Picture Post

I suppose my first involvement with a camera was at the Hove Grammar School summer camp at Corfe Castle in about 1958. I can't remember what the camera was (definitely rollfilm), but I know the pictures were rubbish. I eventually saved up enough pocket money for a Russian Zenith 35mm SLR while still at school. The results were much better, but I couldn't afford any extra lenses for it. It did, however, serve as a learning platform for the basics; I processed my own B&W film and enlargements, and did quite a bit of colour slide work.

Fast forward to about 1980 when I bought my first decent camera, an Olympus OM2. I used this over the next fifteen years or so, gradually adding lenses, until I traded it in for a Minolta Dynax SLR with a Sigma 28-200mm zoom lens. I probably took more pictures with this camera than with any other, until I went digital in 2000. I still have the Minolta, but haven't used it for about 9 years. I bet there are thousands of photographers with film cameras consigned to the back of the cupboard. There's certainly no market for them (unless they happen to be prestige makes, such as Leica).

Where's my Dinner?

Life moves on and I made the inevitable switch to digital in 2000, with a Kodak DC290 (all of 2 megapixels!). This gave way to a Minolta DiMage 7 in 2001 (5 megapixels) and in 2004 I bought a Canon EOS 300D (6 megaixels) with Sigma 18-125 zoom (28-200 equivalent focal length in 35mm speak). I kept the lens but upgraded the body in 2008 to a Canon EOS 450D (12 megapixels), and I've just taken delivery of a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8 Optically Stabilised Macro Zoom lens - now I just need a bit of better light to try it out!

I joined Thornbury Camera Club in 2002. I'm very impressed with the quality of their work, and they are a nice group of people - well worth joining, if you are reasonably local. I wouldn't class myself as a brilliant photographer, but I enjoy it; I take pictures for myself - in my view it's no good if you don't like what you photograph, whatever judges say.

You can see some of my pictures in My Google Picasa gallery HERE.