About the photographs

These pictures were taken over the last 20-odd years with a variety of 35mm SLR cameras. I started as a 13 year old with a manual Cosina CT-1g and 50mm lens, then graduated to a Pentax Super A and over the last few years have used a variety of Nikons (F50, F60, F65, F80), mostly in conjunction with Sigma and Nikkor zoom lenses. Initially photography was something I did on backpacking trips and not the end in itself; also I was a poor student and couldn't afford the gear, or film. That's the main reason why some galleries, notably New Zealand and Australia, are embarassingly thin. I need to go back.

In 2001 I bought a secondhand Hasselblad Xpan panoramic camera and, after a few years and considerable expense, I now have all three lenses: 30, 45 and 90mm.

In July 2004 I decided that digital SLRs had finally reached a quality and price where they were worth using and I bought a Nikon D70. I used it initially for local projects and sports photography but as my confidence in it grew I used it more and more and it soon replaced my 35mm SLR, though I still shot Velvia on the Xpan as well. In 2007 I upgraded to a Nikon D80.

So these days, even though the weight of my camping equipment has reduced dramatically since my youth, I carry much more camera equipment and so the load is as heavy as ever. My typical kit now when travelling is:

Nikon D80 + 18-200VR + spare batteries + 12Gb of SD cards
Hasselblad Xpan + 30, 45, 90 + plenty of Velvia
Gitzo 1028 carbon fibre tripod
Lee graduated neutral density filters, polarizer

Still a lot less than most photographers would carry; if I've got a mule to carry my pack I'll bring along a macro lens, a Tokina 12-24 and a Nikkor 70-300VR as well.

I scan the Xpan slides with a Minolta Dimage Scan Multi Pro that allows me to scan the panoramic images in one pass, unlike my early efforts with a Nikon Coolscan III.