I have been passionate about photography ever since I received my first camera at age 13, an Agfa Clack. It used 120 size film and I spent every bit of money I could scrape together to keep buying film, paper, and chemicals.

Over the years I gradually progressed to 35mm SLR cameras and still kept on doing all my own processing in my bedroom (usually) at home. Pentax, Nikon, and Minolta - not all at the same timeof course.They travelled everywhere with me.

 At one point I even had a Rolleiflex Twin Lens camera.

After returning from my travels in the mid 70's, I spent three years studying photography and finally emerged with my Diploma of Illustrative Photography. Some years later I had my own portrait studio for a while. Nowadays I spend much more time writing, working with computers and web development work.

 My larger format camera was a Mamiya RB67 with a full complement of lenses - it is still stored in the back of a cupboard! Eventually, I moved to digital cameras but eschewed a DSLR, purely on the basis of cost.

I eventually went digital but there is something to be said for the creative process using film and paper, although I won't be doing that anymore.

I now use a Fujifilm XS-1, which does just about everything I need at this point, even though I still haven't worked out all the possible adjustment combinations, and yes, I am someone who actually reads the manual rather than trying to 'wing it'.

On my recent trip to the USA, I acquired a wide-angle/macro lens combination for this camera. The macro portion separates from the wide-angle, giving me greater flexibility.

My latest and most exciting acquisition in September 2018, is a Fujifilm X-T2. I got the kit 18-55mm lens with it and so far, I am extremely pleased with the results. I have added a standard 58mm UV filter for front element protection as much as anything else. This new camera will give me a lot more flexibilty for a new photography project I am planning for 2019 and 2020. The fact that it has dual memory card slots means I can shoot in JPEG+RAW, which is a real bonus for me. Now all I have to do is get to know what all the buttons and adjustments control!