I've been kibitzing around DVINFO for awhile, now, so I just thought I'd re-introduce myself. As you can tell, my name is Bill Ravens. I'm the lone star at Chalchihuitl Productions, based in Santa Fe, NM. Actually, I put food on the table by working as an opto-mechanical engineer for Boeing Aircraft in ABQ. I've been around the optical design industry for about 20 years.

My interest in things photographic began back in college(circa 1966). At that time I fitted myself with a Canon F1, a myriad of lenses, and started shooting a lot of B&W stills. I did a lot of darkroom work back in those days, since the instant gratification of digital photography and Adobe Photoshop was still a gleam in some kids eye.

When consumer Digital Video appeared on the scene, I bought my first digital video camera (a SONY) and a DPS SPARK DV card and a PC running Windoze 95. Since that time, I've gotten several digital video cameras and keep searching for that perfect PC and NLE application....LOL. In keeping up with all this technology, I've got experience with most of the PC platforms, building, tuning and tweaking, and consumer NLE's on the market. (I tried a MAC once, and just couldn't stand the reliability)

At any rate, Chalchihuitl Productions is primarily involved with location information, test video clips for locations, and location backdrop videos. It's a labor of love, since it gives me the opportunity to see a lot of this beautiful state that I live in and play with video cameras at the same time. I've got my cake and I get to eat it too. Life is good.

For those who know me on this forum, I have a particular penchant for questioning commonly accepted knowledge, rumor and innuendo. I don't always accept that the most popular viewpoint is necessarily the best one. So, if you want someone to flame, I guess I'm your guy.

Well, there's the best I can do in the way of introduction. A bit better than the first time I tried this. Hopefully, things I post will be of a help to someone. This site is a great resource. I remember the days when I was just "shooting in the dark". Sorry, bad pun.

For anyone interested in my work, a lot of it is up at my website at:
www.geocities.com/ravens202
Sorry, there's nothing there in the way of video, altho' there are a lot of still images. Internet video of high quality is still a ways off.

Regards to all.

Bill Ravens

Hey Bill,

After using PC's for a while you kinda get an uneasy feeling when everything is working properly. It feels like the calm before the storm, it's difficult to trust something that dosen't breakdown.

Howdy from Texas,

<< For those who know me on this forum, I have a particular penchant for questioning commonly accepted knowledge, rumor and innuendo. I don't always accept that the most popular viewpoint is necessarily the best one. So, if you want someone to flame, I guess I'm your guy. >>

Actually Bill, I really appreciate your point of view more than you probably know. So there will be absolutely no flaming at all (besides, it's not allowed here anyway). There's only healthy debate, from multiple points of view. If we ever do reach an impasse with each other, then we'll simply agree to disagree. The only catch is, we'll still have to buy each other's beer. Hope those operating rules sound appealing to you, and thanks for all your input in the past and whatever is forthcoming. Always a pleasure to have you on board,

Thanx Chris, I appreciate your feedback. Video war stories and a few beers? Always...;-)