25 News 4

Once again, apologies for not updating sooner. Problems with the web software and various commitments have resulted in this page being well overdue. So, what's been happening? Well, regular outings to Elmley resulted in a few nice shots throughout the winter, particularly of wigeon and we even managed to have a few days of deep snow! Very unusual for this neck of the woods. Even when there wasn't any snow where I lived, I only had to drive for 10 minutes onto the North Downs (another 100m above sea-level) and conditions would be entirely different with high snowfalls and many inches being laid.

Come the spring, particularly early May, the marshes are alive with the activity of redshank, yellow wagtail and meadow pipit to name but 3 and the coppice woods near my home are full of bluebells, stitchwort and early purple orchid. This is certainly my favourite time of the year, when there is so much happening and the countryside looks so fresh.

Digital is now gradually taking over from film in my work since all my press and commercial work is done using the D1x and indeed half my wildlife work, though my landscape photography is still undertaken using film cameras. This is mainly due to much of my photography being done very early in the morning or late in the afternoon when exposures are long and digital cameras have problems with recording detail and of course noise. However, this is now becoming something of the past particularly since the introduction of the D2x where I have read nothing but favourable reviews. The problems of noise don't seem to even exist with exposures of up to many minutes having no signs of noise whatsoever. So, I guess it's only a matter of time when i'll be parting with all my film cameras and going totally digital. It can't come soon enough.

One more thing. If you like the shots of Finland then get a copy of the September issue of Outdoor Photography. I've written an article about my hiking the Muotkatunturi wilderness in Lapland.