FALLING SOMEWHERE AS RAIN

 As a boy, I always enjoyed making things, or finding new uses for discarded junk. Magnets and magnifying glasses fascinated me and still do to a certain degree. Perhaps this is why after I rediscovered photography as a hobby, I was determined to see what I could do with my camera. Probably one of the first customisations I applied and certainly the most useful, was a viewfinder. As my camera only has a small viewscreen on the back and not a through lens view, it meant I had to hold the camera away from my face when using it and keep my spectacles on, in order to see the display. As I am short sighted, this necessitated flipping my glasses up and down between shots. So, I found an old slide viewer at a car boot sale and fastened it on with a plate of Meccano, and a screw knob or the plate of a tripod. The viewer was similar to another boxed version that I found later, complete with slides. Its interesting to see the dedication on the box, as it was a gift from the British Society o...

   The first chance I had to own a good quality digital camera, was way back in 2013. Prior to this, I had relied on borrowing a succession of digital compacts or DSLRs, or just using my phone or tablet camera. I knew I wanted something suitable for my diverse needs and which would no break the bank, or leave me marooned on a truncated upgrade path. As a result, I chose a Samsung NX1000 for its interchangeability, mirrorless body and it’s ability to connect to Wi-Fi and the internet directly.  It was something of a gimmick on release, being made available in pink, black and white. Being a sci-fi fan, I went for the white version, as it reminded me of space hardware. It came as a kit, with body and two lenses, a 50mm and a telephoto. The standard lens was the Samsung 20-50mm F3.5-5.6 , a nice chunky lens, not desperately fast, but very capable. All NX lenses have special functions built in too, such as presets for Landscape, Night, Portrait, Sports etc, as well as a host o...