Countries Visited: - CLICK HERE
2020's
Mirrorless cameras are now replacing DSLR's. Investment in the technology and compatible lenses is essential to ensure the improvements in image stabilisation & quality is achieved.
Locations in the 2020's include [COVID restrictions prevented foreign travel... from March 2020 until September 2021]: Greek islands of Mykonos & Santorini, Switzerland, Croatia.
Cameras - iPhone 6+, Lumix LX5, Canon 6D, Canon 5D-IV. Canon EOS R. Canon EOS R5.
Lenses - 24-105mm zoom, 11-24mm zoom, 100-400mm zoom, 35mm prime, 100-500mm zoom, 70-200mm zoom.
2010's
This period is the beginning of my favourite time for photography - the simple reason for this is that the balance is now in favour of taking personal photographs rather than just making a digital record of my travels and work related images. The process involves looking deeper into the composition and story behind the image to give impact and hopefully create an interest for the viewer. The downside to this is the scrutiny each image is now subjected to with the corresponding likelihood of rejection.
A return to SLR type cameras is a significant change from the small compact format which had become the norm for over twenty years. Full frame DSLR is now my 1st choice in the majority of situations.
Locations in the 2010's include: Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Australia, South Africa, Scandinavia & Finland, UAE, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Greece, Sweden, Canada, USA, Thailand, Malaysia, St-Lucia, Antigua.
Cameras - iPhone 6+, Lumix LX5, Canon 6D, Canon 5D-IV.
Lenses - 24-105mm zoom, 16-35mm zoom, 24-70mm zoom, 70-200mm zoom
2000's
I started using digital cameras in the early 2000's. The first experience was with a Olympus C2000Z digital camera owned by my employer and which I used for site survey work as it allowed images to be emailed around the world instantly. The uptake of digital technology signalled a rapid and final end to my 35mm film systems.
My work involved a lot of industrial photography and many images were used in exhibition/trade show displays and corporate brochures.
In the 2000's travel was mainly in Europe, Scandinavia & Finland with most countries in these areas being visited during this period. For convenience small portable cameras were used exclusively.
Cameras - Pentax Optio 555, Olympus C2000Z.
1990's
During this period I spent a considerable amount of time in the USA where I got to know the city of Chicago and surrounding areas of Illinois and Wisconsin in all seasons. I also worked in Japan at the Mitsubishi plant in Mihara, explored Tokyo including travelling on the Bullit Train down to Hiroshima to see the nuclear war memorial.
Other destinations included Hong Kong, Kenya, Seychelles, Australia.
Cameras - Rollei 35T, Pentax ME Super, Yashika, Ricoh
Lenses - 28, 50, 135, 200mm (all prime).
1980's
By the end of the 70's I had already begun to change to 35mm Kodachrome ISO 25/64 slides or lab processed colour prints taken on Kodacolor VR100/200/400 film.
In the early 80's as an undergraduate engineer I worked for a research company which gave me access to an array of interesting and diverse specialist cameras. The company had a very well equipped darkroom which was little used and gave me a chance to extend and practice my photographic skills. Whilst employed there I had a number of projects to complete including using the high speed (16mm film) camera for filming destructive testing and taking and producing photographs for the annual company brochure and marketing flyers.
During 1980's I had the opportunity to try wedding photography and still-life photography when I hired a Hasselblad 120 medium format camera and lighting system to take photographs for a new brochure of tableware, gifts and prize cups for my brother-in-laws silver-plating business. This was the first time I worked with a professional lab and it was a good introduction to setting-up a studio based photo shoot and everything that entails.
In the mid 80's I began to travel with my job. This was the start of the process which would ultimately lead to my two main interests of Travel and Photography. Destinations included Scandinavia and many central European and meditteranean countries.
Cameras - Rollei 35T, Pentax ME Super.
Lenses - 28, 50, 135, 200mm (all prime).
1970's
My dad was a keen photographer, he took me through the 35mm film era from buying bulk Ilford HP/FP4 film to teaching me the full developing & printing processes. Employed as a science teacher my dad had some years earlier setup a fully equipped darkroom at the school. I also attended the same school until the age of 16 and access to the darkroom meant that a significant amount of my free time was spend experimenting with different chemicals, photographic papers and 'dodging & burning' exposure techniques. The first paid project I ever undertook was to take the school class photographs using my dad's Voigtlander camera. I processed hundreds of black & white prints and made the most money i'd ever seen at there age of 13.
As a teenager I had lots of interests which usually involved mechanical machines (bikes, trains, cars, planes etc...) I also really enjoyed travelling and the one thing which was always in common were the photographs I took to record my subjects and the ability to share my experiences with my friends and family. I managed to get my aircraft photos printed in Flight International and Aircraft Illustrated magazines.
Up to this point my images were always B&W but change came when I discovered COLOUR and Kodachrome slides became the norm.
Cameras - Zenit E, Olympus Trip 35, Rollei 35T, Pentax ME Super.
Lenses - 28, 50, 135, 200mm (all prime).
1960's
The back bedroom of my grandparents house had become a darkroom and housed everything connected with my grandfathers hobby. There was an extensive array of scales and glass measuring cylinders for preparing the developing solutions and an archive of glass photographic slides dating back to the late 1800's together with his wooden plate bellows camera and tripod.
Peter Nicholson