Camera club member focuses on wildlife in Behind The Lens

David Bolton

When and why did you get into photography?

After stepping back at age 70 from the charity work my wife and myself established among the street community of Brighton and Hove, I found myself with time on my hands – what to do?!

What do you love about taking pictures?

Photography to me is an art form and the challenge I enjoy is producing a picture with the “wow factor”.

What equipment do you use?

As a boy growing up, I always admired my father for his fondness for photography and his fascination for buying 35mm camera equipment. Consequently, when newly married I followed in his footsteps, gathering cameras and interchangeable zoom and wide-angle lenses. My favourite camera was a Minolta 700i with a Tamron 70 – 210 zoom. Life calls for sacrifices sometimes and the need for a house deposit saw me exchanging my beloved equipment for much-needed cash.

A country scene pictured by David Bolton, right. Below, his close-up of a reed bunting

At age 70 I decided to pick up the hobby of my young adult life, but by this time photographic equipment had moved into digital format. My first camera was a cheap Canon with a really random 75 – 210 zoom, which I bought through Cash Converters for £80, along with a second-hand 28 – 55mm lens for £30. I was then set for our holiday in the Spanish Sierra mountains along with many photographic opportunities – and good weather thrown in. Having successfully managed to master my cheap second-hand Canon and gain immense pleasure from producing what I thought were “all right” pictures, I set about investigating upgrading my equipment. I decided upon an affordable Canon 800d because it had good reviews, but primarily it had the ability to transfer pictures directly to my phone, enabling me to share them with others more effectively. Added to the camera, I have accumulated lenses for macro photography, wide angle and zooms.

Crashing waves at Brighton Marina

With a limited budget I have found secondhand lenses, carefully selected, can achieve great savings. Equipment can be expensive and off-putting as a result. My advice to anyone considering taking up photography would be buy affordable equipment first to make sure it is a hobby you want to pursue long term. If you take to it then sensibly budget but don’t be tempted to think spending more will necessarily give you better pictures – you could be disappointed.

A dainty vole

What is your favourite picture?

My favourite subjects are nature, wildlife and places of historic interest. My personal favourite is wild birds. Every day through photography I am seeking to record moments in time, particularly those of beauty and interest, and sometimes those of humour. For example I spotted a seagull sitting on a canopy of Ask Italiano in Worthing and noticed that it was as though the bird was encouraging passersby to “Ask”! I waited until the bird was appropriately looking at the word – and took the shot. I sent it into the Argus and it was chosen as pic of the day.

Close up of reed bunting

What tips or advice do you have for others who want to take up photography?

I find that with digital photography you can improve the result with minimal editing, not necessarily using expensive Photoshop software but just by downloading free Photoeditor or the like. Sometimes a picture needs cropping or the exposure/brightness tweaked to adjust for the composition or compensate for different lighting conditions.

• READ MORE: Argus Camera Club members focus on new arrivals

Where is your favourite place for taking pictures?

My “happy place” is being surrounded by beautiful countryside, Woods Mill Nature Reserve in Small Dole being one of my favourites. The diversity of vegetation, and in particular the wild birds, give me ample opportunity for taking photos all year round. With their small lakes and bird hide, my favourite lens 150 - 600mm telephoto comes into its own getting close-ups of a wide range of small birds and even small animals like voles.

This beautiful glossy horse was pictured at Stanmer

Why did you join The Argus Camera Club and what do you like about it?

It has been a great decision. It is a good forum for sharing photos with others of like mind. It is very encouraging to get positive feedback – especially if one or two of your photos are chosen to be included in the paper. A real benefit is being able to see other members’ photographs and learn from them what creates an interesting shot. Photography not only provides me huge personal satisfaction but allows me the opportunity to encourage others.

A serene shot of Littlehampton beach

Anything else?

I share images of the beauty of nature on social media platforms that I hope will be uplifting and encouraging. One young lady (not known to me) spoke to my wife recently and said that whenever she feels depressed she visits my Facebook page to view my photos, which lifts her spirits and brings her much joy. Now to me that makes it so rewarding.