I’ve been in love with cameras since being allowed to hold my father’s Canon A-1, too many years ago. After a succession of 35mm compacts my first SLR was a second-user AE-1 in 1996, and after a wonderful spell with a Minolta Dynax I swapped to a digital Minolta Dimage in 2002. This allowed me to dump the darkroom in favour of the mouse but unsurprisingly, Minolta’s early digital cameras were a disappointment after being somewhat spoilt by their Dynax equipment.

However, computer skills and my early passion for SLRs combined in force with the purchase of my Nikon D70 in 2005. In my view, mixing image manipulation from a computer with the accurate control over colour, tone and composition from a camera sets the stage for stunning image creation. Cameras and computers don’t make great images on their own, so to obtain skill and inspiration, I joined Southampton Camera Club. The level of experience, expertise and creativity shown by it’s members makes every Monday evening a humbling and exciting occasion. There’s always something to learn and new approaches to enjoy, and I hope to be able to contribute in the future as my photo skills progress.

Cars and Motorsport are my favourite subjects along with my kids, however I also enjoy creating images of landscapes and architecture. With the help of the friendly bunch at SCC I hope to learn more about Portrait Photography, and with enough courage maybe some Macro and Natural History sometime in the future. I’ve done some informal photo work for a few racing drivers, my company and a local school, and my online gallery is at www.colmeruk.com