Pentax K10D

I realised earlier that I really don't say much about the camera I use. In some ways it's good to think of the camera a simply a tool, and as long as it's capable of giving you the results you want, that's all you need. When I was using film I used a Chinon CE5, which in itself was a great reply to the perennial "You must use a fantastic camera" comment. People were expecting me to say "Yes, a £5,000 Canon/Nikon", when in fact it was a secondhand £50 Dixon's own brand...

These days I use the Pentax K10D. It's a 10 megapixel Digital SLR, which is nothing extraordinary these days. What is extraordinary is that it's fully weather sealed, has in-camera image stabilisation (so any lens, not just the expensive ones, are stabilised), is immensely customisable, so both of it's command dials can do just about whatever you want them to, has some new exposure modes, has an 11 point autofocus system (nine of which are cross type sensors) and has unlimited continuous jpeg shooting (over 3 frames a second until your card is full). All for £399 body only.

The Nikon (D80) and Canon (400D) cameras in the same price bracket just don't compare. Add to that the great kit lens (18-55mm), which knocks spots off the Canon offering for sure, and you can't go wrong. And no-one else makes lenses like the 'Limited' series, or the 'Pancakes'.

I've just got myself the Pentax FA50mm f/1.4 lens, which is just sublime, and along with the Pentax 16-45mm, Pentax 50-200mm, Sigma 105mm macro and Sigma 10-20mm I've got a versatile, high quality set-up that allows me to achieve the results I need.

Never let anyone tell you that you need a Canon or a Nikon to be a 'proper' photographer.

Hedgehogs

Not exactly photography, although there is a photo on this post, which is more than I can say for others that I've done. Today we collected two hedgehogs from the South Essex Wildlife Hospital, and these have been released in our garden. Prior to release we needed to ensure they had a nice, waterproof home (a chamber at the bottom of our logpile) and a way out of the garden so that they can roam about and get their food. They may just wander off and never be seen again, but hopefully they'll stick around.

Hedgehogs are in trouble due to loss of habitat, poisoning from slug pellets, getting run over etc. The South Essex Wildlife Hospital currently have around 200 needing rehoming. If your garden and surrounding area is suitable, they'll be only to grateful of your help to provide a release site - give Sue there a call! If you want to donate to this charity too, please do, they do an amazing job. If you can give them some of your time, even better!

This is the male, before we got him out of the box and ushered him into his new home.



Hopefully we'll have success with these two, and some of you will provide some others with places to go.

Canvas Print

Well, perhaps I'm behind the times, but I've just got my first canvas print made, by the very helpful people (Daniela and Chris) at 'Life as Art' at Barleylands, Billericay, and very nice it is too (if I say so myself). Very good service by the team there.

Once I'd collected it, I nipped next door and dropped it off at 'New Art Prints', a lovely little gallery run by Peter Patterson (see below), with a good mix of paintings in all media, and a few photos.




The canvas was duly hung, and is now available to the discerning buyer! Like all my prints, it's one of a Limited Edition of just 25.




For those interested in seeing this print, the gallery's address is:

New Art Prints
Unit 43
Barleylands Craft Village
Barleylands Road
Billericay
Essex
CM11 2UD


Look out for the sign for 'Terra Fusion' framers, with which New Art Prints art gallery shares a unit.