Photographer
I've been a keen photographer all my adult life, starting off with a Nikon EM film camera. I currently have a fantastic Nikon Z7 II mirrorless camera, with a twin-battery grip, and a Nikon D800 as backup. (The adjacent photo still shows my previous camera, a Nikon D5.) I love taking aerial photographs, and the ability of the Z7 II to use high-ISO settings without loss of quality means I can always use a high shutter speed — essential in the aircraft. It may surprise you that you don't need a huge lens — it's a positive nuisance in the confines of the cockpit. My Eurostar aircraft has useful side vents that can slide open, eliminating reflections. A lens hood is a definite drawback as well when it's in a 100mph airstream. As well as aerial photography, I take photos wherever we go, and many of my photos have been used to illustrate my partner Wendy's books. The photos from the Nikon are startlingly good.
I enjoy taking photos of wildlife, though I'm not so keen that I spend hours in a hide or get up before the milkman. A couple of my best wildlife photos were just taking the opportunity when sparrow hawks caught birds in my garden. You'll see one in my gallery. We were on holiday on the Isle of Wight, which still has red squirrels, when one appeared on a tree a short distance away.
I also like taking photos of aircraft, of course, though I'm not a huge fan of airshows and air displays. Most of my aircraft photos have been taken when the opportunity arose at various airfields I've flown into. Some of my photos were taken with a GoPro camera mounted under the wing as we came in to land — you can recognise those by the nose of the aircraft being included in the frame.
