I finally got together enough money to buy my new camera set up, I got a Fuji S4500, 8gb memory card,4 rechargeable batteries,charger and camera case for £165. The camera has the 24mm wide-angle and 30x optical zoom that I have been longing for, I decided the hot-shoe capability and tilting screen were features I didn’t really have a need for.
The first outing with my new baby was a visit to WWT Washington, here are a few shots.
I am so happy to have fallen back in love with Photography, I have made a list of locations (mostly local-ish to me) that I can easily access when I am having a good day that I want to visit to take photos next year. I have a list of 5 possible replacement cameras to, 2 of which I have been and ‘had a play with’ in-store, and both feel very comfortable in my hands.
But for now I am still using my Fuji S5600, I’m happy with most of the images I am getting from it, I just long for a wider wide-angle and a longer telephoto, also the EVF on my Fuji S5600 has got a bit fuzzy now which means I am having to use the LCD screen to compose my shots which is getting quite annoying.
Here are a few shots I’ve taken in the last week.
When I first got into photography I was scared of 2 things, heights and bridges over water. Gradually my determination to get specific photos saw me pushing those fears.
I wanted to take photos of light trails from vehicles crossing the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle, off I went with my camera, tripod and remote release cable, got 6 feet from the start of the bridge and froze, couldn’t move. Damn! Failed!
Several months later there was an item on the local news about some work being completed on another bridge over the Tyne in Newcastle (The High Level Bridge) which not only carries motor vehicles, bikes and pedestrians but also trains.
Again off I went, here is a selection of images I got that day.
Barley, a captive Barn Owl deep in thought (maybe about his dinner?)
I am in a huge slump with my photography, it started when my ex partner accidentally broke my Canon EOS 350D by inserting a memory card the wrong way round bending the pins in the slot. At the time there was no huge issue as I didn’t have many photographic opportunities other than family days out which were adequately covered by the Lumix pocket camera my partner had brought me. However after the relationship ended and I moved back up North I started using my old Fuji S5600 which had been left at my mums, I used to love this camera but now I hate it, it feels too light and flimsy in my hands, the viewfinder is not large or clear enough, the 10x zoom comes nowhere near the 300mm end of my zoom lens and I am left largely disappointed by my recent photography.
I really want to get out of this slump as I still love photography, I have decided that I need a new camera, although I do not want another DSLR as I found changing lenses a hassle. But as I like a range of styles/subjects, from macro, to sweeping landscapes and architectural scenes to wildlife and long zoom candid portraiture and street photography I need a good range of focal lengths. After much searching I think I have found my perfect camera.
The Fuji FinePix HS25EXR
The main selling points of this camera from my point of view are:
- 24mm wide-angle
- 30x Optical Zoom (720mm equiv)
- Twist Barrel Zoom
- 3 inch Tilt-able TFT LCD Monitor
- 1cm Super Macro
- Hot-Shoe
All this costs around £220, so next year when I have cleared my debt I am going to buy this and get back into my photography properly.
In late April 2007 I traveled to Kent to spend a weekend with friends, during that weekend we visited The British Wildlife Centre (Newchapel, Surrey) and Marwell Zoo (Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire).
These are my favourite images from the weekend.
Since I first got into photography my favourite weekend of the year quickly became the weekend of the Sunderland International Airshow, it is Europes biggest FREE airshow and is held on the last weekend of July at the seaside town of Seaburn in North East England.
Here are my favourite images that I got at this years show.
Related articles
- Sunderland International Airshow. (paulcullenphotography.wordpress.com)
- Teesside gets it’s own airshow (tside.co.uk)
- Airshow season approaches (gdmkimages.wordpress.com)
- High flying Airshows make a great day out for all the family (gorentals.co.nz)
- Teesside gets it’s own airshow (tside.co.uk)
- Airshow season approaches (gdmkimages.wordpress.com)
I have been a photographer for the last 8 years, first using a digital compact, then a ‘bridge’ camera, then progressing to a DSLR. Here is a small selection of my early ‘work’
