About my photography

Go to the bottom of this page for a summary of the equipment I use.

I grew up snapping photos with a Kodak instant camera.  Ah, the sound of that motor whining as it spit out my latest masterpiece, the smell of the film chemicals as they developed right before my eyes…  It was enough to make me believe I could document the world through that primitive, bulky monster.

And I tried.

Later in life I purchased disposable cameras.  Drop a few dimes at the local drugstore and walk out with a camera, one that could be used to take pictures and then be left at the same drugstore in trade for the photographs it would later dispense.

When I finally realized I needed something less temporary, I purchased a Canon Elf film camera.  I ruined more rolls of film by forgetting about them until years later…  But I also enjoyed a new freedom.

Unfortunately the Elf died of neglect when finally in 2003 I purchased a digital camera, a Canon PowerShot S50 point-and-shoot that made me feel as though I owned the world.  I had no idea what I was doing or what I was getting into.

Four years later—Yes, 4 years!—I finally upgraded to a Canon S5 IS.  Still a point-and-shoot camera, sure, but one that put my little S50 to shame.

Good thing, too, as the first PowerShot suffered from a major case of overuse, something that rendered its controls increasingly dysfunctional.  Very much like its owner, I might add.

You see, I’d fallen in love with photography all over again due to the powerful influence of digital: I could take as many photos as I wanted without costing more money (save recharging the batteries, I mean).

Less than a year later, however, in late 2008, I realized I had already outgrown my S5.  The limitations of point-and-shoot technology finally pushed me to consider dSLR technology.  So I upgraded.

Right now I use exclusively a Canon EOS Rebel XSi/450D.  I have three lenses at the present time.  I need more, like a good macro lens and a good fixed-focal length portrait/landscape lens.  I also need a teleconverter to increase the range of my biggest telephoto lens.

I keep a UV filter on the lenses at all times.  I also utilize a circular polarizing filter when the situation warrants.  Other filters in my arsenal are neutral density filters, macro filters and an infrared filter.

While some can argue that good photography stems from good equipment, I retort that it really stems from passion.  My first published image came from my PowerShot S50, so I know of what I speak.

Good equipment can take you far, as can expert skills at image manipulation, but the true worth of a picture comes from the passion that created it.  If that’s lacking, the rest is meaningless.

I generally focus on nature photography, although The Kids remain my primary photographic subjects.  Nevertheless, being out in nature not only lets me enjoy taking pictures, but it rejuvenates and teaches at the same time.

I do not visit zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums or similar venues: The wildlife photography you see here comes from the wild.  I appreciate that zoos and the like help with breeding and protecting, not to mention allowing people to see and learn to appreciate the diversity of life our species is wiping off the planet, yet I can’t sell myself on the idea of enjoying the sight of, let alone photographing, caged animals, and that stands no matter how spacious the cage.  To me, true nature exists in the wild, not in convenient glass and steel prisons.  That is the spirit of my nature photography.

Equipment:

  • Canon 450D (Rebel XSi)
  • Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
  • Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
  • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
  • Vanguard VT-126 Tripod
  • Filters:
    • Hoya UV(O)
    • Hoya Circular Polarizing
    • Hoya +1, +2 and +4 Macro
    • Hoya Infrared (R72)
    • Hoya Half NDx4
    • Rilex UV-Haze
  • Previous Cameras:
    • Canon PowerShot S5 IS
    • Canon PowerShot S50

a life in progress