Richard Milnes' photostream  

I'm an amateur photographer, and have been taking pictures all my adult life. I've got some great holiday pictures over the years, but have only begun to take photography seriously over the past four or five years. It's a common sentiment that you never stop learning, but I regularly find new bits of technique that I wish someone had showed me when I first started.

I really appreciate constructive criticism, so if you have anything to say, please say it. Or if you just like a picture: that's very nice, too. I'm happy for people to leave comments, even on the "untitled" ones. If you should venture back beyond the first couple of pages, I do look at "recent activity", so don't think I'll never see your comment.



One of my favourite features in Flickr is Galleries, where you can display your favourite pictures from other members on a particular theme. I've made a few Galleries, here.



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2 people in pink paper hats
Photopoint
What I learned from other people

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trot et galop/ trot and gallop



Visitors to this profile page since 8 May 2009:






















Cameras:



My parents were quite keen on taking snapshots. They had a Halina 35mm, which was probably quite good. It certainly had a lovely leather case, but then most cameras did, then. Wouldn't it be cool if DSLRs came with cases like that? I had a go with it sometimes. They had a big drawer absolutely full of loose photos. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't get hold of these when my Dad died. But that's a long story.

When I was about 12, they bought me a little plastic 35mm camera with flash cubes. I was so excited about this, and so fascinated by the flash cubes.

When I was 16 or 17, I bought myself a Chinon CE4. What a good camera for a beginner. I can still distinctly remember the first proper photograph I took with it, after I'd had it probably less than 24 hours. And I was so thrilled when I got the prints back from the chemist: it was exactly how I'd pre-visualised it. I'd probably still like that photo, as a photo, even now. Not that I'm saying..... ;-) I was surprised to see someone on Flickr still using the Chinon 50mm lens, cobbled together somehow onto a Nikon D200.

10 years later, we bumped into some random Brazilian tourist, and invited her to come with us the next day on what turned out to be a slightly drunken picnic at Arundel Castle. I seem to remember there was a punt. Could that be true? I left the Chinon in a taxi, as we returned to the station, and the taxi driver denied all knowledge. Grrrrrr.....

So I got a Pentax Super A, which I still have, and probably ought to have serviced. I'm thinking of scanning some of my slides, and thinking about using it some more, for B&W. I have a couple of fairly nice lenses for it, maybe I might get some more.

When I first began to get serious about photography, I had a fantasy about getting a Mamiya RZ67 II. That would probably have been a mistake, even if could have gotten the money together.

My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 5400. Another great camera for a beginner. I got some great pictures with it, but quickly ran up against it's limitations. The manual focus was practically unusable, and it was horribly slow. Like, really horrible. I lent it to someone, but it never came back. No big deal, but I do miss it, slightly. The twist-and-flip screen was really useful; and it was a great pocket camera.

My current camera is a Nikon D200. I love it. By an enormous distance, the best purchase of my life, of any kind. I got it a few weeks before the D300 was launched, and I did think of waiting, but was just too greedy for a DSLR. The D300 is way better in low light, but I don't regret not waiting.

I've got a Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8G, a Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR, an AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, and an SB-800. They really ought to be enough to be going on with, and I don't have any money for any more nice kit just now. But I did ought to get a decent tripod, to replace my laughable one; and I did once get my hands on the gorgeous Nikkor 85mm F1.8D, which made me drool a bit.


I am vaguely wondering about getting a cheap 120 TLR, like a Seagull, maybe. Or even, possibly a press camera.



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