Flickr: schwana

me
I've been into photography for around 20 odd years - I started with a Praktica BM film camera, and now use a Canon 400d DSLR. I take photographs of just about everything, though my preference is for macro and close up work. I have a background in science, which occasionally comes out in my photos.

Equipment
I mainly use a Canon EOS 400D, generally with a Canon EF-S 60 mm USM Macro Lens attached, which is a nice all purpose lens as well as capable of 1:1 true macros; I also use a Sigma 70-300mm 'macro' lens and the 18-55 kit lens (which, with correction using DXO, I find is an ok lens).Plus, I use a Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens, which is a fantastic piece of glass.

For film photography I've mostly used a Praktica BM with 50mm and 70-210mm Praktica lenses. The 28mm lens I have doesn't work with the light metering of the BM, so it is mostly redundant. That camera is now on its last legs, so more recent ones are taken with a Praktica MTL3 (in combination with a Leningrad 7 light meter) with 50mm lens and a nice new Canon EOS 3000V with 28 - 90 mm lens. Negatives are scanned with a Plustek Opticfilm 7200i Scanner using Vuescan software, and all photos scanned in can be seen here.

Other Stuff

In addition to photography I like building bits and pieces (often just to save money, but also because it's part of my job and some things you have to bring home!). Projects are here, including my popular macro ring light (originally an idea I had for lighting samples on a laser stage using the power from a PC USB port). Also, my general blog, and my my skeptical blog. Plus, my www.last.fm/user/gnome73 playlist.

My better half's photos can be seen here:

Most of my photographs are all rights reserved - if you wish to use them, please send me a message. If it is for non-commercial use there is normally not a problem! If you use any of the creative commons photos, drop me a line to let me know - it's nice to know when people like the pictures!