I don't often set out just to take photos, mostly I capture what I see when I see it. In public settings I prefer to focus on the environment and not so much on the people. I am not someone who could or would walk up to a stranger and ask if I could take their picture so not many of my photos show faces. I like taking my time, which is easier with photos of places and things. I generally do little to the images in terms of editing, I might crop or touch up to remove dust. Sometimes I will play with contrast etc and some just look better if I make them black and white. I have put this site up as my photography makes me happy and I'd like to share a bit of that.

I grew up with film. My very first camera was when I was 10 or 11 years old, a 110 instamatic. By any reasonable measure not a great camera but it was such a thrill taking a photo, finishing the film and then waiting to see how they turned out. Few turned out well. My next camera was a Fujica STX-1N when I was 20, my first SLR and quite a good camera, especially for not much money. A few years later I stumbled across the Nikon FM and took some good photos with that including the lake shore photo on this site and the summit of Egmont photo (that is a scan of a print and I hope to find the negative and get a better copy).

Then came the Nikon F4, then the FA now the D2X. I probably hung on to using film for too long but it was hard to make the shift, quality digital gear was expensive and I had lots of film gear but is digital better? I think so, even putting aside the enormous savings, having a digital image is so much easier to work with and keep safe and the quality is just better, at least for me. Have I shot my last roll of film? maybe, I do have some still in the fridge and even a roll of 120, all expired now, but maybe OK. We'll see.

Definitely a hobby. I have to feed the family so I have a regular job!

I have wanted to get into DSLR for a while but the Nikon F4 spoiled me for low end cameras and I could not afford high end cameras. Early technology was not great either so I waited. I was also a bit torn by the ergonomics of full size cameras. There is nothing subtle about most DSLRs and I have to make a choice to use it rather than just have it with me always. But...prices came down and reasonable cameras came into my reach. For me the D2X is somewhat familiar, its a Nikon and shares some of the DNA with the F4. Other factors are how extremely well received it was when new way back in 2005 or so. It was seen as a top camera and that gave me some confidence in it too, even 19 years later.

The sensor is 12.4 megapixels, that is plenty for my purposes and even the digital photos I took on point and shoots or my phone could, at least to my eyes be quite good. I don't need live view, or to be able to shoot video. Wifi and GPS might be nice but those are not deal breakers. Through a strange set of events I actually have three D2X bodies, one is my usual go-to, another is more like a display model as it only has 1300 shutter activations so I think I'll keep it nice and new. The third one will go to a family member to try. I bought all three in 2024, prices ranged from about $100 USD to $160 USD. I bought some batteries and DX lenses which were in total another $250 USD. When new, the body sold for around $5,000 USD. I consider it an amazingly capable set up for not that much money on the used market. I have high hopes for it and so far three of the photos in this portfolio were shot with it (Civic Square, the Waterfront ropes and Pedal Bikes). More to come I think.