Andrew Olmsted
Open Source
I am an application developer who is passionate about open-source. I try to be as active as possible in the communities I develop for and give as much of my free time as I am able. If my programs can help users enjoy their open-source experience I feel rewarded. If I can answer someones question, report a bug, submit a patch, or improve a project in anyway this is extra compensation.
Photography
I have had a long lasting love for photography that dates back to my first experience with a film SLR. Starting out with developing my own black and white prints in a lab and progressing to colour slide and print film, my choice of subjects has varied over time. I began with landscapes and portraiture and soon turned to wildlife photography, particularly birds. I have even been privileged enough to shoot a couple of weddings and was rewarded with the direct impact photography could have on peoples' lives.
My Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/fiferboy
My Picasa Web Page: https://picasaweb.google.com/andrew.olmsted
Bird watching
Stemming from my transistion to wildlife photography I developed and interest in spotting and identifying birds. This can also be seen in my choice of current projects. I am fortunate to live in an area that has a wide variety of bird life to observe and although my life list is not as long as I would like it is growing all the time.
My bird watching blog: birdingandrew.blogspot.com
My bird photo gallery: https://picasaweb.google.com/birding.andrew
Fatherhood
My most challenging role to date is raising my two young boys. The day-to-day challenges are definitely outweighed by the love and devotion I feel for them. It seems young children are designed to push their parents' boundaries, but this somehow just make the bond between father and son stronger. I am lucky I am able to spend so much time with them and watch every little development as they grow.