BackgroundI'm the experienced side of 50 and first picked up a camera back in the late 1970's. I have always enjoyed photography and in my late teens and early twenties always had a camera with me and spent hundreds of hours in darkrooms processing black and white films and prints. I was married in 1982 and with the increasing pressure of work and family life the photography turned into happy snaps on birthdays, weddings and holidays for 15 years.
CurrentMy work in the UK nuclear industry takes me all around the country spending a lot of time in hotels reading and playing with a computer. With the arrival of digital cameras I realised that I could be spending my free time a lot more productively and bought my first digital camera in the late 90's. I used to shoot hundreds and hundreds of images of anything that took my fancy and then spent the evenings putting 99% of the images into the trash bin on the computer. Really productive! Now I take my time and take a lot less images but have a lot more 'keepers'.
Areas of InterestIf I was asked what I liked to photograph my answer would have to be wildlife, but I still enjoy going out and just photographing any subject that appeals to me. I like new challenges and will concentrate on one subject until I get the best image I can achieve and then move onto another subject. I have no reservations about photographing captive subjects and get a lot of pleasure from it but the pleasure of getting a good photograph of a wild animal or bird in its natural environment is very rewarding.
EquipmentI have always used Canon equipment, the EOS 1D MkII N, EOS-7D, EOS-40D and EOS-20D bodies with a range of lens from 8mm up to 600mm and an assortment of flashguns, tripods and accessories.
The Canon 600mm f4 IS USM prime lens is my pride and joy and the cause of a lot of shoulder and back pain, it is HEAVY! Using this lens means I can position myself further away from a subject and photograph them whilst they are behaving naturally and still capture them full frame and the limited depth of field nicely blurs the backgrounds. Even with image stabilisation the 600mm lens cannot be used without a tripod or beanbag so even more weight to carry to a location...groan.
If you have any questions about my personal photographic work or about shooting techniques please note me and I'll help as much as possible. My personal website, containing all of my wildlife images, can be seen here
[link]Current Age: On the down slope

, Current Residence: Glos, UK, deviantWEAR sizing preference: XL, Print preference: Lustre or Matte, Operating System: XP Pro 64 / Vista Ultimate 64, MP3 player of choice: one with decent music on it, Shell of choice: Oyster, Personal Quote: It's not what you feel that matters, it's who you touch