Life Summary!

I was born in Eastleigh, Hampshire in 1959 and lived for the first seventeen years in Chandlers Ford. Pretty standard schooling before boredom of academia set in and I applied to join the Royal Navy. I entered HMS Raleigh in February 1977 and have been in ever since. I spent nine years in the ranks before gaining a commission and now hold the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Formally a Safety Equipment specialist and latterly an Air Traffic Controller, I have served on a variety of ships and squadrons and have seen most of the world courtesy of the navy. Currently working as a military air specialist in the Civil Aviation Authority, I am due to retire from the navy in November 2010.
Married to Kerry with a son, daughter and step-daughter, I now live in Alverstoke, Hampshire (right by the sea). Apart from photography, hobbies include cooking, walking and keeping Kerry out of shoe shops!

Photographic Experience

My interest in photography started when I was 14 and got a Kodak 126 instamatic camera for my birthday. Increasingly large paper rounds funded the film and developing costs, but the bug had bitten and I was soon looking for something more substantial. After a year, I progressed to a 35mm camera (and for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was!) and spent a year experimenting with that and in the darkroom at school. Now delivering papers to half of Hampshire, my next self-funded step up the ladder was to the Zenit E, my first SLR and one that I could change the lenses on. I had a standard 50mm and also some Japanese 300mm telephoto, which was not a known brand but well suited my needs. Next along the line was a Praktica LTL which was followed by a Canon AT-1. By this time, I was in the navy so didn't have to rely on the paper round any more to fund this increasingly expensive hobby!
I had a dream though - the Canon A1 and after much saving, I managed to get one. What a brilliant piece of kit. I ended up with a good selection of lenses (Canon and Vivitar) and other kit and used it all for some fifteen years.

So what did some bright spark do then - invent digital! I was adamant to stay with wet film but bought a Canon Sureshot S20 as a family snapper to put in my pocket when out and about. It didn't take long for the digital bug to start knawing at my brain though and soon I was the proud owner of a Fuji Finepix S602 Pro. Another brilliant camera and one that did me proud in the Gulf during the both Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. But I couldn't change lenses! So last year, I bit the bullet and the wallet and treated myself to a Nikon D70 DSLR. A brilliant camera, but obviously bigger and better things come along so now I own a Nikon D200. Another remarkable camera but a drain on finances with all the accessories!

Whilst a confirmed amateur, I am learning all the time and have had work published in a few books, Navy News and a variety of photographic magazines including a full Portfolio in What Digital Camera. I have sold a few prints but obviously would like to sell a few more so don't hesitate to get ordering!

Current Kit List

  • Nikon D200 DSLR
  • Nikkor 18-70mm zoom lens
  • Nikkor 70-300mm zoom lens
  • Sigma 10-20mm super wide angle zoom lens
  • Sigma 105mm macro lens
  • Nikon SB800 Flashgun
  • Metz 45 CL-1 flashgun
  • Velbon Ultra Luxi F Tripod
  • Kenko Extension tube set
  • Lowepro Computrekker and Off Trail 2 holdalls