May I introduce my young friend and neighbor JDB who just won the May contest

[Mira]

I asked his permission to write this, and I want you to welcome him. He is a young friend and neighbor who knew I take photos and who started showing me his.
My delight with his work, knowing he is a Democrat and votes, made me show him the website of DU, the Photo forum, and made me encourage him to submit in our contests which he has by now done about 4 times.
And Bingo - he won May.

So we had a meeting a couple of days ago where I put on the table: get a star and I'll talk you through running the June contest, or I will do it for you because I got you into this. But then there will be no more entries from you. I am saying this with a big smile, because JDB has done really well with the entries before, and got into the finals almost each time.

We now have a new star member.
With the itch to run the contest along with fluttering nerves.
A really young man who has never gotten to show his photographs and has not had much critique or encouragement and whom I hope we will embrace. If we can collectively do that, which is what JeffR did for me many years ago along with many of you, we will all have a chance to grow and improve.

(by the way, for fun and full disclosure, he and another friend and neighbor and I went to Selma and NOLA together at Easter. We split all the expenses and had such a good time that we just booked a cheap hotel to go back for the running of the Bulls in July. I say this because the photo he took and won with was taken on the same walk we took together and I won second place for mine.
Ain't life great!)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Thank you, my dear Mira, and Welcome to DU, my dear JDB!

Congratulations on your well-deserved win!

You've got yourself a great teacher with Mira. She knows her stuff! Don't worry about your fluttering nerves.....we ALL get those!

I look forward to seeing what sort of theme you propose for us.

[Mira]

4. My dear Peggy! Thanks.

A lot.
I do not know any of my stuff. What I have going for me is that I do believe I have a good inborn eye for combining a bit of story with a bit of emotion in a photo.
At this point that is all she wrote.

In my early days of retirement many other things are in need of attention, but learning more about my camera is hopefully coming up
For instance - this spring for the first time ever I have gotten to fully give attention to something I have only suspected so far:
My house has an outside that needs tending and planting.....

Thanks for welcoming my friend JDB

[elleng]

2. What a wonderful tale, Mira!

Yes of course we'll embrace him!

Here comes JUNE!!!

[Solly Mack]

3. Welcome, JDB!

What a neat story about the photos!

Thanks, Mira!!

[Fumesucker]

5. Welcome and congratulations JDB

[alfredo]

6. Thank you for recruiting more talent to this forum.

You are the glue that holds us together.

[MerryBlooms]

7. Wonderful! Congratulations, JDB!

[juxtaposed]

8. Mira, is this changing from a true photo forum into anything goes photoshop place?

just not sure if I should start enhancing my images to compete with others?

[justiceischeap]

9. It's not Mira's fault that the majority of DU like this

type of photography. I myself am not a fan of overly processed photography but that doesn't mean it's an invalid form of creative expression.

I've found that the majority of people that engage in HDR eventually outgrow it as their talent grows. We should encourage and educate instead of demean.

I prefer journalistic/documentary types of photography myself but you won't see me complaining all over the group about something Mira only has control over when she hosts a contest.