Equipment:
I am now working almost exclusively with digital cameras. My
serious digital photography started with a Nikon D100 and a Fuji S2 Pro. I now use both a Nikon D300
and a Nikon D200 which are a joy to use.
I have recently disposed of my 35mm cameras, and it was like parting
with old friends, although they hadn't been used for at least a couple of years,
I use a variety of lenses, including:
Nikon 24-85 mm
Nikon 18 - 200 mm VR*
Nikon 70 - 300 mm
Nikon 80 - 400 mm VR*
My "standard lens" for a long time has been the Nikon 24-85mm , which boasts an f2.8 aperture
and a macro facility, and I still turn to it when I want the absolute in quality. However, more recently the 18-200 mm VR
has taken over as a convenience lens. This never seems to be off my camera these days!
I also use a Manfrotto PROB 55 tripod that is awkward to carry, but which gives a very stable camera
platform. When travelling I use a Gitzo "Traveller" Tripod that is very light, made of carbon fibre, and packs easily into
a carry-on flight bag. It is very expensive, but is probably the only tripod that fits my needs for foreign travel.
Although I have recently addeded VR lenses to my camera bag, I am now a convert to these. Nikon image stablisation
works well, and they enable me to work faster with more freedom. However using a tripod instils a certain discipline
and forces me to concentrate much more on the image I am creating.
In my images I use a variety of filters. These include:
UV filters
Circular polarisers
Gray graduates
Warm-up
Neutral Density
Even with digital photography, it is best to get the image right "in camera", rather than to rely on corrections
in Photoshop after the photograph has been taken. I often use gray graduates to hold back bright skies in my images.
I often use polarisers too to remove reflections. At other times the UV filter protects my lens.