin Coolidge

Pat

Not only will the photos be keepsake reminders of your precious daughter for you and your wife they are something tangible that can be handed down from generation to generation.  She will forever be a familiar identifiable part of your family history.

Pat
Pat

"Take a deep breath and think of the three things you are grateful for, right in this moment."  -MJ Ryan Author

Mhayes

#112
Paul, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I attended a seminar where one of the speakers was with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. That organization provides free photographs for families of children that have little time left to live. I don't think there was a dry eye in the audience. Within the inner OPR team, several of us did a special request not tied to OPR, to retouch pictures taken of baby that lived only a few minutes after birth. Working on those photos was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. What keep us going was knowing what it meant to the family.

I hope that you and your wife will be blessed with another child and all goes well this next time.

Margie
"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

paulboyowhite

Thank you for those kind words .Keeping my mind occupied has helped a lot.
My daughter had passed 4 days before birth so Our photos are not that nice to look at.
For my wife and I they are better than none but not something I would want others to see.
when I am ready I will touch up the one I want to use in her memory frame to go with her prints.
This is one restore I cannot try yet
But I will.

I get knocked down but I get up again,your never gonna keep me down.

Chumbawamba

glennab

Paul, my heart goes out to you.  What an incredible loss.  I have to tell you that I think it's wonderful for you to have turned some of your grief into helping others who have also suffered tremendous loss.  It speaks of your huge heart and wisdom and also tells me that you'll be a great addition to our OPR family.

I hope you participate in and enjoy the forum.  I'll look to see you there.

Bless
GK
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pine

(Photoshop CS5 /Mac Pro)

Mike S.

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your daughter to you and your wife, Paul.
I hope your helping others brings you peace.

Thank you for joining OPR.

Mike


Mike S.

susanccr

This thread made me think.  My cousin has been a member of OPR for some time.  Although life prevents her from participating right now, I know she will be back.  She was the one who sent me here.

The truth is that I joined because I know what it's like to lose everything.  I had a house fire in 1997.  I stood on the sidewalk outside my home and had literally nothing.  The smoke and flames destroyed most of it and the water finished the job.

The folks who came and cleaned out my house sifted through the ashes and remains to see if they could salvage anything.  A month later I got a call from the restoration/cleanup folks - they wanted to come to the hotel we were staying in.  I was unaware that they had found some damaged family photographs and sent them to a restorer.  When they handed me a envelope with a few precious photos I burst into tears.  I thought I had lost them all.

I learned two things that day in April over 15 years ago.  (1) If you can replace it with just money, it has no real value.  (2) If you can't replace it with just money, it's worth everything.

I joined to help those in the same situation to replace those things that cannot be replaced with insurance or aid or donations.

It's my way of paying forward.


Mhayes

Susanccr,

I am so sorry for your loss and it's great you were able to save a few precious memories--although not near enough. I think a fire is probably the worst to salvage photos from. Because of your experience you have a true empathy for those going through a disaster. I hope someday you will be able to join us on a copy run as it really seals the deal as to why we do what we do.

Thanks for your beautiful reply and thanks for volunteering.

Margie
"carpe diem"

Margie Hayes
OPR President
[email protected]

susanccr

Margie, next time there's a copy run in California or within reasonable distance, I'm there.  You know where to find me.  :)

timruf

Great Question. I have joined and have not yet done a real restoration, but look forward to it. Up here in Wisconsin our winters can be brutal; day after day of cold and snow and last year I had a bad case of cabin fever. I was stuck indoors with my photography gear and no way I could go out and shoot.

So, I taught myself how to colorize old photos and still do that as a hobby and post on the website shorpy.com. I've been reworking and adjusting photos for a long time and doing photo manipulation for just as long, going back to darkroom days. I still miss the smell of the chemicals and watching a photo come to life in the tray. Anyway, it just seemed a natural to do restoration.

Many years ago I had to quickly move and lost almost all of my childhood photos, save for a couple of birthday photos. That's it. So, I understand what it means to loose your photos. I feel that if I can bring back at least one photo for someone, that's pretty good.

I've been looking for a volunteer opportunity to keep me busy, retirement is not all it's cracked up to be, and this seems to be perfect. I'm looking forward to using what skills I have for good and learning what I will along the way.