Photography has entered the arena

Expanding out the site with more things I've done in the past

For anyone that's visited this site or known me professionally has probably only ever known me as a software engineer. The people that have known me personally have known me as a photographer as well - though, only as a hobbyist (but also a hobbyist who spent far too much money on equipment in years past). Coding is just one part of who I am, and I think it's time I focus on showcasing more of what I've done.

When did I start with photography?

If I was to pin down a time when I considered it becoming an actual hobby, I'd say it was in Spring/Summer 2014. At that time, I didn't have any pro equipment - instead relying on my OnePlus One, along with some CyanogenMod stuff, and perhaps most importantly, the camera app that allowed creation of 50MP images by taking a number of smaller images in quick succession and blending them.

I stuck with that for a while, but it was July 2015 before I got my first 'real' camera, a Panasonic FZ72. Being the novice that I was, I didn't understand that zoom alone is not everything. I didn't understand aperture, focal length, or ISO, nor did I understand that there are actual physics which restrict how much light can actually get into a lens of a specific size... so, I just bought the first camera that seemed decent.

I'll say that it wasn't bad as such, it was just limiting. It had really poor noise control in even modest light, and it's only real redeeming feature was the zoom.

A few months later in October 2025, I moved up to a Nikon D5200, but I'd spent a lot of time trying to understand what makes photography work. Being that this new camera was a true DSLR with interchangeable lenses, this was a first real hands-on experience understanding the actual technicalities of 'real' photography. I learned that even this much better camera still struggled in low light. Not as much as the FZ72, but still far from what I'd call truly capable.

Moving up

In January 2016, I moved up to what I consider one of the standout DSLR's of the era - Nikon D750. It's not that it was the most expensive or the absolute best camera out there. What it did offer was incredible value for money. Make no mistake, the camera body alone was around £1600 at the time, but it proved to be incredible value even at that price. This camera could actually manage low-light shots incredibly well, provided it was matched with decent glass.

And that's where it began. A minor obsession with lenses. I certainly didn't have money to buy the Nikon-branded lenses I wanted (especially new), but I did obtain a selection of lenses. The one I'm most impressed, even proud of, is the Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D. A full-metal body means it weighs around 1.3KG alone. The main reason I adore this lens is because it is pin-sharp throughout the focal range. Having an aperture of 2.8 throughout the range also means that it is fantastic for event photography, and a premium choice for portrait shots.

Some photographers will tell you that you should also have a 50mm, a 24-70mm, maybe a wide-angle like a 14mm, maybe a 105mm macro, and probably a long telephoto like a 500mm. Not bad advice, but it depends on your intentions. Getting 24-70 isn't much use if you intend to photograph wildlife, and likewise you can't generally photograph a wedding with a 500mm.

Drifting out

Eventually, the photography hobby died out for me. It's not that I don't like photography, but life moved on, and I felt like I'd photographed everything. Nothing really inspired me that often, and that feeling stuck around for many years.

Still, I often find myself wondering if I should get out there and photograph more. What usually stops me is lack of motivation. Carrying multiple KG of camera equipment takes its toll, and it's not something I ever really enjoyed.

Fortunately, we now live in a time where the camera tech within phones can produce some stunning images. Far from the level of a pro-level DSLR, they still represent a significant step forward in the field. They're small enough to fit in a pocket, battery life is incredible. Low-light shots are still a challenge, and telephoto leaves much to be desired (you can't beat physics!), but the convenience you get for the 90% of shots you'd take is difficult to dismiss.

So, despite having the DSLR and lenses still, I'll generally stick with phones. I specifically buy a 'pro-tier' phone for the cameras, because there's still that part of me that wants to engage in photography.

Composition

It took me a while to realise that composition is more important than technical mastery. Noise can often be cleaned up. Colours and tone can be adjusted. What you can't fix is the composition. A technically perfect shot doesn't engage if composition is wrong, but a well-composited shot can deliver the 'wow factor' even if the technicalities aren't quite right.

I still struggle with composition. It's something that's very difficult to get right. You can apply all the fancy rules and mathematics you want to it, but in the end, it's not always easy to find that shot which brings out something amazing.

These aren't all the photos I've taken

Right now, the gallery only includes a tiny selection of photos I've taken over the years. I'll dig through the rest of my photos at some point and try to find more. I'm not gonna be including 'snapshots' or other low-quality things. Only photos which I think deliver something interesting, the photos I'm happy with or proud of, are going into the gallery.