Q Why did you start taking pictures?

I have been fascinated ever since I was a youngster.

Q What was the first picture you took, that you can remember?

Besides the usual wanting to take over the family Kodak Vest Pocket Camera and take family shots, I asked if I could take some photos of a swan down by the river. My teacher developed the film. As you can expect, I was a very disappointed!

Q Have you any photographic awards?

No, only the satisfaction of recording events and latterly with travelling, trying to take care to reproduce better quality material.

Q Have you any other interests?

Lots, flying and gliding started when I was 16, sailing, period property. Recently purchased listed working water mill, so have endless supply of organic flour at hand. Travelling to nether reach parts of the world. Then the more mundane things like living in the country and trying to do as little gardening as possible

Q What was the first camera you owned?

Retina 2c

Q Which piece of equipment could you not live without?

As a lad I yearned for a Rollei! Now I am undecided, but it must include a fisheye and good wide angle.

Q What equipment do you use now?

Canon 300D with a Canon 28 – 300 stabilised lens, with a 1.4 extension and a couple of cheapy lenses.

Q How long have you been a member of OPS?

16 months.

Q What are the rewards of being a member of OPS?

They're a keen, happy and helpful bunch, their standards are high, interesting programme and they are well respected by visitors and other clubs.

Q What would you say was the hardest picture you ever took?

Alton Towers on the big dipper when it first opened (25 years ago)! Wanted to get a shot inverted! Couldn’t hold camera still so queued for another half hour, hanging on tighter this time! Felt horribly sick for the rest of the day! The shots were an absolute failure!

Q What is your most successful picture?

What is success? ---- You asked the question. I got a 2nd in a club night by a visiting judge. He seemed to like it; nobody was more surprised than me. I think it upset one or two members!!!

Q What was the worst picture you ever took?

Lots.

Q What is your favourite film?

DAMBUSTERS!

Q What are your favourite subjects?

Different, silly, faces, people or anything that catches the eye! Never understand people who say they can't take shots of this and that.

Q If you could take a picture again which one would it be?

Had just bought quite reasonable camera kit with a selection of lenses for my lad. Borrowed it to take some shots of my daughter in Brighton. Spent ages on the front and beach, took loads of, what I thought were great shots,. The film was lost in the post!

Q Who are your favourite photographers?

Don't know many, but Charles Brown an aviation photographer, who took just a couple of plates up with him for THAT shot!

Q Has any one picture influenced your photography?

A recent shot of a dog taken by one of last season’s speakers comes to mind. Not for it’s particular photographic merit but showed what definition can be achieved using the JPEG smaller, large image recording quality setting.